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Judges: Hope For Troubled Times

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1 Judges: Hope For Troubled Times
Chapters 17-19 “A Levite and His Concubine” Judges NIV Judges 17 Micah's Idols  1 Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim 2 said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels [a] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it."       Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!"  3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you."  4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels [b] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah's house.  5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. 6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.  7 A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, 8 left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way [c] he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.  9 Micah asked him, "Where are you from?"       "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I'm looking for a place to stay."  10 Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels [d] of silver a year, your clothes and your food." 11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man was to him like one of his sons. 12 Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. 13 And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest." Judges 18 Danites Settle in Laish  1 In those days Israel had no king.       And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the Danites sent five warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all their clans. They told them, "Go, explore the land."       The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. 3 When they were near Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?"  4 He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, "He has hired me and I am his priest."  5 Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful."  6 The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD's approval."  7 So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, unsuspecting and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. [e] Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else. [f]  8 When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, "How did you find things?"  9 They answered, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen that the land is very good. Aren't you going to do something? Don't hesitate to go there and take it over. 10 When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever."  11 Then six hundred men from the clan of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan [g] to this day. 13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.  14 Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do." 15 So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and greeted him. 16 The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance to the gate. 17 The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance to the gate.  18 When these men went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"  19 They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?" 20 Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods and the carved image and went along with the people. 21 Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.  22 When they had gone some distance from Micah's house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. 23 As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?"  24 He replied, "You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, 'What's the matter with you?' "  25 The Danites answered, "Don't argue with us, or some hot-tempered men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives." 26 So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.  27 Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. 28 There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob.       The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. 29 They named it Dan after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish. 30 There the Danites set up for themselves the idols, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, [h] and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. 31 They continued to use the idols Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh. Judges 19 A Levite and His Concubine  1 In those days Israel had no king.       Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, 3 her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there.  5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go." 6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the girl's father said, "Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself." 7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. 8 On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the girl's father said, "Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!" So the two of them ate together.  9 Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Now look, it's almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home." 10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.  11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, "Come, let's stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night."  12 His master replied, "No. We won't go into an alien city, whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah." 13 He added, "Come, let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places." 14 So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. 15 There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night.  16 That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. 17 When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"  18 He answered, "We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house. 19 We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants—me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We don't need anything."  20 "You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need. Only don't spend the night in the square." 21 So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.  22 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."  23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."  25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. 26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.  27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.  29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!" Footnotes: Judges 17:2 That is, about 28 pounds (about 13 kilograms) Judges 17:4 That is, about 5 pounds (about 2.3 kilograms) Judges 17:8 Or To carry on his profession Judges 17:10 That is, about 4 ounces (about 110 grams) Judges 18:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain. Judges 18:7 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts with the Arameans Judges 18:12 Mahaneh Dan means Dan's camp . Judges 18:30 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; Masoretic Text Manasseh Previous Book:Go to Joshua Previous Chapter : Go to Judges 16 Show Chapter Next Chapter : Go to Judges 20 Next Book:Go to Ruth Listen to this passage : Judges 17

2 Announcements

3 Judges and Ruth Week Date Topic 1 07 Dec 11 Overview – Judges and Ruth
2 14 Dec 11 Israel’s Success and Failure: Judges 1:1-2:5 3 21 Dec 11 Oppression and Deliverance: Judges 2:6-3:31 4 28 Dec 11 Deborah, Gideon: Judges 4-6 5 04 Jan 12 Gideon’s Success and Failure: Judges 7:1-10:5 6 11 Jan 12 Jephthah the Judge: Judges 10:6-12:15 7 18 Jan 12 Samson and His Exploits: Judges 13-14 8 25 Jan 12 Samson and Delilah: Judges 15-16 9 01 Feb 12 Auditorium 10 08 Feb 12 A Levite and His Concubine: Judges 17-19 11 15 Feb 12 The War with Benjamin: Judges 20-21 12 22 Feb 12 Ruth and Naomi Return to Bethlehem: Ruth 1-2 13 29 Feb 12 Ruth and Boaz are Married: Ruth 3-4

4 Today’s Objectives Review past lesson, Judges 15-16
Provide an historical background and timeline for this weeks lesson Review historical maps of Israel and the region Review Judges 17-18, read Judges 19 Discovered how far the moral foundation of Israel had degraded Examine how a Levite left his concubine to endure his own abuse Have the right attitude about hospitality to others Last week: Chapter 15-16: Samson Tells Delilah three lies about how to make him weaker Samson ultimately tells her the truth and she cuts his hair Samson grows weak and is captured by the Philistines, put on parade in front of the gather Philistines God gives Samson his strength back long enough to cause the temple to fall, killing thousands Examined both the strengths and weaknesses of Samson’s character as exhibited in his capture and death Examined our spiritual strengths and weaknesses Sensed our own need to grow in strength with God

5 Historical Background
Jewish traditions states Samuel wrote Judges Written around 1050 B.C. and covered the period from 1375 B.C. to 1050 B.C. Death of Joshua to the beginning of the monarchy Israel’s form of government was a theocracy God alone was their King God raises up a series of judges between Joshua’s death and the coronation of Saul Major and minor judges; most did not rule over all Depressing period in Israel’s history Cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance Spiritual compromise was the norm of Israel God sends powerful oppressors to counter spiritual compromise Theocracy: Word first used by Josephus to denote that the Jews were under the direct government of God himself. The nation was in all things subject to the will of their invisible King. All the people were the servants of Jehovah, who ruled over their public and private affairs, communicating to them his will through the medium of the prophets. They were the subjects of a heavenly, not of an earthly, king. They were Jehovah's own subjects, ruled directly by him (comp. 1 Sam. 8:6-9). (Easton). The antonym is secularism. Secularism is generally the assertion that certain practices or institutions should exist separately from religion or religious belief. Alternatively, it is a principle of promoting secular ideas or values in either public or private settings. It may also be a synonym for "secularist movement". In the extreme, it is an ideology that holds that religion has no place in public life. Sea People: Philistines, Phoenicians Samuel: The word “Samuel” signifies “name of God,” or “his name is El” (God). Samuel was the son of Elkanah and Hannah who had long been barren. Hannah dedicated him to the Lord as a child and brought him to Eli the priest. When Samuel was a child, he heard the voice of the Lord speak to him at the shrine in Shiloh. As an adult, Samuel played an important part in uniting the tribes against the growing threat of the Philistines. Samuel anointed Saul as king of Israel, and later went to Bethlehem anoint David as Saul's successor. He delivers the nation from the hand of the Philistines, as Moses from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and opens up for them a new national era of progress and order under the rule of the kings whom they have desired. Thus, like Moses, he closes the old order, and establishes the people with brighter prospects upon more assured foundations of national prosperity and greatness. (Various sources including ISBE, Easton).

6 Historical Background
Judges – B.C. Epilogue describing the period before the Judges Shortly after the death of Joshua Political background Much political upheaval in the region Egyptians and Hittites are regional powers Rise of the Assyrians in the north Israelite freedom of movement in the south Israel waging war to gain the land Against various tribal groups in Canaan and themselves Israel repeatedly attacked by nomadic groups from Moab, Ammon, and the eastern desert Hittites Palestine and Syria appear to have been originally inhabited by three different tribes: The Semites, living on the east of the isthmus of Suez. They were nomadic and pastoral tribes. The Phoenicians, who were merchants and traders The Hittites, who were the warlike element of this confederation of tribes. They inhabited the whole region between the Euphrates and Damascus, their chief cities being Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Kadesh, now Tell Neby Mendeh, in the Orontes valley, about six miles south of the Lake of Homs. These Hittites seem to have risen to great power as a nation, as for a long time they were formidable rivals of the Egyptian and Assyrian empires. In the book of Joshua they always appear as the dominant race to the north of Galilee. Somewhere about the twenty-third century B.C. the Syrian confederation, led probably by the Hittites, marched against Lower Egypt, which they took possession of, making Zoan their capital. Their rulers were the Hyksos, or shepherd kings. They were at length finally driven out of Egypt. Rameses II. sought vengeance against the “vile Kheta,” as he called them, and encountered and defeated them in the great battle of Kadesh, four centuries after Abraham. (See JOSHUA.) They are first referred to in Scripture in the history of Abraham, who bought from Ephron the Hittite the field and the cave of Machpelah (Gen. 15:20: 23:3-18). They were then settled at Kirjath-arba. From this tribe Esau took his first two wives (26:34; 36:2). They are afterwards mentioned in the usual way among the inhabitants of the Promised Land (Ex. 23:28). They were closely allied to the Amorites, and are frequently mentioned along with them as inhabiting the mountains of Palestine. When the spies entered the land they seem to have occupied with the Amorites the mountain region of Judah (Num. 13:29). They took part with the other Canaanites against the Israelites (Josh. 9:1; 11:3). After this there are few references to them in Scripture. Mention is made of “Ahimelech the Hittite” (1 Sam. 26:6), and of “Uriah the Hittite,” one of David's chief officers (2 Sam. 23:39; 1 Chr. 11:41). In the days of Solomon they were a powerful confederation in the north of Syria, and were ruled by “kings.” They are met with after the Exile still a distinct people (Ezra 9:1; compare Neh. 13:23-28). The Hebrew merchants exported horses from Egypt not only for the kings of Israel, but also for the Hittites (1 Kings 10:28-29). From the Egyptian monuments we learn that “the Hittites were a people with yellow skins and ‘Mongoloid’ features, whose receding foreheads, oblique eyes, and protruding upper jaws are represented as faithfully on their own monuments as they are on those of Egypt, so that we cannot accuse the Egyptian artists of caricaturing their enemies. The Amorites, on the contrary, were a tall and handsome people. They are depicted with white skins, blue eyes, and reddish hair, all the characteristics, in fact, of the white race” (Sayce's The Hittites). The original seat of the Hittite tribes was the mountain ranges of Taurus. They belonged to Asia Minor, and not to Syria.

7 Tribe of Dan Name Leading characteristics
Fifth son of Jacob by Bilhah, maid of Rachel Name means “judge” (Gen 30:6) Jacob’s blessing, “Dan shall judge his people (Gen 49:16) Dan will be a serpent on the roadside, a viper along the path (49:17) Leading characteristics Unsteady Unscrupulous Violent Grim humor Stealthy in tactics

8 Tribe of Levi The third son of Jacob by Leah
Levitical order consisted of all the descendants of Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari Sanctuary service as assistants to the priests Selected for this purpose because of their zeal for the glory of God Special guardians of the tabernacle Gershonites pitched their tents on the west of the tabernacle, the Kohathites on the south, the Merarites on the north, and the priests on the east

9 Tribe of Ephraim The second son of Joseph, born in Egypt
Jacob set Ephraim the younger before his brother Took precedence over that of Manasseh by virtue of Jacob's blessing Land included most of what was afterwards called Samaria as opposed to Judea and Galilee Tribe manifested a domineering, haughty, and discontented spirit Dependent tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin Initially home to the Ark in Shiloh until moved to Zion Continuing decline when kingdom divided

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12 Moral and Spiritual Decline (Judges 17-18)
Chapters represent an Epilogue Mentioned four times that Israel did not have a king in those days Absence of an established authority to enforce God’s law Moral and spiritual degradation Took place shortly following Joshua’s death Jonathan and Phinehas were alive (18:30, 20:28) Story of Micah Took 1100 shekels of silver from his mother He returns the silver She hires a silversmith to make an idol to place in Micah’s house Review: Judges 17-18 Judges 17 Micah's Idols  1 Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim 2 said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels [a] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it."       Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!"  3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you."  4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels [b] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah's house.  5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. 6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.  7 A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, 8 left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way [c] he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.  9 Micah asked him, "Where are you from?"       "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I'm looking for a place to stay."  10 Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels [d] of silver a year, your clothes and your food." 11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man was to him like one of his sons. 12 Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. 13 And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest." Judges 18 Danites Settle in Laish  1 In those days Israel had no king.       And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the Danites sent five warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all their clans. They told them, "Go, explore the land."       The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. 3 When they were near Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?"  4 He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, "He has hired me and I am his priest."  5 Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful."  6 The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD's approval."  7 So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, unsuspecting and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. [e] Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else. [f]  8 When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, "How did you find things?"  9 They answered, "Come on, let's attack them! We have seen that the land is very good. Aren't you going to do something? Don't hesitate to go there and take it over. 10 When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever."  11 Then six hundred men from the clan of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan [g] to this day. 13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.  14 Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do." 15 So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and greeted him. 16 The six hundred Danites, armed for battle, stood at the entrance to the gate. 17 The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance to the gate.  18 When these men went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"  19 They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?" 20 Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods and the carved image and went along with the people. 21 Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.  22 When they had gone some distance from Micah's house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites. 23 As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?"  24 He replied, "You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, 'What's the matter with you?' "  25 The Danites answered, "Don't argue with us, or some hot-tempered men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives." 26 So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.  27 Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. 28 There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob.       The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. 29 They named it Dan after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish. 30 There the Danites set up for themselves the idols, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, [h] and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. 31 They continued to use the idols Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh. 1 Shekel = 8.33 grams, there are grams in an ounce. Therefore 1100 X 8.33 = 9163 grams, 9163 grams/28.35 grams/oz = oz, 323.2/16 oz/lb = lbs

13 Moral and Spiritual Decline (Judges 17-18)
Micah creates his own pagan shrine Son serves as a priest initially Tries to make the shrine legitimate by hiring a Levite from Bethlehem (Judah) to be his priest Tribe of Dan still searching for a place to settle Sends out five spies to search for land near Laish Visit Micah and his priest Spies return, recommend an attack on Laish 600 Danites set out to attack Laish On their way, took Micah’s idols and his priest Danites attack Laish and burn the city Danites rebuild the city, call it Dan, worship idols Review: Judges 17-18

14 Levite Retrieves His Concubine (19:1-10)
Levite who lived in the remote part of Ephraim Levites were allotted no land, only 48 cities to occupy Levite obtained a concubine from Bethlehem Female slave, wife of secondary rank or status Often did not have the inheritance rights of a legal wife Concubine did not remain faithful She deserts the Levite and returns to her father (19:2) No Israelite law for a wife to divorce her husband Levite travels to take his concubine back Levite visit goes well and he stays for five days (19:8) Travels to Jebus, about six miles (19:10) Read: Judges 19:1-10 Judges 19:1-10 A Levite and His Concubine  1 In those days Israel had no king.       Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, 3 her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there.  5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go." 6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the girl's father said, "Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself." 7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. 8 On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the girl's father said, "Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!" So the two of them ate together.  9 Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Now look, it's almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home." 10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine. Numbers 35:1-8 1 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, 2 "Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. 3 Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.     4 "The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits [a] from the town wall. 5 Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits [b] on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns. Cities of Refuge     6 "Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7 In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. 8 The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few."

15 Travelers Stop In Gibeah (19:11-21)
The Levite and his concubine arrive at Jebus Jebus under the control of non-Israelites (19:12) Decides to proceed to Gibeah Arrival at Gibeah Three miles north of Jebus Willing to go as far as Ramah to find lodging (19:13) Decided to spend the night at Gibeah No Israelite willing to put them up for the night Sat in the city square (19:14-15) Farmer, originally from Ephraim, took them in Realized the potential danger they faced Read: Judges 19:11-21 11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, "Come, let's stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night."  12 His master replied, "No. We won't go into an alien city, whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah." 13 He added, "Come, let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places." 14 So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. 15 There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night.  16 That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. 17 When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"  18 He answered, "We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house. 19 We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants—me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We don't need anything."  20 "You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need. Only don't spend the night in the square." 21 So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.

16 Men of Gibeah Perform Evil Deeds (19:22-30)
Wicked men of Gibeah gather around the house Demanded the farmer surrender the Levite To sexually abuse the Levite (19:22) Farmer pleads with the men of Gibeah (19:23) Offers his virgin daughter and the concubine (19:24) Underscores how quickly Israel had decline Men of Gibeah Farmer, Levite, and his servant did not defend the women; Levite throws the concubine to the men (19:25) The concubine dies from the all-night abuse The Levite evaded personal responsibility Read: Judges: 19:22-30  22 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."  23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."  25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. 26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.  27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.  29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!“ Why did he do such a thing? It was so that the most gruesome indication of what had been done should be brought home to the tribes. He wanted to shock them into action. He was only an obscure Levite and he knew from his connections with the central sanctuary how easily such things could be forgotten. But he wanted to make sure that this case would not be forgotten. And coming from a Levite, a servant of the sanctuary, and one set apart as God’s, it would have even more impact. The message would be clear. The woman had met a violent death of a most obscene kind in breach of the covenant of Yahweh. He may also have intended to convey the message that it was the equivalent of human sacrifice, that she had been, as it were, sacrificed to Baal. For the behaviour of the men may well have resulted from their contact with the religion of Baal and with sacred prostitutes, and have been excused by them as such an action. This if anything should spur the confederate tribes into action.

17 Constable’s Commentary
“This is a story about love and hate. The major manifestation of love is hospitality. The major manifestation of hate is immorality (lit. what is contrary to manners). Webster's dictionary defines immoral as "contrary to the moral code of the community.“ The idea that man sets his own standards of morality goes all the way back to the Fall (Gen. 3). Really God sets these standards. He does so in love and for the welfare of humanity, and He reveals them in His Word. When people abandon God's standards, life breaks down, unravels, and disintegrates.”

18 Review Reviewed past lesson, Judges 15-16
Provided an historical background and timeline for this weeks lesson Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region Reviewed Judges 17-18, read Judges 19 Discovered how far the moral foundation of Israel had degraded Examined how a Levite let his concubine to endure his own abuse Learn how to have the right attitude about hospitality to others


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