Sermon Tone Analysis

Christianity is Not a Spectator Sport

March 1, 1998                         Judges 19-21

 

Scripture:  2Tim.

4:1-8  (2Cor.

11:23-29)

 

Introduction:  

 

          Today’s passage is about another incident during the times of the judges between Moses and Joshua on one hand, and King Saul and King David on the other.

You recall from last week’s message that this was when, “Israel had no king and everyone did as he saw fit?”

Last week’s message was about the renegade religion of the Danites who didn’t have the faith to conquer the territory God gave them, and so they escaped to the fringes where their idolatrous tendencies ultimately led to their destruction.

They didn’t like dealing with the real God of the universe and so they substituted another made of silver.

This account in Judges 19-21 includes a different kind of idolatry and a different tribe.

It is about the Benjamites and the evils of sexual sin run rampant - not much different than the excesses of our own culture today.

It involved succumbing to the Canaanite (Cain) culture around them.

Sin was entrenched and deep.

And those involved defended their right to do it.

Any opposition needed to be dependent upon God and committed to the truth that evil will ultimately be defeated by its own pride when God’s people humbly commit themselves to his cause.

The account in Judges 19-21 reads like a headline in today’s newspaper, “Homosexual gang rapes woman to death.”

It is a shocker.

It was such a shocker in those times that the people got together to do something about it.

I wonder if maybe openly blatant homosexuality isn’t the ultimate defiance against God?

The shock value of such things today is pretty short lived.

Can we really be shocked or outraged anymore?

Do we ever feel called to do something about it?

We live in a world of spectator sports and virtual reality.

My daughter, Amy, got me this computer fishing game as a present before she left to go back to Ohio after living with us for several months.

It is called, “Trophy Bass,” and their is a new version out now called, “Trophy Bass 2” with a Northern Lakes add-on package that increases the number of lakes to 15 and adds 5 new fish species.

In a way, it is better than fishing.

You can have all the excitement without any of the cost, mess or bother.

And you can catch virtual reality fish every time.

Like “Dilbert” we may never have to leave our cubicle.

I think we are fast going out of control into a self-imposed bondage of “everyone doing what is right in his own eyes” by losing the impact and accountability of interfacing with one another.

Group action costs us something.

The commitment is time, money, compassion, sacrifice - basically the commitment is self.

But unless there is an investment, there can be no real victory.

Unless I buy a fishing license, drive 40 miles to the Naval Base, freeze my hind end, get my lure wet, and try many times, I’ll never really catch another trout out of Lake Michigan like I did last fall.

And believe me, that trout tasted a lot better than a microchip - healthier too.

Let’s take a look at the investment Israel made to deal with the shocking reality of sin in their midst.

*Text:*

 

I.

The reconciliation of the Levite and his concubine.

19:1-8

 

          In the opening of the account of Micah and his idols, we saw a Levite from Bethlehem going to the hill country of Ephraim.

Here we see a Levite from the hill country of Ephraim going to Bethlehem.

Both accounts end with the partial emptying of a tribal area in the Benjamin-Dan corridor between Israel and Judah.

In both accounts there are 600 warriors who resettle.

In both accounts God’s grace is evident even in judgment because Samson was later raised up as a deliverer from Dan, and Ehud is later raised up as a deliverer from Benjamin.

It might also be noted that Israel’s first king, Saul, was a Benjamite from Gibeah, the same city as the one here in which such an atrocity is committed.

But it might be noted that God first appointed King Saul as a failure before King David to point to the necessity of the kingship of Judah from which comes the Christ.

The Levite’s concubine, or secondary wife, had been unfaithful and ended up back at her father’s house in Bethlehem.

He went to get her and his father-in-law’s persistent hospitality, probably due to his thankfulness that he had come to get her (thereby preventing social disgrace), prevailed upon him a total of 5 days, 2 days longer than he intended.

In fact it wasn’t until the afternoon of that 5th day that the Levite and his concubine actually left.

II.

The journey to Gibeah.

19:9-15

 

          The late departure ended up to be a severe problem because they could get no further than Gibeah before nightfall.

The Levite turned down the possibility of staying in Jebus (Jerusalem) because it was still an alien city at the time and he didn’t trust the residents.

Gibeah was 4 miles past Jebus, both in the tribal area of Benjamin.

But no one allowed them the normally expected hospitality by taking them in from the city square.

III.

The hospitality of the old man.

19:16-21

 

          Finally an old man who was not a native Gibeanite or Benjamite (he was actually from the hill country of Ephraim) who was living temporarily in Gibeah invited them in.

He evidently operated on a different set of principles than the native Gibeanites and knew the danger of spending the night in the city square.

He gave the normal hospitality and made them welcome.

The Levite had explained that he was going the house of the Lord, probably in Bethel or Shiloh to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice for having gotten his concubine back.

IV.

The sexual perversion of the Gibeonites.

19:22-28

 

          Just as the events took place in Sodom, so they take place here.

The Gibeonites had fallen for the culture of Canaan.

The vile men of the city come at night to carry out their perversions with the Levite.

They reek with boldness, having come out of their closet.

No wonder no one else offered hospitality.

In those days, the place of women was lowly, and in order to protect the Levite from disgrace, the old man offers his virgin daughter and the concubine to the wicked men to appease them.

They wanted homosexual perversion, but they finally accepted the tribute of the concubine.

She didn’t stand a chance and ended up dead on the doorstep by morning.

With complete insensitivity, the Levite tells her to get up and go.

When she doesn’t respond, he puts her on his donkey and goes home.

Their relationship was master~/mistress rather than husband~/wife.

Perhaps this is why she left in the first place.

She had surely become a sin sacrifice to lust and corruption.

Hosea later recalled the depth of Gibeah’s corruption.

*Hos 9:9  They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah.

God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.*

*Hos 10:9 ¶ "Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained.

Did not war overtake the evildoers in Gibeah?*

 

V.

The crime report to Israel.

19:29-20:7

 

          The Levite is incensed and cuts up his now dead possession like the carcass of a sacrificed animal, limb by limb, into 12 parts (arm, forearm, hand x 2 : and thigh, leg, foot x 2) and sends them as a message to all 12 tribes of Israel, including Benjamin.

It got action and gathered together 400,000 soldiers at Mizpah, a religious gathering place just a few miles from Gibeah.

The same method was used by King Saul at Gibeah to gather his first army - only he used a pair of oxen.

The message was that if you didn’t respond to the plea, this would be what would happen to you.

*1Sam 11:7  He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, "This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel."

Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.*

The Levite then tells his story.

But the whole tribe of Benjamin is notably absent, choosing to protect the right of their brothers in Gibeah to express their individuality - not much different than today.

VI.

Israel and Benjamin:  preparations for war.

20:8-18

 

          The people of Israel stood together for the cause of righteousness, made plans for provisions for the army, and made a last appeal to Benjamin to surrender the Gibeonites in order to purge the evil from Israel.

But the tribe of Benjamin stood their ground in defense of degeneracy with 26,000 soldiers, including an additional 700 crack warriors from Gibeah.

They were evidently confident, having a good reputation as excellent soldiers, true to Jacob’s prediction.

*Gen 49:27  "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."*

Israel sought the counsel of God, and God put Judah at the head of the attack.

Here we see a picture of Christ at the head of his army in opposition to evil.

*Mt 16:18  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.*