Judges 19:29–30: “When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and dismembered her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. And so it was that all who saw it said, ‘No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, take counsel, and speak up!’”

May 3rd, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The end of the book of Judges is further evidence of how far the people of God had strayed from following the Lord as they continued to live their lives as they saw fit. This story of the Levite and his concubine is full of indifference, rape, and murder, and is without a doubt a low point in the nation’s history. The events are very close to those that took place in Sodom and Gomorrah, which resulted in the destruction of that entire city and people (Genesis 19). Only this time, instead of it taking place among pagans, it was God’s own people committing such horrible acts.

When the Levite found that the Benjamites, in the city of Gibeah, had raped and murdered his concubine, his selfish heart was finally shocked into action, and he did a radical thing in order to startle the rest of Israel into action. As horrible as it seems, he cut up her dead body as a priest would divide the carcass of a sacrificial animal. He then sent a twelfth part of her body to each of the twelve tribes, including the leaders of the offending tribe, Benjamin. This black night of horror made such a powerful impact on Israel that even centuries later the prophet Hosea recalled the depth of Gibeah’s corruption: “They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins” (Hos. 9:9). King Saul used a similar technique years later at Gibeah. In that case, though, Saul cut up a pair of oxen and circulated the parts throughout Israel to raise an army (1 Sam. 11:7).

As the Levite had hoped, most in the nation of Israel were incensed. It was certainly a grotesque way to deliver a message, but it finally brought the people to a point where they were willing to say, “enough is enough.” They were ready to bring to justice those who had committed the atrocity. This story began with “In those days, Israel had no king.” Thank God that by His grace He has given us a righteous King, Jesus Christ, to rule over our lives, and we need never live in a day where there is no King to rule over us. However, we can still run the risk of ignoring our King and doing “what is right in our own eyes.” But when we do, we only get deeper and deeper into trouble.

“LORD, please be King in our lives and use us to lead others to You this day.”

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Judges 19 KJV

¹ And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.  ² And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there four whole months.  ³ And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father’s house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. ⁴ And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. ⁵ And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel’s father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.  ⁶ And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel’s father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry. ⁷ And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again. ⁸ And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel’s father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.  ⁹ And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.    ¹⁰ But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.  ¹¹ And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. ¹² And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah. ¹³ And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. ¹⁴ And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. ¹⁵And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging. ¹⁶ And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which wasalso of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place wereBenjamites. ¹⁷ And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou? ¹⁸ And he said unto him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Beth-lehem-judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.  ¹⁹ Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing. ²⁰ And the old man said, Peace bewith thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street. ²¹ So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink. ²² Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. ²³ And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay , I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. ²⁴ Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.  ²⁵ But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. ²⁶ Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was , till it was light. ²⁷ And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down atthe door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. ²⁸ And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. ²⁹ And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. ³⁰ And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds .