Messed Up

But they wouldn’t listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. The men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her until morning. Finally, at dawn they let her go. [Judges 19.25]

'Messed up" doesn't even begin to describe what took place in this story in Judges.

While everything about this story is difficult to grasp, I found the verse above most interesting. Why? Because the Levite was recently reconciled with his concubine and yet he threw her to the perverts who raped her all night eventually resulting in her death.

How important was the Levite's concubine to him? Important enough to travel from the hill country of Ephraim to Bethlehem to get her. But she was evidently not so important to him... he readily handed her over to men who were clearly sexual perverts without as much as a fight.

Israel was in a bad way.

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. [Judges 21.25]

But how did "no king" change anything? Where were God's people? Where were those who defended the Law?

"Messed up" is all I can say... But as I look around me in the world today, "messed up" applies to us quite accurately as well...

Father, I am certain we need You.