Reflecting God - Warring Madness God at The Global Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas, United States for Wednesday, 11 November 2015 - Embrace Holy Living - Scripture: Judges 19:14-30

Reflecting God - Warring Madness God at The Global Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas, United States for Wednesday, 11 November 2015 - Embrace Holy Living - Scripture: Judges 19:14-30
RG AUDIO 111115

Judges 19:14 So they went on and kept traveling, until the sun set on them near Giv‘ah, which belongs to Binyamin. 15 There they turned off the road to go and stay in Giv‘ah. He went in and sat down in the city’s open space, since no one had offered his home for them to spend the night.

16 In time, at nightfall, an old man came from his work in the field. He was from the Efrayim hills and was staying in Giv‘ah, although the residents were of Binyamin. 17 The old man looked up, saw the traveler in the city’s open space and said, “Where are you going, and where are you coming from?” 18 He replied, “We’re crossing from Beit-Lechem in Y’hudah to the far side of the Efrayim hills. That’s where I’m from. I went to Beit-Lechem in Y’hudah, and now I’m going to the house of Adonai; but there’s no one here who will let me spend the night in his home. 19 We have straw and food for our donkeys, also bread and wine for me, my concubine and the boy there with your servants; we don’t need anything else.” 20 The old man said, “You’re welcome to stay with me. I’ll take care of anything you lack; just don’t spend the night out in the open.” 21 So he brought him home and gave food to the donkeys. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

22 They were relaxing, when suddenly some men from the city, good-for-nothings, surrounded the house and began beating at the door. “Send out the man who came home with you!” they demanded of the old man whose house it was. “We want to have sex with him!” 23 The man whose house it was went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, please don’t do anything as wrong as this. Look, he’s just a guest in my house; don’t do this degrading thing. 24 Here’s my daughter, who’s a virgin, and his concubine. I’ll bring them out. Mistreat them, do what you want to them, but don’t do such a degrading thing to this man.” 25 However, the men wouldn’t listen to him; so the man took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them. They raped her and abused her all night long; only at dawn did they let her go. 26 At daybreak the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her husband was, and she was still there when it grew light. 27 When her husband got up, opened the doors of the house, and went out to go on his way, he saw the woman lying there with her hands stretched out toward the door. 28 He said to her, “Get up! Let’s go!” But there was no answer. So he loaded her body on the donkey and began his trip home. 29 On arrival at his house, he got a knife, took hold of his concubine’s body, cut her up into twelve pieces, and sent them to all the regions of Isra’el. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “From the day the people of Isra’el came up from Egypt until now, never has such a thing happened or been seen. What are we going to do about it? Talk it over and decide.”

"Warring Madness" by Author: Rhonda Carrim
The horrific account of Judges 19 indicates the depths to which Israel plunged without a king. However, being kingless was not the sole reason for the leadership void. At the center of this sordid story is a Levite, a man specifically set apart for God’s service. This Levite makes the Levite in the Good Samaritan parable (see Luke 10:32) look upstanding! The shameful behavior of the Benjamites of Gibeah is appalling, yet as the story unfolds, the Levite’s self-interest and indifference to his concubine (a wife of a lesser status) is even more shocking.
Certainly a response was required. However, the Levite’s method of calling fellow Israelites to punish the crime of Gibeah was yet another dreadful act. Nonetheless the call to gather at Mizpah was heeded, and “all the Israelites” gathered as (ironically) “one body” (Judges 20:1, NRSV). Civil war ensued, nearly annihilating the tribe of Benjamin.
Sin among the people of God must not be ignored. Yet, the ethic of the gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to a higher response than that demonstrated in the days of kingless Israel, "when everone did as they saw fit".

Hymn for Today: "God of Grace and God of Glory" by Harry Emerson Fosdick

1. God of grace and God of glory,

on your people pour your power;

crown your ancient church's story,

bring its bud to glorious flower.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

for the facing of this hour,

for the facing of this hour.

2. Lo! the hosts of evil round us

scorn the Christ, assail his ways!

From the fears that long have bound us

free our hearts to faith and praise.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

for the living of these days,

for the living of these days.

3. Cure your children's warring madness;

bend our pride to your control;

shame our wanton, selfish gladness,

rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

lest we miss your kingdom's goal,

lest we miss your kingdom's goal.

4. Save us from weak resignation

to the evils we deplore;

let the gift of your salvation

be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

serving you whom we adore,

serving you whom we adore.

Thought for Today:
"What I am saying is this: run your lives by the Spirit. Then you will not do what your old nature wants." Galatians 5:16.

Please pray:

For the teams showing the JESUS film in Mesoamerica.
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