Sat.’s Devo -The Sad State of Israel

Read: Judges 19:1-20:48; John 3:22-4:3; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 14:22-24 This is the story I hate to read every year. It is the epitome of man doing what he thinks is right in the sight of the Lord. *** A man takes a concubine and she is so angry with him that she flees back to her father’s house. When her owner comes for her, her father doesn’t protect her. Instead he entertains his “son-in-law” and lets him take his daughter back with him. *** They stay in the city of Gibeah on the way back to his house, thinking it is safe since it is in Israel. It is full of wicked men who come to the house that they are staying and want the man to come out so they can have sex with him. To protect himself, he throws his concubine out the door so she can be raped all night. She survives until morning and makes it back to the door of the house they are staying. When the man opens the door and tells her to get up, she’s dead. *** He takes her body, cuts it into 12 pieces and sends a piece to every tribe in Israel to get the people rallied up to fight against the town of Gibson. He leaves out the part where he gave his concubine to them to rape. *** All the tribes send their armies to fight at Mizpah. The Israelites send 400,000 warriors. The man who gathered them gave his speech to them about what happened, once again leaving out his part. They go to war against Benjamin’s 26,000 warriors. *** The first two days of fighting were really bad for Israel. She lost 40,000 men. But after crying out the the Lord and offering sacrifices of peace to the Lord, they set up an ambush and drew the Benjamites out of the city. They killed 48,100 Benjamites, burned down the town and killed the people, livestock, and everything they found. Six hundred men escaped to the rock of Rimmon where they lived for four months. *** Jesus and his disciples were baptizing people the same place John was. John’s disciples asked John if he was worried that everyone was leaving his ministry and going over to hear what Jesus was saying and he told them that this was the plan. He was not the Messiah but was only sent to prepare the way for him. He must decrease and Jesus must increase. *** John was earthly so he could only speak of earthly things. Jesus had come from heaven, so he could speak of heavenly things. Jesus spoke for God and could tell them of thing he experienced in heaven with his Father. Those who believe his testimony will receive eternal life. *** Jesus knew the Pharisees were watching him so he left Judea and went to Galilee. *** Jesus, thank you for the revealing the Father to us. Lord, God, thank you for sending your son to die that we might have eternal life. Holy Spirit, thank you for revealing God’s plan to us and equipping us to walk in the steps of Jesus.