Sun.’s Devo - The Depravity of Israel

Read: Judges 19:1-20:48; John 3:22-4:3; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 14:22-24 This is one of my least favorite stories to read in the Bible. It goes back to the fact that there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. The sad thing is, the man in the story was a Levite who was suppose to be the example to the people of God’s law. He went to get his concubine in Bethlehem who had run home because she got mad at him. He stayed several nights with her family then left for home in Ephraim. *** That night he stopped in Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. They went to the town square and stood until finally an old man who worked in Ephraim saw them on his way home. He convinced them to come and stay with him for the night. *** That night, it was like the last night Lot spent in Sodom. The men of the town came to the house and wanted the man to come out so they could have sex with him. To save his own life, he sent his concubine out and they raped her all night and left her dead on the threshold. *** The man took his dead concubine home and cut her into twelve pieces and sent them to each tribe of Israel. They united as one against Benjamin. They had days of battle where 40,000 Israelites died and 48,100 Benjamites died. The town of Gibeah was burned to the ground. (Did anyone think to kill the man who gave his concubine to the men of Gibeah?) Selah! *** In John, Jesus’ disciples were baptizing people in the Judean countryside. John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon. They must have been close to each other because their disciples argued about the law together. One of John’s disciples brought John news that Jesus’ disciples were baptizing more people than them. John explained that that was a good thing. Jesus was the one he had preached about that came down from heaven and was the Messiah. John spoke of earthly things because he was of the earth, but Jesus spoke of heavenly things because he was from heaven. Only through Jesus will anyone receive eternal life. *** John knew his assignment and that was as far as he went. He also knew Jesus’ assignment and he was happy to help him fulfill his. *** Lord, may we work with you and not against you. May we fulfill our assignments giving you the glory and the honor because all we do is for you.