Day 89: Judges 17-19

 Why does the Levite perform such a barbaric act to send a message to all Israel? There’s so much confusion at this time, but the story is so close to Genesis 19:4-8 that the Levite must understand that Israel’s apostasy is almost complete. Travel is different today, but the Law is full of commands to be hospitable to strangers (Exodus 22:21, 23:9; Leviticus 19:10, 33-34; Deuteronomy 10:19). This horrifying story has no one who consistently shows pity - even the hospitable Ephraimite was willing to sacrifice his virgin daughter, (Judges 19:24), as Lot was (Genesis 19:8). The story is meant to horrify us-in doing what is right in our own eyes, (Judges 17:6), we lose compassion and all sense of what is right. We’re not too far from this today. Modern people in their pride have banished God’s Word from public life and feel confident that they can create a framework that is enlightened, compassionate and just. It’s predictable that it will descend into darkness, mercilessness and injustice.

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