Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Total Depravity

Judges 19
Similar story to Genesis 19 when Lot was hosting the ‘angels’ in Sodom, the writer of Judges is making a clear correlation between modern day Israel and Sodom. Where not just a single male was wanting to engage in sexual domination…but an entire mob. I believe the writer is saying….Sodom was bad, but modern day Israel, without a king, is exponentially worse than Sodom.
How soon after the inhabitation of the “promised land” do the people of God fall into total depravity….not long. A singular act of depravity would be one thing….but so much is going on here.
The concubine was unfaithful
The Levite was a bad/unloving husband (see #’s 6&7)
The city of Gibeah and no hospitality
The host offered up his virgin daughter and the guest’s concubine
The Levite gave up his concubine to protect himself (cowardice)
The Levite slept while his concubine was being raped all night long
The Levite emotionless picked up his dead concubine and packed her on a donkey
The Levite dismembered his concubine
The Levite sent parts of her body throughout Israel
I wonder if there is more sin and depravity that is within the story. I wonder if I missed it. I wonder too….if we become so focused on the BIG sins…(i.e. rape and dismemberment) that we lose focus on the fact that this Levite must have been a bad husband, for his wife to stray and become unfaithful. Also, the Levite when leaving his father-in-law’s home gathered his property;
Judges 19:10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
Notice his concubine is placed in the writing after the donkeys. Order of importance? Guys, there is so much in this story that started with this man’s (the Levite’s) lack of devotion to his wife.
God help up love our wives, be better husbands, be better fathers. God, in this current day….when we hear stories of depravity…even total depravity…..let it not overshadow our own depravity.

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