Read Judges 19-21.
These closing chapters recount one of the saddest times in Israel 's
history. The sexual immorality in the
tribe of Benjamin at the time takes us back to the story of Sodom .
History is clear that homosexuality is the doom of a culture. Verse 22 of chapter 19 calls them
"worthless". It is the last
straw for God to execute judgment.
Human life had lost
its value. A young girl was abusively
murdered. The actions of the Levite,
though gruesome, accomplished its intent to rile a nation to do something about
the sin. They rallied in unity (20:11)
to "purge evil from Israel "
(20:13). Everyone suffered. In the end, 25,100 men of Benjamin died.
The tribe of Benjamin was the smallest of the twelve tribes. With such great losses of men, in chapter 21
the nation had to agree to a plan to maintain the tribal heritage.
People need spiritual leadership. God never intended for us to grow and live
out our faith in Him by ourselves. We
all need to be taught, to be accountable, and to interact with others as we put
the Word of God into practice.
When the book of Judges repeats the theme "in those
days there was no king", it is the dangerous reminder that they had no
spiritual leadership. "Everyone did
what was right in his own eyes" (21:25).
In other words, left to ourselves, humans do not naturally lean toward
God. Even our faith is a work of the
God, the Father. Jesus said, "No
one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44).
We all need the spiritual leadership of God's word, the Holy Spirit's control, and the accountability of a Bible teaching church.
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