A
depiction of the Levite whose concubine was attacked at Gibeah by men
from the tribe of Benjamin.
Today,
points are shared on topics that include accountability, covenant
law, priesthood, reconciliation, and sacrifice within marriage.
Divine justice and the sacred process of judgment are ongoing, and do
not depend upon human institutions, politics, or secular knowledge
among men. Early Israel was not organized as a kingdom, and neither
law enforcement nor judgment were administered by a centralized
government, or by one who was anointed to be chief and ruler. Their
struggle continued to complete driving from the Promised Land the
original nations that were in covenant with GOD. The voices of those
serving as Levites, priests and deliverers (judges) were often
contested. A fighter in the “Yahoo! Answers” public forum on
Religion and Spirituality, who uses the ID “Pat C.” (Level 7 with
49,625 points, a member since December 10, 2011) posted the
following:
What's the moral of the story of the Levite and his concubine? It's ok to send a girl out to be raped all night then cut her into 12 pieces?
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: And it came to pass in those days, when there was
no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the
side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of
Bethlehemjudah. And his concubine played the whore against him, and
went away from him unto her father’s
house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months. And her
husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to
bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses:
and she brought him into her father’s
house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there four whole months. (Judges
19: 1-3, King James Version, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: That GOD Is Judge (11/01/2018); Divine Law Is
Demanding (04/10/2018); A Lawless, Violent GOD? (11/16/2017); Making
and Keeping Justice? (05/25/2017); No Excuses For Judgment
(07/26/2016); To Study the Book of Judges (09/09/2015); The Bible and
Genealogy (09/10/2013); Why GOD Does Not Tell All (09/11/2013)
“Pat
C.”, here are some points of consideration shared among Christian
believers that provide divine correction and proper understanding for
the account you refer to from the Book of Judges that resulted in
civil war, and the near destruction of a single tribe:
1.
The framework of divine law is provided to permit choice guided by
consciousness and self-will, rather than appetite, sensation,
emotion, and mind. In the language of the holy writings, the hosting
of sin within the heart and pursuing the operations of sin appearing
as desire are iniquity, lawlessness, and wickedness. It is because
of sin that divine instruction and law have been proclaimed for
created beings and living creatures.
2.
While an entire generation of those from Egypt heard the voice of
GOD proclaiming covenant law for their affiliation with divinity and
for themselves to continue in association with mankind as a full
nation rather than a family or collection of tribes, a single figure
(monarch) or mechanism to enforce the sanctions within the law was
not established.
3.
The pattern for government provided by Moses centered in collective
worship with the daily and routine resolution of conflicts and the
settlement of disputes being performed through the system of captains
and judges over units that increased in size (10s, 20s, 50s, 100s,
etc.). Every member within the camp was to respond with
self-government displayed as commitment, conscience, faith, and
obedience to the law.
4.
The pattern for holy matrimony in the Scriptures is that of offering
and sacrifice wherein a woman leaves her mother and father; is joined
to her husband to be one flesh before GOD through operations
performed by the Spirit; comes under the authority and law of her
husband; and continues in shared, unselfish commitment.
5.
Outrage, transgression and violations of the covenant law were to be
published and reported throughout the entire covenant community as
admonition, correction, guidance, and rebuke.
6.
The wife who left her husband and returned to her father’s
house (we say, returned home) is characterized as having “played
the whore” (i.e., offered herself as a sex object and romantic
partner to men outside the marriage relationship for gifts, goods,
favor, payments, etc.).
7.
The 27,000 men of Benjamin refused to be held accountable, or take
responsibility to investigate and punish the crime that had been
committed among themselves; and the tribe determined to withstand the
condemnation of the more than 400,000 fighters with the collected
elders and spokespersons of the covenant.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, 8. During the course of warfare, the
combined tribes pronounced a curse on Benjamin, and swore to never
intermarry with that tribe; however, when only 600 men from Benjamin
survived the armed conflict, a solution through marriage was chosen
to continue their divine inheritance, and repopulate their lands.)
Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you
according to your faith.
THE
BLACK PHOENIX
Washington,
DC
