Judg 19:22 | KingComments | STEP | While the Levite is feasting on eating and drinking, as if life only consists of that, he is confronted with the harsh reality of the “sensual conduct of unprincipled men” ( ), as Lot came into contact with them in earlier times when he lived in Sodom ( ). However, there is a big difference. What used to take place in the heathen Sodom now takes place in Israel, among the people of God, by people who bear God’s Name. No angels come here to intervene, as they did in Genesis 19 ( ). Later God will say of His people: “All of them have become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah” ( ). In the New Testament we come across such an equation when we place the section of Romans 1:29-32 next to the section of 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ( ; ). We then discover that of the sins mentioned in Romans 1, relating to the Gentiles, many can be found in 2 Timothy 3. From 2 Timothy 3 we now know that it is about people who call themselves Christians. Israel has descended here to the level of Sodom and Gomorrah. Professing Christianity has descended to the level of the world. Isn’t that sad for God? The sin committed in Gibeah is that of homosexual behavior. The men of Gibeah want to have sexual intercourse with the man who has just entered their city. These people give themselves over to a practice that is clearly forbidden in the Scriptures ( ). In Romans 1, this sin is mentioned as a judgment God brings on one who deviates from Him and honors and serves the creature above the Creator ( ). The Bible condemns the practice, not the person. However, if the person does not want to listen to what the Bible says, the person is identified with the sin and receives the punishment for sin. This applies to every sin that a person commits. God still has the door to forgiveness wide open. His condition is that sin is confessed wholeheartedly: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” ( ). A single word about homosexual feelings is appropriate here. Sometimes it happens that someone experiences a stronger attraction to people of the same sex than to people of the opposite sex. Whoever has a problem with this and, because he or she is a Christian, does not want to give in to it, needs the support of fellow Christians. The appeal to us as fellow Christians is to support such a person wholeheartedly and to support him/her in the struggle. The reaction to the attitude of the men of Gibeah is as shocking as what those men want. The old man makes the improbable proposal to use his own daughter and his guest’s concubine to satisfy their perverse lusts. It may well be true that, in an oriental way, a host wants to fully guarantee the safety of his guest. Yet it is incomprehensible that he does this offer. According to his feelings it will be so that he gives permission and opportunity to commit a “small” sin to prevent a larger one. Lot has done the same with offering his daughters ( ). In any case, it remains a disgusting and repulsive affair. In this way every believer can act who has lost his connection with God, but still wants to uphold a certain ‘honor’ in a certain area. By living in a godless environment there is the danger of the numbing of feelings. Paul warns the believers in Ephesus – and also us – about this. Let’s never think we wouldn’t be able to do anything like that. God knows us better than we know ourselves. Realistically and powerfully Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, says: “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness” ( ). How can I prevent myself from “not run with [them] into the same excesses of dissipation” ( )? The following verses of Ephesians 4 give the answer. It is to look at Christ and to accept in faith that it is also said to me: “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, … and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self [literally: man], which in [the likeness of] God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” ( ). That is the wonderful assurance needed to live to the glory of God, amidst so much excess and immorality around me. With the old man and the Levite there is no question of calling to God for salvation. The cold-blooded sacrifice by the Levite of his concubine shows why the woman ran away from him. He has no affection for her. He possesses her for himself. Now he can use her to save his skin. In sober terms, on which we must not let our imaginations run wild, the Bible writer tells us that “they raped her and abused her all night until morning”. It is indeed the works of darkness, of which we read: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret” ( ). This is man who acts according to the lusts of his own heart, which is always at the expense of the other. The woman does not survive this more than beastly treatment. Because she can’t go anywhere else, she goes to the house “where her master was”. He is her ‘master’, which typifies the relationship. She apparently has the same relationship with him as the servant ( ). She is therefore nothing more than a tool, something he can dispose of according to his will. When she arrives at the house, her strength is exhausted and she dies.

‏ Judges 19:22

The Scandal at Gibeah

While the Levite is feasting on eating and drinking, as if life only consists of that, he is confronted with the harsh reality of the “sensual conduct of unprincipled men” (2Pet 2:7), as Lot came into contact with them in earlier times when he lived in Sodom (Gen 19:4-5). However, there is a big difference. What used to take place in the heathen Sodom now takes place in Israel, among the people of God, by people who bear God’s Name. No angels come here to intervene, as they did in Genesis 19 (Gen 19:10-11). Later God will say of His people: “All of them have become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah” (Jer 23:14).

In the New Testament we come across such an equation when we place the section of Romans 1:29-32 next to the section of 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (Rom 1:29-32; 2Tim 3:1-5). We then discover that of the sins mentioned in Romans 1, relating to the Gentiles, many can be found in 2 Timothy 3. From 2 Timothy 3 we now know that it is about people who call themselves Christians. Israel has descended here to the level of Sodom and Gomorrah. Professing Christianity has descended to the level of the world. Isn’t that sad for God?

The sin committed in Gibeah is that of homosexual behavior. The men of Gibeah want to have sexual intercourse with the man who has just entered their city. These people give themselves over to a practice that is clearly forbidden in the Scriptures (Lev 18:22 ; Lev 20:13). In Romans 1, this sin is mentioned as a judgment God brings on one who deviates from Him and honors and serves the creature above the Creator (Rom 1:25-27).

The Bible condemns the practice, not the person. However, if the person does not want to listen to what the Bible says, the person is identified with the sin and receives the punishment for sin. This applies to every sin that a person commits. God still has the door to forgiveness wide open. His condition is that sin is confessed wholeheartedly: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9).

A single word about homosexual feelings is appropriate here. Sometimes it happens that someone experiences a stronger attraction to people of the same sex than to people of the opposite sex. Whoever has a problem with this and, because he or she is a Christian, does not want to give in to it, needs the support of fellow Christians. The appeal to us as fellow Christians is to support such a person wholeheartedly and to support him/her in the struggle.

The reaction to the attitude of the men of Gibeah is as shocking as what those men want. The old man makes the improbable proposal to use his own daughter and his guest’s concubine to satisfy their perverse lusts. It may well be true that, in an oriental way, a host wants to fully guarantee the safety of his guest. Yet it is incomprehensible that he does this offer. According to his feelings it will be so that he gives permission and opportunity to commit a “small” sin to prevent a larger one. Lot has done the same with offering his daughters (Gen 19:8). In any case, it remains a disgusting and repulsive affair.

In this way every believer can act who has lost his connection with God, but still wants to uphold a certain ‘honor’ in a certain area. By living in a godless environment there is the danger of the numbing of feelings. Paul warns the believers in Ephesus – and also us – about this. Let’s never think we wouldn’t be able to do anything like that. God knows us better than we know ourselves.

Realistically and powerfully Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, says: “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness” (Eph 4:17-19).

How can I prevent myself from “not run with [them] into the same excesses of dissipation” (1Pet 4:4)? The following verses of Ephesians 4 give the answer. It is to look at Christ and to accept in faith that it is also said to me: “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, … and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self [literally: man], which in [the likeness of] God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4:20-24). That is the wonderful assurance needed to live to the glory of God, amidst so much excess and immorality around me.

With the old man and the Levite there is no question of calling to God for salvation. The cold-blooded sacrifice by the Levite of his concubine shows why the woman ran away from him. He has no affection for her. He possesses her for himself. Now he can use her to save his skin.

In sober terms, on which we must not let our imaginations run wild, the Bible writer tells us that “they raped her and abused her all night until morning”. It is indeed the works of darkness, of which we read: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret” (Eph 5:11-12). This is man who acts according to the lusts of his own heart, which is always at the expense of the other.

The woman does not survive this more than beastly treatment. Because she can’t go anywhere else, she goes to the house “where her master was”. He is her ‘master’, which typifies the relationship. She apparently has the same relationship with him as the servant (Jdg 19:11). She is therefore nothing more than a tool, something he can dispose of according to his will. When she arrives at the house, her strength is exhausted and she dies.