Morals

O. T. #549  "Morals" 
July 1, 2015
Judges 19
And in 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 Beth-lehem-Judah.  Judges 19:1

LET IT GLOW


Are we allowing our morals to decline in America? What about our family? Do we discuss with our family and others why fornication, adultery, idolatry, and homosexuality are immoral according to God's Word? Are we allowing such things into our home by way of the media? Morals-what is acceptable and unacceptable? (Marriage is between a man and a woman; both are to remain faithful to each other sexually; family does not include those living together in sin.)

We studied about the idolatry of Micah and the Danites. Now the immorality of the Gibeonites and Benjaminites is here. The story begins with a certain Levite who was married to a concubine, who was sexually unfaithful to him. She returned to her father's house.

The MacArthur Bible Commentary says:

Priests could marry, though a concubine wife was culturally legal, the practice was not acceptable to God (Gen. 2:24). She should have been killed as the law required and could have been, if there was a devotion to holiness and obedience to Scripture (Lev. 20:10). A priest was not allowed to marry a harlot (Lev. 21:14), so his ministry was greatly tainted. Yet, he made little of her sin and separation and sought her back sympathetically. (verse 3) 

After 4 months passed, the husband went to get her. (Although this was not an ideal union, it was recognized as a legal marriage.) The Levite's father in law persuaded him to stay on 4 more days. After the fifth day, the father let his daughter go. The couple had lunch and remained until afternoon, although the wife's father tried to persuade the Levite to remain another night. Finally, the couple departed late in the day.

Let me add this information found in The Life Application Study Bible:
Concubines (along with their children), though legally attached to one man, did not have the inheritance rights of the legal wife and legitimate children. Her primary purpose was giving the man sexual pleasure, bearing additional children, and contributing more help to the household or estate. Concubines were often foreign prisoners of war. But they could also be Israelites, as was probably the case in this story.


What can we learn from this happening? Sexual perversion and lawlessness were by-products of Israel's disobedience to God. Israel failed to establish a government based upon God's moral principles, where the law of God was the law of the land.  Sound familiar? Our nation is now making laws which are contrary to God's moral laws. Is our nation going down the tube?


LET IT GROW

There they are, the couple is traveling towards home (with their servant and 2 saddled donkeys) and it is getting late, darkness was soon to fall. They traveled until reaching the city of Gibeah in the territory of the Benjaminites. An old man asked the travelers where they were headed, which was a remote hill country of Ephraim, where they lived. No one had offered lodging for them, although they had enough food. The stranger in the city offered them lodging for the night at his house, so they accepted. The hospitable man provided for the travelers and their animals.
Then wicked men surrounded  the house. (We are going to stop there.)

The failure to offer hospitality was a breach of etiquette rarely found in the ancient East, where it was considered a sacred duty. Instead of being received by the Benjamites of the city, the group was offered lodging by another Ephraimite, also a stranger in the city (verse 16). (Falwell)

Not that I am advocating taking in strangers, but are we hospitable to those we know? Do we offer help to those in need?

LET IT GO

Live by the moral standards according to God's Word.

Read His Word and teach others what it requires of us.

Show His love when the opportunity arises.

Avoid immoral entertainment on tv and the internet.

Guard my heart and mind.