The Irony of the Levite
Remember, the backdrop to the story of the Levite from Ephraim and his concubine (Judges 19-21) was that there was no king in Israel. God’s government was rejected and the people led themselves. This one thing helps us understand the impact and influence of the day’s culture when we examine the Levite’s actions.
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We will look further at the Levite and his concubine.
There was a lot going on in the relationship between the Levite and his concubine.
- Levite called her husband, and concubine’s father called Levite’s father-in-law (19:3-4)
- Concubine played the harlot…left the Levite and went to her father’s house (19:2)
- After a 4-month separation the Levite comes after her to “talk softly” to her heart (19:2-3, we do not know if they talked or what they said)
- Their stop in Gibeah on the way home to Ephraim’s hill country proved dangerous and fatal (19:15-28)
- Levite who initially came to reconcile with his concubine, gives her over to sodomites for the night to protect himself (19:22-26)
- The concubine was violated all night and thrown on the door step…so near death that when the Levite commanded her to rise she did not move (19:26-28)
- The Levite took her home, cut her in 12 pieces and sent her parts to all the tribes of Israel…he started a war…and there was great loss of life (19:29-20:48).
Now, the Levite’s glaring irony is that after he puts his concubine in a place that threatens her life and well-being, he appears to avenge her injuries by calling for a national response on his behalf and for his concubine’s “honor.”
It’s one of those things that makes me scratch my head. Nothing like this was done before (19:30). WHY did he do it? It wasn’t for love; we know this because he released her to the burning men of Gibeah. Maybe he tried to save face…to cover his trail of bad treatment against the concubine.
CONSIDER: These lessons highlight the concubine to inspire you and me to consider our present liberty in Christ. Jesus sacrificed His life and secured our freedom in Him. If you or someone you know agreed to a concubine arrangement, it is not healthy nor is it producing Kingdom fruit — righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. The fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25). Choose to fear and reverence our kind and loving God. He’s already cleared the path to freedom.
I’ll meet you on the line tonight. Selah, and love to all.
Blogs I Follow
The Bereans' Commentary with Shaunta D. Scroggins, Ed.D. 