Everyone did as they saw fit.

The last 3 chapters of Judges (chapters 19-21) show a people that are so far off the Way, and who end up doing some of the most deplorable acts imaginable to women.

Chapter 19's story of the Levite and his concubine s one of the harshest "terror texts" of the whole canon of Scripture. I won't try and summarize...you have to read it in it's entirety.

Chapter 20 is a civil bloodbath between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel (65, 130 were slaughtered over the 3 day campaign if we take the records literally) over the atrocities that the Benjamite rapists committed against the concubine.

And then chapter 21 records the slaughter of the people of Jabesh Gilead (an Israeli town) as a substitute to slaughtering the whole tribe of Benjamin (for their sin of failing to assemble before the Lord). They reckon that they cannot destroy a whole tribe of Israel (the 12 must remain), so the substitute is "required." But it gets much worse. They spare all the virgin girls in JabGil (400) so that they can give wives to the men of Benjamin. You, see they are stuck because they already took an oath at Mizpah that "not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite" (21:1), but wives are needed to continue the lineage of that tribe. Talk about dysfunctional (nay, evil) decision making! And if that were not bad enough, when they find that these 400 stolen virgins are not enough to give each Benjamite a wife, they send the remaining unmarried Benjamites to hide in the vineyards of Shiloh (another Israeli town) to kidnap unsuspecting girls and to steal them away as their wives!

Unbelievable. Or is it? Is this really so unbelievable for a people who have strayed so far off of the Lord's path? And also, this is a huge testimony to the ripple effect of sin. The rape and murder of the Levite's concubine reaped horrors a thousandfold (now I'm inventing words again). O women of this world, weep at these texts. O men of this world, weep louder for we were (and continue to be) the perpetrators.

The writer knows what is going on though. These three chapters are bookended by the phrase "In those days Israel had no king." In fact that whole last 4 chapters are alluding to this as the phrase is found in 17:6 and 18:1 as well (sections talking about idol worship and false priesthood). The writer is blaming the fact that there is no unifying authority in Israel. They had rejected God's leadership (by ignoring the Torah) and had no human leadership to turn to (there were no more judges). What is the result? "Everyone did as they saw fit." (17:6; 21:25)

This text horrifies me, but it does not really surprise me. Human beings are very capable of committing atrocities against one another. We need someone to set us on a better path. We need a king to show us the way. But Israel was wrong -- a human king is not enough. He will be too capable of atrocity as we are. We need Yahweh to be King. O Hosanna to the Son of David!

Opportunistic Priests & Abominable Worship

Judges 17:7 A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, 8 left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. 9 Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I'm looking for a place to stay." 10 Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food." 11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. 12 Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. 13 And Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest."

Judges 18:18 When the five went into Micah's house and took the idol, the ephod and the household gods, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" 19 They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?" 20 The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people.

----
Wow! Talk about striking me between the eyes! Lord, you certainly know to grab my attention. I connect with SO MUCH of this narrative.

A Levite (who was born into the house of religious leadership for Israel) goes looking for a better deal (at least we can imagine that this could have been part of this motivation). He finds Micah who's mother has made an idol made of silver for him (sins of the "mudda!"). Micah has set up a mini-worship-centre in his house (a "shine") and offers the opportunistic Levite a job as Micah's personal priest. There are even priestly garments there for him to wear. Note that it never says that the Levite is a consecrated priest -- which means he likely isn't. He just comes from the right "religious" pedigree and is looking for elevation. So he takes it! Booyah!

But then we see just how consistent this pretender-priest is with his motives. I mean you have to give this guy some credit: he knows what he wants. When the next better opportunity comes along, he is outahere! He is consistently opportunistic. When the Danite army shows up and offers him the better gig ("come on, personal priest is a good resume starter, but military chaplain...here are the big bucks and honour...and as an added benefit you can get in on the pillaging and raping all you want") he is all over that. As the text says, "The priest was very pleased." (18:20)

So what am I to learn from this? Man, I have got to watch out for the temptation to make my pastoral calling something that is out there for "hire." Because once I start monster.ca-ing my pastoral resume, it isn't long before a Danite army is going to show and offer me "a chance I cannot pass up." In accepting, not only would I be abandoning the true faith (bad enough!) but I would be baptizing the pagan and evil actions of my employers (that is a priest-for-hire 's job). "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." (Eph 5:11).

O Lord have mercy on me!
Amen.

Samson: so much more than a haircut

So I was reading Samson's story today (Judges 13-16). You know, the dude who killed a thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone...and who's strength-gift is honoured in a suitcase brand (Samson-ite!). Represent! It is interesting that Judges 16:20 says that "the Lord had left him" after the fatal haircut from Delilah. Sounds harsh?

Without consulting the professors on this, my first response is that the Lord hadn't actually left Samson. Rather, the removal of Samson's divinely given gift (his superhuman strength) made him feel as if Yahweh had "left the building." I know I'm way into the land of personal interpretation here, but it seems to me that this is exactly how if feels when our gifts dry up (for a season).

That the Lord was just and righteous in removing Samson's gift makes sense. The strength-gift was completely tied up in his calling to be a Nazarite (ie. toss the razors and go all Dumbledore or Gimli-style). God had set him apart as a Judge (ie. warrior-leader) and the strength was given for that task. When Samson strayed from that task (getting caught up twice with Philistine women...resulting in the fatal haircut) his Yahweh-empowered gift was taken. Why would it remain if he didn't remain in his call? He wasn't embracing his calling. Again this is my interpretation. I think the Philistine women in his life are the examples of him rejecting his calling to be Israel's leader. It is so much more than just a haircut. It is interesting to note that the only Hebrew woman he ever showed interest in was a prostitute from Gaza (Judg 16:1-3). And this isn't Jesus' "interest" in prostitutes and sinners (ie. showing them grace), but a lustful man's interest in a prostitute (ie. ownership and power over for use). Samson got lost from his calling, and his divine gifts vanished as a result.

So, in that moment it felt as if "the Lord had left him" just as his hair had. I know in my own life (yes, even in some of my present challenges) that when I abandon Yahweh's call on my life, I see my gifts begin to slip away (where has my preaching gift gone?!) and it feels like "the Lord has left me." But thanks be to God for the end of Samson's story! Though Samson dies, he doesn't die tragically, but he dies triumphantly. As his hair begins to grow out he finds that the Lord has not left him. When offered the second chance (ironically now his eyes are physically gone, but he can now REALLY see) his strength returns and he takes out the whole pagan temple of Dagon in a final act of martyrdom. The Lord never leaves his people and he is desperately ready to RE-equip his people as we return to our callings! That's the grace of the gift-giver. I just hope I don't wait until I'm bald, blinded, and tied up in a pagan temple to turn back to the Lord!!

O Lord, may I live out the calling you have given me, living in the power of your giftings. And, Lord, when I abandon my calling (God help me, it wouldn't be the first time), help me know you are a God of second chances, that you do not abandon me, and are eager to re-equip me for ministry in this broken world. Amen.