Friday, February 24: Judges 19- .

I am disgusted by the story of the traveler and his concubine. My stomach turns over, my heart moans and my eyes water. How vile and uncaring we –we humans –can be.

I think… wow, the traveler avoided pagan cities in favor of an Israelite city and this is what happens. He may have been better off in a pagan city! And this angers me. How can God’s people be so blatantly evil!

And if by some small chance the wicked men of the city (22) were not Israelites but foreigners, the fact that the townspeople allowed depraved behavior in their city is disgusting. God must weep when the people of God look the other way when vile behavior persists and they have an opportunity to do something but do not!

More likely the wicked men are Israelites which then is even worse…

Then heaped on top of all the vileness is the apparent tossing of his concubine (basically his wife) out to these disgusting men. I cannot fathom that kind of disregard for a woman… a woman you supposedly love? Then the coup de gras, his response to his dead concubine lying at the threshold in the morning comes across so cold and uncaring. Get up, let’s go (28),

My stomach is churning… how horrible we humans can be. The depth of our depravity is so great. Thoughts of German ‘science’ experiments on internees and Japanese POW camps during WW2 flash in my mind.

Oh, God, we humans are brutal people and without the general restraint of Your grace extended throughout the world things would be soooooo much worse. 

I find myself being angry and mad at Israel for slipping so far.

I find my thoughts flipping to modern day Christianity. We must beware of slipping, too. Any of us are capable of slipping far from the teaching and directions of the Lord.

Am I turning a blind eye, like the leaders of that town, toward injustices of my day?

·         racial and religious bigotry

·         babies being murdered in utero

·         36 million people being enslaved world wide

Forgive me, Lord, for every blind eye I have turned. And more so, show me what I am called to do. Let me not rest until I am doing the things You have for me to do.  Show me, Lord. Lead me, Lord. Correct me when I want to avoid Your direction and strengthen me to keep on till my dying breath in relentless pursuit of You and living Your will in my life. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.