On Apr. 20, 1999, 12 students, one teacher and the two student killers were victims at Columbine. This incident shocked America. How could seemingly normal high school students be so violent? Experts concluded that the alienation in these killers should have been addressed earlier. Since Columbine, schools all over the nation reinforced their security measures. More attention has been paid to youths who isolate themselves and show signs of alienation and anger. These steps are necessary to do what we can to prevent such tragic events from happening again.
Judges 19 concludes with a tragic event. In those days with no king in Israel, a certain Levite took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem who played the harlot against him. She went to her father’s house for four months. Then her husband arose and spoke tenderly to bring her back (Judges 19:1-3).
For five days, the girls’ father told her husband to sustain himself with bread, stay overnight at his house and be merry. Finally, the husband refused to spend another night there and at another place since it was not of the sons of Israel. An old man said in Gibeah: “Let me take care of your needs, but do not spend the night in the open square.” He took them into his house, gave the donkeys fodder, washed their feet, ate and drank (Judges 19:4-21)
While they were making merry, certain worthless fellows surrounded the house saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him.” The owner of house said, “Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. You may ravish them and do what you wish, but do not commit act of folly against this man.” They raped and abused her all night until the morning morning. Her husband, the Levite, cut her into 12 pieces and sent her throughout Israel. Everyone said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from day when Israel came up from Egypt to this day, Consider it, take counsel and speak up!” (Judges 19:22-30).
When everyone does what is right in their own eyes, pleasure and sexual sin rather than Biblical family order becomes the priority. Unfortunately, it often takes a shocking crime to awaken the body of Christ to speak up and take action.
Spend time confessing sexual sins that break up the family unit by claiming 2 Chron. 7:14-16.
