Entertainment in Bethlehem (Judges 19:1-9)

3/3/2010 7:30 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Entertainment in Bethlehem

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Judges 19:1-9

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2  But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and was there for a period of four months. 3  Then her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him into her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he was glad to meet him. 4  His father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him; and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there. 5  Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning, and he prepared to go; and the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, "Sustain yourself with a piece of bread, and afterward you may go." 6  So both of them sat down and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, "Please be willing to spend the night, and let your heart be merry." 7  Then the man arose to go, but his father-in-law urged him so that he spent the night there again. 8  On the fifth day he arose to go early in the morning, and the girl’s father said, "Please sustain yourself, and wait until afternoon"; so both of them ate. 9  When the man arose to go along with his concubine and servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, "Behold now, the day has drawn to a close; please spend the night. Lo, the day is coming to an end; spend the night here that your heart may be merry. Then tomorrow you may arise early for your journey so that you may go home.’”

            This section begins the last chapter in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of Judges, “Be Available.”  When I say the last chapter I mean the last chapter that is commentary for the very last chapter is a review of the book of Judges, something that he has done in some of his other “Be” books, and something that I look forward to each and every time I finish one of his books.  The title of this chapter is “War and Peace,” and it is good to remember that after the author of the book of Judges finishes with Samson he adds what could be called an appendix to the book of Judges to show what life was like in Israel during the times of the Judges, and times in Israel were not very good, and they could be compared to the times that are present in the USA at this time.

            There are things in the Bible that are present there that have laws about them but do not seem to be pleasing to the Lord, and one of these things is a concubine, for even though she is a lawful wife she is kind of a second class person in the relationship of the family.  It is good to remember that Abraham had concubines and if he would not have had a child by his concubine it would have changed the whole world that we live in at this time.  Jacob had two concubines and had children by them which caused a terrible scene in his family, for there was a lot of competition between his two wives before he began to sleep with his concubines and it only got worse after he had children by them.

            Warren Wiersbe points out the good times in this section that was had by the Levite and his father-in-law, and points out that this kind of “good times” is very apparent in the church today and of course should not be there.  John MacArthur points out that because of the unfaithfulness of this concubine that she should have been stoned to death, but because of the spiritual condition in Israel she was not and so this, what seemed to be a little family problem would grow into a civil war in Israel.  None of it needed to happen if it were stopped at the beginning.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I find myself amazed by how God fulfills His promise of Romans 8:28 throughout the entire Bible.  One has to look at the sin in the OT as sin and not sugar coat it because it is in the Bible, however the Lord uses all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called by Him for His purposes.  Even this story will bring glory to God for all of His attributes bring glory to Him, and part of His attributes is judgment and justice and it will be seen here.  God loves Israel and even though she disappointed the Lord God still loved her even though He had to discipline her many times.  I hope that the Lord does not have to do this to me too much in the future for I desire to live for Him all the days of my life, and when I miss the mark I need to confess my sin to Him and turn from it and then go on serving the Lord.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. “23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24  And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

 

3/3/2010 8:11 AM