Hospitality in Gibeah (Judges 19:10-21)

3/4/2010 9:15 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Hospitality in Gibeah

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Judges 19:10-21

 

            Message of the verses:  “10  But the man was not willing to spend the night, so he arose and departed and came to a place opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). And there were with him a pair of saddled donkeys; his concubine also was with him. 11  When they were near Jebus, the day was almost gone; and the servant said to his master, "Please come, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it." 12  However, his master said to him, "We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners who are not of the sons of Israel; but we will go on as far as Gibeah." 13  He said to his servant, "Come and let us approach one of these places; and we will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah." 14  So they passed along and went their way, and the sun set on them near Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin. 15  They turned aside there in order to enter and lodge in Gibeah. When they entered, they sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.

    “16 ¶  Then behold, an old man was coming out of the field from his work at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was staying in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamite. 17  And he lifted up his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city; and the old man said, "Where are you going, and where do you come from?" 18  He said to him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, for I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem in Judah. But I am now going to my house, and no man will take me into his house. 19  "Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything." 20  The old man said, "Peace to you. Only let me take care of all your needs; however, do not spend the night in the open square." 21  So he took him into his house and gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet and ate and drank.”

            It seems that whatever study guide that I look at when studying the Bible they all make it plain that hostility is something that is very important in the Middle East, and it is also one of the qualifications for a Pastor in the NT.  “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”  (1Tim 3:2)  In Hebrews 13:2 there is something that speaks of being hospitable:  “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”  If I’m not mistaken hospitality is one of the gifts of the Spirit, yet all believers should be hospitable.

            No one from the city of Gibeah would be hospitable to this Levite, his servant and his concubine but an old man who had just came into the city from working in his field.  This shows again of the spiritual condition in the country of Israel during the time of the Judges.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I would suppose that hospitality is one of the weaker things that I do, and this is something that I have to work on through prayer and through the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Being hospitable to people opens up avenues where I can share Christ’s love and salvation to them.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Be open to learning to be more hospitable to others.

 

3/4/2010 9:41 AM