Judges 19

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Judges 19:25-28, But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.  At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight. When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

This is a story about human depravity.  As I read it, I can't help but hear the echoes of Sodom and Gomorrah (read Genesis 19 to jog your memory of the details).  Certainly, this text in Judges serves to show just how horrific Israelite society had become.  Of course, we see the worst of patriarchy throughout the passage as well: the nameless concubine with no control over her life circumstances, the acceptance of the rape and abuse of women (in order to preserve the men's honor), the lack of emotional response from the Levite when he finds his wife dead, and the subsequent disgusting murder and mutilation of the woman. 

While we could probably dig much deeper into those themes, I really don't think this passage is intended to be about the abuse and oppression of women.  Rather, it is intended to show just how pagan and vicious the Israelites had become.  Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.  They look more like the Canaanites than the Canaanites themselves do.  And it's very, very ugly.  Where is their faith?  Have they totally forgotten God?

Let's pray...Lord Jesus, We need you.  On our own, we get distracted, we stray, we fail to be obedient followers.  Lord, help us abide in you.  Hold on tight to us, even when we try to wiggle free.  We need you.  We need you.  We need you.  In Your Name, Amen.