Podcasts about Gibeah

This chapter continues the story of the corruption of Gibeah and the tribe of Benjamin, with judgment falling on them and on the rest of Israel. This teaches lessons about the covenant, just war, and the difference between punishment and discipline. The Text: “Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh…” (Judges 20:1-48)King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingscrossmoscow.

The Bible is Rated-R, and that is because it deals honestly with the horror of human sin. This chapter is one of the darkest episodes in all of Scripture, and so it is an opportunity to look our sin straight on. The Text: “And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah…” (Judges 19:1-30) King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingscrossmoscow.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0808db.mp3 Listen to Bible reading Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 08 Hosea 9 – 10 Days of Retribution Are Near Hosea 9 1 Do not rejoice, Israel, with excessive celebration like the nations, because you act promiscuously against your God.     You love the wages you can earn as a prostitute at every threshing floor for grain. 2 The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them,     and the new wine will fail for them. 3 They will not remain in the Lord's land.     Ephraim will return to Egypt,     and they will eat unclean food in Assyria. 4 They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the Lord.     Their sacrifices will not be pleasing to him.     For them, their bread will become like the bread eaten by mourners.     Everyone who eats it will be unclean.     This bread will only serve their own appetite.     It will not enter the House of the Lord. 5 What will you do on the day of the appointed festivals     and on the feast days of the Lord? 6 Know this! Even if they flee from destruction,     Egypt will gather them up.     Memphis will bury them.     Thistles will overgrow their silver treasures.     Thorns will grow inside their tents. 7 The days of reckoning have come.     The days of retribution have come.     Israel should know this! Israel Rejects the Prophets     The prophet is treated like a fool,     and the man of the Spirit is called crazy,     because your guilt is enormous,     and because your hostility is so great. 8 A prophet is to be a watchman over Ephraim for my God,     but a fowler's snare is laid for him on all of Ephraim's paths,     and he encounters hostility in the house of his God. [1] 9 They have become extremely corrupt,     as they were in the days of Gibeah.     God will remember their guilt.     He will punish them for their sins. Fertility Worship Brings No Fertility 10 I regarded Israel like grapes found in the wilderness.     I regarded your forefathers like the first ripe fruit on a fig tree in its first season,     but they went to Baal Peor, and they devoted themselves to a shameful thing,     and they became as disgusting as the thing they loved. 11 Ephraim's glory will fly away like a bird—     no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! 12 Even if they bring up their children,     I will deprive them of each one.     Yes, woe to them when I depart from them! 13 I have seen Ephraim planted in a pleasant place like Tyre,     but Ephraim will bring its children out to the executioner. 14 Give to them, Lord—but what will you give?     Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 15 Because of all their evil in Gilgal,     I hated them there.     Because of their evil deeds,     I will drive them out of my house!     I will love them no more.     All their officials are rebels. 16 Ephraim has been struck down.     Their root has dried up.     They will bear no fruit.     Even if they give birth,     I will put their precious offspring to death. 17 My God will reject them, because they have not obeyed him.     They will be wanderers among the nations. Hosea 10 1 Israel was a spreading [2] vine. He produced fruit for himself.     The more fruit he produced, the more altars he made.     The richer the land became, the richer he made his sacred memorial stones. 2 Their hearts are insincere, [3]     so now they will suffer for their guilt.     The Lord will break down their altars     and destroy their sacred memorial stones. Kings Cannot Save You 3 Certainly now they will say, “We have no king     because we did not fear the Lord,     but what could such a king do for us anyway?” 4 They speak empty words.     With empty oaths, they make agreements.     That is why disputes sprout like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field. 5 The inhabitants of Samaria will be terrified because of the calf [4] of Beth Aven.     Yes, its people will mourn over it,     and its idolatrous priests will cry out over it,     over its lost glory, because it has gone into exile. 6 It will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the Great King. [5]     Ephraim will be gripped with shame,     and Israel will be ashamed of its own idol. [6] 7 Samaria, like her king, will be carried off     like a twig on the surface of the water. 8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will become unusable.     Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars.     They will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”     and to the hills, “Fall on us!” Learn the Lesson of Gibeah 9 Israel, you have sinned ever since the days of Gibeah,     where the evildoers took their stand.     The war against the evildoers caught up with them at Gibeah, did it not? 10 When I see fit, I will discipline them. [7]     Peoples will be gathered against them         to bind them for their double guilt. [8] 11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh.     I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck. [9]     I will harness Ephraim.     Judah will plow.     Jacob will break up the ground. 12 Sow righteousness for yourselves,     and reap mercy.     Break up your fallow ground.     It is time to seek the Lord,     until he comes and rains righteousness on you. 13 You have plowed wickedness.     You have reaped injustice.     You have eaten the fruit of your lies,     because you trusted in your own way,     in the large number of your strong warriors. 14 Therefore the roar of battle will rise against your people,     and all your fortresses will be destroyed,     as Shalman [10] devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle.     Mothers were dashed to the ground with their children. 15 This is what will be done to you, Bethel,     because of your great wickedness.     At dawn the king of Israel will be completely destroyed. Footnotes Hosea 9:8 This verse is difficult. Hosea 10:1 The Hebrew word may have a negative connotation like invasive. Hosea 10:2 Or divided Hosea 10:5 Variant calves Hosea 10:6 The text of the last word of the line is uncertain. Hosea 10:6 Or plan. The meaning of the last word is uncertain. Hosea 10:10 The text of the line is uncertain. Hosea 10:10 Or two crimes. The text of the line is uncertain. Hosea 10:11 The text of the line is uncertain. Hosea 10:14 The king of Assyria The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0806db.mp3 Listen to Bible reading Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 06 Hosea 4:1 – 5:14 The Lord's Charges Against Israel and Its Priests Hosea 4 1 Hear the word of the Lord, you people of Israel,     because the Lord has charges to make against the inhabitants of the land,     because there is no truth,     there is no mercy,     and there is no knowledge of God in the land. 2 There is cursing, lying, murder, theft, and adultery.     They break out in violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, [1]     and everyone who dwells in it wastes away     along with the wild animals and the birds in the sky.     Even the fish of the sea have been removed. 4 Yet no one should bring charges.     No one should accuse,     because your people are like those who dispute with a priest. [2] 5 You will stumble by day,     and the prophet will also stumble with you by night.     I will also destroy your mother. 6 My people have been destroyed because of lack of knowledge.     Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you     from serving as a priest for me.     Because you have forgotten the law of your God,     I also will forget your children. 7 The more they increased, the more they sinned against me.     I changed their glory into shame. [3] 8 They feed on the sin of my people.     They set their desire on things that make them guilty. 9 So it will be the same for people as for priests.     I will punish them for their ways.     I will repay them for their deeds. 10 They will eat, but not be satisfied.     They will engage in sexual immorality, but not increase.     This will take place because they have abandoned the Lord to devote themselves to 11 sexual sin. [4]     Wine and new wine take away their understanding. [5] 12 My people consult their wooden idol,     and their fortunetellers wand gives them information,     because a promiscuous spirit has led them astray,     and they behave like a whore instead of following their God. 13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops.     They burn incense on the hills, and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,     because their shade is pleasant.     That is why your daughters commit fornication, [6]     and your brides commit adultery. 14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit fornication,     or your brides when they commit adultery,     because the men consort with prostitutes     and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes.     So the people without understanding will come to ruin. 15 Though you, Israel, practice sexual immorality,     Judah should not follow your guilty way.     Do not go to Gilgal.     Do not go up to Beth Aven.     Do not swear, “As surely as the Lord lives.” 16 For Israel has become as stubborn as a heifer.     How can the Lord feed them like a lamb in a meadow? 17 Ephraim is joined to idols.     Let him go his own way! 18 Their alcoholic drinks are used up,     but they keep practicing sexual immorality anyway.     Their rulers, who should be their shields, instead love shame. 19 The wings of the wind will sweep them away,     and they will be put to shame because of their sacrifices. Judgment on Israel's Priests and Kings Hosea 5 1 Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, house of Israel!     Listen, O house of the king!     For this judgment applies to you,     because you were a trap at Mizpah     and a net spread out on Mount Tabor. 2 The rebels sink deeper into slaughter,     but I will discipline all of them. 3 I know Ephraim,     and Israel is not hidden from me.     Now, Ephraim, you still practice sexual immorality.     Israel is defiled. 4 Their deeds do not allow them to return to their God.     For a spirit of prostitution lies within them,     and they do not know the Lord. 5 The arrogance of Israel testifies against them.     Israel and Ephraim will stumble over their guilt.     Judah also will stumble with them. 6 They will go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord,     but they will not find him.     He has withdrawn from them. 7 They acted treacherously against the Lord.     They even gave birth to illegitimate children.     Now the new moon will devour them along with their allotted land. 8 Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah     and the trumpet in Ramah!     Raise a battle cry at Beth Aven: “Lead the way, Benjamin!” 9 Ephraim will become desolate ruins on the day it is punished. [7]     What I have made known among the tribes of Israel will certainly happen. 10 The officials of Judah are like people who move a boundary stone.     I will pour out my wrath on them like water. 11 Ephraim is oppressed,     crushed in judgment,     because he was determined to pursue worthless idols. [8] 12 I am like a moth to Ephraim,     and like decay to the house of Judah. 13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,     and Judah saw his wound,     Ephraim went to Assyria     and sent to the Great King for help,     but he is not able to heal you,     and he will not cure your wound, 14 because I will be like a lion to Ephraim     and like a young lion to the house of Judah.     Yes, I will tear him to pieces and go away.     I will carry them off, and there will be no one who can rescue them. Footnotes Hosea 4:3 Or dries up Hosea 4:4 The verse is difficult. The translation follows the Hebrew and Greek texts. Translations that render the third line my contention is with you, O priest emend the text to obtain this rendering. The point of the verse seems to be that it is useless to bring charges against these people, because they would not accept the judgment even of a priest. Hosea 4:7 A Hebrew variant is they changed my glory for something shameful. Hosea 4:11 Or prostitution Hosea 4:11 The proper dividing point between verses 10 and 11 is uncertain. Though the words sexual sin are in verse 11 in the Hebrew text, these words belong with verse 10. Hosea 4:13 The same Hebrew word elsewhere translated sexual immorality or prostitution is used here in reference to unmarried girls, so it is translated fornication. Hosea 5:9 Or rebuked Hosea 5:11 The translation follows some ancient versions. The Hebrew reads human commands. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Daily. Partner with us in Project23. Grab your Hosea Scripture Journal. Our text today is Hosea 10:9-12: From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel; there they have continued. Shall not the war against the unjust overtake them in Gibeah? When I please, I will discipline them, and nations shall be gathered against them when they are bound up for their double iniquity. Ephraim was a trained calf that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will put Ephraim to the yoke; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself. Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. — Hosea 10:9-12 Hard hearts don't just suddenly harden. They harden slowly, over time. Today God points back to Gibeah—a dark moment in Israel's history marked by sexual corruption, violence, and moral collapse—and says: "There they have continued." In other words, the sin never stopped. Sins that once shocked them slowly became acceptable. What once produced sorrow now produced silence. This is how sin hardens the heart. At first, sin bothers you. Then you tolerate it. Then you manage it. Then eventually, you stop feeling much at all because you become accustomed to the sin. And the dangerous part is that you can still look functional while this is happening. You can keep attending church, keep saying the right things, and keep maintaining appearances while your inner life quietly grows cold toward God. This is why God says to them: "Break up your fallow ground." "Fallow ground" is hardened soil. Land left untouched for so long that it can no longer receive seed properly. Before anything healthy can grow again, the hardened surface has to be broken open with a sharp spade, pickaxe, or jackhammer. Some hearts today are spiritually hardened (fallowed) by years of compromise, distraction, pride, entertainment, bitterness, pornography, greed, political obsession, comfort, and constant noise. The soil has become hard. Truth hits the surface but never sinks in. And yet God says: "It is the time to seek the LORD." Not tomorrow. Not someday. Now. Before hardness grows deeper. Before the conviction disappears further. Before compromise becomes your identity. Hardened hearts can be softened up. God would not call them to seek Him if restoration were impossible. So don't ignore the places where your heart has grown hard. Bring them to God honestly. Ask Him to soften what has become resistant. Ask Him to break apart what has been hardened by sin, pride, fear, or compromise. Because God does beautiful things with broken ground. Sometimes the first sign he has is just feeling the conviction of his Spirit again. DO THIS: Spend time honestly asking God where your heart has grown cold, numb, resistant, or distracted—and invite Him to soften it again. ASK THIS: Where has my heart hardened? What conviction have I been ignoring? What would it look like for me to seek God seriously again? PRAY THIS: God, break up the hardened places in my heart. Soften what has grown numb, awaken what has drifted, and teach me to seek you again with sincerity and surrender. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Run to the Father"

Consequences Hosea 9-10 9 Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors. 2  Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them. 3  They shall not remain in the land of the LORD, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 4  They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners' bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the LORD. 5  What will you do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the LORD? 6  For behold, they are going away from destruction; but Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver; thorns shall be in their tents. 7  The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred. 8  The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. 9  They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. 10  Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved. 11  Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! 12  Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them! 13  Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm planted in a meadow; but Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter. 14  Give them, O LORD— what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 15  Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. 16  Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death. 17  My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations. -- 10 Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars. 2  Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and destroy their pillars. 3  For now they will say: “We have no king, for we do not fear the LORD; and a king—what could he do for us?” 4  They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. 5  The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf of Beth-aven. Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced over it and over its glory— for it has departed from them. 6  The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol. 7  Samaria's king shall perish like a twig on the face of the waters. 8  The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall on us.” 9  From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel; there they have continued. Shall not the war against the unjust overtake them in Gibeah? 10  When I please, I will discipline them, and nations shall be gathered against them when they are bound up for their double iniquity. 11  Ephraim was a trained calf that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will put Ephraim to the yoke; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself. 12  Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. 13  You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your warriors, 14  therefore the tumult of war shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle; mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. 15  Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great evil. At dawn the king of Israel shall be utterly cut off.

Welcome to The Daily. Read more about our mission to teach every verse of the bible in what we call Project23. Grab your Hosea Scripture Journal. Our text today is Hosea 9:7-9: The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred. The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. — Hosea 9:7-9 There is a moment when someone stops resisting sin—and starts resisting the truth. That's where Israel is. "The prophet is a fool… the man of the spirit is mad." The people weren't just ignoring God's messengers. They were mocking them. God's truth is marked as crazy, extreme, out of touch, and even dangerous. This is precisely where we have come as a nation today. Good has become evil, and evil has become good. Progressivism and relativism have led to tribal truths that now turn The Truth into offensive because individual truth and tribal social truth have taken over. So, instead of adapting their behavior to God's Truth, they attack the messenger who opposed their truth. This is not a new pattern. When truth confronts our comfortable truth, people don't always repent. Sometimes they reframe the truth as the problem. They call conviction "judgment." They call clarity "hate." They call correction "intolerance." And the more a person or nation drifts, the louder that reaction becomes. Hosea says a prophet was supposed to be a "watchman." The watchman sees danger early and warns people before it's too late. But instead of listening to the watchman, they set traps for him and filled the house of God with hostility. This is a radical turn against the watchmen of God. And once that happens, decline accelerates. We need more watchmen today. Teachers and preachers who will teach and preach the truth. But while these courageous men are needed on the other side, we need men and women who are willing to let this truth confront them. So, let me present the question: What do you do when truth confronts you? Do you listen—or do you resist? Do you lean in—or shut it down? Do you receive correction—or question the source? Be careful. If the truth that challenges you begins to feel offensive, the issue may not be the truth. It may be you. Your heart. But here's the hope in this text. God is still heralding truth. There are still watchmen sounding the alarm. God is still speaking through the progressive heresy. There are still heralds of truth. When the truth is mocked, dismissed, and resisted—God keeps speaking. So don't harden your heart. Let truth do its work. Let it cut where it needs to cut. Let it correct what needs to change. The truth is not your enemy. Listen to it and submit to it. DO THIS: The next time you feel defensive about something in God's Word, pause and ask, "What is this revealing in me?" ASK THIS: When truth confronts me, how do I respond? What have I labeled "offensive" that might actually be true? Am I open to correction—or resisting it? PRAY THIS: God, soften my heart toward your truth. Keep me from rejecting what I need to hear, and give me humility to respond when you speak. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Speak, O Lord"

1 Samuel 13:1-8 (KJV) Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal. 5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. 2 Samuel 21 Chet Phillips Download TranscriptGood morning. My name is Chet. I'm one of the pastors here. If you will grab a Bible and go to 2 Samuel, chapter 21. We've been working our way through 1 and 2 Samuel and we have reached what commentators call the epilogue of 2 Samuel that the main story has ended.And in the final four chapters, we're going to be in chapter 21. In the final four chapters, we're going to have six pictures that are kind of closing pictures on the kingship of David. And they are not in chronological order. They are in a thematic order. And they're meant to kind of sum up the picture of David for us.The actual story of David's death and Solomon becoming king, that doesn't happen until 1 Kings. You got to work all the way through into 1 Kings for that to kind of to pick up there. So, what this is is almost like the movie's ended, the end credits are rolling, and then it's cutting to different scenes or showing you different pictures of things to try to kind of give you the last picture that it wants you to have of King David. And so, we're going to see two of those pictures today. Now, I heard one pastor put it this way in regards to this text.It's not difficult to understand, but there are aspects of it that are difficult to accept. And so, we're going to go through this text that has some difficulties in it for us. Our hope is to understand why it's here. What was the author trying to tell the people in the original the original hearers? What how would they have understood this?What are we trying to see about David? And then as from our standpoint, what should we do with a text like this? And how do we understand this kind of text? And so hopefully we'll be edified by it, pointed towards Jesus in it. But let's pray and then we'll jump in.Lord, we ask for your mercy. We ask for your grace. and we ask that we would honor you well in the reading and the studying of your word and in submission to it. May your spirit be at work and help us to love Jesus more in Jesus name. Amen.Chapter 21 verse one. Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years year after year and David sought the face of the Lord. Okay, so famine in this region is not uncommon, but three years of it is is getting bad. And we're told that David starts asking the Lord. We don't know exactly when he began, but he's seeking the Lord to understand what's going on here. it's starting to seem like one of the covenantal curses, which is in the in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, if they don't follow the law, it says that your your crops won't yield their fruit.You you will find that your trees don't produce. And so he's starting to go and ask the Lord, is something going on? What's happening here? And this is what happened. Says David sought the face of the Lord.And the Lord said, there is blood guilt on Saul and on his house because he put the Gibeonites to death. So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. Now, there are several things we need to consider that are going on right here in this text.One is Saul was the original king. Saul is not king anymore. Saul is dead. But there is guilt on Saul, on Saul's house. This blood guilt on Saul. in Saul's house for something that Saul did and the entire nation is paying for it.There's a famine in the land because of blood guilt. Now, blood guilt is a specific thing in the law that is the shedding of innocent blood. And so, there's blood guilt because Saul led the people to attack the Gibeonites. And it says they weren't the Gibeonites aren't the people of Israel, but the people of Israel had promised to protect them. Now, that going to take a little history lesson.That happens in Joshua chapter 9. So, Joshua is sent in with the people of Israel to take over the land. They're they're marching through. They're supposed to get rid of all the Amorites. Well, the Amorites who live in Gibby find out that they're coming and they think this isn't going to go well.So, they come up with a trick to make it seem like they're from another place. They show up. They meet with the people of Israel and they make a covenant with them. People of Israel shouldn't have made this covenant. They should have consulted the Lord, but they make it.When they find out they've been tricked and that the Gibeonites aren't from a far land, but they're from right here and they're a part of the people group they're supposed to get rid of, the people of Israel are like,"Let's kill them."And Joshua and the elders say,"We can't. We promised that we wouldn't. We co we signed the Lord up in covenant with them that we would not kill them."So we we can't. Then we would make it seem like God is a liar and he is not. And so we have to keep this promise.Well, Saul in his zeal not for the Lord, but for the people of Israel and Judah. So, he's running around going,"Israel, Israel, Judah, Judah, Judah, oi, oi, oi."Stuff like that. He's super zealous for his people. He decides the Gibeonites, who've been here forever, who are a subjugated people, we're just going to kill all of them. And so, this would have been a massacre.These people would not have been, they were surrounded by the people of Israel. They were servants to the people of Israel. they would not have been in a position to defend themselves. And he just starts killing them. That story, this is all we get of that story. There's no place that tells us that anywhere else in the text.And so David says,"Why is there a famine?"And God says,"Saul broke a 400year-old covenant that he was supposed to keep."So there's a couple of things. One is God expects you to keep your promises. We ought to be people who keep our promises. Now, if you want to not make a lot of promises, that's fine. Like, if if today you came over to me and said,"Why haven't you given me $5?You've sinned against me."I might would argue,"No, I haven't. That's not like a thing I have to do. I have not sinned against you."But if I had promised to give you $5 and then didn't give it to you, have I sinned against you? Yes. And have I sinned against the Lord?Yes. So somehow in our agreement, the Lord gets involved. He binds covenants together. Now they specifically had done it in the name of the Lord. But even as we make agreements with one another, we can still sin against God by being the type of people who don't keep up with our end of the agreement.And we'll say things like,"Yeah, but we made that deal like 10 years ago."This was 400 years old, and Saul was meant to keep it.Here's the other thing that's happening in this text. Saul was the representative head for the people of Israel. So as king, he can sin on their behalf and lead them all into sin. He's the representative head of the people of Israel of his family. And so he sins and it spreads.The consequences spread. And David as the representative head of the people of Israel now is going to have to figure it out. That's why it says he calls the Gibeonites. When he finds this out, he's got to fix the problem. Now, we don't think about headship that often, but one of the New Testament pictures we're given, it's Old and New Testament, is that husbands are the head of their family.They're head of their wife. They're the head of the household. So, I want to say to husbands in the room, every problem in your house is your problem. You don't get to say,"Well, that's her thing. Well, she's the one who deals with the kids.Well, she told me she didn't want me to be involved in that, so we'll just see how it goes."That's not how it works. David doesn't get to go,"Well, that was Saul's fault. take it up with Saul. Oh, he's dead. Let's move on. David has to try to figure out this problem because he's the representative head for the people of Israel.So, that's where we are. That's what's happening at this moment in the text. Okay.So, he's called the Gibeonites.Verse three. And David said to the Gibeonites,"What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?"There's blood, guilt, there's sin. There needs to be atonement. How can we atone for this sin?That's what he's asking. The Gibeonites said to him,"It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house. Neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel."And he said,"What do you say that I shall do for you?"So he calls them together and says,"How do we make this right? How do we atone for this?"And they say,"Is it sitting the sort of thing that we can settle out of court? It's not the sort of thing that's not a matter of silver and gold.You can't just pay off this debt with money. And then they say,"And we're not allowed to put people to death. That's not the position that we're in."And then they stop talking. Because what they're saying to him is,"But you can put people to death."So he says,"What do you want me to do for you?"Because there's a blood debt.Verse 5. They said to the king,"The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord."And the king said,"I will give them."So they said,"We want seven of his sons. He killed us in our place. We want to kill them in his place. in his location. We want to hang them before the Lord as a representative sacrifice.That's what they're going to propose. David says,"We can do that."So, they're going to take these seven sons, seven relatives of Saul because Saul is dead, and they're going to make them pay this blood debt. Now, it's not equal because for Saul to try to eradicate them is basically what they're saying. He tried to wipe us out of here. I seriously doubt he'd only killed seven men.So what they request is representative atonement. And even if it's horrific and gruesome, this idea of rounding these guys up, going to their home, knocking on the door, and saying,"Hey, you're related to Saul. You've got to come. You're going to pay this debt."And having to go kill them publicly, have a public execution. At least the impulse should make some sense to us.If you found out that in North Korea they had overthrown the rule of the Kims and that they had gone into the royal palaces and they had killed every Kim they could find, we go,"Well, that I mean I understand it. I understand that they don't want that household, that family rising up again. I understand that they're trying to make them pay for all that they've done in their um ruling over them and their hardship."It's like we can understand the impulse even if there's parts of it that are revuls repulsive to us. But they asked for seven and David says yes. And then it says this verse 7.But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Saul's son Jonathan because of the oath of the Lord that was between them between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. Now we don't exactly know when this took place but we know it does seem like it's after Mephibosheth has been found and is apart. Then it says,"The king took the two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth."That's a different Mephibosheth. That's uncle Mephibosheth. And the five sons of Merab, the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel, the son of Barzillai, the Meholathite.If you remember Barzillai from a couple days ago, the 80-year-old man, that's not him. It's a different Barzillai. So, we got two Mephibosheth, two Barzillai. and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest. Now, this would have been a scant barley harvest or a non-existent barley harvest, but right at the beginning of the barley harvest, in the middle of this famine, which the Gibeonites are also having to deal with the famine, they hang them and put them to death.This next part is very sad. Then Rispa, the daughter of Aiiah, took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. Now, the beginning of the harvest is in April. Guaranteed normal rainy season. That's the starting of the dry season.Normal raining season doesn't start till September, October. Rain is almost non-existent during that middle period. It is possible there was some rain that came sooner, but it's also possible she was doing this for months. She did this until rain fell from the heavens and she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day or the beasts of the field by night. So she sets up a vigil.She was not able to save her sons and her nephews from death, but she goes and camps out in front of them. She's not going to let birds pick their eyes out. And she's not going to let beasts come by and eat them. And she sits in front of them while they bake in the sun, while they rot, while they decompose. And she gives them as much honor as she can possibly give them, which is the only thing she knows how to do.It's horrific. But she has two sons and she's not going to let them be dishonored any further than they have to be.Verse 11. When David was told what Rispa, the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabeshgilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Bethshan when the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. Those are all events that have been we've gone through previously in 1 and 2 Samuel. And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan. And they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin and Za in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land. David finds out what she's doing and he goes,"Okay, they're still hanging there."He's going to finish putting into this. He goes and gets the bones of Saul and Jonathan, the bones of the men who've been hanged, and he buries them.And after that, God responds to the police. So this agreement made between David and the Gibeonites, God honors the payment, accepts the atonement of blood for blood, and responds to the plea. That's the first picture that we're given that it's about to immediately swap to another picture. We're going to take a moment when we get done with both of them to try to understand what is it saying to them. How would they have understood this?And then how do we understand it? So second picture, that's first picture.Second picture, there was war again. And this is again not in chronological order. There's no really these are just kind of floating out there. There was war again between the Philistines and Israel. And David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines.And David grew weary. And Ishbi Benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed 300 shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. But Abashai, the son of Zerui, came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him,"You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."There's several things that are going to happen in this section. First, we see that David at some point was getting older, was getting tired.They said,"Look, you can't go out with us."So, they're giving some explanation to why David quit going out with the army the way that he used to. We see Abashai, the son of Zerui, who's shown up consistently throughout this, showing up and saving David's life. We also see a giant and there's going to be several giants in this text. And so I have a couple of things to say when it comes to the idea of giants. One, this does not have to be the most fantastic thing in your mind.The idea that there are giants. There are giants in the Bible. We're going to talk a little bit about the fantastic side of that in a second. But it doesn't have to be the most fantastic side of things. I want to show y'all a picture.This is a picture. I had AI put two pictures together, but the guy in the middle is 5 foot seven, 5 foot eight. He would walk amongst us and not really stand out. You wouldn't be like,"Wow, what an average fellow."That's always you just be here fine. To his left is a tribe of pygmies.This was taken recently. They exist in Africa in the jungles. The average height of the pygmy tribes is about 5t tall for males. So they're about 5t tall. To his right in South Sudan, there are the Dinka people who have whole families at the average height is 6'5.If the Pygmies had to go fight the Dinka, they might be like,"Oh my goodness, those guys are huge."They may say,"We spied them out and they look like they made us feel like grasshoppers."So all I'm saying, the whole point of showing you this, other than I think the picture is neat looking, is that that's just normal genetics at play right now. These families of giants were just families that had genetics that we're playing into they're really big. And in a world where the biggest baddest guy kills people and gets all the women, he can have a whole lot of children. And so what we have is several families, sons of Anoch, sons of Rafa, that just were really big. And there's several giants.It doesn't have to be this big fantastic thing. You can pull that picture down. The other thing is, just side note, there are some things in the Bible that we don't have all the answers to. How exactly does this work? How many were there?What did they look like? Why does this one guy we're about to read about have six fingers and six toes? I don't know. But if you get on the internet, you can get sucked into a black hole of weird stuff that is unhelpful. And there are people who some are I would say lack wisdom or misguided and I would say some who are evil and demonically led who are trying to pull people into the oddest corners of the Bible.And they want to tell you that well you really got to find out. We we've got to we got to get behind this thing. We got to figure it out. We got to get underneath it. There's something really going on.There's a secret in the Bible and you got to hold it like this and squint with your left eye. It's like what are you talking about? That that's not how it works. So whenever there's like this mystery, this hidden thing, this secret thing, only we know about it. We figured out where the lost 12 tribes went.All this mess, the Bible is extremely clear. There was a mystery. It's been revealed in Christ. All the wisdom and knowledge is found in Christ. He's the revealing of God's promises.The book of Revelation, which is going to reveal, pull back the curtain and show you, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is not unclear. So, if somebody's pulling you into some weird niche thing and they're like,"You have to know this."If I did, can I tell you, it would be in here very clearly. Do you know how many times Paul repeats himself? If I had to know it, he'd have written it in like four of his letters.If it was the most important thing, like it would be showing up and stuff. Now, there are times where we're basing some information off of one piece of little thing we have, but the non-essential pieces of the faith is clear. The revelation of Christ is clear. So, I would suggest you do what David does, what his mighty men do here, which is put the giants to death and then live your life free of them. So, if there's weird little things you like to get into, get done with that and live your life in the joy and the freedom and the hope of the gospel and the clarity of the scriptures.That's all I'm going to yell at you about that at this moment.Verse 18. After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob or Gob. Then Cib Cibekiah the Hushathite struck down Saf who was one of the descendants of the giants. And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. And Elhan the son of Jaier Orahim the Bethlehemite struck down Goliath the Gitite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.Okay, Goliath the Gitite is just another way of saying Goliath of Gath, which means a whole lot of ink has been spilled over this one verse where people are talking about what does this mean? And there's all kinds of weird theories like Elhanan must have been David's nickname. I don't think so. Couple of options for who this Goliath of Gath is. One, there were two guys named Goliath.That's possible. We already ran into two Mephibosheths and two Barzillais. Two, Goliath is a title, not a name. Three, there is a textual issue here and it's supposed to say brother of Goliath of Gath, which is what sec first Chronicles, I have it written down, 1st Chronicles 20:5 says that Elhanan killed his brother. And there are only a few places in the Old Testament we have very trustw trustworthy manuscripts, but it's possible that we're just missing a word here.Anyway, we're not going to spend any more time on that. But he kills a giant.Verse 20. And there was again war at Gath. It's verse 20. And there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, 24 in number. He also was descended from the giants.So there's some genetic anomalies going on here. Also, whenever they start telling you how much their clothes weighed or how many fingers they had or whatever, usually those people are going to die. And I think they just count that out and weigh it later. I don't know if he was swinging his spear and they were like ducking and being like,"Does his hand look weird?"I think maybe they figured it out later. I high-fived him.It felt like a lot. All right, verse 21. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of Shimi, David's brother, struck him down. These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. And those are the two pictures we're going to look at today.Now, the first thing I want to ask quickly is why? What is this serving? In the epilogue of David, what point is this making? I think the first story is reminding us, putting in our head that David is sorting out the leftover problems from Saul. That some of the problems that happened during David's reign weren't even David's fault.He He's coming in and fixing problems caused by Saul. I also think it's showing that even when David had negative things happen in his reign between his house and Saul's house, it wasn't David just seeking to get revenge on Saul. That David was trying to navigate difficult situations. And at the end of this, he even tries to show as much honor as he can to them by burying them even though the Gibeonites hadn't treated him that well. I think that's the first story.David as representative head is fixing problems on behalf of the nation, fixing problems left by Saul and not trying to have a ton of hostility between his house and Saul's house. I think the second picture is, hey, you remember how there used to be giants? You know how there aren't anymore? Y'all should be thankful to David. That's the second picture is just the Philistines used to be a big problem after David.They're not a big problem. Giants used to be a big problem after David and his mighty men. They're not a big problem. like it's just a picture of remember that David went to war for us. Remember that David cleared out problems. Remember that David defended us.I think that's basically what that second picture is doing. Now for us as we read this story and we try to understand how should we think about things like this.The first thing that I would recommend to us is that there's something going on with the idea of blood guilt. This idea of collective guilt, this idea of headship, representative headship that has guilt on us that we ought to consider. And I specifically had this in mind as we're going into Fourth of July and celebrating this this, you know, America 250. You I'm glad America's been here for 250 years. And if the Lord delays his return, I hope America hits another 250.I hope there's an America 500 and that all the states in the union allow fireworks and it's a blessed occasion. But I hope that the next 250 years are years of peace, justice, righteousness, goodness. I hope they're years of obedience. I hope they're years of worship. I hope that this isn't just a a pagan nation that exists for a long time, a powerful nation that exists for a long time.I hope it's a faithful nation. And we ought to consider if there is shared guilt and blood guilt that can spread to peoples and to a nation and that can pollute the land. The Lord even talks about when sexual sin in Leviticus, he says that the land will vomit you out because they've piled up this sin. Then we ought to be people who pray for our nation, for our leaders, who repent for our nation, for our leaders. I came across this quote as I was studying this this week, and I want to share it with you. says,"We think of the unknown slaves who died in despair on southern plantations, the unknown immigrants who died in squalor outside northern factories, and the unknown faces of infant children today who will never see the light of day because of the sins of their mothers and the conspiracy of a wicked society."None of these names are unknown to God.None of the crimes forgotten in the annals of his perfect justice. How great is the blood guilt on this land as with the land of so many other nations that have already fallen under the sword of God's providential justice. So may the Lord bless us, but may he be merciful on us. And may we be people who pray for the grace and the mercy of the Lord and for things to change and for things to be good and for there to be righteousness here. And the idea that everything the US does is excellent because the US did it.Let us not be fooled into believing that. But let us be people who long for another kingdom where certain things never take place. I think that's one of the things that we should see in this text as we consider the idea of blood guilt and shared guilt and representative headship. May we be repentant and prayerful and hopeful in the light of God's goodness to move forward well. But I think there's a problem in the middle of that that we have to reckon with.When we read this story, we we see that there's shared guilt, which is foreign to us. Feels wrong. That Saul could commit a sin and that it would be on his family and that it would the whole nation would have to pay for it and then Saul's children would have to pay for it feels wrong. And that God would accept the sacrifice at the end feels wrong. You almost want God to show up at the end and go that y'all did this wrong.Why are you rounding up people and killing them for something Saul did? But he doesn't. He says he accepts. He accepts the plea for the land. And so there's part of us that is like,"This doesn't feel fair.This feels off."We want to look at this text and go,"This text, this is unfair. That idea is unfair. And therefore, it's unjust and therefore wrong. And maybe God's evil."That's kind of the track we follow. So I want to share a story with you, and I'm kind of coming at this from the side to try to help us wrap our head around something.So we're going to change subjects for just a second. I want to read a story. This was recently posted online by Nouaga, if I'm pronouncing that correctly. He's Japanese. He wrote this story, posted it online.Some of you may have seen it, maybe you haven't. I want to read it to you. He says,"USA, a Mexican restaurant. We had not yet ordered anything and the food was already arriving. Chips, salsa, unrequested, free.I stopped the waiter. We have not earned these. They just come with the table, man. Okay.Now, he didn't say,"We've not ordered these."He's Japanese. He said,"We have not earned these."There's something going on here for him. Let's see what happens. They come with the table. In my land, hospitality is a debt.Every gift creates an obligation weighed carefully, returned in the proper season with interest of feeling. Here, the gift arrives before you have even proven you can pay for dinner. This is not an appetizer. This is a declaration. We trust you.Eat. chips hit the table and he starts having psychological problems. He is working his best to process what on earth is happening. And it is culturally cross so many lines for him that they've made a declaration of trust. Now, do you feel well trusted when chips hit the table? I don't think you've ever thought about it.I ate with the gravity the moment deserved. People are snacking, eating chips. He's eating with gravity over here. And then I must report this calmly. The basket emptied and a new one appeared.Did we? Like he's trying to What is happening? Refill. The waiter said it's bottomless. Bottomless.They have wells of salsa. The supply lines of this nation are beyond anything my ancestors imagined. My friend warned me,"Don't fill up on chips, dude. Too late."I had accepted three baskets. Honor demanded each one be finished.An unfinished gift is an insult. By the time my actual food arrived, I was a ruined man. This is a trap for a Japanese person because if you finish the chips, they're going to give you more. But he has to finish the chips or he's dishonoring the whole group of people that have brought him here. He's dishonoring those who have handed to him.He's got to honor the gift. He's got to finish the chips. And when he does it, another basket arrives. He says,"Thank you."And goes back to eating with the gravity the moment demands. It says this,"I was not hungry.I was not comfortable. I had been defeated by a courtesy."Generosity that arrives before the request cannot be repaid. It can only be survived. I know the rule. I have made my peace with the basket.One basket. Two at the most. Who am I deceiving? There is no number of baskets I would refuse. The trust of a nation is in that salsa and I intend to honor all of it.Now, have you ever been in a Mexican restaurant and thought,"The trust of the nation is in this salsa. I must honor their trust."Not once, not ever. And as he describes this to you, it's like,"What are you even talking about? How is this an honor shame situation? This is we're at a restaurant.How are you having to honor their gift? They're just giving you chips. Like the it doesn't compute for us. And what happens when we interact with someone who has a completely different culture because you've just been trained in a culture. You've just been equipped in one.And there are things that are ingrained in you. If I'm somewhere and there are no seats and there's a lady, I have to get up. And I'll say,"Here, you have the seat."And if they say,"No, you sit."Then we both just stand because I can't sit back down because I'll die inside and think about it later. I'll ride in my truck later and be like,"I was sitting. They were standing.What have I not?"Like it messes with me because it's been it's built into me. We We all have these things. He has that. So he's overthinking chips where we're all free and we can explain it to him, but he can't not feel it. He can't not feel the chips sitting in the basket.I'm sure there was a moment when he was thinking,"Don't eat But he's like,"I have to or I'm bringing shame and not handling this well and I've got to be thankful and the trust of the nation is in this salsa, whatever that means."Now, what happens when we interact with people of other cultures like that is that we'll often look at them and go,"Huh, that's how y'all think about that? That's interesting. That's not how we think about it, but that's interesting. It's it's weird. You might ask more questions, but there's this level of humility.We'll read things in the biblical text where we're bringing our same American, Western sensibilities. We'll run into something that we don't understand and we'll go,"Well, that's wrong. Feels unfair to me. Unfair means unjust. Unjust means wrong.Wrong means evil. If God's like this, then he's unfair. Unjust, wrong, evil. I don't have to follow him. I don't have to believe him."and we will come with the most insane level of blind confidence that if it goes against my sensibilities, I'm right, it's wrong, and God can be dismissed.Now, in this situation, if we're going to have a handful of humility and a handful of blind confidence, and we have to choose who we're going to interact with, God or noaga, who gets humility and who gets confidence? I'd say let's hit Nounaga with blind confidence and let's walk towards God with some humility. But we so often just go, it feels sideways to me, so it must be wrong. And if I feel it, then it's wrong and so this can't be good and therefore I can get rid of it. What ought to happen when we hit a text and we go,"Wait a second.Headship guilt. Wait a second. Blood sacrifice from family members to pay this back. There's blood guilt. I don't understand that.What we ought to realize is there's something wrong in my understanding. I'm missing a piece and I've got to submit to this because God has authority over me and he's right. I'm not wrong. If God is real and we believe that he's real and that he's over all things, then we should expect to find things in the Bible that confront us and that correct us. If every time you run into one of those, God has to conform to you, well then you're God and you're in charge.So, we should expect there's going to be moments like this. And y'all, you you can come to the scriptures and go, I don't understand that, but I'll submit to it. I don't understand exactly how that works, but I'll I'll believe it. And that exact same framework I just gave you, you use all the time. You use it, you've used it with your parents, you've used it with a mechanic, you use it with an accountant, you've used it with a doctor.They explain something to you and you don't go,"In order for me to take this medicine, I'm I too must become a doctor. You just go,"I don't understand. I don't understand half the words you just said, but I trust you. And we come to the scriptures and we'll read something we don't understand and go, I guess it must be wrong. I guess I can dismiss God.And that is the most arrogant, prideful, nonsensical position to hold. This is hard to understand. It's hard to It's easy to understand. It's hard to accept. It's hard to get our jump past our sensibilities.This idea of guilt that spreads. But what that means is that there's more to sin than you understand. There's more to sin than you realize. If sexual sin can pollute the land, and if blood guilt can pollute the land, and if it can be shared down to families, and if everybody can pay for it, there's more to sin than you understand. It's actually more dangerous than you think it is.It's like if you tell a child to wash their hands and they look at their hands and go,"They're not dirty."It's like,"That's not how it works."Your hands could be coated in diseases. We don't know. Just wash your hands. And knowing you, they probably are. Go wash your hands.Like, that's And we're like, well, that's not how sin works or this sin isn't a big deal or it's just my sin or it's just their sin or it should it's like that's not how it works. And we should look at passages like this and realize there's more to it and it's more dangerous and it's more heinous. And that we should walk with some level of humility. And whether you like it or not, this idea of representative headship and representative atonement, it's the exact situation you find yourself in. We had a representative named Adam who is the representative head over all of humanity.And he rebelled against God. And we've all been born into Adam into sin because of what he did. This is why the Bible will say things like,"In Adam all die."When you were born, before you got a birth certificate, you were theologically, metaphorically handed an undated death certificate. It's a guarantee because we're in Adam and his sin has spread. and it has to be paid for. And if we read something like this and go there's a 23 and me roundup where they went and got these guys to have their blood pay for this debt and we we repulsed by it.But there's a reality of Jesus showed up to pay a blood debt so that there might be forgiveness. That's what Hebrews 9:22 says. Indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. So that Jesus has to come pay a debt. So that in this story, it's as if David were to respond and say,"Well, Saul sinned on behalf of the people.He was the king. I'll pay the debt on behalf of the people. I'm the king. I'll be their new representative. Hang me up."the gruesome picture of a son being stripped and impaled before his mother to be laid out in the sun to die on behalf of others for sin he didn't commit is the exact picture of the cross and the exact hope that we have that there was a representative head who did not sin on beha our behalf but saves on our behalf who paves on our behalf This is what 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 says.For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. I want to read a quote by Charles Simeon in reference to this passage. He was a pastor in England. He says,"The blood of Saul's sons was poured forth as a sacrifice to national justice and as a means of averting the divine displeasure."And it was considered by God as an atonement for the sin which Saul had committed.How much more then will God accept in our behalf the blood of his own son who was sent into the world for the express purpose that he might expedate our guilt and procure for us reconciliation with our offended God. You are either in Adam alone or you're in Christ. We're all in Adam and you can stand in Adam and be under guilt or you can have Christ be your representative head to pay the guilt for you. And you don't have to understand how that works. You just need to understand that it works.That you can humbly walk to the Lord and say,"I don't exactly know how guilt works. I don't exactly know how sin works this way. I know that I've sinned, but I don't know how it works that I'm under this curse. But I understand that you're willing to accept the sacrifice of Jesus. You're willing to accept his atoning blood.You're willing to let him pay on my behalf. And I want him to pay on my behalf. I want to be saved. I want to be rescued. I want him to be my representative head.And you don't have to understand exactly how that works, but you just need to know that that's how it works. And that we get to have Jesus represent us to the father so that we might be forgiven. And if Jesus represents you to the father, you are forgiven. The atoning sacrifice has been paid. So, may we read texts like this with a level of humility, and may we read texts like this in a way that helps us appreciate the goodness of Christ on our behalf.The band's going to come back up.In a moment, we're going to receive communion, which is where we as Christians take time to remind ourselves of the hope of the gospel. We have communion elements set up in the front here. Here we have them in the back. And in that corner there, if you have a gluten allergy, we have a a gluten-free table. And what we do when we take communion is we remind ourselves that there is blood that has been shed on our behalf, that an atoning sacrifice has been paid, that the debt has been covered, that Jesus Christ really came for the express purpose to bridge and reconcile us back to God.It is something for Christians to partake in where we take the body where Jesus said on the night he was betrayed he took bread and he said this is my body broken for you and he gave it to them and said take this and then he took a cup and he said this is my blood shed for the forgiveness of sins take drink and so we take the bread reminding us of the body of Christ that's broken we take the cup we drink reminding us of the blood that was shed and the new covenant that was made with us and we take it reminding ourselves that the atonement has been made.If you are not a Christian, then do not take communion. But we would invite you to come to know Christ and to ask him to be your representative head to rescue you and to get you out of this problem.Let's pray.Lord, may we approach you with humility. May we honor your sacrifice and your generosity and your grace. And Lord, may we hide behind the representative sacrifice of Christ that pays for sin. Trusting in you and you alone in Jesus name. Amen.When you are ready, take and eat.

The Indictment Hosea 4:1-5:15 4 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; 2  there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3  Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. 4  Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. 5  You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. 6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. 7  The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. 8  They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. 9  And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. 10  They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding. 12  My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore. 13  They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery. 14  I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. 15  Though you play the whore, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and swear not, “As the LORD lives.” 16  Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the LORD now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture? 17  Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. 18  When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring; their rulers dearly love shame. 19  A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. -- 5 Hear this, O priests! Pay attention, O house of Israel! Give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment is for you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor. 2  And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter, but I will discipline all of them. 3  I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore; Israel is defiled. 4  Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not the LORD. 5  The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt; Judah also shall stumble with them. 6  With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them. 7  They have dealt faithlessly with the LORD; for they have borne alien children. Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields. 8  Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven; we follow you, O Benjamin! 9  Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. 10  The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark; upon them I will pour out my wrath like water. 11  Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to go after filth. 12  But I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like dry rot to the house of Judah. 13  When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound. 14  For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. 15  I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.

This challenging examination of Judges 19-21 confronts us with the brutal reality of what happens when a society abandons God, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. We encounter a horrifying story that deliberately mirrors the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but with a devastating twist: this time, the wickedness comes from within God's own covenant people. The parallel is intentional and shocking. While Genesis 19 depicts divine rescue through angels, Judges 19 presents only silence and tragedy. The concubine dies on the doorstep with no heavenly intervention, no deliverer, no judge to save her. This isn't ancient history meant to entertain us with its darkness; it's a diagnostic mirror held up to the human heart when it declares independence from our Creator. We see hospitality weaponized, protection abandoned, and moral courage collapse at every level. The husband fails to protect, the host fails to shield, the city fails to practice justice, and the Levite transforms a victim into a political message by dismembering her body and sending pieces throughout Israel. The message is clear: without God as our King, we don't find freedom in doing what's right in our own eyes. We find only darkness, because the eyes of fallen humanity see only destruction. This passage diagnoses our desperate need for the one true King who can heal our brokenness.ChaptersChapter 1: Introduction: The Mirror to the Human Heart0:00 - 3:12We are introduced to the difficult final chapters of Judges, which reveal the consequences of a society that has declared independence from God.Chapter 2: The Journey to Gibeah: A Failure of Hospitality3:12 - 13:55We examine how a Levite's journey to reconcile with his concubine leads to a breakdown of the sacred duty of hospitality in the Israelite city of Gibeah.Chapter 3: The Night of Horror: Gibeah Becomes Sodom13:55 - 19:40We witness the shocking wickedness in Gibeah that deliberately echoes the story of Sodom, showing that God's own people have become as corrupt as pagan nations.Chapter 4: The Call to War: Rage Without Repentance19:40 - 27:13We see how the Levite's dismemberment of his concubine's body sparks national outrage, but the response is rage rather than repentance, leading to civil war.

Pastor Troy teaches from Judges 19, one of the most disturbing chapters in all of Scripture. Through the tragic events in Gibeah, we see the devastating consequences of a people who have rejected God's rule and embraced their own ways. This chapter exposes the depth of human depravity and reminds us that humanity needs more […] The post The Depth of Depravity (Judges 19) appeared first on Lookout Valley Baptist Church.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Get your Hosea Scripture Journal now. Listen to our text today, Hosea 5:8-15: Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven; we follow you, O Benjamin! Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark; upon them I will pour out my wrath like water. Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to go after filth. But I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like dry rot to the house of Judah. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me. — Hosea 5:8-15 Because we have a long text today, I want to focus on verse 13. The point being, you cannot fix a spiritual problem with a worldly solution. That's the mistake Israel makes—and it's the same mistake we still make. Israel finally realizes the damage. The nation is sick, and they can't ignore it anymore. So they act. But they don't turn to God. They go to Assyria. The nation that is going to destroy them. They look for power, protection, and a solution they can see and control. They reach for something political, strategic, and immediate. And God says plainly: "[Assyria] is not able to cure you." Why? Because their problem wasn't external. It wasn't about enemies, resources, or positioning. It was about their relationship with God. No worldly solution can repair a spiritual issue. And this attempt shows up in our lives the same way. We chase success to fix insecurity. We look to relationships to fill emptiness. We distract ourselves to avoid conviction. We try to manage behavior instead of surrendering our heart. We keep applying worldly solutions to spiritual problems. And they never work. They may numb it. They may delay the consequence. But they never heal what's actually broken. Because only God can do that. What are you turning to right now that cannot actually fix you? Because until you bring a spiritual problem back to God, it will remain. Stop reaching for what looks strong but cannot save. Turn to God. He's not just a better option. He's the option. DO THIS: Bring one area of your life to God today that you've been trying to fix on your own. Be honest about it and surrender it to Him. ASK THIS: What worldly solution am I relying on instead of God? What deeper issue am I trying to manage instead of surrender? Where do I need God—not just improvement? PRAY THIS: God, forgive me for turning to other things instead of you. Help me trust you to heal what I cannot fix on my own. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"

The weekly Sunday morning sermon delivered by Rev. James Wiles2 Samuel 21:5-14“They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.” But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest. Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.”1. Rizpah was a mother of example in her devotion.2. Rizpah was a mother of example in her demonstration.3. Rizpah was a mother of example in her dedication.www.huntsmbc.com

“When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears. Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, “What's the matter? Why is everyone crying?” So they told him about the message from Jabesh. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!” And the Lord made the people afraid of Saul's anger, and all of them came out together as one. When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah. But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.”- 1 Samuel‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬-‭8‬, ‭11‬ ‭NLT

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;5 Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.7 And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:11 And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord our God; but ye have forsaken him.12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephraim with the towns thereof.20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Lord struck him, and he died.21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

In this Bible Story, some men from the tribe of Benjamin brutally rape the concubine of a Levite. As a message to the people of Israel, the Levite tore his concubine into pieces and spread her limbs to all the twelve tribes of Israel. This story is inspired by Judges 19. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year. Today's Bible verse is Judges 19:24 from the King James Version.Episode 71: Israel continues its fall into depravity, and even the holiest of people did whatever they wanted. A Levite, a minister of God, took on a concubine, who eventually left him. After a while, he left his home in Ephraim to go to Bethlehem and fetch his concubine. But whenever he arrived, the woman's father kept finding ways to keep him there at their house. When they were finally able to escape, the Levite decided to press on until the land of Benjamin. But little did he know that Gibeah had become the new Sodom. Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The shocking crime in Gibeah ignites one of the darkest chapters in Israel's early history. After the Levite sends pieces of his concubine's body to the tribes of Israel, the nation unites for the first time since the days of Joshua to confront the evil that took place. What follows is a devastating civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Despite overwhelming numbers, Israel suffers massive losses before finally defeating Benjamin through strategy and ambush. Yet victory leads to another crisis—Benjamin is nearly wiped out, leaving only six hundred men alive and no women to preserve the tribe. In a desperate attempt to keep one of Israel's twelve tribes from disappearing, the nation makes troubling decisions that expose just how far the people had drifted from the Lord. The Book of Judges closes with the sobering truth: when there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Highlights The Crime That United Israel Civil War Among the Tribes Benjamin's Elite Sling Warriors The Near Destruction of a Tribe When Everyone Did What Was Right in Their Own Eyes Scripture Referenced Judges 19 Judges 20 Judges 21 Judges 3:15 Joshua 7 Deuteronomy 13:12–17 1 Samuel 11:7 Support & Engagement If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and follow The History of the Bible on your favorite podcast platform. Your ratings and reviews help others discover the show and support the creation of future episodes. Follow us on Facebook: The History of the Bible Facebook Page If you'd like to support The History of the Bible, visit our Patreon Page. Your feedback is valuable to us! Share your thoughts and insights via our feedback form. Let us know how our podcast has impacted you or someone you know by filling out our impact form. If you have concerns about any information presented, please inform us via our correction form.   #HistoryOfTheBible #BookOfJudges #Judges20 #Judges21 #AncientIsrael #BiblicalHistory #OldTestament #BiblePodcast #TribeOfBenjamin #CivilWarInIsrael #AncientNearEast #BiblicalNarrative #ScriptureStudy #BiblicalArchaeology #FaithAndHistory #BibleTeaching #IsraeliteHistory #JudgesSeries #BibleStudyPodcast #BiblicalContext Sources ESV Study Bible ESV Archaeology Study Bible Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (NIV) New Spirit-Filled Life Bible (NLT) Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines Satellite Bible Atlas by William Schlegel The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History BlueLetterBible.com WorldHistory.org BiblicalArchaeology.org ArmstrongInstitute.org Chabad.org

This sermon examines the harrowing narrative of Judges 19 to expose the pervasive moral decay and spiritual blindness of Israel during the period of the judges. Pastor Caleb argues that every character in the story, from the unfaithful concubine to the complicit Levite and the violent mob, embodies the same root sin of doing what is right in one's own eyes rather than submitting to God's law. By drawing parallels between the wickedness of Gibeah and the destruction of Sodom, the text serves as a stark warning that believers are not immune to such depravity by nature. The central message shifts from condemning the historical atrocity to recognizing personal sinfulness, ultimately driving the audience to seek redemption through Jesus Christ. The sermon concludes by highlighting the gospel hope that Christ endured far worse suffering to cleanse His people from their own dark hearts.

Bible study session focusing on Judges chapters 19 and 20, focusing on the themes of immorality, the consequences of sin, and the necessity of eradicating evil. Matthew emphasizes how, during a time when "every man did what was right in his own eyes," Israel fell into deep depravity, paralleling the story of Sodom.   Key Highlights & Themes: The Levite and his Concubine: The story begins with a Levite taking back his unfaithful concubine from Bethlehem. The narrative focuses on their journey and the lack of hospitality in Israel. The Depravity of Gibeah: Upon arriving in Gibeah, a city of Benjamin, the travelers face a scenario similar to Sodom, where men of the city demand to sexually assault the Levite. Instead, the concubine is brutally abused all night. The Aftermath: The Levite finds his concubine dead at the threshold, cuts her body into twelve pieces, and sends them throughout Israel to incite action against this wickedness. Israel Unites for Justice: The tribes of Israel gather as one, demanding the Benjamites turn over the wicked men. Benjamin refuses, leading to a civil war. War and God's Guidance: After initially losing battles, Israel seeks God's counsel and eventually defeats the tribe of Benjamin, eradicating the city of Gibeah and almost the entire tribe (32:39).Lessons and Applications: The Danger of Compromise:  Bro. Matthew warns that sin in one's life can lead to uncontrollable consequences and that trying to live with the world brings ruin. The Spirit World:  Bro. Matthew contrasts physical actions with spiritual evil, asserting that some behavior is purely demonic and cannot be explained away by science. Perseverance in Righteousness:  Using the example of Israel's persistence against Benjamin, Bro. Matthew highlights the need to fight until sin is completely destroyed. Restoration:  Bro. Matthew emphasizes that believers should seek to restore fallen brethren in a spirit of meekness rather than gossiping or judging.  

Judges 19 presents one of the darkest and most disturbing chapters in the Book of Judges, exposing just how far Israel had fallen during the era when “there was no king, and everyone did as they saw fit.” Through the story of a Levite, his concubine, and the city of Gibeah, the chapter reveals the complete breakdown of hospitality, justice, priestly responsibility, and covenant faithfulness. Once distinguished from the surrounding nations, Israel now mirrors the moral depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah—only this time, the perpetrators are Israelites themselves. This episode explores the cultural background of concubinage, ancient hospitality expectations, the meaning of “sons of Belial,” and the shocking act that ignites a national crisis among the tribes of Israel. Episode Highlights A Levite Without Compassion  Hospitality Turned Horror  Who Are the Sons of Belial?  When Protection Fails  Support & Engagement If you'd like to support The History of the Bible, visit our Patreon Page. Follow and engage with us on Facebook: The History of the Bible – Facebook Page Your feedback is valuable to us! Share your thoughts and insights via our feedback form. Let us know how our podcast has impacted you or someone you know by filling out our impact form. If you have concerns about any information presented, please inform us via our correction form. Scripture Referenced Judges 19 Judges 21:25 Genesis 19 Deuteronomy 23:17 Leviticus 18 Leviticus 20 1 Samuel 11:7 #Judges19 #BookOfJudges #BiblicalHistory #AncientIsrael #NoKingInIsrael #SonsOfBelial #TribeOfBenjamin #BiblicalJustice #OldTestamentStudies #AncientNearEast #BiblePodcast #HistoryOfTheBible #ScriptureAndCulture #BiblicalArchaeology #HebrewBible #DarkBibleStories #MoralCollapse #IsraeliteHistory #BiblicalNarrative #FaithAndHistory Sources ESV Study Bible ESV Archaeology Study Bible Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (NIV) New Spirit-Filled Life Bible (NLT) Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines Satellite Bible Atlas — Barry J. Beitzel The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History BlueLetterBible.org — Hebrew Lexical Data WorldHistory.org BiblicalArchaeology.org ArmstrongInstitute.org Chabad.org

In this sermon, Pastor Steven introduces the book of Judges by tracing its opening and closing stories, revealing a nation unraveling in the absence of godly leadership. From incomplete obedience after Joshua's death to the shocking moral collapse at Gibeah, this message shows how life without a king leads God's people from compromise into chaos—and why Judges ultimately presses us to long for a true and righteous King to reign over His people.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 20:29-44. So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. And the people of Benjamin said, "They are routed before us, as at the first." But the people of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways." And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba. And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword. So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle." But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor.  — Judges 20:29-44 After fasting and prayer, Israel finally wins. The Lord gives them victory. But something tragic happens—they can't stop fighting. What began as justice turns into vengeance. Their zeal for righteousness becomes a weapon of destruction. In this moment, we see the warning that convictions become cruelty when they're not guided by compassion. They were right to battle sin—but wrong to lose self-control. In their fury, they slaughter not just the guilty but entire towns. Passion without restraint turns purity into pride, and conviction without compassion becomes cruelty. We can do the same thing. We can fight for truth so hard that we forget to love people. We can defend doctrine but destroy relationships. We can win the argument but lose the soul. Zeal for God is beautiful—but when it's unrestrained by the Spirit, it becomes dangerous. Paul himself once persecuted believers in the name of zeal before God transformed his heart (Phil. 3:6). Even righteous causes can become unrighteous if they're not led by humility. Think of it like conflict in your relationships—you might be right, but if you fight to win instead of fighting to love, everyone loses. The goal isn't victory—it's reconciliation. The same is true in faith, leadership, and culture. This story is a warning: God wants warriors who fight with conviction, not cruelty. His people must learn restraint in victory as well as perseverance in defeat. Because sometimes, the hardest test of faith isn't how you handle loss—it's how you handle winning. ASK THIS: When have I let zeal turn into harshness? How can I fight for truth without becoming self-righteous? Do I celebrate victories with humility or pride? How can I show mercy while standing firm in conviction? DO THIS: Ask God to show you one area where conviction has turned into cruelty. Before engaging in a heated issue—pause, pray, and ask: "Am I fighting to prove a point or to reflect Christ?" PRAY THIS: Lord, thank You for teaching me that conviction without compassion becomes cruelty. Help me fight with conviction but finish with love. Give me zeal that burns for Your glory, not my pride. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Same God."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 20:29-44. So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. And the people of Benjamin said, "They are routed before us, as at the first." But the people of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways." And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba. And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who drew the sword. So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, "Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle." But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor.  — Judges 20:29-44 After fasting and prayer, Israel finally wins. The Lord gives them victory. But something tragic happens—they can't stop fighting. What began as justice turns into vengeance. Their zeal for righteousness becomes a weapon of destruction. In this moment, we see the warning that convictions become cruelty when they're not guided by compassion. They were right to battle sin—but wrong to lose self-control. In their fury, they slaughter not just the guilty but entire towns. Passion without restraint turns purity into pride, and conviction without compassion becomes cruelty. We can do the same thing. We can fight for truth so hard that we forget to love people. We can defend doctrine but destroy relationships. We can win the argument but lose the soul. Zeal for God is beautiful—but when it's unrestrained by the Spirit, it becomes dangerous. Paul himself once persecuted believers in the name of zeal before God transformed his heart (Phil. 3:6). Even righteous causes can become unrighteous if they're not led by humility. Think of it like conflict in your relationships—you might be right, but if you fight to win instead of fighting to love, everyone loses. The goal isn't victory—it's reconciliation. The same is true in faith, leadership, and culture. This story is a warning: God wants warriors who fight with conviction, not cruelty. His people must learn restraint in victory as well as perseverance in defeat. Because sometimes, the hardest test of faith isn't how you handle loss—it's how you handle winning. ASK THIS: When have I let zeal turn into harshness? How can I fight for truth without becoming self-righteous? Do I celebrate victories with humility or pride? How can I show mercy while standing firm in conviction? DO THIS: Ask God to show you one area where conviction has turned into cruelty. Before engaging in a heated issue—pause, pray, and ask: "Am I fighting to prove a point or to reflect Christ?" PRAY THIS: Lord, thank You for teaching me that conviction without compassion becomes cruelty. Help me fight with conviction but finish with love. Give me zeal that burns for Your glory, not my pride. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Same God."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 20:22-25. But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. And the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord, "Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" And the Lord said, "Go up against them." So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword. — Judges 20:22-25 Israel tries again. They pray and weep. This time it looks more spiritual. But still, there's no real repentance. They ask, "Should we go again?"—not, "Lord, what have we done wrong?" They confuse emotion with surrender. Their tears are real, but their pride is intact. God isn't after their sadness—He's after their submission. The phrase "sorrow isn't surrender" sums up Israel's problem and often ours too—emotion without repentance never changes the outcome. And so they lose again. Another 18,000 die. Why? Because feeling bad isn't the same as turning back. God allows defeat until their hearts are truly humbled. This is how pride disguises itself in our lives. We tell God we're sorry for the consequences but hold on to control. We cry over the damage but won't lay down our will. We promise change but never surrender our way. It's like a marriage that keeps circling the same fights. One spouse says, "I'm sorry you feel that way," but never owns the hurt they caused. The words sound humble, but pride is still running the show. Until someone truly surrenders, healing never starts. Israel's story is our story. We mourn the results of sin—broken homes, fractured churches, divided nations—but we're not broken before God. And until we are, He will let us feel the weight of our own choices. The truth is, sorrow isn't always true surrender. Don't wait for another round of collateral damage to learn surrender. Lay down your pride now. Stop fighting your way and start trusting his. God will not give victory to the proud—but he will lift up the humble. ASK THIS: Am I more grieved by the consequences of sin or the cause of it? Where have I mistaken regret for repentance? How has pride kept me from true surrender in my relationships? What battle am I still fighting that God is waiting for me to release? DO THIS: Admit where pride still controls your responses—especially in your closest relationships. Write down one area you've been "sorry about" but haven't surrendered—and pray over it daily this week. PRAY THIS: Father, I'm tired of circling the same battles. Break the pride that blinds me and teach me to truly surrender. Help me move from tears of regret to the obedience of repentance. I don't want to just feel sorry—I want to be changed. Amen. PLAY THIS: "I Surrender."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 20:18-21. The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, "Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?" And the Lord said, "Judah shall go up first." Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. — Judges 20:18-21 Israel goes to Bethel. Finally—they pray! But look closely. They don't ask if they should go to war, only who should go first. Their minds are made up. They're not seeking God's direction; they only want God's endorsement. It's a subtle but dangerous difference. They don't want divine wisdom—they want divine approval. They're still fighting the wrong battle in the wrong way. And God allows them to go. He tells them, "Judah shall go up first." It sounds like victory—but it isn't. Israel loses 22,000 men that day. Their zeal was high, their numbers were strong, and their cause was just—but their hearts were wrong. They inquired of God, but they never repented to Him. Believers are guilty of doing this all the time. We ask God to bless our careers, our goals, our posts, our politics—without ever asking if they align with God's will. We quote Scripture but don't surrender to it. We wear God's name but pursue our own plans. Israel's defeat wasn't because God failed—it's because His people fought without surrender. And that's a battle you'll always lose. Maybe your defeats aren't setbacks; maybe they're invitations. God lets us lose when he wants to lead us back to him. He loves us way too much to let us keep winning our way. Before you go to battle, ask: Am I fighting God's enemy—or just my own? ASK THIS: Have I mistaken God's permission for His blessing? When was the last time I surrendered my agenda before seeking God's help? Where am I fighting a battle that God never called me to fight? What would it look like to let humility lead instead of pride? DO THIS: Before you act, pray: "Lord, am I fighting Your battle or mine?" Identify one area where you've asked for God's approval but not His direction. Surrender it today. PRAY THIS: Lord, forgive me for fighting battles You never called me to fight. Teach me to seek Your direction before demanding Your blessing. Lead me to surrender so that every victory brings You glory—not me. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lead Me to the Cross."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 20:8-17. And all the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel." So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has taken place among you? Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war. — Judges 20:8-17 Israel's outrage turns into organization. They swear an oath not to go home until justice is served. It sounds noble—but it's dangerous. What started as righteous anger now becomes collective vengeance. They are so convinced of their own version of justice that they can't see the injustice they are about to commit. The people unite around punishment, not repentance, blind to the fact that their zeal will make them guilty of the same sin they condemn. There is no Judge in this moment—no voice of God's appointed leadership. The nation acts without discernment, following a rogue man who looks like a spiritual leader but does not live like one. The Levite's story fuels their passion, but not their prayer. They rally around his words, not God's Word. The unity here is impressive but deceptive. They're "as one man," but not under God. They're driven by zeal and confuse justice with revenge. And Benjamin, the brother tribe, refuses to hand over the guilty men of Gibeah. Pride meets pride. The result? Civil war. Israel will soon destroy its own family in the name of righteousness. This is what happens when justice acts apart from God's Word and direction. We seek to destroy the guilty instead of restoring them. The line between moral conviction and moral arrogance gets blurry. We see this same division today. Churches split over politics, believers cancel one another online, and movements built on truth end up powered by hate. Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking, "How do we honor God?" and started devising, "How do we win?" Justice without God's truth and direction always ends in destruction. Because without grace, even the right cause becomes the wrong crusade. Jesus showed us the better way: He didn't excuse sin, but he didn't execute sinners either. He bore their punishment to redeem them. That's what real justice looks like. It's always the truth, but it's wrapped in love. ASK THIS: Is my passion for justice rooted in love or in pride? When I see sin, do I seek restoration or revenge? How do I respond when brothers and sisters in Christ disappoint me? Am I building unity under God or alliances around outrage? DO THIS: Before confronting someone's sin, pray for their restoration—not their ruin. Look for one relationship in your life that needs grace more than judgment. PRAY THIS: Lord, keep me from turning Your justice into my vengeance. Give me a heart that loves mercy, seeks unity, and fights for truth without losing grace. Teach me to stand firm and kneel low at the same time. Amen. PLAY THIS: "What Mercy Did for Me."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 20:8-17. And all the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel." So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has taken place among you? Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war. — Judges 20:8-17 Israel's outrage turns into organization. They swear an oath not to go home until justice is served. It sounds noble—but it's dangerous. What started as righteous anger now becomes collective vengeance. They are so convinced of their own version of justice that they can't see the injustice they are about to commit. The people unite around punishment, not repentance, blind to the fact that their zeal will make them guilty of the same sin they condemn. There is no Judge in this moment—no voice of God's appointed leadership. The nation acts without discernment, following a rogue man who looks like a spiritual leader but does not live like one. The Levite's story fuels their passion, but not their prayer. They rally around his words, not God's Word. The unity here is impressive but deceptive. They're "as one man," but not under God. They're driven by zeal and confuse justice with revenge. And Benjamin, the brother tribe, refuses to hand over the guilty men of Gibeah. Pride meets pride. The result? Civil war. Israel will soon destroy its own family in the name of righteousness. This is what happens when justice acts apart from God's Word and direction. We seek to destroy the guilty instead of restoring them. The line between moral conviction and moral arrogance gets blurry. We see this same division today. Churches split over politics, believers cancel one another online, and movements built on truth end up powered by hate. Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking, "How do we honor God?" and started devising, "How do we win?" Justice without God's truth and direction always ends in destruction. Because without grace, even the right cause becomes the wrong crusade. Jesus showed us the better way: He didn't excuse sin, but he didn't execute sinners either. He bore their punishment to redeem them. That's what real justice looks like. It's always the truth, but it's wrapped in love. ASK THIS: Is my passion for justice rooted in love or in pride? When I see sin, do I seek restoration or revenge? How do I respond when brothers and sisters in Christ disappoint me? Am I building unity under God or alliances around outrage? DO THIS: Before confronting someone's sin, pray for their restoration—not their ruin. Look for one relationship in your life that needs grace more than judgment. PRAY THIS: Lord, keep me from turning Your justice into my vengeance. Give me a heart that loves mercy, seeks unity, and fights for truth without losing grace. Teach me to stand firm and kneel low at the same time. Amen. PLAY THIS: "What Mercy Did for Me."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 20:1-7. Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah. And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword. (Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this evil happen?" And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here." — Judges 20:1-7 The scene opens with national unity—but not spiritual unity. Israel is outraged. The murder and dismemberment of the Levite's concubine shocks them into action. Four hundred thousand men march to Mizpah, ready to make war. But notice what's missing: there's no prayer, no repentance, no seeking God's will. They are united in outrage, not obedience. They are loud about the problem, but blind to their part in it. And the Levite—the one who caused this entire mess—plays the victim. He twists the story to make himself look righteous. He never admits his cowardice or cruelty. He blames everyone but himself. This is what happens when moral outrage replaces moral conviction. It feels righteous. It sounds godly. But it's hollow—because it lacks repentance. We do the same thing today. We rage against corruption in politics, immorality in culture, and sin in society—while ignoring the idols in our own homes. We tweet truth without living it. We protest evil but excuse pride. We call for justice but never kneel for mercy. The Church must beware of becoming like Israel at Mizpah—loud in anger but silent in repentance. Before we correct the world, we must first let God correct us. The greatest threat to righteousness isn't the sin of others in the world but believers with unrepentant hearts. Revival begins with us, the righteous, getting right with God. So are you ready to remove the log from your eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." — Matthew 7:5 ASK THIS: Where have I confused moral anger with spiritual obedience? Do I seek to fix others before I allow God to confront me? How do I respond when God exposes my hypocrisy? What would it look like to start repentance before reaction this week? DO THIS: Identify one area where your outrage exceeds your obedience—and confess it. Lead your family in a moment of prayer, asking God to purify your hearts before you judge others. Replace complaining with confession; revival always starts at home. PRAY THIS: Lord, help me see the sin beneath my outrage. Break my pride before it hardens my heart. Teach me to repent before I react, and to seek Your truth before I speak mine. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lord, I Need You."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 19:16-23. "And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was sojourning in Gibeah. The men of the place were Benjaminites. 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?' He said to him, 'We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to the house of the Lord, but no one has taken me into his house. We have straw and feed for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me and your female servant and the young man with your servants. There is no lack of anything.' And the old man said, 'Peace be to you; I will care for all your wants; only, do not spend the night in the square.' So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank. As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, "Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him." And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. " — Judges 19:16-23 This passage offers a flicker of hope—an old man who shows compassion to strangers when no one else would. But even here, courage is mixed with compromise. He welcomes them in, yet his warning is chilling: "Only, do not spend the night in the square." The city of Gibeah, once belonging to God's people, has become so corrupt that hospitality has turned to hostility. The tragedy of Gibeah isn't just the wickedness of its men—it's the silence of its good ones. Evil thrives when the faithful grow fearful, when believers retreat instead of resist. The old man does what's comfortable, not what's courageous. He shelters the Levite, but he never confronts the culture. This same paralysis infects our world today. We see evil advancing—violence, perversion, confusion, and godlessness—but too often, we stay quiet. We fear rejection more than judgment, conflict more than compromise. We've become polite in the face of sin. But our silence in this time is not neutrality—it's surrender. When good men stay silent, evil speaks louder. When the righteous sit back, the wicked will take over. God is still calling his people to stand—to speak truth even when it costs, to show courage even when it's unpopular, to defend righteousness even when the world mocks. Don't just be kind—be courageous. Have courageous confrontations. Because courage changes the course of a nation. Gibeah would one day rise again under Saul as Israel's first capital—a reminder that when one good man steps up to lead with conviction, God can redeem even the darkest places. ASK THIS: Where are you choosing comfort over courage? What sin in your culture or circle have you been silent about? How can you confront evil with both truth and grace? What would bold obedience look like for you today? DO THIS: Replace fearful silence with faithful action—pray, post, or stand for righteousness where others won't. Lead by example in your home: confront sin lovingly, not passively. PRAY THIS: Lord, give me the courage to speak when it's easier to stay silent. Help me confront evil with both conviction and compassion. Let my words and actions bring light where darkness reigns. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Stand In Your Love."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 19:10-15. This story forces us to look beyond names and appearances. Israel still carries God's name, but their hearts are far from Him. It's the same challenge for us today—to be a people whose lives reflect the heart of the God we proclaim. "But the man would not spend the night; he rose up and departed and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a couple of saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him. When they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over, and the servant said to his master, 'Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.' And his master said to him, 'We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel; but we will pass on to Gibeah.' And he said to his servant, 'Come and let us draw near to one of these places and spend the night at Gibeah or at Ramah.' So they passed on and went their way. And the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. And they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no one took them into his house to spend the night." — Judges 19:10-15 The Levite refuses to stay in Jebus—a pagan city—because he assumes it's unsafe. Instead, he chooses Gibeah, a city of Israelites, his own people. Surely, among believers, he'll find refuge and righteousness. But he doesn't. He sits in the open square, and no one takes him in. This is more than a travel story. It's a tragedy of misplaced trust. Gibeah should have been a beacon of hospitality and faithfulness. Instead, it's a spiritual wasteland—Israelite in name but pagan in practice. We see the same pattern today. Many cities, schools, and even churches bear names that sound holy—"Trinity," "Grace," "Bethlehem"—yet they reflect none of the God they claim to honor. Their doors are open, but their hearts are closed. Their signs declare faith, but their culture denies it. And if we're honest, it's not just the cities—it's us. Too many believers bear Christ's name but live as practical atheists. We talk about faith, but we don't depend on it. We proclaim grace, but we don't extend it. We wear crosses but carry none of their weight. Like Gibeah, we've confused proximity to truth with obedience to it. And that deception is deadly. It's not enough to claim the name of Jesus; our lives must reveal His nature. Our words, our choices, our homes, and our churches should bear the evidence of His transforming power. The world doesn't need more people who simply bear God's name—it needs a people who embody His heart. Authentic believers who live what they profess, reflect His character, and restore His reputation in a watching world. You may live in a city with a Christian name, attend a church with a cross on its roof, or post Bible verses online—but the real question is: Can anyone tell that Christ lives in you? ASK THIS: Where are you relying on reputation instead of righteousness? Does your life reflect the name of Jesus or the nature of the world? How can you model true hospitality, generosity, or holiness this week? What's one step you can take to live as an authentic believer today? DO THIS: Examine one area of your life where your actions don't align with your beliefs. Let your name—and your home—reflect the character of the God you claim to follow. PRAY THIS: Lord, make me more than a name-bearer. Let my faith be real, my actions be righteous, and my home be open. Keep me from the hypocrisy of hollow religion, and make me a living witness of Your truth. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Evidence."

What is the significance of Gibeah in the Bible? How many different places in the Bible are named Gibeah?

Ezra 9 tells of the problems of those who had married nonbelievers. Verse 4 tells that the rulers and officials had been at the forefront of those who had disobeyed God's command about this. The reader should look at Malachi 2verses10-16 and Nehemiah 13verses23-27 to understand Yahweh's views on this subject; and why His prophets were so strong in denouncing this practice. From verse 10-15 Ezra seeks God's forgiveness of His people for their wrongful ways in marrying out of the Truth and counsels all of God's people to forsake that dangerous and evil course.Hosea 10 tells of a vine that produced no fruit for God. How often do the prophets and the Lord Jesus Christ take up this theme cp Isaiah 5 and consider the number of references in the last week of our Lord to the barrenness of the fruitless, but showy fig tree. Also see John 15 where our Lord comments on himself being the vine. Without fruit a vine is useless - its wood is poor fuel; its wood cannot be used to make anything. We are useless unless we are producing the fruit of the spirit for God in our lives (see Galatians 5verses22-25; and Ephesians 5verses8-16). But for Israel when the LORD looked at their actions, instead of fruit, He saw poisonous weeds. Instead of sincere worship of Yahweh He saw the idolatrous calf worship. Bethel (meaning "the house of God") becomes Bethaven ("the house of vanity" - or "nothingness"). The result of this would be the delivering up to captivity of Israel to nations who were themselves ruled by idolatry. Israel's sinfulness was evident from earliest times, even when the Tabernacle was at Gibeah. The Lord God would again bring them under the yoke, when they will finally learn righteousness and will open their hearts to God as the poetic symbol of breaking open the fallow ground of their hearts suggests. By doing this God would be able to rain blessings on them. But the coming judgment would be a necessary part of helping Israel to learn this.Paul sent the letter to the Colossians in about 62 AD. He never personally visited the region where there were two groups of believers - one in Colossae and the other in Laodicea. The one letter was read by both at this time and about 34 years' time when another letter was sent in 96 AD by the Lord Jesus Christ. The area was exceptionally fertile and lay in a very rich valley. The epistle commenced with the greeting "Grace ('charis' the Greek greeting) and peace ('shalom' the Jewish greeting) coming to the believers from God our Father. This is followed by thanksgiving and prayer for their faithfulness in the gospel as reported to the Apostle from Epaphras. The believers were increasing in knowledge and love. But the greatest of all thanks was to be expressed to God, our Father, who had "qualified us to share the inheritance of the saints in light ... and has transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son" (verses 12-13 ESV). Then from verses 14-23 Paul tells us of the pre-eminence of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father. Our Lord Jesus is the beginning (Gk 'archegos') and head of God's new creation and is the firstborn (Jesus firstborn by birth, death and resurrection) of that creation; the firstborn from the dead to be raised to eternal life. Verses 24-29 tell of Paul's suffering for all Gentile believers, that he might share and participate in the sufferings of Christ (as part of his body, which we, the ecclesia are). In verse 27 we have the key verse and theme of the book, "Christ in you (i.e. each of us) the hope of glory".Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

This is a discussion of Judges 19 and looking to find Christ in the narrative.

Main Idea. When God's people reject their King's rule, moral chaos rules and the weak have no refuge. Question. How do people live when they reject God as their king? 1. The Depths of Depravity (19:1–21:24) A. Corruption in Gibeah (19:1–30) B. Civil War in Israel (20:1–25) C. Condemnation of Benjamin (20:26–48) D. Compromise in Benjamin's Restoration (21:1–24) 2. The Desperation for a King (21:25) Deut 17:14–20. 14 “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.' 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. 18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. What does life look like under the good and kingly rule of Jesus Christ? Justice is assured for all Women are honored and protected Men are called to sacrificial protection Forgiveness flows to all

Joel Solomon

Judges 19 tells one of the darkest stories in Israel's history, showing the collapse of morality when people reject God's authority. The sin of Gibeah mirrors Sodom and Gomorrah, with rampant homosexuality, violence, and the abuse of hospitality. This passage shows how corruption spreads from priests to homes to government, leaving a nation without a moral compass. The warning is clear for today: when family breaks down, conscience is ignored, and sexual sin is normalized, society crumbles. Yet the message of hope remains—through Christ, even those bound by sin can be washed, sanctified, and made new.

Judges 19-21

FACEBOOK COPY: Who are we letting close enough to carry our armor?

This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.JOS.15:2 And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward:JOS.15:3 And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:JOS.15:4 From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.JOS.15:5 And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:JOS.15:6 And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:JOS.15:7 And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of Enshemesh, and the goings out thereof were at Enrogel:JOS.15:8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:JOS.15:9 And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim:JOS.15:10 And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah:JOS.15:11 And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.JOS.15:12 And the west border was to the great sea, and the coast thereof. This is the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families.JOS.15:13 And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.JOS.15:14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.JOS.15:15 And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher.JOS.15:16 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.JOS.15:17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.JOS.15:18 And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?JOS.15:19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.JOS.15:20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.JOS.15:21 And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,JOS.15:22 And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,JOS.15:23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,JOS.15:24 Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,JOS.15:25 And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,JOS.15:26 Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,JOS.15:27 And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,JOS.15:28 And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,JOS.15:29 Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,JOS.15:30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,JOS.15:31 And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,JOS.15:32 And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:JOS.15:33 And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,JOS.15:34 And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam,JOS.15:35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,JOS.15:36 And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:JOS.15:37 Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad,JOS.15:38 And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,JOS.15:39 Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,JOS.15:40 And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,JOS.15:41 And Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:JOS.15:42 Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,JOS.15:43 And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,JOS.15:44 And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:JOS.15:45 Ekron, with her towns and her villages:JOS.15:46 From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:JOS.15:47 Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:JOS.15:48 And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,JOS.15:49 And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,JOS.15:50 And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,JOS.15:51 And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:JOS.15:52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,JOS.15:53 And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,JOS.15:54 And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:JOS.15:55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,JOS.15:56 And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,JOS.15:57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:JOS.15:58 Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor,JOS.15:59 And Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:JOS.15:60 Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:JOS.15:61 In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,JOS.15:62 And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.JOS.15:63 As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

Tuesday, 15 July 2025   All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Matthew 11:27   “All, it was delivered to Me by My Father. And none, he knows the Son if not the Father, nor any he knows the Father if not the Son, and whom if the Son He should will to reveal” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus acknowledged the Father's decisions, noting that it was satisfaction before Him. Now, to build upon that thought, He next says, “All, it was delivered to Me by My Father.”   The context of the word “all” determines the meaning. He has just referred to things hidden by the Father from the wise and prudent but which have been revealed to infants. Jesus is saying that these hidden things have been delivered to Him by His Father. He is the central focus of the illumination of the plan that the Father has set forth. From there, He continues with, “And none, he knows the Son if not the Father.”   Jesus has rebuked the cities where His miracles took place. He came in the Father's name because He is the Messiah. Only the Father knew this at first because He was with the Father in the beginning. Eventually, the time came for God to reveal Himself in the Person of Jesus, the incarnate Word and the Son of God. Only the Father could reveal this because He came from the Father –    “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.'” John 8:42   God could have established His covenant with the Peruvians or the Thai people. Instead, it was with Israel. He chose them to reveal Himself and His plans and purposes. At a certain point, He could have chosen someone named Ben Gad to witness to Israel. Instead, He chose Isaiah. He could have chosen Gibeah to be His capital, but He instead chose Jerusalem.   God has been guiding the plan of redemption in a carefully set forth and methodically implemented way that ultimately leads to the coming of Christ. Along the way, He selected people to receive, write, and compile His word. The word tells of Christ Jesus, but not everyone has accepted that premise. But the Father knows the Son. Likewise, Jesus continues, saying, “nor any he knows the Father if not the Son.”   Because Jesus came from God, He intimately knows the Father. They are in eternal union. The knowledge of the Father is thus to be understood as knowing the Son. Again, Jesus said this to them explicitly –   “Then they said to Him, ‘Where is Your Father?' Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.'” John 8:19   Jesus unambiguously ties the knowledge of Himself to having knowledge of the Father. If the Son is rejected, the Father is by default rejected. It would make no sense to say, “I want that piece of bread, but I don't want the dough in it.” The dough is the bread, and the bread is the dough. How much more is God One!? He is. He is unchanging. He is One. With this stated, His words of this verse finish with, “and whom if the Son He should will to reveal.”   Jesus uses the same word, apokaluptó, to take off the cover and thus disclose, that He just used in verse 11:25. He is tying the two thoughts together –   ...You revealed them to infants ... and whom if the Son He should will to reveal   The hidden things of God are revealed by God. His word didn't come through the Edomites or Moabites. It came through Israel. God revealed Himself to Abraham, He covenanted with him, and continued His revelation through a particular chosen line. He presented Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai in a formal, covenant-making way.   He revealed His faithfulness to them despite their constant turning from Him. He sent His word through the prophets. He judged, exiled, and returned the people at the time of the Babylonian exile. He faithfully maintained them under foreign rule, and He sent His Messiah into the world at the time prophesied in His word.   And there stood Jesus, the fulfillment of all that God laid forth from the beginning. And yet, despite His works that validated His messiahship, the people refused to believe. The wise and sagacious of Israel, the stewards of God's word, failed to believe their own writings –   “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:37-40   Despite their failure to acknowledge the Son and thus the Father, there are those who believe. These are those to whom the Father and the Son are revealed –   “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11-13   The choice of revealing by God is not active in the sense that God says, “I will make this person believe and this person not believe.” Rather, the choosing spoken of here is in the sense of, “I will present My Son to the world. Some will believe Him, some will not. Those who do are those whom I have chosen to reveal Myself to.” Paul confirms this when he says –   “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” Acts 26:19, 20   Paul could have said, “I just cannot accept these things. I am checking into a hospital to clear my head and get back to my work. However, he had sufficient evidence to support his calling. He chose to accept it, and he continued on in his apostleship from there.   Life application: Because of what Jesus says in His words in Matthew 11:27, and because it aligns with everything He said and that the Bible proclaims concerning a right relationship with God, there is a formula we must consider.   Jesus is not physically here among us today. Jesus has claimed that we cannot know the Father without knowing Him. We cannot know Jesus, because of His absence, without knowing the word that tells of Him –   You cannot know God without knowing Jesus. You cannot know Jesus without knowing the word that reveals Jesus. Therefore, you cannot know God without knowing the word.   Read and know the Bible if you desire to know, be pleasing to, and have a right relationship with the God who created all things. And when you read it, look for Jesus. In finding Jesus, you will find the Father –   “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47   The word tells of Jesus. To accept the writings of the word, one must accept Jesus. And in knowing Jesus, God will be made manifest –   “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18   Jesus is the One who exegetes the Father, declaring Him to the world. Look to Jesus and you will find God.   Lord God, help us to fix our eyes on Jesus. In doing so, we will have our eyes on You because You have revealed Yourself through Him. May we always come to Your word with this in mind as we seek out Your glory in the manner You have chosen to reveal it. Amen.

Send us a textWarning Very Explicit Biblical Content.  Listener discretion required. Not suitable for Children or vulnerable adults.It's Time to Speak UpLet me end with one final observation — and I believe it comes straight from the last verse of this dark, sobering chapter. It says: “Consider it, confer on it, then speak up.” That's the call.So when is it time to speak?Let me give you some biblical guidance — a few situations where God's people must raise their voices.1. Speak Up When There's InjusticeThat's the heart of this passage. A woman was brutally abused and killed, and the question is raised: What will Israel do about it?What will you do?If you see injustice — in your community, in your workplace, in your neighbourhood — you don't sit back. You say something.God's people are called to stand for justice — not just pray about it, but speak into it.2. Speak Up When People Are in DangerThe men of Gibeah weren't just wicked. They were dangerous. Do you think what happened that night would be the last time they acted like that?And so it's time to speak up — to prevent further harm.If you have a friend drinking themselves into despair… If someone you know is spiraling in addiction… If someone is caught in a destructive relationship or lifestyle… Love says something. Silence is not kindness. Sometimes silence is complicity.So yes — for their good, for their soul — say something.3. Speak Up About JesusMost importantly: speak up about the only true hope — Jesus Christ.The solution to the mess we're in isn't better laws. It's not moral behavior. It's spiritual transformation.That's why we need to speak.People need the Lord. That's not cliché — it's reality. He's the only one who can rescue this culture, this country, and any human soul from the cliff it's racing toward.So yes, speak up. And don't worry about the labels.Today, if you say anything unpopular, you're called a bigot. A phobe. A hater.This isn't on it andut hate. It's about holiness. It's about a God in heaven who wrote this Book — and who still speaks through it.If this Book is true, then we must speak. If it's not, then anything goes.But I believe it's true. And I believe it's time to speak.Closing WordsYou've heard it before. But it bears repeating. Edmund Burke once said:“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”So, brothers and sisters in Christ — Consider it. Confer on tie and speak up.That's what this passage is calling us to do.Support the showTo listen to my monthly church history podcast, subscribe at; https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com For an ad-free version of my podcasts plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month whilst also helping keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free for listeners everywhere support me at;|PatreonSupport me to continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

“The devil fears a soul in union with God as he fears God Himself” Saint John of the Cross Three good questions to ask in regard to the God of the Bible.“Why does God choose messy people? “Why does God show us so much of that mess?” “Why doesn't people's mess undermine God's reputation and derail His purposes?”Three good answers in regard to the God of the Bible.God doesn't choose messy people, He chooses ordinary people. It just turns out that ordinary people are messy. God doesn't hide people's mess because the Bible it isn't a story about people, it's a story about Him. God chooses to write His story in conjunction with ordinary people to highlight His power and grace. Our mess doesn't derail God's purposes because He isn't dependent on us, we are dependent on Him.Why does an “Immeasurably More God” consistently leave His people overmatched and under resourced? 1. God is the Hero of the story, not us. We can't save anybody, He can save everybody. 2. Success is dependent on God dependence not self-reliance.God neither abandons us to walk alone nor does He empower us to walk alone. He redeems us to be aligned and walk with Him!The Core of Saul's Mess ImpatiencePrideTwo Mess Lessons 1. To move without God reveals a misaligned self-dependence. 2. Impatience with God reveals a lack of trust in God.In our wait, God isn't still.1 Samuel 13:10-12 (NIV) 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So, I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”1 Samuel 13:13 (NIV) 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command.” 15 Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.Impatience is a Trust issue. Trust is a Heart issue. Actions reveal our Heart. 1 Samuel 15:1-3 (NIV) Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so, listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'”1 Samuel 15:10-14 (NIV) 10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” 13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord's instructions.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”Saul's pride was displayed in his disobedience. His disobedience was a rejection of God's authority. Replacing God as authority redirects worship only intended for God. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NIV) “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”Worship it is primarily a “heart” issue not a “hand” issue. Worship is the ultimate surrender move.A lack of trust + abundance of self-reliance = a separation from God. Do you know where your heart is this morning? Check your feet. Your feet reflect your heart. Back to Saint John of the Cross“The devil fears a soul in union with God as he fears God Himself” Trust over impatience and obedience over pride unites us with God. When we are united with God we walk in His grace and power to fulfill His purposes. This unity not only impact us, it impacts everyone we touch.

April 25, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 2 - 1:30PM Session   Scott leads a bible study of the political climate of Judiah during the book of Isaiah.   Isaiah 7-12 - Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria's forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind. 3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field, 4 and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— 7 thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, And the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established.” ' ” The Immanuel Prophecy 10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” 13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.” 18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures. 20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard. 21 It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; 22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land. 23 It shall happen in that day, That wherever there could be a thousand vines Worth a thousand shekels of silver, It will be for briers and thorns. 24 With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns. 25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam. Assyria Will Invade the Land 8 Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; 4 for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father' and ‘My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The Lord also spoke to me again, saying: 6 “Inasmuch as these people refused The waters of Shiloah that flow softly, And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah's son; 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks. 8 He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel. 9 “Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For [r]God is with us.” Fear God, Heed His Word 11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,' Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. 13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. 14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness. The Government of the Promised Son 9 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. 5 For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire. 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The Punishment of Samaria 8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. 9 All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” 11 Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. 15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke. 19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Assyria Shall Be Broken 10 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Arrogant Assyria Also Judged 5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?' ” 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.” 13 For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.” 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them. The Returning Remnant of Israel 20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God. 22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land. 24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt. 27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 28 He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment. 29 They have gone along the ridge, They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30 Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. 32 As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem. 33 Behold, the Lord, The Lord of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One. The Reign of Jesse's Offspring 11 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” 11 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. 13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them. 15 The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt. A Hymn of Praise 12 And in that day you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' ” 3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6T9IGrUlv4   Duration 41:36  

In this Bible Story, some men from the tribe of Benjamin brutally rape the concubine of a Levite. As a message to the people of Israel, the Levite tore his concubine into pieces, and spread her limbs to all the twelve tribes of Israel. This story is inspired by Judges 19. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Judges 19:24 from the King James Version.Episode 71: Israel continues its fall into depravity and even the holiest of people did whatever they wanted. A Levite, a minister of God, took on a concubine, who eventually left him. After a while, he left his home in Ephraim to go to Bethlehem and fetch his concubine. But whenever he arrived, the woman's father kept finding ways to keep him there at their house. When they were finally able to escape, the Levite decided to press on until the land of Benjamin. But little did he know, that Gibeah had become the new Sodom.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Sierra Sanchez, Women's Director for  Re:generation, talks about Gibeah's crime and how God is the ultimate comforter to those who have experienced destruction and pain from this world. For those who have experienced abuse, may this episode be an encouragement to you that Jesus can redeem your story and desires to be close to you. Hear more from Sierra: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2-032-genesis-34/id1600151923?i=1000599525958To find out about Courageous Hope: https://www.watermark.org/ministries/courageous-hopeTo find out about MENd: https://www.watermark.org/ministries/mendTo learn more about re:Gen: https://www.watermark.org/ministries/regeneration-recovery