WEBVTT

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 If you would open up your Bibles to Judges chapter 19, 20, and 21, it's on page 257 of your Pew Bible.

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 Well, in February 2023, there was a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and it resulted

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 in a massive toxic waste spill.

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 It was quite a train wreck.

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 And the cause, it turns out, was a failed wheel bearing in the train itself.

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 This morning, we're going to look at the book of Judges, and the book of Judges ends in a train wreck.

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 You could say the whole book of Judges is a train wreck.

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 God's old covenant people, Israel, failing to dispossess the nations of the promised land,

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 and they failed to dispossess them because they failed to trust that their king was in their midst.

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 They failed to trust Yahweh.

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 It resulted in a train wreck with toxic waste all over the place.

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 Cycle after cycle, throughout the Judges, we see Israel denying and disobeying their king who was in their midst.

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 The tragedy is that Israel becomes like the Canaanite nations that they were to devote to destruction.

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 And at the end of the book of Judges, do you know who's devoted to destruction?

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 Judges 19, 20, and 21 is a smoldering wreckage of God's people.

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 Israel has been Canaanite.

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 Israel has been Canaanized.

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 They've become just like the nations they were to dispossess.

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 Israel's greatest enemy, it turns out, wasn't the surrounding nations.

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 It was themselves.

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 They were the cause to their own train wreck.

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 Now, if you were a railway inspector back in February 2023,

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 and you showed up to East Palestine,

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 you would have been given the responsibility to find out what was the cause of that train wreck.

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 And this morning, we get to see kind of the final kind of wreckage of this train wreck called Israel.

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 So, the cause of their Canaanization is what we're going after.

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 They were their own worst enemy.

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 And you know what?

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 It begs the question, church,

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 are we our own worst enemy?

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 Is there a train wreck for us just waiting to happen?

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 Four scenes.

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 Scene 1, chapter 19, 1 through 10,

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 we have an introduction,

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 and you're going to smell something off.

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 Scene 2, chapter 19, 10 through 28,

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 we have one of the most graphic, wicked acts in your Bible.

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 Scene 3, chapter 19, 29 through chapter 20, verse 48,

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 there is a holy war.

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 And there's deep, dark irony.

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 Scene 4, all of chapter 21, damage control,

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 according to what's right in your own eyes.

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 The book of Judges poses a warning for the Christian church today.

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 Are we our own worst enemy?

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 Let's look at scene 1.

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 We've got a marital spat.

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 Chapter 19, 1 through 10.

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 And before we get into something,

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 I just want you to notice verse 1.

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 In those days when there was no king in Israel,

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 that's the author being a little bit tongue-in-cheek.

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 There was not a human king in Israel.

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 But Yahweh, the king of all, was in Israel.

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 His people just weren't acknowledging him as king.

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 So we start off there.

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 And then we learn about this marital spat.

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 We are brought into, in verses 2 through 10,

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 this marital spat between an unnamed Levite and his concubine.

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 Now remember, a Levite was the clergy of Israel.

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 They were their own tribe.

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 They were like the pastors of Israel.

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 They were the spiritual leaders of Israel.

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 So they were the ones who were to be leading the nation spiritually.

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 And this Levite, turns out, he's got a concubine

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 who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem, 19.

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 1.

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 A concubine was a second-class wife,

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 usually a servant or a slave,

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 and their primary responsibility was to generate babies.

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 It was demeaning.

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 And what should strike you out of the gate

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 is that a spiritual leader of Israel has a concubine.

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 Smells a little off.

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 Well, in verse 3, he goes from the hill country of Ephraim,

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 where he's sojourning,

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 and he goes to Bethlehem to where she went to be with her father

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 because she had committed some kind of unfaithfulness.

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 He gets there.

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 He speaks kindly to her.

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 She welcomes him in,

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 and it looks like things are getting patched up.

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 And then verses 4 through 9,

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 we are introduced to the concubine's dad

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 who is, like, aggressively hospitable.

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 So in verse 4, we read that

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 he made the Levite,

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 his concubine,

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 the daughter of the Bethlehemite,

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 and his servant stay three days.

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 Come stay.

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 Let's drink and be merry.

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 Next day, verse 5, day 4,

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 the Levite, his concubine,

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 their servant,

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 they get ready to go.

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 This hospitable Bethlehemite says,

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 no, no, come on.

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 You don't want to go.

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 He's kind of full-course press, hospitality.

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 No, let's eat, drink.

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 Let's enjoy each other's company.

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 The day passes.

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 They stay another night.

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 Verses 8 through 10,

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 day 5 rolls around.

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 They get up.

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 They get ready to go.

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 The day passes.

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 The dad is putting full-court press hospitality on,

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 and you start kind of asking,

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 why is he being so hospitable?

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 Does he know something that we don't know?

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 But eventually in verse 10,

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 the man, the Levite,

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 would not spend the night.

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 So he rose and departs.

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 And so this is well into the day.

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 So here's the introduction.

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 We've got a Levite,

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 his concubine wife,

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 and this very hospitable dad.

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 And this is how this account,

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 this,

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 the end of the book of Judges,

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 this account starts.

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 And there's something that you need to know is off here.

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 First is this.

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 We don't know the nature of the concubine's unfaithfulness.

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 And so we learn that.

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 Verse 2,

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 and his concubine was unfaithful to him,

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 but we're not told how.

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 And then,

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 the second thing we notice that's kind of off

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 is this kind of aggressive,

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 over-the-top hospitality by the concubine's dad.

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 Like, what's that all about?

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 Does he know something we don't know?

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 But what should really get your attention

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 is that the spiritual leader,

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 one of the spiritual leaders of Israel,

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 has a concubine.

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 He is clearly ignoring Genesis 2, 24 and 25,

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 which is very clear in saying

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 God's design for marriage

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 is one man married to one woman

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 before him for life.

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 So we start with a bit of some compromise here.

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 Moral compromise.

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 Now, if you were inspecting a train wreck

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 in Judges 19, 20, and 21,

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 you're looking at a spiritual leader

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 who's compromised.

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 Despite his sweet talking,

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 something's off here.

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 But what we're going to see

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 is we're not looking at the cause

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 of the train wreck.

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 The failure of the train wreck

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 is something else.

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 So let's move on to scene two.

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 Scene two is in chapter 19, 10 through 28.

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 And just to remind you

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 that the Levite is concubine,

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 and the servant with their donkeys,

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 they have left Bethlehem,

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 and they're going to go back

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 up to the hill country of Ephraim.

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 And so that's basically

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 a 10 to 12 mile trek north.

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 They got a day started late in the day.

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 And so in verses 10 through 15,

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 what we see is

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 they need to make a decision

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 of where they're going to stay the night

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 because they got to stop somewhere

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 because it's too far to travel

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 to get back to the hill country of Ephraim.

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 And so what we notice right out of the gate

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 is that they get near to this place

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 called Jebus.

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 And we see the author chime in,

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 that is Jerusalem.

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 And so what that means is this.

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 This city, which is later to become Jerusalem,

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 is in control of Canaanites,

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 non-Israelites,

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 or what the Levite will say is foreigners.

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 Well, we see in verse 11

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 that the servant says,

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 hey, Master Levite,

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 hey, let's turn aside

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 to this city of the Jebusites, Jebus,

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 and we will just kind of bed down for the night.

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 To which the Levite said,

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 absolutely not, verse 12 and 13.

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 They're foreigners.

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 They don't belong to the people of Israel.

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 We're going to move past them

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 and go another four or five miles to Gibeah.

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 Let's go there

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 because that's our people.

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 And what he knows is

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 they're going to be hospitable.

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 The Jebusites,

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 they're not going to be hospitable to us Jews.

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 They're foreigners.

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 But when we get to Gibeah,

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 which is of the tribe of Benjamin,

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 they will treat us well.

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 So in verse 15,

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 we fast forward,

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 they show up in Gibeah.

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 They went into the square,

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 which a traveling Jew would go into,

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 and they would expect someone

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 to be hospitable to them.

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 And look what happens.

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 No one took them into his house

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 to spend the night, verse 15.

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 And what you need to know

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 is that is a red flag.

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 Their inhospitableness,

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 that is not good.

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 In verses 16 through 21,

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 the story continues.

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 There's this old man,

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 not from Gibeah,

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 but from the hill country of Ephraim.

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 He's a sojourner in Gibeah.

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 He's doing some work there.

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 And we learn in verse 16,

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 he's coming back from his work

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 in the field at evening,

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 and he comes into the town square,

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 and he sees the Levite,

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 the concubine,

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 and their servant in the square.

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 He engages them in conversation.

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 And then eventually,

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 he invites them into his home.

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 He says in verse 20,

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 peace be to you.

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 I will care for all your wants.

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 And here's what you need.

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 It's a person not from Gibeah

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 showing hospitality

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 to these kind of sojourners

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 coming through.

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 It's a bit odd.

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 And then comes something

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 of an ominous warning.

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 Only, verse 20,

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 only do not spend the night

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 in the square.

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 He knows something.

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 He knows something

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 that the Levite,

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 the concubine,

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 and their servant,

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 does not know.

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 And so I think it was more like,

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 peace be to you.

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 I will care for you.

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 He's looking at his watch.

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 All right,

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 you don't want to be out here

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 in the square.

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 Let's get in my house.

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 And then it's in verse 22 through 28

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 that we will see

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 one of the most horrific scenes

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 in your Bible.

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 Now, I need to let you know up front,

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 it is graphic.

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 But I also need to let you know

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 that it's intended

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 to make you think

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 of another passage

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 in your Bible.

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 In Genesis 19,

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 Sodom,

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 God sends two angels

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 to rescue Lot

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 and then bring judgment

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 on Sodom and Gomorrah.

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 And then the men

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 of the city of Sodom

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 surround the house

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 and they demand

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 to know the two men

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 who are angels.

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 and we see something

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 very similar happen

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 in verses 22 through 28.

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 22, as they are making

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 their hearts merry,

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 this is happening in Israel.

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 This is happening

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 in a city of the Benjamites.

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 They have not gone to Jabez

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 in order to be

00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:20.179
 among their own.

00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:26.600
 The men of the city,

00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:27.379
 worthless fellows,

00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:28.279
 surrounded the house,

00:14:28.419 --> 00:14:29.139
 beating on the door,

00:14:29.700 --> 00:14:30.879
 and they said to the old man,

00:14:30.939 --> 00:14:31.919
 the master of the house,

00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:34.259
 bring out the man

00:14:34.259 --> 00:14:35.919
 who came into your house

00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.879
 that we may know him.

00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:41.120
 It's a demand.

00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.060
 And it's what's called

00:14:43.060 --> 00:14:43.759
 a euphemism.

00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.500
 Have you ever heard about,

00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:47.740
 you know,

00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:48.399
 you're somewhere

00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:49.419
 and you hear about

00:14:49.419 --> 00:14:51.779
 Tim and Georgina

00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:52.299
 hooking up?

00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:54.899
 That hookup language

00:14:54.899 --> 00:14:55.820
 is a euphemism

00:14:55.820 --> 00:14:56.679
 for having sex.

00:14:59.019 --> 00:15:01.159
 This phrase

00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:02.899
 that we may know him

00:15:02.899 --> 00:15:04.000
 is a euphemism

00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:06.019
 for this gang

00:15:06.019 --> 00:15:06.759
 of violent,

00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:07.940
 worthless fellows

00:15:07.940 --> 00:15:09.060
 having sex

00:15:09.060 --> 00:15:10.340
 with the Levite.

00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:13.320
 This is a threat

00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:15.480
 of homosexual gang rape.

00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:17.539
 Now typically,

00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:18.399
 we're not exposed

00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:19.919
 to homosexual gang rape

00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:21.740
 outside of context

00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:23.299
 of prison scenes.

00:15:31.060 --> 00:15:32.740
 What's being done here

00:15:32.740 --> 00:15:35.360
 is showing you

00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:38.080
 just how far

00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:39.379
 Israel has fallen.

00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:41.480
 these men

00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.120
 are Sodom-like men.

00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:45.360
 They are

00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:46.879
 Sodomite-like.

00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.440
 This is a wicked act.

00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:57.539
 In verses 23 and 24,

00:15:57.740 --> 00:15:58.340
 the old man,

00:15:58.700 --> 00:16:00.560
 he defends his guests.

00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:00.919
 He says,

00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:01.179
 no,

00:16:01.379 --> 00:16:01.860
 my brothers,

00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:02.700
 do not act so.

00:16:02.779 --> 00:16:03.000
 Look it,

00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:03.879
 wickedly

00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:04.940
 since this man

00:16:04.940 --> 00:16:06.120
 has come into my house.

00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:06.820
 Do not do this

00:16:06.820 --> 00:16:07.860
 vile thing

00:16:07.860 --> 00:16:09.320
 at the end of verse 24,

00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:10.520
 but against this man.

00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:11.320
 Do not do

00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:12.520
 this outrageous

00:16:12.520 --> 00:16:13.879
 thing.

00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:18.000
 There are some people

00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.280
 in the church

00:16:19.280 --> 00:16:21.520
 that claim to be Christians

00:16:21.520 --> 00:16:22.560
 who would say

00:16:22.560 --> 00:16:23.620
 what is vile

00:16:23.620 --> 00:16:24.160
 and wicked

00:16:24.160 --> 00:16:24.860
 and outrageous

00:16:24.860 --> 00:16:26.180
 is not the homosexual

00:16:26.180 --> 00:16:27.280
 nature of this.

00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:28.840
 It is the rape of it

00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:30.920
 because we don't have

00:16:30.920 --> 00:16:31.879
 consenting adults.

00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:37.200
 What's wrong here

00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.379
 is the lack of consent,

00:16:39.700 --> 00:16:40.500
 some people would say.

00:16:42.019 --> 00:16:43.120
 And that is wrong.

00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:45.840
 But what's clearly

00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.059
 being said

00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:47.639
 as wicked

00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:48.159
 and vile

00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:48.840
 and outrageous

00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:50.320
 is the homosexual

00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:52.279
 nature of this.

00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:57.740
 make no mistake,

00:16:58.740 --> 00:17:00.419
 the Bible is very clear

00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:01.679
 on homosexuality.

00:17:02.139 --> 00:17:03.839
 In Leviticus 18.22,

00:17:04.460 --> 00:17:05.720
 the people of Israel

00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:06.319
 are told

00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:08.279
 a man cannot lie

00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:08.759
 with a man

00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:09.200
 nor a woman

00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:09.720
 with a woman.

00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:11.759
 It goes on

00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:12.700
 in that same passage

00:17:12.700 --> 00:17:13.539
 to talk about

00:17:13.539 --> 00:17:15.180
 forbidding incest

00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:16.180
 and bestiality.

00:17:16.680 --> 00:17:17.960
 And then in 18.24,

00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:18.700
 do you know what

00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:19.519
 is written?

00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:21.619
 Don't do this.

00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:22.479
 Don't become like

00:17:22.479 --> 00:17:23.639
 the nations around you.

00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:28.219
 Romans 1

00:17:28.219 --> 00:17:29.119
 in your New Testament

00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:30.839
 18-32

00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:32.139
 clearly

00:17:32.139 --> 00:17:33.619
 forbid homosexuality

00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.779
 and it points

00:17:35.779 --> 00:17:36.619
 to homosexuality

00:17:37.139 --> 00:17:38.519
 as a sign

00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:40.619
 of forsaking God

00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:43.439
 and giving them up

00:17:43.439 --> 00:17:45.379
 and God handing people

00:17:45.379 --> 00:17:46.819
 over to their sinful desires.

00:17:49.099 --> 00:17:50.439
 These men of Gibeah,

00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:51.900
 these worthless fellows,

00:17:52.820 --> 00:17:54.400
 were more like

00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:55.860
 the men of Sodom.

00:17:56.380 --> 00:17:58.039
 But the big difference is

00:17:58.039 --> 00:17:59.460
 the men of Sodom

00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:00.900
 didn't claim

00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:01.720
 to be,

00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:04.080
 to have Yahweh

00:18:04.080 --> 00:18:04.920
 as their king.

00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:05.019
 men.

00:18:09.700 --> 00:18:10.660
 This is horrific.

00:18:11.800 --> 00:18:12.740
 And it gets worse.

00:18:15.220 --> 00:18:16.100
 Verse 24,

00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:16.980
 the old man

00:18:16.980 --> 00:18:18.680
 offers his virgin daughter

00:18:18.680 --> 00:18:20.560
 and then the Levite's

00:18:20.560 --> 00:18:21.220
 concubine

00:18:21.220 --> 00:18:22.640
 to try to somehow

00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:24.519
 satisfy the lust

00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:26.080
 of this mob of men.

00:18:27.360 --> 00:18:28.340
 You know what he's doing?

00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:31.200
 He's trying to protect

00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:32.700
 this one man's honor

00:18:32.700 --> 00:18:34.340
 by giving away

00:18:34.340 --> 00:18:34.920
 to women.

00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:37.240
 You know what that means?

00:18:38.660 --> 00:18:39.940
 He was messed up.

00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:42.660
 He's trying to do

00:18:42.660 --> 00:18:43.180
 what's right

00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:43.980
 in his own eyes,

00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:44.559
 that old man.

00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:46.519
 Not just these worthless

00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:47.940
 fellows in Gibeah,

00:18:48.080 --> 00:18:49.240
 but the old man too.

00:18:52.360 --> 00:18:53.380
 Women are not

00:18:53.380 --> 00:18:54.319
 of less value

00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:54.900
 than men.

00:18:54.900 --> 00:18:57.840
 And then it gets

00:18:57.840 --> 00:18:58.759
 just horrific.

00:19:00.820 --> 00:19:02.060
 The men in 25,

00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:04.320
 they don't listen.

00:19:06.120 --> 00:19:06.920
 Like, no.

00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:07.880
 Bang, bang, bang,

00:19:07.960 --> 00:19:08.580
 bang, bang.

00:19:09.380 --> 00:19:10.540
 And then the Levite,

00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:11.540
 verse 26,

00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:12.160
 the man

00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:13.620
 pushes out

00:19:13.620 --> 00:19:14.240
 his concubine.

00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:16.220
 Pushes her out.

00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:17.480
 Closes the door.

00:19:18.860 --> 00:19:19.900
 And we read

00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:21.420
 that this gang

00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:22.460
 of violent men

00:19:22.460 --> 00:19:23.019
 rape her

00:19:23.019 --> 00:19:23.940
 all night long.

00:19:23.940 --> 00:19:25.960
 A daybreak.

00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:27.000
 She manages

00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:28.420
 the strength

00:19:28.420 --> 00:19:29.180
 to get back

00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:30.360
 to the old man's house.

00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:31.720
 She cannot get in.

00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:32.180
 She doesn't have

00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:32.680
 the strength.

00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:34.600
 She's been

00:19:34.600 --> 00:19:36.000
 horrifically abused.

00:19:36.580 --> 00:19:37.860
 Horrifically abused.

00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:40.100
 And then

00:19:40.100 --> 00:19:42.680
 the next day

00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:43.240
 rolls around.

00:19:43.860 --> 00:19:44.640
 Verse 27.

00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:46.460
 And her master,

00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:47.840
 notice the language change,

00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:48.620
 her master,

00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:51.120
 he slept

00:19:51.120 --> 00:19:52.019
 that night.

00:19:52.900 --> 00:19:53.460
 What?

00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:55.880
 He got up,

00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:56.720
 made coffee,

00:19:56.920 --> 00:19:57.320
 shaved,

00:19:57.779 --> 00:19:58.940
 grabbed his briefcase,

00:19:59.580 --> 00:20:00.340
 made sure he's got

00:20:00.340 --> 00:20:01.140
 his day pack,

00:20:01.580 --> 00:20:02.440
 and he's leaving

00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:03.320
 the house

00:20:03.320 --> 00:20:04.820
 to go on his way

00:20:04.820 --> 00:20:06.259
 to the hill country

00:20:06.259 --> 00:20:08.220
 of Ephraim,

00:20:08.380 --> 00:20:09.360
 and he just happens

00:20:09.360 --> 00:20:10.279
 to stumble across

00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:10.940
 his concubine

00:20:10.940 --> 00:20:11.820
 who's at the doorway.

00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:14.620
 And notice,

00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:15.820
 verse 27,

00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:16.759
 with her hands

00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:17.759
 on the threshold,

00:20:18.140 --> 00:20:19.120
 that should get

00:20:19.120 --> 00:20:20.259
 into your brain.

00:20:20.259 --> 00:20:23.519
 So close.

00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:27.000
 And literally,

00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:28.480
 this Levite

00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:30.220
 walks over her.

00:20:33.220 --> 00:20:33.940
 Now,

00:20:35.940 --> 00:20:36.680
 start looking back

00:20:36.680 --> 00:20:37.519
 on that whole little

00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:38.819
 line in verse 2

00:20:38.819 --> 00:20:40.420
 about she was unfaithful

00:20:40.420 --> 00:20:41.160
 to her husband,

00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:42.779
 you start to wonder,

00:20:42.779 --> 00:20:44.599
 hmm,

00:20:46.599 --> 00:20:47.240
 callous,

00:20:48.259 --> 00:20:49.039
 uncaring,

00:20:50.139 --> 00:20:50.920
 treating her

00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:51.740
 like some kind

00:20:51.740 --> 00:20:52.259
 of meat,

00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:55.399
 demeaning,

00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:59.300
 and you know what?

00:20:59.360 --> 00:20:59.820
 We don't know

00:20:59.820 --> 00:21:00.600
 if she's dead or not.

00:21:04.600 --> 00:21:05.440
 Look what he does.

00:21:06.100 --> 00:21:06.460
 28,

00:21:06.860 --> 00:21:07.420
 get up,

00:21:07.500 --> 00:21:08.000
 let's go!

00:21:08.360 --> 00:21:09.640
 We gotta beat

00:21:09.640 --> 00:21:10.420
 the morning traffic.

00:21:10.420 --> 00:21:14.360
 Talk about vile.

00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:16.460
 He picks her up,

00:21:16.500 --> 00:21:17.140
 puts her on her donkey,

00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:17.740
 and they go

00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:19.500
 all the way back

00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:20.460
 to the hill country

00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:21.100
 of Ephraim.

00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:24.140
 This is a horrific scene.

00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:26.700
 Gruesome in many ways.

00:21:27.340 --> 00:21:27.900
 It's gonna get

00:21:27.900 --> 00:21:28.740
 even more gruesome.

00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:31.039
 Now,

00:21:31.100 --> 00:21:32.019
 if you were inspecting

00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:32.800
 this train wreck

00:21:32.800 --> 00:21:33.500
 and you see this

00:21:33.500 --> 00:21:34.759
 toxic waste

00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:35.860
 all over the place,

00:21:36.140 --> 00:21:36.779
 you're gonna notice

00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:37.480
 a couple things.

00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:38.420
 There's a lack

00:21:38.420 --> 00:21:38.980
 of hospitality.

00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:43.480
 You notice

00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:44.460
 the men of Gibeah

00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:45.120
 who are

00:21:45.120 --> 00:21:47.000
 Sodom-like,

00:21:47.340 --> 00:21:49.140
 but they're Israelites,

00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:51.800
 Canaanized.

00:21:53.660 --> 00:21:54.740
 And you can't help

00:21:54.740 --> 00:21:55.259
 but notice

00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:56.860
 how this Levite,

00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:58.340
 so callous,

00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:00.320
 how he treats

00:22:00.320 --> 00:22:01.160
 his concubine,

00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:02.920
 he demeans her.

00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:03.720
 Do you know what, gang?

00:22:04.060 --> 00:22:05.220
 When we leave

00:22:05.220 --> 00:22:06.180
 our first love,

00:22:06.320 --> 00:22:06.600
 brothers,

00:22:06.779 --> 00:22:07.800
 when we leave

00:22:07.800 --> 00:22:09.019
 our first love,

00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:10.340
 when we leave

00:22:10.339 --> 00:22:11.099
 King Jesus,

00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:11.959
 do you know

00:22:11.959 --> 00:22:12.599
 who will suffer?

00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:15.139
 The women

00:22:15.139 --> 00:22:15.799
 in our lives.

00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:21.439
 Man, don't you wish

00:22:21.439 --> 00:22:22.119
 they just stopped

00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:22.639
 at Jabez,

00:22:23.399 --> 00:22:25.119
 the foreign town?

00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:30.799
 But we're not seeing

00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:31.299
 the cause

00:22:31.299 --> 00:22:32.039
 of this train wreck.

00:22:33.919 --> 00:22:34.659
 Scene three,

00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:37.000
 holy war.

00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:40.220
 this is 1929

00:22:40.220 --> 00:22:41.220
 through 2048.

00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:43.940
 We pick up

00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:44.740
 where we left off.

00:22:45.059 --> 00:22:45.859
 The Levite

00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:47.299
 has put this woman,

00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:47.900
 we're not sure

00:22:47.900 --> 00:22:48.900
 she's dead or not.

00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:50.900
 He brings her back

00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:52.500
 to his house

00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:53.539
 in the hill country

00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:54.140
 of Ephraim

00:22:54.140 --> 00:22:55.079
 and he takes out

00:22:55.079 --> 00:22:55.500
 a knife

00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:56.619
 and he dismembers her

00:22:56.619 --> 00:22:57.579
 and he sends

00:22:57.579 --> 00:22:58.039
 the members

00:22:58.039 --> 00:22:58.680
 of her body

00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:00.059
 all throughout Israel.

00:23:01.059 --> 00:23:01.420
 Gruesome.

00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:03.720
 Even in her death,

00:23:03.900 --> 00:23:04.640
 he demeans her.

00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:06.820
 You know what it is?

00:23:09.060 --> 00:23:10.180
 It's a call to war.

00:23:14.020 --> 00:23:15.120
 He goes out

00:23:15.120 --> 00:23:16.360
 to all the tribes

00:23:16.360 --> 00:23:18.440
 and all the tribes

00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:19.020
 see this

00:23:19.020 --> 00:23:19.500
 and they've never

00:23:19.500 --> 00:23:20.020
 seen anything

00:23:20.020 --> 00:23:20.880
 like this before.

00:23:22.320 --> 00:23:23.320
 And then in chapter 20,

00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:24.140
 1 through 7,

00:23:25.140 --> 00:23:25.660
 there's this

00:23:25.660 --> 00:23:26.800
 holy gathering

00:23:26.800 --> 00:23:27.640
 of God's people.

00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:29.520
 We have not seen this

00:23:29.520 --> 00:23:30.540
 in the book of Judges.

00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:31.779
 Not one judge

00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:32.740
 was able to do this.

00:23:34.460 --> 00:23:35.379
 We have

00:23:35.379 --> 00:23:36.420
 the tribes

00:23:36.420 --> 00:23:37.279
 of Israel

00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:38.799
 in a holy convocation

00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:39.759
 coming together

00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:40.619
 in Mitzpah,

00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:41.859
 which is right

00:23:41.859 --> 00:23:43.159
 in between

00:23:43.159 --> 00:23:45.519
 the tribe

00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:46.180
 of Benjamin,

00:23:47.859 --> 00:23:48.619
 the land of Benjamin

00:23:48.619 --> 00:23:49.680
 and the land of Ephraim.

00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:53.740
 they gather

00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:54.539
 as one people,

00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:55.360
 one man,

00:23:55.539 --> 00:23:56.039
 verse 1.

00:23:56.779 --> 00:23:56.940
 Well,

00:23:56.980 --> 00:23:57.920
 almost one man

00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:58.759
 because in verse 3,

00:23:59.160 --> 00:23:59.740
 the Benjamites

00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:00.660
 hear about this

00:24:00.660 --> 00:24:01.400
 and they don't go.

00:24:01.580 --> 00:24:02.160
 So this is like

00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:03.440
 11 of the 12 tribes

00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:04.820
 in almost

00:24:04.820 --> 00:24:06.440
 unified Israel.

00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:09.000
 The leaders

00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:09.920
 of all these

00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:10.799
 tribes

00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:11.600
 that have gathered

00:24:11.600 --> 00:24:12.799
 in verses 4 through 7,

00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:14.279
 they want an explanation

00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:15.160
 from the Levite.

00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:17.560
 What's behind all this?

00:24:18.019 --> 00:24:19.420
 And he tells them.

00:24:20.420 --> 00:24:21.320
 In verses 4 through 7,

00:24:21.380 --> 00:24:22.240
 he gives an explanation.

00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:23.620
 What I want you to see

00:24:23.620 --> 00:24:24.480
 is in verse 5.

00:24:25.320 --> 00:24:25.880
 And he says,

00:24:26.019 --> 00:24:26.519
 and the leaders

00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:27.299
 of Gibeah

00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:27.920
 rose against me.

00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:28.799
 This is the Levite.

00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:31.400
 And the leaders

00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:31.820
 of Gibeah

00:24:31.820 --> 00:24:32.560
 rose against me

00:24:32.560 --> 00:24:33.120
 and surrounded

00:24:33.120 --> 00:24:34.140
 the house against me

00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:35.220
 by night.

00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:36.519
 They meant to kill me

00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:37.240
 and they violated

00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:38.000
 my concubine

00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:39.200
 and she's dead.

00:24:41.080 --> 00:24:41.660
 Do you know

00:24:41.660 --> 00:24:42.259
 what that is?

00:24:43.720 --> 00:24:45.460
 That's keeping people

00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:46.920
 from incriminating him

00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:47.799
 language.

00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:47.980
 language.

00:24:50.819 --> 00:24:51.879
 He doesn't say

00:24:51.879 --> 00:24:52.579
 how she died.

00:24:54.099 --> 00:24:55.139
 And it leaves us,

00:24:55.240 --> 00:24:55.579
 the readers,

00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:56.039
 thinking,

00:24:57.079 --> 00:24:57.639
 uh,

00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:01.099
 Mr. Levite,

00:25:01.819 --> 00:25:02.559
 it looks like

00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:03.619
 you're leaving out

00:25:03.619 --> 00:25:04.440
 something pretty

00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:05.379
 significant here,

00:25:06.379 --> 00:25:08.559
 which means

00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:10.139
 this whole thing

00:25:10.139 --> 00:25:11.779
 is under suspicion

00:25:11.779 --> 00:25:13.200
 of false pretense.

00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:17.640
 in verses 8 through 11,

00:25:17.840 --> 00:25:18.680
 he presents,

00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:19.160
 well,

00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:19.940
 he presents his case

00:25:19.940 --> 00:25:21.059
 in the verses 8 through 11.

00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:22.519
 It gets its effect.

00:25:22.700 --> 00:25:23.980
 One man responds.

00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:25.519
 The whole peoples

00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:25.900
 are like,

00:25:26.140 --> 00:25:26.519
 yes,

00:25:27.120 --> 00:25:28.460
 we're going to do this.

00:25:29.600 --> 00:25:30.660
 And they call together

00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:34.500
 hundreds of thousands

00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:35.779
 of men to battle,

00:25:35.900 --> 00:25:36.600
 400,000.

00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:40.819
 notice,

00:25:40.939 --> 00:25:41.559
 nobody's calling

00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:42.139
 on the Lord.

00:25:43.919 --> 00:25:44.359
 Nobody.

00:25:47.619 --> 00:25:48.559
 In verses 12

00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:49.399
 and through 13,

00:25:49.619 --> 00:25:50.299
 there's a delegate

00:25:50.299 --> 00:25:51.419
 sent from these

00:25:51.419 --> 00:25:52.359
 11 tribes

00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:53.679
 to Benjamin.

00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:54.159
 They say,

00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:54.399
 hey,

00:25:54.679 --> 00:25:55.839
 would you please

00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:56.579
 hand over

00:25:56.579 --> 00:25:57.240
 these worthless

00:25:57.240 --> 00:25:58.059
 fellows

00:25:58.059 --> 00:25:58.879
 that did this

00:25:58.879 --> 00:26:00.139
 terrible deed

00:26:00.139 --> 00:26:00.859
 so that we can

00:26:00.859 --> 00:26:01.519
 put them to death?

00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:02.579
 And you know

00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:03.359
 what Benjamin does?

00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:04.579
 Verse 13,

00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:06.579
 he says,

00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:07.639
 they say,

00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:07.980
 no.

00:26:10.359 --> 00:26:11.099
 They're not going

00:26:11.099 --> 00:26:11.639
 to give him up.

00:26:13.939 --> 00:26:14.740
 Verse 14,

00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:15.199
 then the people

00:26:15.199 --> 00:26:15.559
 of Benjamin

00:26:15.559 --> 00:26:16.159
 came together

00:26:16.159 --> 00:26:16.799
 out of the cities

00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:17.259
 of Gibeah

00:26:17.259 --> 00:26:18.419
 to go out to battle

00:26:18.419 --> 00:26:19.299
 against the people

00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:20.119
 of Israel.

00:26:22.899 --> 00:26:24.119
 They would not listen

00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:24.959
 to the voice

00:26:24.959 --> 00:26:25.799
 of their brothers.

00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:27.599
 There's something

00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:28.240
 wrong here.

00:26:28.879 --> 00:26:29.799
 Terribly wrong.

00:26:30.819 --> 00:26:31.099
 And so,

00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:33.000
 in verses 14 through 17,

00:26:33.459 --> 00:26:34.399
 the battle lines

00:26:34.399 --> 00:26:35.059
 are formed.

00:26:35.159 --> 00:26:36.059
 You have just over

00:26:36.059 --> 00:26:37.659
 26,000 Benjamites

00:26:37.659 --> 00:26:38.839
 squaring off

00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:40.480
 against 400,000

00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:41.179
 Israelites.

00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:43.079
 This, my friends,

00:26:43.159 --> 00:26:44.039
 is a holy war

00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:46.179
 and it is a highly

00:26:46.179 --> 00:26:48.099
 ironic civil war

00:26:48.099 --> 00:26:51.539
 because the Benjamins,

00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:53.419
 Benjaminites,

00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:54.159
 are acting

00:26:54.159 --> 00:26:55.679
 like Canaanites.

00:26:57.839 --> 00:26:59.460
 Israel's greatest enemy

00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:01.240
 is itself.

00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:04.099
 There's a three-day war

00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:04.720
 that follows.

00:27:06.920 --> 00:27:07.720
 Day one,

00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:08.779
 19 through 23,

00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:10.039
 Israel seeks God.

00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:12.480
 They go out

00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:13.200
 to face

00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:14.339
 the Benjamites

00:27:14.339 --> 00:27:16.140
 and 22,000

00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:16.700
 Israelites

00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:17.599
 are killed.

00:27:18.740 --> 00:27:19.700
 Day two,

00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:22.019
 verses 24 through 28,

00:27:22.460 --> 00:27:23.660
 after seeking God,

00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:24.380
 Israel

00:27:24.380 --> 00:27:26.240
 goes to battle again.

00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:26.920
 The Benjamites

00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:27.819
 again defeat

00:27:27.819 --> 00:27:28.299
 Israel,

00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:29.819
 killing 18,000

00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:30.720
 Israelites.

00:27:31.079 --> 00:27:32.339
 And then they respond

00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:34.640
 by seeking the Lord,

00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:36.460
 by weeping

00:27:36.460 --> 00:27:38.420
 and fasting

00:27:38.420 --> 00:27:40.339
 and they're presenting

00:27:40.339 --> 00:27:41.240
 offerings

00:27:41.240 --> 00:27:42.559
 and it's what

00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:43.180
 they should have been

00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:44.339
 doing all along

00:27:44.339 --> 00:27:44.900
 at the beginning

00:27:44.900 --> 00:27:45.440
 of the book.

00:27:46.599 --> 00:27:47.599
 When they couldn't

00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:48.480
 push out

00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:50.440
 the Canaanite nations,

00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:51.359
 this is what they

00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:51.940
 should have been doing.

00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:56.680
 Day three,

00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:01.200
 Israel engages

00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:02.019
 Benjamin again.

00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:04.019
 This is 29 through 48.

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.700
 They change their tactics.

00:28:05.940 --> 00:28:07.019
 They set up an ambush.

00:28:07.779 --> 00:28:08.460
 The Benjamites

00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:09.559
 think they're winning

00:28:09.559 --> 00:28:10.240
 again

00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:11.140
 and then

00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:12.279
 the whole thing

00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:12.700
 turns.

00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:15.700
 And that day,

00:28:16.820 --> 00:28:18.080
 Benjamin was decimated.

00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:20.860
 In verse 44,

00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:22.159
 18,000 killed.

00:28:22.619 --> 00:28:23.519
 Verse 45,

00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:24.979
 5,000 Benjamites killed.

00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:26.479
 At the end of verse 45,

00:28:26.879 --> 00:28:28.679
 2,000 Benjamites fall.

00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:30.359
 And so what you have left

00:28:30.359 --> 00:28:33.279
 are 600 Benjamites left.

00:28:35.379 --> 00:28:37.339
 Complete and utter decimation.

00:28:38.299 --> 00:28:39.259
 We learn that it's

00:28:39.259 --> 00:28:40.339
 verse 35,

00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:42.119
 the Lord

00:28:42.119 --> 00:28:44.679
 defeated Benjamin.

00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:47.619
 In verse 48,

00:28:48.459 --> 00:28:49.619
 and the men of Israel

00:28:49.619 --> 00:28:52.959
 turned back against

00:28:52.959 --> 00:28:53.799
 the people of Benjamin

00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:54.639
 and struck them

00:28:54.639 --> 00:28:55.299
 with the edge

00:28:55.299 --> 00:28:56.059
 of the sword,

00:28:56.259 --> 00:28:56.759
 the city,

00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:57.799
 the men,

00:28:58.000 --> 00:28:58.439
 beasts,

00:28:58.759 --> 00:28:59.759
 all that they found,

00:29:00.139 --> 00:29:01.099
 and all the towns

00:29:01.099 --> 00:29:02.000
 that they found,

00:29:02.239 --> 00:29:03.579
 they set on fire.

00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:05.479
 Devoted to destruction.

00:29:07.239 --> 00:29:07.919
 Holy war

00:29:07.919 --> 00:29:10.959
 on itself

00:29:10.959 --> 00:29:13.500
 because they've been

00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:14.199
 Ganonized.

00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:23.140
 Israel has become

00:29:23.140 --> 00:29:24.980
 its own worst enemy.

00:29:27.340 --> 00:29:28.279
 The destruction

00:29:28.279 --> 00:29:30.220
 of this

00:29:30.220 --> 00:29:31.680
 tribe of

00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:32.620
 Benjamin

00:29:32.620 --> 00:29:34.980
 is an outworking

00:29:34.980 --> 00:29:35.880
 of God's

00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:37.180
 justice.

00:29:38.700 --> 00:29:39.500
 And you can't help

00:29:39.500 --> 00:29:40.000
 but notice,

00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:40.940
 if you're an inspector

00:29:40.940 --> 00:29:41.779
 on this train wreck,

00:29:41.779 --> 00:29:42.440
 a couple things,

00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:44.740
 Benjamin refuses

00:29:44.740 --> 00:29:46.200
 to listen to her brothers

00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:47.139
 just as the men

00:29:47.139 --> 00:29:47.759
 of Gibeah

00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:49.079
 refuse to listen

00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:50.339
 to the old man.

00:29:51.160 --> 00:29:52.619
 We got a tribe

00:29:52.619 --> 00:29:54.399
 kind of characteristic

00:29:54.399 --> 00:29:55.180
 there.

00:29:55.660 --> 00:29:56.399
 It's not good.

00:29:57.399 --> 00:29:58.279
 And you can't help

00:29:58.279 --> 00:29:58.720
 but think,

00:29:58.879 --> 00:29:59.519
 this whole thing

00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:00.399
 started with a big

00:30:00.399 --> 00:30:01.200
 question mark.

00:30:02.399 --> 00:30:03.680
 Was that Levite

00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:04.259
 honest?

00:30:07.139 --> 00:30:08.359
 Is this whole thing

00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:09.680
 under false pretense,

00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:10.480
 and yet God,

00:30:10.880 --> 00:30:12.220
 God did what

00:30:12.220 --> 00:30:12.980
 he wanted to do.

00:30:15.320 --> 00:30:16.279
 And yet here,

00:30:17.140 --> 00:30:19.140
 with civil war,

00:30:20.900 --> 00:30:23.220
 we're not seeing

00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:23.759
 the cause.

00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:25.980
 What got him there?

00:30:26.980 --> 00:30:27.700
 What's behind

00:30:27.700 --> 00:30:28.240
 all this?

00:30:29.820 --> 00:30:30.460
 Scene four

00:30:30.460 --> 00:30:32.299
 is the aftermath.

00:30:34.620 --> 00:30:35.920
 600 wives

00:30:35.920 --> 00:30:37.480
 for 600 Benjamites.

00:30:37.480 --> 00:30:42.579
 There's a change

00:30:42.579 --> 00:30:43.039
 of heart

00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:44.339
 among the Israelites

00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:46.140
 in two through four.

00:30:47.480 --> 00:30:48.779
 We learn in verse

00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:50.000
 one of chapter 21

00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:51.140
 that they made a vow

00:30:51.140 --> 00:30:53.000
 that when they had

00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:53.660
 all gathered

00:30:53.660 --> 00:30:54.279
 in Mitzpah,

00:30:54.380 --> 00:30:54.700
 they said,

00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:55.380
 we're not going back

00:30:55.380 --> 00:30:55.980
 to our homes

00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:57.120
 until this is all done.

00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:58.120
 And by the way,

00:30:58.380 --> 00:30:59.099
 vow number two

00:30:59.099 --> 00:30:59.880
 is that we're not

00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:00.960
 going to give our wives,

00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:01.960
 any of our daughters,

00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:03.720
 to these Benjamites

00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:04.740
 for their wives,

00:31:05.120 --> 00:31:06.319
 ensuring that they

00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:07.579
 would be totally destroyed

00:31:07.579 --> 00:31:08.460
 from the face

00:31:08.460 --> 00:31:09.039
 of the earth.

00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:10.259
 But they have a change

00:31:10.259 --> 00:31:11.139
 of kind of heart.

00:31:11.879 --> 00:31:12.939
 In verses two through four,

00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:13.759
 six and seven,

00:31:13.859 --> 00:31:14.899
 they start having compassion

00:31:14.899 --> 00:31:15.419
 on Benjamin.

00:31:15.539 --> 00:31:16.200
 They start asking,

00:31:16.419 --> 00:31:16.619
 wait,

00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:18.019
 we don't want to see them

00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:18.879
 wiped off the face

00:31:18.879 --> 00:31:19.439
 of the planet.

00:31:20.200 --> 00:31:21.179
 So now they start

00:31:21.179 --> 00:31:22.099
 asking the question,

00:31:22.439 --> 00:31:22.599
 wait,

00:31:22.659 --> 00:31:24.460
 how can we provide

00:31:24.460 --> 00:31:25.339
 wives

00:31:25.339 --> 00:31:26.679
 for these Benjamites,

00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:27.539
 600,

00:31:27.879 --> 00:31:28.339
 who escaped

00:31:28.339 --> 00:31:28.919
 to the wilderness,

00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:30.799
 and yet preserve

00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:31.559
 our word?

00:31:31.559 --> 00:31:34.240
 that we don't have

00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:35.259
 to break our vow?

00:31:38.220 --> 00:31:39.440
 That we don't go back

00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:40.379
 on what we say?

00:31:42.619 --> 00:31:43.919
 It's completely ridiculous.

00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:46.559
 It's like the rash vow

00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:47.500
 of Jephthah.

00:31:49.779 --> 00:31:52.000
 These men have vowed

00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:54.579
 not to give their daughters

00:31:54.579 --> 00:31:55.440
 as wives

00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:56.639
 to these Benjamites,

00:31:57.079 --> 00:31:58.220
 and now they're going

00:31:58.220 --> 00:32:00.620
 to protect their vow

00:32:00.620 --> 00:32:01.640
 at all costs.

00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:04.039
 It would have been

00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:04.500
 far better

00:32:04.500 --> 00:32:05.460
 if they would just

00:32:05.460 --> 00:32:06.440
 have confessed

00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:07.440
 the foolishness

00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:08.160
 of their vow

00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:09.720
 and given their daughters

00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:10.400
 as wives.

00:32:10.860 --> 00:32:11.559
 But they don't.

00:32:13.860 --> 00:32:14.720
 And what they do

00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:15.640
 instead

00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:19.200
 is awful.

00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:23.180
 In verses eight through twelve,

00:32:23.819 --> 00:32:25.779
 they completely destroy

00:32:25.779 --> 00:32:27.640
 another Israelite city,

00:32:27.640 --> 00:32:28.940
 Jebesh Gilead,

00:32:29.900 --> 00:32:31.060
 devoting it to destruction.

00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:34.100
 And of all,

00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:35.020
 the only ones

00:32:35.020 --> 00:32:35.680
 that survived

00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:36.660
 Jebesh Gilead

00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:37.420
 were four hundred

00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:38.340
 virgin girls.

00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:39.880
 And they bring

00:32:39.880 --> 00:32:40.620
 those four hundred

00:32:40.620 --> 00:32:41.259
 virgin girls,

00:32:41.360 --> 00:32:42.160
 which they essentially

00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:43.440
 kidnapped as a result

00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:43.880
 of murder,

00:32:44.140 --> 00:32:44.960
 and they bring them

00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:45.740
 to the Benjamites,

00:32:45.860 --> 00:32:47.200
 the 600 in the wilderness.

00:32:48.220 --> 00:32:49.300
 But there's 600

00:32:49.300 --> 00:32:50.020
 in the wilderness.

00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:51.120
 There's just 400

00:32:51.120 --> 00:32:52.740
 young ladies.

00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:54.160
 They're short 200.

00:32:54.380 --> 00:32:54.740
 And so,

00:32:54.940 --> 00:32:55.800
 they bring up

00:32:55.800 --> 00:32:56.600
 this other plan

00:32:56.600 --> 00:32:57.240
 where they

00:32:57.240 --> 00:32:57.960
 say,

00:32:58.200 --> 00:32:58.599
 and this is

00:32:58.599 --> 00:32:59.940
 verses 16 through 24,

00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:02.319
 they tell

00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:05.039
 this Benjamite,

00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:05.660
 hey, you know what?

00:33:05.700 --> 00:33:06.759
 There is this feast

00:33:06.759 --> 00:33:07.640
 in Shiloh.

00:33:08.200 --> 00:33:09.680
 The daughters of Shiloh

00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:10.339
 always come out

00:33:10.339 --> 00:33:11.120
 and do the dance.

00:33:11.319 --> 00:33:11.980
 You guys wait

00:33:11.980 --> 00:33:12.559
 and ambush

00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:13.539
 and then grab them

00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:14.059
 for yourselves.

00:33:14.339 --> 00:33:14.880
 And when the men

00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:16.579
 of Shiloh come to us,

00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:17.420
 say,

00:33:17.500 --> 00:33:18.220
 what's going on?

00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:19.079
 We'll say,

00:33:19.180 --> 00:33:19.339
 hey,

00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:21.400
 we needed to do this.

00:33:21.460 --> 00:33:21.920
 We kept you

00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:22.319
 in the dark,

00:33:22.380 --> 00:33:23.099
 men of Shiloh.

00:33:23.099 --> 00:33:24.519
 We want to preserve

00:33:24.519 --> 00:33:25.119
 our word.

00:33:25.659 --> 00:33:26.559
 It's ridiculous.

00:33:29.059 --> 00:33:30.439
 200 women kidnapped.

00:33:32.219 --> 00:33:33.500
 400 women kidnapped.

00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:37.179
 Hundreds of people

00:33:37.179 --> 00:33:38.119
 killed

00:33:38.119 --> 00:33:40.119
 so they can keep

00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:40.579
 their word.

00:33:41.619 --> 00:33:42.259
 They don't have to

00:33:42.259 --> 00:33:42.959
 break their vow.

00:33:45.559 --> 00:33:46.299
 They were doing

00:33:46.299 --> 00:33:46.719
 what's right

00:33:46.719 --> 00:33:47.299
 in their own eyes.

00:33:47.299 --> 00:33:50.359
 They're not consulting

00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:51.500
 the Lord at any point.

00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:55.619
 They're more concerned

00:33:55.619 --> 00:33:56.359
 about preserving

00:33:56.359 --> 00:33:57.119
 their honor

00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:59.299
 than the honor

00:33:59.299 --> 00:34:00.259
 of King Yahweh.

00:34:02.460 --> 00:34:03.919
 If you're inspecting

00:34:03.919 --> 00:34:05.019
 this train wreck,

00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:07.639
 seeing the pride,

00:34:10.900 --> 00:34:11.320
 doing it,

00:34:12.059 --> 00:34:13.079
 making sure you are

00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:14.259
 keeping your honor,

00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:16.159
 being right at all costs,

00:34:16.300 --> 00:34:16.759
 the killing,

00:34:16.760 --> 00:34:17.520
 the kidnapping,

00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:19.520
 you're seeing Israel

00:34:19.520 --> 00:34:20.740
 as a smoldering wreck

00:34:20.740 --> 00:34:21.440
 of a people,

00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:23.500
 and the question is,

00:34:23.820 --> 00:34:25.920
 why would they do this?

00:34:27.780 --> 00:34:29.180
 How does this get

00:34:29.180 --> 00:34:30.320
 to be this?

00:34:32.240 --> 00:34:32.880
 Scene one,

00:34:33.200 --> 00:34:34.700
 we have a sketchy Levite.

00:34:34.840 --> 00:34:35.360
 Scene two,

00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:35.960
 we have these

00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:37.020
 Sodom-like men.

00:34:37.540 --> 00:34:38.140
 Scene three,

00:34:38.240 --> 00:34:38.760
 we have this

00:34:38.760 --> 00:34:40.360
 holy civil war

00:34:40.360 --> 00:34:40.760
 of Benjamin

00:34:41.320 --> 00:34:42.580
 being devoted

00:34:42.580 --> 00:34:43.340
 to destruction.

00:34:43.740 --> 00:34:44.940
 Scene four is this

00:34:44.940 --> 00:34:49.760
 trying to figure out

00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:50.860
 how to damage control

00:34:50.860 --> 00:34:51.720
 according to what's

00:34:51.720 --> 00:34:52.900
 right in your own eyes.

00:34:53.300 --> 00:34:54.139
 What's happened?

00:34:56.519 --> 00:34:57.639
 It's the last verse

00:34:57.639 --> 00:34:59.019
 of the entire book.

00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:02.840
 In those days,

00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:03.539
 there was no king

00:35:03.539 --> 00:35:04.019
 in Israel.

00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:06.200
 Everyone did what was

00:35:06.200 --> 00:35:08.200
 right in his own eyes.

00:35:08.199 --> 00:35:12.059
 this last verse

00:35:12.059 --> 00:35:14.179
 points to

00:35:14.179 --> 00:35:15.759
 the very heart

00:35:15.759 --> 00:35:17.480
 of this train wreck.

00:35:20.419 --> 00:35:21.619
 It's apostasy.

00:35:24.619 --> 00:35:26.159
 It's the people of Israel

00:35:26.159 --> 00:35:28.859
 rejecting Yahweh

00:35:28.859 --> 00:35:29.619
 as their king.

00:35:29.980 --> 00:35:31.179
 And they deny him,

00:35:31.239 --> 00:35:32.299
 they disobey him.

00:35:32.699 --> 00:35:33.939
 There may not be

00:35:33.939 --> 00:35:34.739
 a human king

00:35:34.739 --> 00:35:35.359
 in Israel,

00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:36.320
 but there is

00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:37.260
 a divine king

00:35:37.260 --> 00:35:38.000
 in Israel

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:38.800
 and they have

00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:40.120
 totally rejected him.

00:35:41.160 --> 00:35:41.820
 They give him

00:35:41.820 --> 00:35:42.380
 lip service,

00:35:42.539 --> 00:35:43.380
 but that's about it.

00:35:50.720 --> 00:35:51.440
 You know,

00:35:52.640 --> 00:35:53.180
 when you start

00:35:53.180 --> 00:35:54.220
 looking at this

00:35:54.220 --> 00:35:56.480
 toxic waste

00:35:56.480 --> 00:35:57.200
 all over

00:35:57.200 --> 00:35:58.620
 1920 and 21,

00:35:59.300 --> 00:36:00.240
 this compromised

00:36:00.240 --> 00:36:01.740
 spiritual leader,

00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:03.800
 the sexual abomination

00:36:03.800 --> 00:36:05.519
 of homosexual rape

00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:07.740
 and then heterosexual rape,

00:36:08.019 --> 00:36:10.120
 you see the inhospitality,

00:36:10.240 --> 00:36:11.019
 you see the peddling

00:36:11.019 --> 00:36:12.100
 of false pretense,

00:36:12.560 --> 00:36:13.280
 rash vows,

00:36:13.700 --> 00:36:15.220
 men protecting their honor

00:36:15.220 --> 00:36:16.400
 at all costs,

00:36:16.700 --> 00:36:18.700
 the needless loss of life,

00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:20.340
 and throughout this story

00:36:20.340 --> 00:36:21.780
 is the demeaning of women

00:36:21.780 --> 00:36:23.400
 time and time again.

00:36:26.280 --> 00:36:27.640
 It's the way of the world.

00:36:27.639 --> 00:36:32.059
 It's doing what's right

00:36:32.059 --> 00:36:33.139
 in your own eyes

00:36:33.139 --> 00:36:34.159
 and it's the result

00:36:34.159 --> 00:36:36.099
 of leaving your first love,

00:36:38.239 --> 00:36:38.799
 King Yahweh.

00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:42.779
 The train wreck

00:36:42.779 --> 00:36:45.099
 was caused

00:36:45.099 --> 00:36:48.679
 by Israel's unfaithfulness.

00:36:50.119 --> 00:36:51.579
 And the big question is,

00:36:51.579 --> 00:36:55.119
 if Israel

00:36:55.119 --> 00:36:56.699
 became its own

00:36:56.699 --> 00:36:57.539
 worst enemy

00:36:57.539 --> 00:36:58.699
 through apostasy,

00:36:59.699 --> 00:37:02.299
 can the church,

00:37:05.299 --> 00:37:07.239
 is there a train wreck

00:37:07.239 --> 00:37:08.539
 waiting to happen

00:37:08.539 --> 00:37:09.239
 for us?

00:37:11.299 --> 00:37:13.179
 Are we going to

00:37:13.179 --> 00:37:15.019
 deny and disobey

00:37:15.019 --> 00:37:16.219
 King Jesus

00:37:16.219 --> 00:37:19.000
 and have the same

00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:20.319
 kind of toxic waste

00:37:20.320 --> 00:37:21.180
 strewn about?

00:37:25.100 --> 00:37:26.180
 It's already happening.

00:37:30.260 --> 00:37:31.840
 Spiritual leaders

00:37:31.840 --> 00:37:35.440
 experiencing,

00:37:35.660 --> 00:37:37.800
 committing sexual immorality,

00:37:37.900 --> 00:37:38.620
 every three months

00:37:38.620 --> 00:37:39.440
 it seems like we hear

00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:40.519
 of another pastor

00:37:40.519 --> 00:37:41.059
 who's committed

00:37:41.059 --> 00:37:42.059
 sexual immorality.

00:37:42.580 --> 00:37:43.700
 Not to mention

00:37:43.700 --> 00:37:44.600
 the plague

00:37:44.600 --> 00:37:45.800
 of pastors

00:37:45.800 --> 00:37:47.140
 succumbing to

00:37:47.140 --> 00:37:48.240
 pornography.

00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:51.720
 There's the waffling

00:37:51.720 --> 00:37:52.900
 on sexual issues

00:37:52.900 --> 00:37:53.539
 in the church.

00:37:54.539 --> 00:37:55.559
 Claiming that

00:37:55.559 --> 00:37:56.680
 homosexuality

00:37:56.680 --> 00:37:57.760
 is an acceptable

00:37:57.760 --> 00:37:58.580
 lifestyle

00:37:58.580 --> 00:37:59.620
 instead of grievous

00:37:59.620 --> 00:38:00.740
 in God's sight.

00:38:04.700 --> 00:38:05.980
 It's not good.

00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:10.940
 The men of Gibeah

00:38:10.940 --> 00:38:11.760
 and Benjamin

00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:13.300
 who wouldn't listen

00:38:13.300 --> 00:38:14.580
 to their brothers,

00:38:14.579 --> 00:38:18.920
 they don't want

00:38:18.920 --> 00:38:19.440
 to be corrected.

00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:22.219
 Even the men

00:38:22.219 --> 00:38:22.739
 of Benjamin

00:38:22.739 --> 00:38:24.039
 kind of closing

00:38:24.039 --> 00:38:25.420
 ranks around

00:38:25.420 --> 00:38:26.299
 rapists

00:38:26.299 --> 00:38:27.340
 to protect

00:38:27.340 --> 00:38:27.779
 their own.

00:38:30.599 --> 00:38:31.400
 And then there's

00:38:31.400 --> 00:38:31.840
 civil war

00:38:31.840 --> 00:38:32.279
 in the church

00:38:32.279 --> 00:38:33.519
 allowing politics

00:38:33.519 --> 00:38:34.699
 to demonize

00:38:34.699 --> 00:38:36.159
 fellow believers.

00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:38.739
 Quick to judge,

00:38:39.219 --> 00:38:40.119
 quick to spread

00:38:40.119 --> 00:38:41.219
 false rumors,

00:38:43.359 --> 00:38:44.199
 speculations,

00:38:44.699 --> 00:38:45.659
 false pretenses.

00:38:49.839 --> 00:38:50.659
 And then there's

00:38:50.659 --> 00:38:51.359
 the demeaning

00:38:51.359 --> 00:38:51.759
 of women

00:38:51.759 --> 00:38:53.799
 in the church.

00:38:57.420 --> 00:38:58.179
 We believe

00:38:58.179 --> 00:38:58.679
 the Bible

00:38:58.679 --> 00:38:59.940
 is very clear

00:38:59.940 --> 00:39:00.400
 about male

00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:00.900
 headship

00:39:00.900 --> 00:39:02.119
 in the home

00:39:02.119 --> 00:39:02.719
 and in the church

00:39:02.719 --> 00:39:03.819
 but that's not

00:39:03.819 --> 00:39:04.339
 chauvinism.

00:39:04.340 --> 00:39:08.700
 No,

00:39:08.860 --> 00:39:09.860
 we believe

00:39:09.860 --> 00:39:10.539
 male headship

00:39:10.539 --> 00:39:11.260
 is exercised

00:39:11.260 --> 00:39:11.660
 in a way

00:39:11.660 --> 00:39:12.720
 that causes

00:39:12.720 --> 00:39:13.740
 the ladies

00:39:13.740 --> 00:39:14.420
 in our life

00:39:14.420 --> 00:39:15.980
 to thrive.

00:39:19.100 --> 00:39:20.559
 Is the church

00:39:20.559 --> 00:39:21.820
 a train wreck

00:39:21.820 --> 00:39:23.100
 waiting to happen?

00:39:24.160 --> 00:39:24.720
 Yes,

00:39:25.260 --> 00:39:25.940
 we are.

00:39:27.559 --> 00:39:28.280
 If

00:39:28.280 --> 00:39:30.920
 we leave

00:39:30.920 --> 00:39:31.579
 our first love,

00:39:32.579 --> 00:39:34.079
 it's going to happen.

00:39:34.340 --> 00:39:37.940
 how do we not

00:39:37.940 --> 00:39:38.800
 become a train wreck?

00:39:47.579 --> 00:39:49.600
 The failure

00:39:49.600 --> 00:39:50.380
 of Israel

00:39:50.380 --> 00:39:51.120
 is that

00:39:51.120 --> 00:39:52.079
 they forgot

00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:52.940
 that their God

00:39:52.940 --> 00:39:53.760
 was in their midst.

00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:54.340
 There was

00:39:54.340 --> 00:39:55.079
 no king

00:39:55.079 --> 00:39:55.600
 in Israel.

00:39:58.000 --> 00:39:58.740
 In the book

00:39:58.740 --> 00:39:59.360
 of Revelation,

00:40:00.980 --> 00:40:02.300
 chapter 1,

00:40:03.160 --> 00:40:03.559
 we have

00:40:03.559 --> 00:40:04.420
 this incredible

00:40:04.420 --> 00:40:05.279
 vision

00:40:05.279 --> 00:40:06.380
 of the risen,

00:40:06.659 --> 00:40:07.000
 radiant,

00:40:07.219 --> 00:40:08.139
 and reigning Christ

00:40:08.139 --> 00:40:09.659
 from 12

00:40:09.659 --> 00:40:10.239
 through 16.

00:40:11.480 --> 00:40:11.840
 And

00:40:11.840 --> 00:40:13.619
 John tells us

00:40:13.619 --> 00:40:14.639
 in verse 12,

00:40:14.739 --> 00:40:15.179
 then I turned

00:40:15.179 --> 00:40:15.980
 to see the voice

00:40:15.980 --> 00:40:17.679
 that was speaking

00:40:17.679 --> 00:40:18.039
 to me

00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:18.699
 and on turning

00:40:18.699 --> 00:40:19.500
 I saw seven

00:40:19.500 --> 00:40:20.440
 golden lampstands

00:40:20.440 --> 00:40:21.219
 which we know

00:40:21.219 --> 00:40:22.719
 in verse 20

00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:24.259
 are the seven churches.

00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:26.539
 And in the midst

00:40:26.539 --> 00:40:27.559
 of the lampstands,

00:40:27.599 --> 00:40:28.480
 one like a son of man.

00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:29.320
 in the midst

00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:30.780
 of the lampstands,

00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:31.380
 in the midst

00:40:31.380 --> 00:40:32.199
 of the churches,

00:40:32.860 --> 00:40:33.579
 one standing

00:40:33.579 --> 00:40:34.559
 like the son of man.

00:40:35.300 --> 00:40:35.740
 Do you know

00:40:35.740 --> 00:40:36.539
 who's in our midst?

00:40:37.900 --> 00:40:38.740
 The risen,

00:40:39.400 --> 00:40:39.820
 radiant,

00:40:40.179 --> 00:40:40.740
 and reigning

00:40:40.740 --> 00:40:41.579
 King Jesus.

00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:44.039
 Do you know

00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:44.659
 how we not

00:40:44.659 --> 00:40:45.559
 become a train wreck?

00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:48.119
 Do you know

00:40:48.119 --> 00:40:49.619
 how we keep ourselves

00:40:49.619 --> 00:40:50.360
 from becoming

00:40:50.360 --> 00:40:51.500
 our own worst enemy?

00:40:51.500 --> 00:40:55.679
 By keeping Jesus

00:40:55.679 --> 00:40:57.599
 as our first love.

00:40:58.360 --> 00:40:59.320
 This same Jesus

00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:00.579
 wrote seven letters

00:41:00.579 --> 00:41:01.440
 to seven churches,

00:41:01.579 --> 00:41:02.400
 chapters 2 and 3.

00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:04.019
 And to the first church,

00:41:04.179 --> 00:41:04.539
 Ephesus,

00:41:04.900 --> 00:41:05.280
 he said,

00:41:05.380 --> 00:41:06.420
 I have this against you,

00:41:06.639 --> 00:41:07.539
 that you have lost

00:41:07.539 --> 00:41:08.719
 your first love.

00:41:10.099 --> 00:41:10.739
 They're doing

00:41:10.739 --> 00:41:11.460
 everything right,

00:41:12.579 --> 00:41:14.119
 but they wandered

00:41:14.119 --> 00:41:14.920
 away from Jesus.

00:41:15.099 --> 00:41:16.360
 How do we become

00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:18.059
 our own worst enemy?

00:41:18.360 --> 00:41:19.079
 We will become

00:41:19.079 --> 00:41:20.119
 our own worst enemy.

00:41:20.119 --> 00:41:21.119
 We will become

00:41:21.119 --> 00:41:21.839
 a train wreck

00:41:21.839 --> 00:41:23.759
 if we leave Jesus.

00:41:24.679 --> 00:41:26.079
 If we forget about him.

00:41:26.299 --> 00:41:27.679
 If we let secondary things

00:41:27.679 --> 00:41:28.880
 become primary things.

00:41:30.199 --> 00:41:31.059
 So do you know

00:41:31.059 --> 00:41:31.940
 how to keep Jesus

00:41:31.940 --> 00:41:32.739
 as our first love?

00:41:35.199 --> 00:41:36.699
 We cry out to him.

00:41:37.859 --> 00:41:39.199
 We confess him

00:41:39.199 --> 00:41:40.460
 as our first love.

00:41:41.219 --> 00:41:42.380
 We ask him

00:41:42.380 --> 00:41:44.359
 to show us his glory.

00:41:45.159 --> 00:41:46.259
 And then we open up

00:41:46.259 --> 00:41:46.739
 the Bible

00:41:46.739 --> 00:41:48.339
 and we take big,

00:41:48.340 --> 00:41:50.240
 long looks

00:41:50.240 --> 00:41:52.579
 at our king.

00:41:55.519 --> 00:41:56.860
 When was the last time

00:41:56.860 --> 00:41:57.420
 you read

00:41:57.420 --> 00:41:59.079
 Revelation chapter 1?

00:42:00.220 --> 00:42:01.780
 Revelation chapter 2 and 3?

00:42:02.640 --> 00:42:03.940
 Revelation chapter 19?

00:42:05.940 --> 00:42:08.559
 Take long, deep looks

00:42:08.559 --> 00:42:10.200
 at your king.

00:42:10.199 --> 00:42:14.719
 We got to keep him

00:42:14.719 --> 00:42:15.539
 central.

00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:19.519
 And when we keep him

00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:20.079
 central, do you know

00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:20.659
 what's going to happen?

00:42:21.500 --> 00:42:22.519
 Pastors will become

00:42:22.519 --> 00:42:23.619
 examples of sexual

00:42:23.619 --> 00:42:24.299
 faithfulness.

00:42:25.059 --> 00:42:26.059
 Churches will speak

00:42:26.059 --> 00:42:26.960
 courageously

00:42:26.960 --> 00:42:28.299
 on issues of

00:42:28.299 --> 00:42:29.159
 sexuality

00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:29.899
 and the sifting

00:42:29.899 --> 00:42:30.939
 sands of our culture.

00:42:31.659 --> 00:42:32.719
 We will welcome

00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:33.579
 rebuke.

00:42:34.259 --> 00:42:35.019
 We will

00:42:35.019 --> 00:42:36.379
 not

00:42:36.379 --> 00:42:37.199
 despise

00:42:37.819 --> 00:42:38.179
 women

00:42:38.179 --> 00:42:38.599
 brothers.

00:42:38.599 --> 00:42:39.440
 We won't

00:42:39.440 --> 00:42:40.219
 demean them.

00:42:40.380 --> 00:42:40.819
 We will

00:42:40.819 --> 00:42:41.380
 help them

00:42:41.380 --> 00:42:42.259
 thrive in

00:42:42.259 --> 00:42:43.299
 all areas.

00:42:44.079 --> 00:42:44.980
 We won't

00:42:44.980 --> 00:42:46.119
 fan the flames

00:42:46.119 --> 00:42:46.980
 of civil war

00:42:46.980 --> 00:42:48.079
 within ourselves

00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:49.599
 but pursue

00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:50.139
 peace,

00:42:50.500 --> 00:42:50.839
 unity,

00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:52.579
 maintaining the

00:42:52.579 --> 00:42:53.079
 bond of the

00:42:53.079 --> 00:42:53.900
 spirit and the

00:42:53.900 --> 00:42:54.579
 bond of peace.

00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:01.839
 King Jesus

00:43:01.839 --> 00:43:02.579
 is our answer.

00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:05.579
 He's in our

00:43:05.579 --> 00:43:05.980
 midst

00:43:05.980 --> 00:43:08.079
 and he will

00:43:08.079 --> 00:43:08.740
 keep us

00:43:08.740 --> 00:43:09.300
 from becoming

00:43:09.300 --> 00:43:09.820
 our own

00:43:09.820 --> 00:43:10.519
 worst enemy,

00:43:11.519 --> 00:43:12.679
 from keep us

00:43:12.679 --> 00:43:13.300
 becoming a

00:43:13.300 --> 00:43:13.860
 train wreck.

00:43:15.420 --> 00:43:16.300
 We've come to

00:43:16.300 --> 00:43:16.639
 the end of

00:43:16.639 --> 00:43:17.059
 Judges.

00:43:17.860 --> 00:43:18.420
 It's been one

00:43:18.420 --> 00:43:19.300
 long train wreck

00:43:19.300 --> 00:43:19.840
 of God's

00:43:19.840 --> 00:43:20.559
 old covenant

00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:21.480
 people and the

00:43:21.480 --> 00:43:22.659
 cause is apostasy.

00:43:24.179 --> 00:43:25.059
 They left

00:43:25.059 --> 00:43:26.119
 their first love.

00:43:28.659 --> 00:43:29.460
 And Judges,

00:43:29.940 --> 00:43:31.500
 it's a sober

00:43:31.500 --> 00:43:32.000
 warning.

00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:34.400
 what will

00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:34.960
 happen

00:43:34.960 --> 00:43:36.340
 if we

00:43:36.340 --> 00:43:37.139
 forget our

00:43:37.139 --> 00:43:37.579
 God.

00:43:38.900 --> 00:43:39.500
 But it

00:43:39.500 --> 00:43:40.360
 also points

00:43:40.360 --> 00:43:40.960
 us to

00:43:40.960 --> 00:43:42.559
 our perfect

00:43:42.559 --> 00:43:43.320
 king who

00:43:43.320 --> 00:43:44.119
 accomplished a

00:43:44.119 --> 00:43:45.099
 forever salvation.

00:43:46.820 --> 00:43:47.500
 He's our

00:43:47.500 --> 00:43:48.000
 first love.

00:43:48.079 --> 00:43:48.559
 He's worthy

00:43:48.559 --> 00:43:48.940
 of it.

00:43:51.280 --> 00:43:52.340
 Let's not be a

00:43:52.340 --> 00:43:52.860
 train wreck,

00:43:53.019 --> 00:43:53.320
 church.

00:43:55.840 --> 00:43:56.400
 Let's

00:43:56.400 --> 00:43:57.480
 be a

00:43:57.480 --> 00:43:58.360
 bright and

00:43:58.360 --> 00:43:58.900
 beautiful

00:43:58.900 --> 00:43:59.739
 bride

00:43:59.739 --> 00:44:00.820
 of Christ.

00:44:00.820 --> 00:44:02.580
 let's pray

00:44:02.580 --> 00:44:02.920
 together.

00:44:04.980 --> 00:44:05.519
 God in

00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:05.720
 heaven,

00:44:06.600 --> 00:44:07.180
 we thank you

00:44:07.180 --> 00:44:07.440
 for the

00:44:07.440 --> 00:44:07.720
 book of

00:44:07.720 --> 00:44:08.059
 Judges.

00:44:08.160 --> 00:44:08.460
 We thank

00:44:08.460 --> 00:44:08.780
 you that

00:44:08.780 --> 00:44:09.059
 you have

00:44:09.059 --> 00:44:09.380
 given it

00:44:09.380 --> 00:44:09.780
 to us

00:44:09.780 --> 00:44:10.220
 for our

00:44:10.220 --> 00:44:10.519
 good,

00:44:10.880 --> 00:44:11.240
 that we

00:44:11.240 --> 00:44:11.980
 can learn.

00:44:13.420 --> 00:44:13.660
 God,

00:44:13.700 --> 00:44:13.940
 would you

00:44:13.940 --> 00:44:14.380
 help us

00:44:14.380 --> 00:44:15.600
 to take

00:44:15.600 --> 00:44:16.559
 this lesson

00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:17.200
 to heart

00:44:17.200 --> 00:44:18.140
 from Israel

00:44:18.140 --> 00:44:19.360
 so that we

00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:19.860
 can remain

00:44:19.860 --> 00:44:20.680
 faithful to

00:44:20.680 --> 00:44:21.059
 you.

00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:23.160
 Lord Jesus,

00:44:23.300 --> 00:44:23.780
 you are our

00:44:23.780 --> 00:44:24.000
 king.

00:44:25.320 --> 00:44:25.840
 And you

00:44:25.840 --> 00:44:26.320
 are the same

00:44:26.320 --> 00:44:26.600
 today,

00:44:26.740 --> 00:44:27.059
 yesterday,

00:44:27.180 --> 00:44:27.620
 and forever.

00:44:27.619 --> 00:44:29.639
 Lord,

00:44:29.719 --> 00:44:30.299
 would you

00:44:30.299 --> 00:44:31.159
 not just

00:44:31.159 --> 00:44:31.579
 keep us

00:44:31.579 --> 00:44:32.099
 from becoming

00:44:32.099 --> 00:44:32.819
 a train wreck,

00:44:34.380 --> 00:44:34.719
 but God,

00:44:34.759 --> 00:44:34.980
 would you

00:44:34.980 --> 00:44:35.420
 cause us

00:44:35.420 --> 00:44:35.859
 to shine

00:44:35.859 --> 00:44:37.599
 bright in

00:44:37.599 --> 00:44:38.199
 this dark

00:44:38.199 --> 00:44:38.799
 city for

00:44:38.799 --> 00:44:39.199
 the glory

00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:39.539
 of your

00:44:39.539 --> 00:44:39.839
 name.

00:44:39.839 --> 00:44:41.159
 Amen.