In the reading that Julie just talked about I had a hard time telling who the good guys and the bad guys were. Everyone seemed a little "shady"! I mean, would anyone really figure out that riddle without cheating? But then I got thinking....Samson was a perfect example of an imperfect person that God is leading. He was not a saint....He was a guy with faults but God blessed him with that incredible strength. I bet there are many times in our lives that God is calling us to do something but we don't feel we are the people for the job b/c we are not "saints".
Moving on....
Those Israelites, they are really a mess right now. They are without a leader and they are fending for themselves. This young man named Micah stole from his mother. When he confessed she rewarded him. (That is how messed up things are.) Now Micah was not an Israelite but later on he paid and took in a Levite to be his priest. He thought if he had someone in his house that God blessed he would be blessed too. So although his house contained false idols, he felt like he was safe from God's wrath. That came to be a false security as his false idols did not protect him from the who destroyed and overtook everything.
Then there was a Levite man who had a concubine. (I guess that is what we call a mistress.) Together they were visiting her father. Every time the Levite wanted to leave the father would manipulate him to stay. One night the Levite had enough manipulation from the father that he insisted they leave. They were traveling at night in unfamiliar area. It was time for them to rest but they decided that they should stop and stay in a community of Israelite. They felt that they would be amongst God's people and safer there. Once they got to a city of Israelites they were invited to stay over at an old man's house. While settling in for the night they old man's house was approached by an angry group. It was a group of Israelites insisting that the old man give up the Levite visitor so they can have their way with him. The old man resisted, but offered up his virgin daughter or the concubine instead. (Didn't I say MESSED UP!) The concubine was sent out and spent the night being tortured and raped. She was returned lifeless to the old man's doorstep in the morning. When the Levite found her he loaded her up and took her home. He proceeded to dismantle her body into 12 parts and sent each part to each area of Israel. His statement was bold and disgusting, but he pointed out the injustice to all of Israel. -nic
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