Judges 19:22-26– The need to build a high moral compass

Settled into the house of that kind host, the Levite and the host were celebrating and having a meal. He must have reckoned that this would be a safer place than Jebus. Little did he suspect that he would encounter the worst danger in Gibeah. What he thought would be a peaceful night would soon turn out to be a nightmare. His pleasant experience was shattered when some worthless men, a bunch of homosexuals, came pounding at the door of the house. These worthless men demanded that the kind man surrender the Levite to them so that they could sodomise him. How deplorable! Trying to be a good host, the kind old man offered to them his own virgin daughter and pled with them not to do anything to his guest. How degrading! That is how low the moral of that time had sunk!

They were living in a male-dominated society, and women took a secondary position. That account for why he would protect the Levite, but disregarded his own virgin daughter. Gallantry would have demanded that he protects his daughter, but he failed to do so and thus, disqualified himself as a man of honour. Though he was a generous and hospital man, his moral was in question. Here is a special message to all fathers. God expects us to protect our daughters. They are His sacred trust to us. Woe be unto us if we fail to protect them from harm and ensure their safety and security. 

Continuing with the account, we see that the Levite sought to prevent the mob from getting any wilder, so he took his own concubine and thrust her to the mob. This is another degrading act. He considered his own life more precious than that of his concubine’s. The mob then raped his concubine and ravished her body all night. Finally, they left her to straggle to the house of the host. And when she reached the door her utterly abused body reached the final point. She could take it no longer, so she collapsed and breathed her final breath. 

The moral insensitivity of the Levite and the host was as terrible as the moral depravity of the Benjamites. All three parties, the Levite, the host and the Benjamites had warped minds. To prevent a homosexual rape, they allowed a heterosexual rape. How could a society that should have placed God at the centre of their community sink so badly? All these indicate to us how low an ebb was their spirituality and morality. What could be the cause? Clearly, it was because they had taken God for granted and did not take time to build their relationship with Him. And over time they drew farther apart from God. Had they taken the time to know God and His word, these atrocities could have been avoided. This incidence highlights how needful it is for us to stay true and faithful to God and His Word. When one’s relationship with God is not strongly developed, one’s moral compass will also take a beating. Here we see how needful it is for us to diligently build a strong bond with our God so that we will be able to act righteously through life.