To Each Their Own

     In a world where everyone lives how they want to, governing themselves, it can lead to a sense of freedom.  However, it is dangerous.  Each person has their own moral code.  Their own ethics of what is right and wrong.  This will lead to a world of chaos, hurt, and misunderstandings.  

    When there is no leadership over a nation, community, family, work, or anywhere else where people gather then everyone governs themselves.  How else would it be?  When the Israelite nation lived like this even the spiritual leaders were living how they wanted.  

    One Levite took a concubine that would not stay faithful to him.  Eventually she went back to her father's house to get his attention.  After four months the Levite missed her, so he went after her.  She was happy that her little games worked.  He stayed in his "father-in-laws" home for four days before insisting on returning home on the 5th day.  

    On the journey home they had to stay the night in Gibeah.  An old man let them stay with him.  They had been noticed while they looked for somewhere to stay.  Some wicked men came wanting to have sex with the Levite.  The old man was horrified because they were his guest.  He tried to dissuade them.  He  even offered his own daughters.  (Sound familiar?  Sodom and Gomorrah)  A world where wicked things were accepted and even embraced as normal.

    In this story only the concubine was sent out into the night to face those vile men on her own.  She was raped and beaten all night.  In the morning she fell asleep on the door step of the old man's house where she died.  Her choices led to an unacceptable outcome of a torturous death.  

    The Levite would have left without her if she had not been where she was.  He should have done right by her (married her and made her feel loved), so that she may not have resorted to games to get his attention.  

    The Levite took her body home and cut off her limbs into 12 parts.  He then sent her butchered body parts to the 12 tribe leaders.  Everyone mourns differently.  This message would guarantee that the nation would take notice of his pain.  Her death became a wakeup call for the nation.

    That is an extreme case, but it does show how dangerous life is when there is no one to take the lead and direct people.  It also shows me that without God in our lives how far we will stray.  Just because you have the title of a leadership position, it does not make you a leader.  

Judges