This chapter describes the sad state of affairs that Israel fell into due to the absence of strong and responsible leadership. There was chaos, degradation, abuse and selfishness. This was reflected in the life of the Levite. Though he was a man of God, he had a sexual relationship with a woman to whom he was not married. When he went to her father to retrieve her, we see that both of them cared nothing for her. There is no love or tenderness or consideration for her feelings. She was treated as a mere piece of property, not a human being.
This attitude escalated in the ensuing incident. The Levite used her to satisfy the sexual lust of the men of Gibeah. He allowed them to savagely abuse her without a second thought for her. Then when she returned, he abused her verbally and treated her like garbage. We do not know when she actually died, but it could have been by the Levite’s own hand. His disgusting disregard for this woman continued as he cut up her body and sent it out as a grisly call to arms.
This savage incident should remind us that each person, man or woman is a human being made in the image of God. Each is to be treated with respect and consideration as one for whom Christ died. No human being is a piece of property, an object to be used to satisfy someone else’s desires. This is why Christians must not only have nothing to do with pornography and the sex trade “industries” but also speak out against them. No believer should think that these are harmless for they treat humans as mere objects including those who indulge in them.
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