How does this event in Judges 19:25 connect to Sodom and Gomorrah's story? Setting the Scene in Judges 19:25 “But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them. And they raped her and abused her throughout the night until morning. At daybreak they let her go.” (Judges 19:25) The setting is Gibeah, a Benjaminite town within Israel. The Levite and his concubine had accepted hospitality in an old man’s house (Judges 19:16-21). When “wicked men of the city” surrounded the house and demanded to know the Levite (v.22), the host begged them not to commit such an outrage, mirroring the scene in Genesis 19. Echoes of Sodom: Key Parallels • Mob of townsmen surrounding a house at night (Judges 19:22; Genesis 19:4). • Demand for sexual violation of a male guest (Judges 19:22; Genesis 19:5). • Host pleading, “Do not do this vile thing,” and offering women instead (Judges 19:23-24; Genesis 19:7-8). • Term “wicked men” / “sons of Belial” (Judges 19:22) recalls the moral description of Sodom (Genesis 13:13). • Hospitality violated—an offense God takes seriously (cf. Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9). • Immediate, catastrophic judgment follows both events: – Sodom is destroyed by fire from heaven (Genesis 19:24-25). – Gibeah’s sin sparks civil war; Benjamin is nearly wiped out (Judges 20-21). Significant Contrasts • Sodom was a pagan city; Gibeah was within the covenant community. The depravity has moved from outside to inside God’s people. • In Sodom angels were the threatened guests; in Gibeah an Israelite Levite is endangered—showing Israel now treats its own as the nations once treated strangers. • God’s judgment on Sodom is direct; judgment on Gibeah comes through Israelite armies, fulfilling Deuteronomy 13:12-18 regarding internal wickedness. Why Scripture Repeats the Pattern • To expose Israel’s spiritual decline: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). • To warn that covenant privilege does not shield unrepentant sin (Romans 2:25). • To show that unchecked immorality invites the same wrath poured out on Sodom (2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7). • To affirm God’s consistent standard: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Lessons for Covenant People Today • Sin left unaddressed inside the community is as offensive to God as sin outside (1 Corinthians 5:1-13). • Neglecting God-given boundaries for sexuality leads to societal unraveling (Romans 1:24-27). • True leadership and godly order are essential; without them, “everyone does what is right in his own eyes.” • The gospel offers deliverance from the bondage illustrated in both stories: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Judges 19:25 thus stands as Israel’s Sodom moment—a sobering reminder that God’s people must guard holiness, practice genuine hospitality, and rely on His righteous standards lest they repeat Sodom’s fate. |
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