Abuse of Women

In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. And his concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back.

But the man would not spend another night and he rose up and departed and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).

When they were near Jebus the day was nearly over, and the servant said to hi master, "Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites and spend the night there." And his master said to him, "We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel, but will pass on to Gibeah."

So they passed on and went their way. and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, and they turned aside there. Judges 19: 1-3; 10;11,12,14

The Benjamites were supposed to be safe and it was assumed they would take care of the travellers yet no one took them in until an old man came along and took them into his house. During the night base fellows surrounded the house and wanted the men to have sex with but the old man and his guest offered their women, the crowd refused so the Levite took his concubine by force and threw her out.

This story is very similar to that experienced by Lot and his guests, resulting in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

She was sexually abused all night long and was dead in the morning. He then picked her up, took her home and cut her up and sent her parts throughout Israel and an uproar resulted and a slaughter of lives.

Today, in 2014, we still see the abuse of women through ravages of war, slave trading and domestic violence. Change has not come to much of the world. Sin results in abuse and there is only one saviour, one answer. Jesus sets captives free, religion binds them.