And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. Judges 19:1
Judah, Bethlehem, no king in Israel, a young virgin, later there is a donkey and a journey involved, but this is not the Christmas story, not by a long ways. Reading the story in Judges 19 involves delving into so much iniquity that we get a picture of what it will be like when the Comforter takes a step back and man is left on the Earth without God. Sin piles upon sin and there is death in horrible ways, destruction, disloyalty, disregard for human life and dignity, debauchery, so that it becomes hard to list all the sin in this story.
The Lord is not mentioned at all in this horrid chapter, the children of Israel are not in Jerusalem, and women are offered to the sons of Belial, and that is only part of the grotesque morass of sin in this anti-Christmas story. Those who want God out of all things should take a moment to read what it will be like here when God does as they desire. Think anyone will be empowered by God's departure? Best think again, for this horrible chapter shows exactly what will come when the spirit of restraint God has given to the world is removed and His church is taken up from this place.
God's word shows us in several places what happens when we are left to our own devices as a group and as individuals. The Christmas story, on the other hand, is what happens when God comes down to us and makes a way for us to live in Him!
Have a merry Christmas!Bucky
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