So this morning I sat out to spend some time in the Word of God and settle for myself a scripture that I had heard over the weekend being used out of context. Funny thing about God… my ways are not His ways. In the process of searching out that scripture I found three references, the first of which was not the one for which I sought to understand. That of course was the one God opened my eyes to. The scripture reading for me today was in the book of Judges, Chapters 19-20. I was drawn into a dark, gruesome and horrific story of a man and his concubine.

Judges 19:1-2

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.^ And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.

That’s quite the story opener is it not? Here’s what caught my eye: Israel has no leadership… wow, doesn’t that sound familiar. You’ll note I’m not asking a question. We all know that we have no leadership. Well… technically poor leadership. By the biblical responsibilities of the tribe for which he belonged this unnamed Levite man of the story should have been a minister of God. But to Shari quote what I’m reading, he’s shacked up with an unscrupulous chick and has to go chasing after her back down to her daddy’s house in Bethlehemjudah where life is just one big party. His father in law convinces him again and again to spend the night in party central until finally after five days he says, ‘I gotta go.’ So he, the dame, and his servant saddle up their donkey’s and hit the highway. The first towns they come to are heathen towns for which the servant suggests they stay. But the Levite informs him that they’re not staying in a town belonging to people who are not Israelites. It must have been their version of Las Vegas. So they passed through those towns and come to their own people in Gibeah, who won’t give them the time of day or a place to stay! So now they’re homeless in the street; when along comes an out of town farmer who has a place to stay there in that city and brings them in for the night.

The story only gets worse.

Sodom and Gommorah rises from the ashes as some men in the city (of their own people) come to the farmer’s house “wanting the men” to join them. The farmer decides to appease them by offering up his own daughter (which they deny) and the Levite’s concubine (whom they accept) and take her and rape her all night, returning her dead in the morning on the farmer’s doorstep. Horror movie in the making. So the Levite returns to his hometown, cuts his dead concubine in pieces and sends the pieces out to his own people in the form of a shock-o-gram intending incite war on the Benjamites who killed her.

Following the Lord’s approval the war ensues, killing twenty-two thousand of their own Israelites the first day, and eighteen thousand the second day; which caused them to question God if this battle was such a good idea.

God said go, so they went and victory was theirs the third time.

When I read this terrible tragedy my first thought  was, “sounds like America.” This could possibly be a State of the Union address illustration if we’d get a President who was saved. Totally judgmental I know… But I’m not taking it back. I’m tired! I’m tired of America whoring after whoever or whatever it is that’s out there in all of their political correctness with total disregard for what we’re marrying into (literally and figuratively). The Iran deal that’s on the table is like climbing in bed with the terrorist and when they slit your throat proclaiming…. “I didn’t see that coming.” Really? Our Washington representatives allowing the President to visit and call the  homes of criminals while making no attempt to comfort the hearts of grieving police families is every bit as appalling as the farmer and the Levite’s willingness to sacrifice their women so that the men would leave them alone. And every bit as stupid as their shock when the woman was returned raped and murdered. So by comforting people who kill cops… cop killers will stop, is that the theory? American powers that be have given our children to be killed in abortions, but we’re shocked that they would cut the babies apart and sell them.

Suddenly the story in Judges isn’t so unfamiliar is it?

And so they incite war within America. They turn it into a racial, gender, rich vs. poor, educated vs. non-educated, etc. etc. until everyone has something against someone. The 40,000 people lost in the battle for justice in Israel were killed by their own people. The average American sees it but sits helpless. What’s the answer?

Here’s a few ideas:

• Israel didn’t need a King, they had God. So do we!
• Stop sleeping with the enemy ourselves. As servants of God, why are we marrying the world’s ideas? It doesn’t matter what the world says is right. If God says it’s wrong it is.
• The enemy that’s doing the most damage is in our own camp. It’s not the people who “aren’t like us,” that we have issues with. They, like us, need God.
• Stop allowing access to our children (those born and those unborn)
• We’ve literally had the body parts of an innocent child sent to us.

Today’s blog isn’t meant to incite war, it’s meant to cause you to first examine yourself, and then the world around you.

What state are you in?

• Spiritually? Do you have a right heart with God?
• Literally? I’m in West Virginia… where are you?

It’s time to examine both and start cleaning house. Don’t wait until they’ve taken your family and then start the battle. Start protecting what’s yours.