Jeopardy And Tragedy

JEOPARDY AND TRAGEDY (JUDGES 19)

What scares the public? A YouGov poll of the public’s global concerns reveal that international terrorism is seen in the UK as the biggest threat facing the world, with 77% of those questioned naming it as the most serious issue, significantly ahead of armed conflicts (60%), pandemics (52%), climate change (39%) and nuclear proliferation (31%).

On British soil, it is knife crime, online fraud and burglary. The most common personal fears are heights (23% were “very afraid”), snakes (21%) and public speaking (20%), followed by spiders (18%).

The biggest worry in Germany, at 58%, is the rising cost of living. After that, at 51%, comes the fear of becoming disabled in old age and being a burden to others, as well as the fear of natural disasters. In Poland, 78% of the population are frightened of Russia

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/05/europe-europeans-fears-terrorism-unemployment-pandemics

There is no book in the Bible more chaotic than the book of Judges and there is no account more catastrophic, cruel and controversial in the book than the last two chapters of the book. The last incident in the book of Judges is the good, the bad and the ugly rolled in one – separation and settlement, violence and virtue, danger and deliverance. In chapter 19 we meet a Levite and his wife (a concubine), the man and his new-found friend (the old man), and he and his enemy (the rapists).

What kind of precaution should you have against danger? How do you view the evil, immorality and ugliness in the world today? Why should we choose to be helpful rather than helpless in order to stay alive?

Life is Not Perfect - Extend Forgiveness

1 In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, 3 her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4 His father-in-law, the woman’s father, prevailed on him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there. 5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go.” 6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the woman’s father said, “Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.” 7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. 8 On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman’s father said, “Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!” So the two of them ate together. 9 Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman’s father, said, “Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.” 10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

When the machine is operating on a busy road, traffic is halted and the cars lined up in opposite directions are allowed to proceed alternately. A veteran operator of one of those big machines decided one day to try to relieve the tension that inevitably results from such a traffic backup. Consequently on both the front and rear of his grader a sign now appears, declaring, “The Road to Happiness is Almost Always Under Construction.”

An internet image jokes: “My doctor asked me if I ever had a stress test? YES – I replied it’s called LIFE!”

The worst of human nature was reserved for the last two incidents in the book of Judges, introduced and escalated by the term “there was no king in Israel” (Judg 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25), especially the last incident for its absence of safety, sanity, sociability, sensibility and sympathy. Evil, wickedness and violence would trouble the peace and terrorize the land. The last incident speaks of morality gone wrong in Judges, which has not been an issue previously in Canaan. The setting was Ephraim in the central of Israel and Judah in the south, so the Levite’s unfaithful concubine traveled a long way home and there was no word of her return for four months and counting.

The Levite, however, was quick to forgive and asked the straying wife to return, which delighted the concubine’s father. The Ephraimite was sweet in his words, sincere in his heart and sociable to no end. He gave her the red donkey treatment, brought cheer to her father’s heart and mended the rift the most refreshing way. The rejected husband was sincere, selfless and supportive. At no time did he blame her, berate her or bully her. All he wanted was her response, their reconciliation and returning home.