Small Problem Big Problem! Series

In late January this year (2020), the San Miguel Sherrif’s department in Colorado issued a confusing tweet on their Twitter account: “Large boulder the size of a small boulder is completely blocking east-bound lane Highway 145 at Silverpick Rd. Please use caution and watch for emergency vehicles in the area.”

The tweet was retweeted over 71,600 times and received over 260,500 “likes”, with several interesting comments. One Twitter user wrote, “What’s heavier … a large boulder the size of a small boulder, or a small boulder the size of a large one? Asking for a friend.” A different user offered a potential fashion solution. “Perhaps the boulder was wearing Spanx or a similar compression garment? That would explain how a large boulder could fit into the size of a small boulder.” And still another user wondered if perhaps the boulder was having self-esteem issues.

After providing an update that the boulder had been removed, the sheriff’s office offered a clarification: “The boulder that fell onto Highway 145 at Silverpick Rd was approximately 4ft x 4ft x 4ft (64 cubic ft) and weighed about 10,000 lbs.” (Ed Mazza, “A Sheriff Department’s Attempt To Describe This Boulder Goes Delightfully Awry” HuffPost.com, 1-28-20; www.Preaching Today.com)

All kidding aside, large problems are often the size of small problems at the start. These are treacherous days when the smallest actions can have huge repercussions. I mean, who’d have thought that one act of police brutality on Memorial Day weekend would lead to nationwide riots and calls for the elimination of police departments in some of our major cities.

These are crazy days, but they’re not unlike the days of the Judges in Israel. So, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Judges 19, Judges 19, where the author is summarizing those days and where we can learn some lessons for living in our days.

Judges 19:1-3 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to 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. He had with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house. And when the girl’s father saw him, he came with joy to meet him. (ESV)

A Levite takes a concubine, a secondary wife, just to have sex with her. The concubine cheats on the Levite and goes back home. After four months, the Levite is missing the sex, so he pursues the concubine again. And her father, despite the exploitation of his daughter for sex, is glad to see the Levite.

Now, no names are given, because the author whishes to imply that this is typical behavior in Israel during the days of the Judges. They’re all crazy and mixed up, but they don’t do anything that’s all that significant, or so it seems. These are little acts of indiscretion among some unnamed people, which you wouldn’t think would amount to much, but it does!

In a show of typical, extravagant Mideast hospitality, the concubine’s father keeps the Levite for five days, after which the Levite and his concubine leave for home. On the way, they stop at Gibeah, a town in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, where no one shows them any hospitality.

Since there were no hotels in those days, it was customary for people to invite travelers into their homes, but no one does in the little town of Gibeah. It’s in stark contrast to the extravagant hospitality the concubine’s father showed them over the last five days! Then someone from out of town invites them into his temporary lodging place and puts them up for the night. Skip down to verse 22.

Judges 19:22-26 As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.” And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing.” But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, until it was light. (ESV)