Before we consider chapters nineteen through twenty-one, I would like to give a further word concerning the application of the account of Micah’s house of idols (17:1-13) to the situation in Christianity today.
Any teaching or practice among Christians that is not according to the Scriptures is an idol. In the recent rebellion among us, a teaching regarding autonomy was promoted. Those who teach this stress that every local church is absolutely autonomous. However, this is contrary to the Scriptures and produces local sects. This teaching has become an idol.
In the United States every state is autonomous in business affairs, but the fifty states are not fifty different nations. On the contrary, there are fifty states but one nation. Likewise, each local church is autonomous in its business affairs, but the teaching that each local church is absolutely autonomous in every way within its locality is an idol. Nevertheless, some are using this teaching to spread division.
Every item in the Lord’s recovery must be according to the Bible. For example, calling on the name of the Lord and pray-reading are scriptural practices (Gen. 4:26; 13:4; Eph. 6:17-18). When we call on the name of the Lord, our inner man is refreshed. When we pray-read the Word, we are fed.
The difference between the churches in the Lord’s recovery and Christianity is that the local churches in the recovery try their best to do everything according to the Bible, the Word of God. The Bible reveals that the church as the Body of Christ is universally and uniquely one. Because all the members of the Body of Christ exist on earth in different cities, this unique Body of Christ is expressed among people on earth in many cities—one city, one church. Whereas Catholicism, the denominations, and the independent groups are “houses of Micah,” we meet as a local church, as the church in a particular city. In the Scriptures there are no house churches, street churches, state churches, or district churches. Instead, there are local churches. The local church in a city is a part of the Body. Therefore, we practice the local churches, and we also practice the universal Body of Christ.
The intrinsic significance of the books of Joshua and Judges is that these books show us the detailed points of how to possess Christ, keep Christ, and enjoy Christ. We have seen that, according to the record in Judges, in the degradation Israel became chaotic in government, in worship, and in morality. Such a people surely could not gain Christ and enjoy Him. But we thank the Lord that, in the midst of the chaotic situation, there was a person—Boaz—who had the highest standard of morality. As we will see when we come to the book of Ruth, according to typology Boaz was one who enjoyed Christ very much.
Let us now look into what is recorded concerning Israel in the last three chapters of Judges.
Chapter nineteen is a record of Israel’s sodomitical corruption in their morality.
Judges 19:1-26 tells a story of corruption. In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite dwelling in the far end of the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah (v. 1). The concubine went about as a harlot and departed from the Levite to her father’s house, to Bethlehem in Judah, for four months (v. 2). Her husband rose up and came after her to speak to her affectionately and to bring her back (vv. 3-9). He brought her from her father’s house, went through Jerusalem, and came to Gibeah, which belonged to Benjamin. He sat in the square of the city, but no one took them into his house to lodge them (vv. 10-15). In the evening an old man out of the field from his work saw the wayfarer in the square of the city and brought him and his concubine to his house and took them as his guests (vv. 16-21).
While they were making their hearts merry, the worthless men of the city surrounded the house, beating on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who went into your house that we may know him” (v. 22). The old man, the master of the house, came out and said to them, “No, my brothers; do not do this evil thing, I beg you. Since this man has come into my house, do not commit this folly. Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out, I beg you; and humble them and do to them what seems good in your sight. But to this man do not do such folly” (vv. 23-24). But the worthless men did not want to listen to the old man; so the Levite took hold of his concubine and brought her out to them; and they knew her. They abused her all night long until morning (v. 25). In the early morning the concubine came and fell at the entrance of the old man’s house, where her lord had been until it was light (v. 26).
According to verses 27 through 30 the story of this corruption was spread throughout all the territory of Israel. The Levite rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way. He discovered his concubine fallen at the entrance of the house with her hands upon the threshold (v. 27). He spoke to her, but there was no answer. He then put her upon the donkey and went to his place (v. 28). When he came to his house, he cut her up limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel (v. 29). When everyone saw this, they said, “No such thing has ever happened or been seen since the day the children of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, and take counsel and speak” (v. 30).