Choosing or Losing

4.4.2011

Judges 19:29-30 29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!” NIV

I’ve already done the math – twelve parts is the head, and the torso – that’s two; the upper arms, the lower arms, and the hands – that’s 8; the thighs, ten; the calves and feet (attached) equal twelve. Twelve bloody body parts sent to the leaders of the twelve tribes; a grisly statement of how bad things were. It’s no wonder they cried out, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!” I’d want to know what to do if FedEx delivered a body part to my house!

The darkest part of the night is always right before the dawn. This passage portrays truly one of the darkest nights in the history of Israel; and its ensuing civil-war. At least they hadn’t completely lost all sense of justice. I think this account is darker than the exile because the exile had some benefit in the long run – this just doesn’t make sense except to show that the anarchy and evil of their times shows just how far they had fallen in such a short period of time. Judges chapter one wasn’t all that long before…

Okay Paul, the point! The point is this is the reality of a nation gone astray. This is the reality of going one’s own way. This is the consequence of no God and no government (please don’t interchange the two). Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do! Repent… that’s what to do. There, but for the grace of God, go I.

I can have my own way if I insist upon it – I just have to remember that having my own way also includes everything that comes with it – bloody body parts and all. God loves me but will let me have my own way; the thought of bloody body parts however, gives me pause…

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I don’t plan on giving up on that; but, I must always remember that I can have what I choose and depending on what that is, I also have to remember that I my choosing can be my losing – not my salvation, but my testimony, my witness, my effectiveness, and my character. God save me from that!