REDEEMING LOVE by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction:  Several years ago, Nicole told me about a book by one of her favorite writers – Francine Rivers. The book was titled “Redeeming Love.” It was a historical romance novel set during the gold rush in California in the 1850s, but the story was based on the book of Hosea in the Old Testament where God redeemed an unfaithful people because of his love and compassion. Nicole asked me if I would read it. More like, “you need to read this book!” Now, I do read fiction books, but I am very selective. Growing up, I read Charles Dickens writings when I was about 10 years old. I told her that “I’ll read it someday maybe…” She was very persistent and came up with the idea of reading it to me. I wasn’t sure about that, until she started. I was hooked. It even came out as a movie in theaters in 2022. By the way, copies of “Redeeming Love” are available in our Resource Center in the lobby. Today’s message is titled “Redeeming Love” as a tip of the hat to the novel, because the storyline is quite similar. However, it does not have a similar ending. Main Point: Love by its very nature is redemptive. God demonstrates his love by coming to rescue us through Christ. So also, we should pursue our loved one every day. Furthermore, we should always be aware that love is under attack. It requires nourishment and vigilance.

Judges 19 (page 401)  1 And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months. 3 Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he was glad to meet him.

Context: As we learned in our last message, there is a shift in the book of Judges, starting in chapter 17. This is even marked by a change in refrain from “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD” to “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Gone is the period when the judges like Ehud, Barak, Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and others were a type of Christ. Now, it was the period of the false types of Christ, like the Levite who was willing to lead a syncretistic worship with God and the Canaanite deities or willing to sell his services to the highest bidder. Now, it was also about going after the soft targets like the Laishites to the North (a people that were not on God’s hit list) instead of the hard targets like the Amorites to the South whom God had dispossessed off their land.

Something, else – we also learned how the book of Judges has 2 introductions and 2 conclusions. Both conclusions are to establish the leadership of the tribe of Judah, the tribe from which King David would come one day and from which Jesus, God’s Anointed King, would come one day. The first conclusion was to deal with the gross idolatry in the north with the setting up of the shrine in Dan in place of the temple in Jerusalem one day. The second conclusion was to deal with the usurping of the throne of David by the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe from which King Saul came. Today, we are looking at the second conclusion. Listen again to Judges 19:1 “And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.” 2 important things to remember: The importance of the office of the Levite and the importance of geography. In the previous conclusion, the Levite sold himself out. For one, he was never supposed to be a priest. Second, he was supposed to be God’s presence throughout the land of Israel. Remember, the tribe of Levi did not get any inheritance. They were supposed to be dispersed among the other tribes, ministering to them, and the tribes were supposed to take care of them. They were always poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). The first Levite failed on every account. In the second conclusion, there is again a Levite, but he is not a bad guy. He is the voice of God to his people. More on that in a little bit. 

Regarding geography, the first Levite came from Bethlehem, the city of the birth of David and one day of Jesus, but he proved to be useless. Now, another Levite marries a woman coming out of Bethlehem. She is described as a “concubine.” Typically, we think of a concubine as a mistress or a second-class wife. For example: 

• Genesis 25:6 “But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.”
• 2 Samuel 5:13 “And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron.”
• 1 Kings 11:3 “And he (Solomon) had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines…”

The meaning of “concubine” is not as clear-cut as we think. The Hebrew word is ‎pilegeš (pilegesh). It’s only found in the Hebrew. No where do we find clear evidence that they were just an auxiliary wife or a slave or some demoted status wife. To understand the meaning of a “concubine,” we need to understand the meaning of a “dowry.” Where I grew up in India, the girl’s family was required to give a dowry to the groom’s family. That never made sense to me. If the girl was becoming a part of the groom’s family, shouldn’t it be the other way around. By the way, lots of hate crimes were committed in India over not getting enough dowry. The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 had outlawed dowry, but it still goes on. I call that “crime in the name of culture.” You see the real wickedness of the human heart. Back to dowry – In the biblical world, a dowry was a wonderful safety net for the wife. The fiancé or the groom would give presents to the wife-to-be but to the father-in-law. This was done publicly so that there would be no dispute as to what was happening. Also, the dowry included all the inheritance that a father would give to his daughter. Unlike the sons who had to wait for their inheritance until their father died, the girls would get theirs when they left the house. If they are moving several hours away, the land or cattle is no good. Things that they can take with them are given to them. This was a great life insurance policy to protect her in case the husband dies – all that the husband and her own father gave to her comes to her. In case of a divorce, this was also very helpful. A concubine was a wife who came into a marriage with no dowry. More than likely the Levite had nothing to give to her since they hardly had anything, and the father-in-law also had nothing to give to her since he hardly had anything. Poor woman…

Let’s read again from Judges 19        1 “He took for himself ‘as a wife’ (Hebrew text) a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But his concubine played the harlot against him…” The Hebrew word for “playing the harlot” is simply “zanah,” which has several meanings. One of course could be “unfaithful.” It could be translated as “fornicate.” The problem here is the next line – 2 “…and went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months.” Was her dad running a prostitution ring? I doubt that. The translations by the other languages help us here: the LXX translate it as “porneia” = desertion; the Aramaic targums translate it as “despised him and went away.” Maybe, he got on her nerves. Maybe, he wasn’t that attractive. Maybe, he wasn’t that romantic. Maybe, he was always busy with his work. Maybe, she was homesick. Who knows…I don’t think she was playing the harlot. 

What was the Levite’s response? Judges 19:3 “Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he was glad to meet him.” Keep in mind that the Levites were to teach the people they were around about the ways of God with his people. By going after the woman, the Levite was demonstrating how God was with his people even when they were wayward. Something else very important – “spoke kindly” is really “spoke to the heart.” In other words, he tried to her woo her back. This was not threats or ultimatums. These were words of love and romance. So also, God goes after his wayward people and speaks to their heart by reminding them of his love for them. Even though the word (pilegesh) for concubine is not there, the metaphor is there – Ezekiel 16       8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD. 9 “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord GOD. 15 “But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.” Although Israel the concubine played the harlot, the woman of Bethlehem did not do that. Nonetheless, the Levite won her heart back just the way God wins our heart back.

Application: There is an application here for our marriages. Do we work to win the love of our spouse? Do we try to woo the other person back or do we only live tit for tat? We can be to our spouse how God is with us – speak to the heart.

Now begins the delaying, like a second courting – Judges 19       4 Now his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, detained him; and he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank and lodged there. 5 Then it came to pass on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning, and he stood to depart; but the young woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.” 6 So they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the young woman’s father said to the man, “Please be content to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.” 7 And when the man stood to depart, his father-in-law urged him; so he lodged there again. 8 Then he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the young woman’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” So they delayed until afternoon; and both of them ate. 9 And when the man stood to depart—he and his concubine and his servant—his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is now drawing toward evening; please spend the night. See, the day is coming to an end; lodge here, that your heart may be merry. Tomorrow go your way early, so that you may get home.” The delay symbolizes the love between the family. It also symbolizes the innocence and trust between them. There is a sense of fearlessness and peace. But there’s more – Remember, the Levite represented the presence of God. The father-in-law knows that. Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

All this is about to change – Judges 19      10 However, the man was not willing to spend that night; so he rose and departed, and came opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). With him were the two saddled donkeys; his concubine was also with him. 11 They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, “Come, please, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it.” 12 But his master said to him, “We will not turn aside here into a city of foreigners, who are not of the children of Israel; we will go on to Gibeah.” The Levite does not want to risk taking his bride to the city of the Jebusites, not sure how things will be in a pagan city. This was supposed to have been taken by the Benjamites or the Judahites – border of both. 13 So he said to his servant, “Come, let us draw near to one of these places, and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.” 14 And they passed by and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. 15 They turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in, he sat down in the open square of the city, for no one would take them into his house to spend the night. Not just because they were outsiders, but also because he was a Levite. This was a symbol of their rejection of God.

But, there is a friendly face here – Judges 19       16 Just then an old man came in from his work in the field at evening, who also was from the mountains of Ephraim; he was staying in Gibeah, whereas the men of the place were Benjamites…20 And the old man said, “Peace be with you! However, let all your needs be my responsibility; only do not spend the night in the open square.” 21 So he brought him into his house, and gave fodder to the donkeys. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank. Things are about to take a drastic turn – Judges 19       22 “As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city, perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door…” The actual words for “perverted men” is “Sons of Belial,” meaning “Wicked,” “Obstinate” and “Devilish” men. By the time of 2 Corinthians 6       14 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”Back to Judges 19     22 “…They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him carnally!” This is referring to sexual intercourse. This is reminiscent of Genesis 19 when God sent his angels into Sodom and the men of Sodom surrounded the house of Lot and wanted to have sexual intercourse with the two angels. 23 But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!” 25 But the men would not heed him. So the man (the elderly man/the host, not the Levite, who does not know what’s happening) took his concubine and brought her out to them. (As a hostage exchange, nothing was supposed to have happened to this woman. The code of Hammurabi talks about this. Why not offer self? Even the elderly man is more Canaanite than Israelite now where there was not much respect for women.) And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go. This was how the Canaanite culture saw women. Now the Benjamites had become like the Canaanites. 

Illustration: It is quite interesting how in our feministic culture, the respect for women has not risen but has fallen. The same group that calls for equal rights for women also advocates for men in women’s sports! Christianity always raises the value of women.

Why didn’t the Levite stop this? He was not aware. Maybe he was drunk. Maybe he was in a different part of the house. 

26 Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light. 27 When her master (the one who would fight for her honor) arose in the morning, and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, there was his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold (go to the threshold of the king to seek justice). There’s also a hint of the future mistreatment of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Luke 2        34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Judges 19.      28 And he said to her, “Get up and let us be going.” It sounds heartless, but it is the same construction (Khumi halach) found in Song of Solomon 2        10 My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.” Again verse 13 “…Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!” This is true love.

Invitation: Unless you have experienced the love of God through his son Christ, you cannot understand true love. How do you love your spouse? Are you willing to woo him/her? Do you know the sons of Belial are after your spouse? Are you saved?