Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

We finished our eighth book of the Bible today, and since we're reading an entire book tomorrow,

that means we're about to be at nine books total. Don't worry, the book we're reading tomorrow is super short, just four chapters. Also, I mentioned this at the beginning of the book of judges, and hopefully you've already read the text from today and know this is a tough section, but just a heads up that if there are little ears nearby, you may want to listen later. This is one of my least favorite sections in all of Scripture, but there

are still things to be learned about God in these chapters, even though he seems mostly absent.

We opened with a reminder that Israel is living in anarchy at this point, which sets us up

for everything that happens in today's reading. We start with a Levite, the tribe appointed

to work for God, who had a concubine, which is basically a household servant with fewer rights and less permanency than a wife, and whose main job is to sleep with the boss and have his babies. She decides she wants to leave this arrangement, but he goes after her to win her back. He meets with her dad and things are going smoothly. Her father keeps inviting them to stay day after day with

him, but on the fifth day, the Levite is ready to move on, so they head out for the long journey home.

His servant suggests they spend the night in a Canaanite area, but the Levite really prefers to

keep moving until they hit an Israelite area. They stop in the city of Gebea, which is in the land

allotted to the Benjamites. They're planning to sleep in the town square, but an old man comes by and urges them to stay at his place instead. Not long after that, the Benjaminite men of the town show up and demand to have sex with the Levite. If this is starting to remind you of Genesis 19 and what happened with the two angels who visited Lot in Sodom, you're not far off. And the old man

responds just like Lot did when Lot offered his two virgin daughters. The old man offers his virgin

daughter and the Levites' concubine instead. The Benjaminites didn't like this offer, but the

Levites saved himself by sending his concubine out to them. And let me say this in case it isn't obvious.

God doesn't endorse this. These things are the result of God's people turning away from God,

which ultimately means they have no regard for his laws either since they have no regard for him.

The men brutally assault her and rape her and beat her to death, and the Levite doesn't even seem to be moved by her condition.

It's heartbreaking and infuriating all at once, and I don't know whether to be more angry at him or at the men of the town, because they're all pretty terrible.

He takes her back home and dismembers her. Then he sends a piece of her body throughout Israel, probably one piece to each of the

tribes. Most commentators seem to think he did this so the people would have proof that his story was

true, and there'd be no denying that the Benjamites were guilty. And by the way, we find out in

chapter 20, verse 5, that the men who did this to the concubine were the leaders among the

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