Wow! This passage is rough! A Levite went to retrieve his runaway concubine, and on their return trip they were solicited by the men of Gibeah (Benjamites). The concubine was raped to death, so the Levite cut her body up into twelve pieces and sent one piece to each tribe of Israel. You can imagine the outrage! A huge army turned out from Israel and fought against the Benjamites. After several days of battle, 40,000 of the 400,000 Israelites were killed, and 25,000 of the 26,000 Benjamites were killed.
Bottom line - "The wages of sin is death." Sin is ugly. "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy."
Application - I must be diligent in this quest of the mortification of sin, because it hurts me and everyone around me. I am reminded of Romans 6:12-13 -
12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I am sorry for my sinful ways. Lord, I beg you to rescue me from my wicked soul; purify me and make me holy from the inside out. Father, please sanctify me - spirit, soul, and body. May I live a holy life as I keep my eyes fixed on you. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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