Loading summary
Transcript5 lines
- [00:00]
Mark Gagnon
Today we're going to be diving in to the Book of Judges. The stories that are found within the Book of Judges show a time when the Israelites kept doing bad in the eyes of God. From assassinations, murder, and even human sacrifice, each story has something bigger, something deeper. The Israelites once again found themselves on the wrong side of God. They were handed over to Gideon, the King of Canaan. This is the story of Jephthah and the sacrifice of his daughter. The Israelites are in a state of moral collapse. The story shows what happens to a nation when they don't fear God and they don't have a king. The people cried out for a savior. And that's when Ehud, a left handed man, steps into the story. So today we're going to focus on all the stuff they didn't teach you in Bible class. So strap in.
- [00:55]
Christos Galapadopados
On WhatsApp. No one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone. This episode is brought to you by Greenlight. Get this, adults with financial literacy skills have 82% more wealth than those who don't. From swimming lessons to piano classes, us parents invest in so many things to enrich our kids lives. But are we investing in their future financial success? With Greenlight, you can teach your kids financial literacy skills like earning, saving and investing. And this investment costs less than that. After school treat start prioritizing their financial education and future today with a risk free trial@greenlight.com Spotify greenlight.com Spotify what's up people?
- [01:55]
Mark Gagnon
And welcome back to religion camp. Thank you guys so much for joining me. In my tent, my name is Mark Gagnon. And in this very place, every single Sunday, we explore the most interesting, fascinating and controversial stories from every religion from around the world. From all times. As always. Like I say, I don't think you can understand a people without understanding the God that they worship. And I have a profound desire to understand people. I love humans and I love getting to know who it is that they center their life around. So this show has been an experiment for me to get to know a lot of the religions that I didn't know growing up. I mean, today I'm joined by, you know, a dear friend of mine on the ones and twos, the Greek Orthodox deacon himself, Christos Galapadopados. What's up, Christos? We don't have time. All right. Because today we're going to be diving into the Bible. Yes. One of my favorite books, the good Book, as they say. Most sold around the world ever. It's got to be the best. And we're going to be going into one of the darkest chapters, the Book of Judges. I'll be honest, this is a book that I obviously knew was in the Bible growing up. Going to, you know, a Protestant Presbyterian school, growing up Catholic. I'd peruse the Bible and I would see it right there, right in the index Book of Judges. I'll be honest, I could not tell you what it was about until now. I started jumping in and reading some of the wild things that are in there, some of the darker sides of this ancient arcane text we know as the Bible. The Book of Judges is fascinating. You know, there's many stories that show up in the Book of Judges that you probably do know, right? The story of Samson and Delilah, even the story of Ruth. But today, we're going to focus on the darker and more morbid stories from assassinations, murder, and even human dismemberment. All the stuff they didn't teach you in Bible class. So strap in. Who wrote the Book of Judges? This is a question that, you know, has intrigued people for a long time. Traditionally, the prophet Samuel has been credited as the author. However, modern biblical scholars suggest potentially a more complicated origin. Many scholars believe that Judges is a part of what they call a Deuteronomistic history, basically a collection that includes Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. This theory insists that these books were compiled and edited by scribes during the 7th and 6th centuries BC possibly during King Josiah's reign around 640 to 609 BC and the subsequent Babylonian exile. The Dead Sea Scrolls, as you've probably heard me talk about many times, found between 1947 and 1956, have fragments of the Book of Judges, and they were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls dating all the way back to the second century. The scrolls that they found match the text that had been written by the scribes in religious texts over centuries, confirming that they were legitimate. But that does not tell us what exactly is within them. The stories that are found within the Book of Judges show a time when the Israelites kept doing bad in the eyes of God. This phrase is used constantly throughout the book to express the separation from God that the Israelites have allowed themselves to have. This leads us to our first story, the story of Ehud and King Eglon. So our story begins just on another day in ancient Israel, struggling under the rule of a foreign king. Eglon, the king of Moab, had been in power for 18 years, oppressing the Israelites. The people cried out for a savior. And that's when Ehud, a left handed man from the tribe of Benjamin, steps into the story. The left side is attributed to deception. You may have heard occultists or people talking about the left hand path or the sinister nature of the left hand, but Ehud wasn't your typical hero. He was more of an assassin. Ehud was sent by God to bring tribute to King Eglon. The text explicitly states that he is fat and obese. Why this is put in there, I'm not exactly sure. A task, you know, Go bring a tribute to King Eglon. It's pretty innocent, but had a sinister outcome. Ehud had crafted a double edged sword just about 18 inches long and concealed it on his right thigh. After delivering the tribute, Ehud left, but quickly turned back, claiming to have a quote message from God for the king. The nature of the tribute is never expressed in the text, so we don't know what the actual tribute was, but. But when Ehud returned to the palace, King Eglon sent his servants away, leaving him and Ehud alone. As Eglon stood to hear this message from God, Ehud drew his sword from his left hand and plunged it deep into the king's stomach. The sword disappeared into Eglon's fat and his bowels exploded onto the floor. Ehud left the sword in Eglon's body, locked the doors behind him and made his escape. The servants stood outside the locked doors, laughing and joking, thinking that the king was, you know, playing with himself or who knows what they were doing. And they stood there for a while, but by the time they realized something was wrong, Ehud was long gone and their king was just lying there dead on the floor. By this time, Ehud had already returned home and rallied the Israelite troops, leading them to victory against the Moabites, slaughtering 10,000 of their soldiers. Ehud's success at killing the king led to peace in Israel for 80 years. And this carries us into the next story of this episode. Not only do they continue to get darker, but they're placed in order to give you an idea of the timeline in which these events take place. The next story comes from Judges four, the Butchery of Caesara. Following the death of Ehud. The Israelites once again found themselves on the wrong side of God. They were handed over to Gideon, the king of Canaan. For 20 years, he ruled over the Israelites as an oppressive leader, spreading fear into his citizens. But the real main character of this story is not this tyrannical beast, however. It is a woman by the name of Jael or Yael, depending on your pronunciation. I'm going to go with Jael, and she is living in a tent on the plains of Zanaim. But before Jael, we must meet Deborah. She was a prophetess and judge of Israel. She called upon Barak, an army commander, to lead Israel's army into battle against a man named Sise, the commander of Gideon's army. Deborah tells Barak that the Lord promises victory, but that the honor of killing Sisera will go to a woman. Barak did not understand this, but he paid it no mind. He kind of just disregarded it and tells Deborah he will only go to battle if she is by his side. So she agrees to go with him, and they travel to Mount Tabor. As the battle rages on, Sisera's forces were defeated. Sisera then fled on foot, seeking help in any way possible. He stumbled upon the tent of Jael, who is the wife of Heber, the kenite. She welcomed him by saying, come, my lord. Come right in. Don't be afraid. She was tired from running, and he asked for a glass of water. Instead of water, she gave him milk and covered him with a blanket. He says, stand in the doorway of the tent, and if someone comes by and asks you, is anyone here? Say no. Exhausted, Sisera fell asleep. And that is when Jael made her move. She quietly grabbed a tent peg and a hammer from the ground, sneaking up behind Sisera as he slept. Without hesitation, she drove the peg through his temple, pinning him to the ground. Soon after this happens, Barack arrives at the tent. Jael walks out and tells Barack that she has the man he is looking for and invites him inside to see. Come, she says. I will show you the man you're looking for. As Barak walks inside, Jael shows him Sisera's lifeless body stuck to the ground with a tent peg through his skull, thus fulfilling Deborah's prophecy. The image of Sisera's body, you know, and a tent peg through a skull is a brutal reminder that even in times of war, the most unexpected people can become executioners. But Sisera was one man, so one. What about an entire town? Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a try@mintmobile.com switch upfront payment.
- [10:37]
Christos Galapadopados
Of $45 for a three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy taxes and fees extra see mint.
- [10:44]
Mark Gagnon
Mobile.Com and this carries us into the story of Abimelech. After the death of Gideon, the king who Sisera commanded for Israel fell into chaos once again. Abimelech, one of Gideon's sons, saw this as an opportunity. He was born from a concubine, or in today's terms, a mistress. He wanted power more than anything. But his father, Gideon, was what you would call a busy man. Abimelech had 70 half brothers, and they all stood in his way to becoming ruler. His mother was from the town of Sachem, so he used this to convince people of the town to give him 70 shekels of silver that they obtained from the temple Baal Berith. Abimelech used the silver and hired mercenaries to slaughter his 70 brothers, wiping out any potential rivals. But one brother, Jotham, escaped and cursed Abimelech and the people of Sahem, warning them that their betrayal would lead to their own destruction. For three years, Abimelech ruled the town, but soon after, a man by the name of Gaal came into town. Gal was a local leader who mocked Abimelech's legitimacy. He convinced the people of Sachem to create a rebellion against Abimelech. Zebul, who was the governor of Sachem and a friend to Abimelech, caught word of Gaal talking about his boy. In retaliation, Zebul tells Abimelech of Gaal and told him where he was located in the outskirts of the city. So what does Abimelech do? Right, this is a guy that killed 70 of his own brothers and he decides to ambush Gal and his forces. When Gal saw them, he he said to Zabul, look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. Zabul replied, you mistake the shadows of the mountains for men. But Gal spoke up again. Look, people are coming down from the central hill and a company is coming from the direction of the Diviner's tree. Then Zebul said to him, where is your big talk now, you? Who said? Who Is Abimelech that we should be subjects to him? Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight. So Gaal led his people into battle and ultimately faced defeat at the hands of Abimelech and his army. The next day, the townspeople went back to their daily lives in the field. But Abimelek was pissed off, and he wanted even more revenge. He ordered his troops to go through the town, killing everyone. His troops were even waiting outside the city walls to kill people who tried to escape. Once the town got word of Abimelech's actions, the people ran to the tower of Sahem the. But this only aided Abimelech in his terror. He commanded his troops to follow him to Mount Zalmon. When they arrived, he began cutting branches with an axe and told his troops, quick, do what you have seen me do. So all the men began cutting branches and made their way back down to the town and piled them into the tower of Sachem and set it ablaze, killing all 1,000 men and women that were hiding out in the tower. But Abimelech's reign of terror came to a brutal end at the town known as Thebez. He attacked this town in the same way he attacked Sahem. The people of Thebez ran to the strong tower inside the city, leading Abimelech to try and burn this tower down, just like the one that he did in the last town. But when Abimelech approached the tower to set it on fire, a woman from the top of the tower dropped a millstone from above, crushing his skull. He was mortally wounded. And ultimately his legacy was humiliated at the thought of being killed by a woman. So Abimelech ordered his armor bearer to finish the job. He says, as he's dying, draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say a woman killed him. So the armor bearer drew his sword and killed Abimelech. And when the Israelites saw that he was dead, they returned home. This is interpreted as God's way of, you know, basically getting his get back and kind of, you know, giving a gift to Abimelech's father for, you know, Abimelech murdering 70 of his own sons. It was also God's way to punish the people of Sachem for their involvement in the murders. You may have noticed a pattern so far, right? Each story has some interesting meaning. Each story has something bigger, something deeper. Ehud's story shows how serious God is when it comes to sin. Sisera's death shows that God will use, you know, maybe even unexpected people in unexpected ways. And with Abimelech, we see that God repays the wickedness of bad people, even if it takes some time. The Israelites continue to do bad in the eyes of God. But why? The next story not only takes us deeper into the Book of Judges, but also deeper into the stories within. And this is the story of Jephthah and the sacrifice of his daughter. There was a man by the name of Jephthah. He was a mighty warrior, renowned for his strength and his courage. However, he was born into a family that gave him a sense of rejection. He, Jephthah, was bullied by his half brothers because he was not of their full blood. Right. His half brothers all had the same mom and dad. But Jephthah was the oddball. And as they grew up, they drove him away, declaring, you are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman. Heartbroken and feeling alone, Jephela fled to the land of Tob. There he gathered around him a band of adventurers and outcasts, who then became his followers. Despite his exile, his reputation as a strong leader grew across the nations. Sometime later, the Ammonites waged war against Israel. In their desperation, the elders of Gilead sought out Jephthah. They said to him, come be our commander so that we can fight the Ammonites. And Jephthah questions them. Don't you hate me? And you know you drove me away from my father's house. Why do you come to me now, just when you need some. When you need some help? Acknowledging their past actions? The elders replied, nevertheless, we are turning to you now. Come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head over all of us who live in Gilead. Seeking assurance, Jephthah asked, suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me. Will I really be your head? They promised him, the Lord is our witness. We will certainly do as you say. With that promise, Jephthah agreed and became their leader and commander, repeating all his words before the Lord in Mizpah. Before engaging in battle, Jephthah attempted negotiating with the Ammonites. He sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, asking, what do you have against me that you have attacked my country? The Ammonite king responds, when Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabuk, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back. Peaceably. Jephthah replied with a history lesson. He explained that Israel did not take land from Moab or Ammon. Instead was when Israel had sought passage through neighboring lands through their exodus from Egypt, they were denied. When they requested passage through the land of the Amorites, King Sihon not only refused, but then attacked them. Israel defeated him and the Lord gave them the land. Jephthah argued, now, since the Lord, the God of Israel has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? I have not wronged you, but. But you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord the judge decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites. What's up, guys? We're going to take a break really quick because you own a small business, or maybe you work for a small business and I am about to make your life so much easier. Let's say hypothetically, you own a little, you know, furniture business, right? And you're struggling to keep track of the raw materials, the production schedule, invoicing clients, all that stuff. Well, that's why I want to tell you about Odoo. Okay? Because with Odoo, it's an all in one business platform that streamlines everything. Now you have inventory management, you have manufacturing, you have accounting apps that will make everything so simple. So now if you have a small business, you can monitor the inventory in real time, schedule productions calls more effectively, and you can send invoices automatically, all from one platform. Plus, you get a customized CRM to track sales leads and follow up with potential clients, boosting your closing rates. Back in the day, you'd probably have to get, you know, some, you know, Ivy League operator, business person that's, you know, able to make everything happen for you. But now with Odoo, it cuts it all out. And I'm sure you're thinking, okay, if this is going to make my life easier, give me more free time to spend with my friends, family and playing softball and make me more money. It must be crazy expensive. This is the good news. Listeners of this program are going to get a 14 day free trial. That's right. You get two weeks with Odoo completely for free when you go to odoo.com camp. That's right, odoo.com use the promo code camp and you will get 14 days for free just to try it out, see if you like it. If it's not for you, you don't need it. All right? But Odoo is going to make your life so much easier. Everything you need, all in one place. Save time, make more money. Now, let's get back to the show. Despite his attempt at negotiation, the King of Ammon ignored Jeff this message. Jephthah decided to prepare for battle, and before sending out, he made a vow to God. If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house will meet me when I return in triumph, will be the Lord's and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering. The battle was fierce, but Jephthah led Israel to victory, devastating 20 towns from Aroer to Abel Kerramim. However, joy turned to despair when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah. As he approached his house, his only child, his daughter, came out to meet him, dancing to the sound of tambourines. Upon seeing her, he tore his clothes in anguish and he cries out, oh no, my daughter, you have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord I cannot break. Understanding the gravity of her father's vow, she replies, my father, you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, not that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites, but please grant me this one wish. For two months, allow me to walk through the hills with my friend and mourn my virginity. In tradition, virginity is seen as sacred, and Jephthah's daughter is mourning the fact that she will never have children or be able to marry or become a mother. Jephthah agrees and allows her time to grieve. For two months, she and her friends wandered the hills, mourning her fate. After she returned, Jephthah fulfilled his vow and sacrificed his own daughter. His daughter remained a virgin and her selflessness became a staple of the Israelite tradition. Israeli woman would commemorate her life of his daughter by mourning her loss, reciting poems and remembering her sacrifice. They did this every year for four days straight. Now, it's worth noting this tradition is not necessarily recognized to this day. So at this point we've witnessed everything from assassination, murder, oppression, and even human sacrifice. But yes, it gets even crazier. This is possibly the most gruesome of them all. And it's also very similar to another story in the Bible that takes book that takes place in the book of Genesis called Sodom and Gomorrah. However, this is a different story in a different time with many similarities. This is the story of the Levite and his concubine. At this time, Israel had no king and Everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes. There lived a Levite man who was staying in the remote hills of Ephraim. He was alone, so like any man, he goes out to find himself a lady. In the biblical sense, this is a concubine, which is sometimes referred to as a second wife. This is a woman that has a long term, often sexual relationship with a man, but is not officially recognized to be married. She was from Bethlehem, but traveling through Judah. However, after some time she became angry with him. They had a disagreement and returned to her father's house in Bethlehem. Four months goes by and the Levite decided to go to Bethlehem to speak to her and see if she would come back to live with him. He set out with his servant, two donkeys, and they arrived at the father's house. Upon seeing him, her father welcomed him warmly. Come in, stay a while, he says, so he urges him to rest and refresh. The Levite agreed, and they spent three days eating and drinking and enjoying each other's company. And on the fourth day, the Levite prepares to leave early in the morning. But the Father in Law persuades him again, have something to eat for strength before you go. So they sit down together and have a shared meal. But this pattern repeats itself over and over again. Each time they the Levite tries to leave, the Father in law encourages him to stay a bit longer. So on the fifth day, though the Levite was eager to leave, he was once again convinced to stay until the afternoon. As the sun went down, the Levite, his concubine and servant finally set out on the road. When they were getting close to the Jebusite city of Jerusalem, the servant suggested this master, let's turn into the city and spend the night. But the Levite replied, we won't stop in a city of foreigners who are not Israelites. We'll continue and on to Gibeah. They continued on and reached Gibeah, a town in Benjamin, just as the sun was setting. Entering the town, they sat in the town square, but no one offered them to stay the night. That was until an old man came in from his work in the fields. He was originally from the hill country of Ephraim, but was staying in Gaba amongst the Benjamites. And upon seeing the traveler, he asked, where are you going? Where have you come from? The Levite answers, we are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I live. I've been to Bethlehem and now I'm going to the house of the Lord. But no one has taken me in for the night. We have straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves. We don't lack anything. The old man looks at them and says, hey, just stay at my house, right? Let me supply you with whatever you need. Just don't spend the night in the square. He brought them into his home and fed their donkeys, and they washed their feet and ate and drank together, overall just having a great time. And this is where things take a turn. While they were enjoying themselves, some men from the city surrounded the house, banging on the door. They shouted at the old man, bring out the man who came to your house so that we can have sex with him. The owner of the house went outside and pleaded with them, no, my brothers, don't do this wicked thing. After all, this man is a guest of my house. Don't do such a disgraceful thing. Here are my virgin daughter and my guest's concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do whatever you like, but don't do such a disgraceful thing to this man. But the men refused to listen. Seeing the danger, the Levite grabbed his concubine and made her go outside to them. They raped and abused her throughout the night until the morning. At dawn, they finally let her go. As morning came, the woman collapsed to the entrance of the house where her master had been staying. The term master is used to show sort of the dominant patriarchal culture of the time and how the Levite had dominion over the woman. When her master, the Levite, rose to continue his journey, he opened the door to find her laying there. Get up, let's leave, he says. But there was no response. He placed her lifeless body on his donkey and set out for home. Upon returning to his house, the Levite, consumed by grief and anger, took a knife and cut up his Concubine's body into 12 pieces. He sent each piece to the 12 tribes of Israel to send them a message. Everyone who saw it was appalled and said, nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since the Israelites left the land of Egypt. Take careful note of it, discuss it, and speak. This horrifying and morbid act sparked an outcry amongst the tribes of Israel, leading them to gather together to address the grievous sin that had occurred in Gibeah. The incident set the stage for a profound moment of reckoning and justice in the history of Israel, leading to a civil war. So what does this story mean? Many have interpreted over the centuries and most conclude, obviously, the feeling initially is that the Israelites are in a state of moral collapse. The story shows what happens to a society without strong leadership or law or fear of God or just a king. The phrase there was no king in Israel appears repeatedly throughout Judges. And this story underscores the chaos. The Levite's actions are not heroic. He sacrifices his concubine to save himself and then dismembers his, you know, her body to provoke outrage. He's as guilty as the attackers in many ways. The whole society is complicit and corrupt. The townspeople, the host, the Levites, the tribe of Benjamin. It's a breakdown at every level. Sending the dismembered body is a deliberate act of political provocation, right, like sending a severed head in ancient warfare. It's meant to force all the tribes to confront the horror and take action. And they do, through bloodshed and vengeance and more injustice. The story is the final straw that shows why Israel needs a king or at least some type of moral authority. And it sets the stage for people to eventually demand a monarchy, which begins in 1st Samuel. It basically says, look at what happens when there's no leadership. This is pure anarchy. But yet, after the concubine is sent to the 12 tribes, there is still no king, and the nations are doing whatever they wish. The Israelites had just waged a civil war against the tribe of Benjamin due to the crimes committed in Gibeah with the Levite and his concubine. And the Israelites had gathered in Mizpah and made an oath. Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite. They were saddened by the fact that they had to battle one of their own. They went to Bethel and sat before God crying out, why, O Lord, God of Israel has this happened? Early the next morning, they built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offer, seeking guidance and forgiveness. Yet their oath was presented a challenge. How could they find wives for these surviving Benjamites without breaking their vow? An idea struck them. They asked, who among the tribes of Israel did not come up to the assembly before the Lord. They had sworn that anyone who failed to assemble at Mispah would be put to death. As they were taking roll call, they discovered no one from Jabesh Gilead had joined misb the assembly. Seizing the opportunity, the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors with one command. Go and kill with your swords the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children. Do this. Exterminate every male as well as every Woman who had experienced a man's bed but spare the lives of any virgins. The warriors carried out the orders and found 400 young virgins who had never been intimate with a man. And they brought these women back to the camp at Shiloh and in the land of Canaan. Then the entire assembly sent a message of peace to the Benjamites, who were hiding in the rock of Rimmon. The surviving Benjamites eventually returned, and the Israelites gave them the women that they had taken from Jabesh Gilead. But there were still not enough wives for all the men. The people grieved deeply for the tribe of Benjamin, recognizing that the Lord has made a gap in the tribes of Israel. The elders pondered, what can we do for the others who lack wives since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed, they faced a paradox. They couldn't give their own daughters because their oath to never marry anyone from the tribe of Benjamin. Yet they couldn't let a tribe of Israel just fade away. An elder proposed another plan. Behold, there is an annual festival of the Lord in Shiloh. He advised the Benjamites. Go hide in the vineyards and keep your eyes open. When you see the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in celebration, jump out from the vineyards, each one of you. Catch yourself a wife, wife from among the daughters of Shiloh, and then go home to the land of Benjamin. When their fathers or brothers come out in protest to us, we'll say to them, do us a favor and let them be, for we could not each get a wife through battle. Don't worry about breaking your oath. You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives. The Benjamites did as instructed. As the daughters of Shiloh began dancing in celebration, the men emerged from their hiding places and took wives for themselves. With their new brides, they returned to their homes and rebuilt their cities and settled down. The story concludes with a constant reminder. In those days of Israel, they had no king, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Once again, the meaning of this terrible and gruesome story is that this is what happens to a nation when they don't fear God and they don't have a king. I mean, the final verse of Judges basically sums up the entire book. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. The solution to the crisis is morally absurd, right? Kidnapping, murder for marriage. We're all justified on this technicality. And the story critiques a society without the central authority, without this fear of God and the oath and the law is valued More than justice. And again, there's no king, no judge, no prophet guiding Israel. And this led to blind oath making and violent overreactions that just create more injustice. It also highlights the religious hypocrisy that had happened at the time, right? Sanctioned kidnappings and everything was rationalized for the greater good of our people. And it's a parody of religious reasoning, right? Using laws to bypass ethics and basically try to stay right with God. And it's important to note that this story, much like Levite's concubine, is not an endorsement of the behavior, it's a warning. This is a story to the early church and the people of Israel and basically anyone that reads the Bible that, you know, this is what happens when you don't have leadership and a fear of the Lord himself. And it prepares the reader to understand the arrival of the monarchy in First Samuel. These stories are just a small glimpse into the wild and crazy things that happen in the Bible that you maybe were not taught at Sunday school. They show a side of the Bible and biblical history that's not usually looked at by the average believer or non believer. So, you know, whether you are into the Abrahamic religions, if you've read the Book of Judges or not, it's hard to deny how wild and insane these stories are, especially considering how ancient they are and how, you know, the Bible is read by basically every kid in America. Again, I think it's also important to underscore that the Book of Judges is supposed to illustrate the brutality and violence of a nation, in this case the nation of the ancient Israelites, when they did not have leadership and everyone did whatever they wanted. And that is more or less the context. So what do you guys think? Did you read this in school? Is this something that came up in Sunday school? Wasn't for me. I remember some kids in class that would like joke about the concubine story and I had like Bible teachers being like, yeah, we don't need to get into all that. But as I gotten older and even just reading this now, I'm like, oh, wow. It is interesting to see that they were so concerned with having a lack of moral leadership. And maybe there's something human about that, right? Without some type of strong leader to guide people towards some type of moral justice, some type of code of ethics, maybe, you know, there is a, a group de evolution, immorality and ethics that leads us to our worst, most primal behaviors. So I'd love to know what you think. Is this something you learned? Is there anything I missed? If there's any, you know, Hebrew or Christian scholars out there, you know, comment, maybe if there's a, you know, idea that I skimmed over or some type of moral or an important thread that was overlooked. I read every comment, whether it's on YouTube or Spotify. Please subscribe to the channel. And I appreciate you guys joining me here every single Sunday for another episode of Religion Camp. I'll see you guys next time. Peace be with you. What's up people? Quick announcement. If you are a fan of Camp Gagnon or Religion Camp, I have great news cuz we are dropping History Camp. That's right. This is the channel. We're going to be exploring the most interesting, fascinating, controversial topics from all time throughout all history. Right. You probably know about Benjamin Franklin. I don't know, Thomas Jefferson, Nikola Tesla. Interesting figures from history and you probably learned about them school and they were pretty boring. But not here. No. As you know, I was raised by a conspiracy theorist. So I'm going to be diving deep into all of the interesting, strange, occult and secretive societal relationships that all of these famous, influential men from our shared past have. So if you're interested, please go ahead and subscribe to the YouTube channel. It will be pinned in the description as well as the comments. And if you're on Spotify, this doesn't really apply to you, but these episodes will be dropping as well. Just go ahead and give us a high rating because it really helps the show.