There’s a disturbing passage in the Bible I’ve wrestled with more than once—so tragic and unsettling that even some lifelong believers quietly avoid it. Judges 19–21 is that passage. It reads like the last act of a civilization on the brink of collapse. What makes it so gripping—and so sobering—is how familiar it feels.
This ancient story is about a people once called by God who wandered so far from His heart that they no longer recognized good from evil. They defended what should have been condemned, and in the end, they destroyed each other. The story closes not with healing or hope but heartbreak—and a warning that echoes through the centuries:
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25).
That haunting line—“every man did that which was right in his own eyes”—isn’t just how the story ends. It shows up earlier in Judges 17:6, too, like two bookends holding up a collapsing shelf. From beginning to end, it paints a picture of what happens when God’s people push Him aside and try to build a society on their own terms.
The story begins with a Levite and his concubine—two travelers stopping in Gibeah, a town in the tribe of Benjamin, for the evening. This was a place that should have been safe, a part of God’s covenant people. Instead, it had become a den of wickedness. A mob of evil men surrounded the house where they stayed, demanding the unthinkable: they wanted to violate the Levite. In a moment that still breaks my heart, the Levite sacrifices the woman to save himself. He throws her out of the house. She is brutally abused all night and left to die. By morning, the Levite finds her lifeless body at the doorstep. What he does next is beyond belief—he cuts her body into twelve pieces and sends them to all the coasts of Israel as a desperate alarm: Look what we have become!
All of Israel was horrified. Stunned to their core by the horror they’d learned, they rallied for justice. “Hand over the wicked men which are in Gibeah,” they demanded of the tribe of Benjamin. But the tribe of Benjamin refused. Rather than confront the evil among them, they protected them. This refusal divided the nation, and civil war erupted—brothers against brothers, sons of the same people shedding each other’s blood. The cost was staggering. By the end, Benjamin was nearly wiped off the map. Those who refused to punish evil were punished themselves. The land was left in sorrow.
This is what happens when people close their eyes to the truth. When sin is tolerated, justice becomes impossible. When protecting “our own” matters more than honoring Authority, the whole house begins to crumble.
Today, we see echoes of this ancient tragedy unfolding in the United States: different century, different soil—but the same spiritual infirmity. We live in a time when truth is no longer treasured; sin is not only tolerated—it’s defended. Political affiliation often replaces moral conviction. People aren’t asking, “Is this right in God’s eyes?” but, “Does this help my side win?”
One of the clearest examples is at our nation’s borders. For years, we’ve watched them be breached—not just physically but spiritually. I understand the longing for a better life—I’ve worked with the poor and prayed with the desperate. But disorder brings cruelty. Millions have entered illegally—not just undocumented, but unaccountable. While many seek a better life, the chaos of ignoring laws collapses the nation’s structure: jobs are undercut, schools are overcrowded, public services are overwhelmed, housing is strained, and neighborhoods struggle with clashing cultures.
This isn’t about being unkind. It’s about being wise. Compassion must walk hand in hand with truth, or we drift into chaos.
Last November, Americans overwhelmingly voted for new leadership promising to restore order—to enforce immigration laws, protect safety and sovereignty, and remove those who entered illegally. And efforts are underway. But here’s where heartbreak sets in: instead of uniting to fix problems, we’ve plunged deeper into division. People pick sides not based on law or truth but on politics, emotions, and personal agendas.
I’ve watched with sorrow as ICE officers are attacked for doing their jobs. Police face firebombs, and riots erupt nationwide. A generation is growing up thinking it’s noble to break laws and treasonous to enforce them.
This is no path to healing. It’s lawlessness. It’s rebellion, not justice. It’s the same spirit that plagued ancient Israel: everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. When we reject God’s order and authorities, invent our own truths, and treat laws as optional, collapse is near. The tribe of Benjamin learned this the hard way—they chose to protect wickedness and paid dearly in civil war and near annihilation.
How close are we to the same fate? Closer than many realize. America is on the verge of repeating the errors that brought the tribes of Israel to their knees. If we don’t come together to uphold righteous laws, consequences will come faster than expected. This is not merely political turmoil—it is a spiritual crisis eroding the soul of our nation.
What America desperately needs is not more spin or slogans, not political convenience or tribal allegiance. We need biblical moral clarity. We must return to the simple, powerful truth: “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). This ancient wisdom remains true today. If we keep choosing lawlessness over right, protecting what’s unlawful because it benefits our “side,” we aren’t standing for justice—we’re further unraveling the unity of our country.
America doesn’t just need better politics—it requires repentance. We keep chasing new leaders, new policies, and new promises, but none of it will matter if we continue to turn our backs on God’s Holy Bible. The unrest we see isn’t just about immigration or law enforcement. It’s a symptom of a deeper sickness: we have rejected the rightful King.
When a nation continues without the King, confusion rushes in to take His place. Eventually, anarchy gives way, and tyranny seizes power by force.
Judges 19–21 isn’t just a disturbing story from history—it’s a prophetic mirror held up to our generation. The Benjamites weren’t destroyed by enemies outside—they were brought low by arrogance and refusal to confront wickedness within. And when it was over, there was no victory—only sorrow and loss. No one walked away unscathed.
I believe America is teetering on that same edge. We are witnessing the fruit of years of rebellion ripen—and it’s not beautiful. Those who uphold the law are treated like criminals. Truth is mocked. Morality ridiculed. And tragically, many churches have grown silent or even embraced wickedness.
If our churches and nation don’t repent, we will be left with nothing but broken pieces of what was once great—fragments scattered in the wind, crying out, “How did it come to this?”
The Levite in Judges refused to stay silent after he was nearly violated and his concubine was fatally abused. He sent out divided pieces as a desperate alarm. However, the tribe of Benjamin chose to protect evil rather than confront it.
We face the same choice today. But it doesn’t have to end this way. There is still time. God’s grace is available. If we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from wickedness, He promises to forgive our sins and heal this land. Healing begins with repentance—and repentance always starts with truth.
I know this is a hard word. But it’s spoken in love because God loves this nation deeply, and He loves you. I write not out of anger or frustration but out of urgency and hope—not to divide, but to call us to repentance and courageous action.
The story of Judges is more than history. It’s a warning and a lesson. If you have ears to listen, then listen carefully.
My prayer is that we won’t waste this last opportunity.
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
This ancient story is about a people once called by God who wandered so far from His heart that they no longer recognized good from evil. They defended what should have been condemned, and in the end, they destroyed each other. The story closes not with healing or hope but heartbreak—and a warning that echoes through the centuries:
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25).
That haunting line—“every man did that which was right in his own eyes”—isn’t just how the story ends. It shows up earlier in Judges 17:6, too, like two bookends holding up a collapsing shelf. From beginning to end, it paints a picture of what happens when God’s people push Him aside and try to build a society on their own terms.
The story begins with a Levite and his concubine—two travelers stopping in Gibeah, a town in the tribe of Benjamin, for the evening. This was a place that should have been safe, a part of God’s covenant people. Instead, it had become a den of wickedness. A mob of evil men surrounded the house where they stayed, demanding the unthinkable: they wanted to violate the Levite. In a moment that still breaks my heart, the Levite sacrifices the woman to save himself. He throws her out of the house. She is brutally abused all night and left to die. By morning, the Levite finds her lifeless body at the doorstep. What he does next is beyond belief—he cuts her body into twelve pieces and sends them to all the coasts of Israel as a desperate alarm: Look what we have become!
All of Israel was horrified. Stunned to their core by the horror they’d learned, they rallied for justice. “Hand over the wicked men which are in Gibeah,” they demanded of the tribe of Benjamin. But the tribe of Benjamin refused. Rather than confront the evil among them, they protected them. This refusal divided the nation, and civil war erupted—brothers against brothers, sons of the same people shedding each other’s blood. The cost was staggering. By the end, Benjamin was nearly wiped off the map. Those who refused to punish evil were punished themselves. The land was left in sorrow.
This is what happens when people close their eyes to the truth. When sin is tolerated, justice becomes impossible. When protecting “our own” matters more than honoring Authority, the whole house begins to crumble.
Today, we see echoes of this ancient tragedy unfolding in the United States: different century, different soil—but the same spiritual infirmity. We live in a time when truth is no longer treasured; sin is not only tolerated—it’s defended. Political affiliation often replaces moral conviction. People aren’t asking, “Is this right in God’s eyes?” but, “Does this help my side win?”
One of the clearest examples is at our nation’s borders. For years, we’ve watched them be breached—not just physically but spiritually. I understand the longing for a better life—I’ve worked with the poor and prayed with the desperate. But disorder brings cruelty. Millions have entered illegally—not just undocumented, but unaccountable. While many seek a better life, the chaos of ignoring laws collapses the nation’s structure: jobs are undercut, schools are overcrowded, public services are overwhelmed, housing is strained, and neighborhoods struggle with clashing cultures.
This isn’t about being unkind. It’s about being wise. Compassion must walk hand in hand with truth, or we drift into chaos.
Last November, Americans overwhelmingly voted for new leadership promising to restore order—to enforce immigration laws, protect safety and sovereignty, and remove those who entered illegally. And efforts are underway. But here’s where heartbreak sets in: instead of uniting to fix problems, we’ve plunged deeper into division. People pick sides not based on law or truth but on politics, emotions, and personal agendas.
I’ve watched with sorrow as ICE officers are attacked for doing their jobs. Police face firebombs, and riots erupt nationwide. A generation is growing up thinking it’s noble to break laws and treasonous to enforce them.
This is no path to healing. It’s lawlessness. It’s rebellion, not justice. It’s the same spirit that plagued ancient Israel: everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. When we reject God’s order and authorities, invent our own truths, and treat laws as optional, collapse is near. The tribe of Benjamin learned this the hard way—they chose to protect wickedness and paid dearly in civil war and near annihilation.
How close are we to the same fate? Closer than many realize. America is on the verge of repeating the errors that brought the tribes of Israel to their knees. If we don’t come together to uphold righteous laws, consequences will come faster than expected. This is not merely political turmoil—it is a spiritual crisis eroding the soul of our nation.
What America desperately needs is not more spin or slogans, not political convenience or tribal allegiance. We need biblical moral clarity. We must return to the simple, powerful truth: “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). This ancient wisdom remains true today. If we keep choosing lawlessness over right, protecting what’s unlawful because it benefits our “side,” we aren’t standing for justice—we’re further unraveling the unity of our country.
America doesn’t just need better politics—it requires repentance. We keep chasing new leaders, new policies, and new promises, but none of it will matter if we continue to turn our backs on God’s Holy Bible. The unrest we see isn’t just about immigration or law enforcement. It’s a symptom of a deeper sickness: we have rejected the rightful King.
When a nation continues without the King, confusion rushes in to take His place. Eventually, anarchy gives way, and tyranny seizes power by force.
Judges 19–21 isn’t just a disturbing story from history—it’s a prophetic mirror held up to our generation. The Benjamites weren’t destroyed by enemies outside—they were brought low by arrogance and refusal to confront wickedness within. And when it was over, there was no victory—only sorrow and loss. No one walked away unscathed.
I believe America is teetering on that same edge. We are witnessing the fruit of years of rebellion ripen—and it’s not beautiful. Those who uphold the law are treated like criminals. Truth is mocked. Morality ridiculed. And tragically, many churches have grown silent or even embraced wickedness.
If our churches and nation don’t repent, we will be left with nothing but broken pieces of what was once great—fragments scattered in the wind, crying out, “How did it come to this?”
The Levite in Judges refused to stay silent after he was nearly violated and his concubine was fatally abused. He sent out divided pieces as a desperate alarm. However, the tribe of Benjamin chose to protect evil rather than confront it.
We face the same choice today. But it doesn’t have to end this way. There is still time. God’s grace is available. If we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from wickedness, He promises to forgive our sins and heal this land. Healing begins with repentance—and repentance always starts with truth.
I know this is a hard word. But it’s spoken in love because God loves this nation deeply, and He loves you. I write not out of anger or frustration but out of urgency and hope—not to divide, but to call us to repentance and courageous action.
The story of Judges is more than history. It’s a warning and a lesson. If you have ears to listen, then listen carefully.
My prayer is that we won’t waste this last opportunity.
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
