Israel Defeated by Satan

Today's passage deals with the tragic events that befell a Levite and his concubine in the time of the judges. The Levite, who should have proclaimed the word in God's place and been in charge of the sacrifices, fell into sexual corruption, and as he collapsed, his wife also committed the same sin and in the end met a miserable death. This incident goes beyond one person's moral failure; it shows what came of the whole people of Israel abandoning God's order and giving in to Satan's temptation.

The sermon points out that this corruption has its roots in Satan's relentless attacks and in believers failing to stay awake. Through media, culture and more, Satan distorts the idea of sex and fosters a culture that makes light of life, causing believers to live crooked lives, like a shirt buttoned wrong from the very first button. In particular, once the Levites and leaders, who should have been armed with the Word, collapsed, the people sank into a state where they could no longer tell good from evil.

Through this lesson from history, our church and its members today must reflect on where we stand. As the world's laws and morals crumble, the sermon asks whether believers can protect themselves and become 'magnets' that bring their neighbors to salvation, or whether they have fallen for Satan's strategy and are simply standing by.