Journey with Della

Some parts of Scripture leave us shaken. Judges 19 to 21 is one such portion. The evil described is almost too horrific to retell. And yet, we must sit with it—not to sensationalize, but to understand how far a people can fall when they turn away from God.

Turning away from God: The Root of the Chaos

At the heart of the darkness in these chapters lies a deep failure: Israel’s inability to remain faithful to God. Evil had spread across the land, but if even a handful of people had chosen selflessness over self-preservation, thousands of innocent lives might have been spared.

Consider the Levite in Judges 19.

His actions are appalling—but look deeper, and you’ll see the thread of selfishness running through every decision:

Each step reveals a man consumed by self-interest, not one moved by love or justice. I read something like this and my gut reaction is to be appalled by his self-absorption. But am I that different from him?

The tragedy is compounded when the rest of Israel responds in kind—fueling a civil war marked by unchecked anger, vengeance, and staggering loss. No one stops to ask: What are the consequences of my actions?

And this from a people who had experienced God’s faithful, self-giving love firsthand (Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 7:7–9).

It’s easy to point fingers, but are we any different?

We’d like to believe that being Christian means we’re free from self-centeredness. But the truth is, this same self-focus often breaks our relationships with God and with each other.

So ask yourself: How consumed are you with yourself?

Serving Self: The Collapse of Community

These chapters also illustrate a sobering truth: we cannot love others well unless we love God first.

The horrors committed here weren’t the work of outsiders. They were carried out by fellow Israelites—members of the same covenant community. This is the first recorded civil war in Israel’s history (Judges 20), and it is devastating.

It’s one thing to be attacked by an enemy. But when brothers turn against brothers, when those who should be united by purpose, heart, and worship become each other’s enemies, the depths of evil reached are unthinkable.

Reading this may stir discomfort, even disbelief. But here’s a necessary reminder: just because something is written in the Bible doesn’t mean God endorses it. These stories are recorded to reveal what our hearts are capable of when we abandon God’s ways.

You might say, I could never do that.

But Scripture warns us:

“Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Are you aware of what your heart is capable of under pressure?

The Love Barometer: Do You Care Enough?

To love sacrificially is to not only believe the truth but to care deeply about preserving it. Evil is not stopped by those who merely know right from wrong. It is stopped by those who take responsibility for helping good prevail (Romans 12:21).

So let’s end with a challenge:

How much do you care about the prevalence of good in your community?

Are you willing to act, to speak, to sacrifice, so that love—not self—sits on the throne of your heart?