The story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19 illustrates the darkness and lawlessness of the time when "everyone did what was right in their own eyes." A Levite was traveling with his concubine when they stopped for the night in the town of Gibeah. An old man took them into his home, but soon a violent mob surrounded the house demanding to have relations with the Levite. In a cowardly act, the Levite pushed his concubine outside.

In the morning, the Levite found the concubine at the doorstep. He callously put her on a donkey and took her home.

This event rallied the tribes of Israel for justice. They came together to punish Gibeah for their wickedness, nearly wiping out the entire tribe of Benjamin who defended Gibeah's sin.

The Levite's and his concubine and the civil war that followed reveal the darkness of those times. Yet God still worked to punish evil and raise up judges and kings who would lead Israel. This story reminds us that godlessness destroys lives and communities, while obedience to God brings light into the darkness.