The Results of a Pastor Who Strays from God’s Word | Judges 19:1-3

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Our text today is Judges 19:1-3.

This isn’t just another story—it’s a wake-up call. The Levite’s failure reminds us how quickly spiritual leaders can drift from conviction to compromise. God is looking for men and women who will not only know His Word but live it, defend it, and pass it on with courage.

In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. And his concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father's house. And when the girl's father saw him, he came with joy to meet him. — Judges 19:1-3

By the time we reach Judges 19, Israel has plunged to its lowest point. Even the Levites—men once set apart to teach and guard God’s law—no longer remember it. The opening line says it all: “There was no king in Israel.” In other words, there was no authority, no truth, no standard—only self-rule.

Here stands a Levite, a man supposed to model holiness. Instead, he takes a concubine—a live-in girlfriend with marital benefits but no covenant commitment. She betrays him, runs home, and after months apart, he decides he wants her back. The relationship is dysfunctional from every direction. But the greater tragedy is this: a priest who should lead God’s people can’t even lead himself.

That’s the climate of moral collapse—when spiritual leaders trade holiness for cultural conventions, then the nation no longer knows what righteousness looks like.

We live in the same era of moral relativism—everyone doing what seems right in their own eyes. Churches ordain what God calls sin. Pulpits preach self-esteem instead of repentance. Pastors chase applause over truth. But notice they still wear the robes, carry the titles, build buildings, and quote a few verses—but like this Levite, they’ve abandoned the covenant.

And the result? Confused believers. Compromised faith. A generation that can no longer tell the difference between God’s truth and cultural tolerance.

We’ve come a long way from Joshua’s bold declaration—“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Now we say, “As for me and the truth, we’ll do what feels right.”

When leaders forget the Word, the people follow their feelings. And when that happens, nations collapse from the inside long before enemies ever invade.

The Levite’s story isn’t just a scandal—it’s a warning shot and a challenge. When God’s people drift from His Word, it’s not enough to simply shake our heads—we must act. Step up where he stepped back. Lead where he lacked courage. Recommit to Scripture in your home, your marriage, your circle of influence. Because when we return to God’s Word, broken relationships can be healed, leadership restored, and love redeemed.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have you seen “moral relativism” creep into the church?
2. Have you traded biblical truth for cultural comfort in any area of life?
3. What voices in your life hold you accountable to Scripture?
4. How can you encourage your pastor—or yourself—to stand firm on truth this week?

DO THIS:

• Pray daily for pastors and leaders to preach truth with courage and clarity.
• Recommit to reading Scripture before social media or news; make God’s Word your authority again.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, reignite conviction in Your people. Make us builders of truth and defenders of faith. Give us courage to lead boldly where others have drifted, and help us restore what weak leadership has lost. Commission us to act—not just believe—so that Your Word defines every choice we make. Amen.

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“Come to the Altar.”