Read first: Puzzling Passages Made Plain: Tossed to the Depraved

Puzzling Passages Made Plain: The Levite and His Concubine – Part 1

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Connection Lesson

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (Literal Translation) In part, indeed, we know, and in part, we prophesy. When, on the other hand, the completion comes, the “in part” will be abolished.

When one examines the Tanakh and the New Pact (NT) very closely, the mind starts to build bridges connecting the two together. These bridges intersect each other and develop into an intricate map. As the number of persons involved over time increases (i.e. Israel – the man, to Israel – the people), the tales and lessons are no longer linear, but multi-dimensional, reaching out to us from the Father’s realm. To analyze Scripture this way, we look at a single point, for example, salvation, and see the concepts connected to it and the other concepts that connect to those linked to salvation.

Warrior→ Priest → Prophet → Jesus
↑             ↑               ↑
Yeshua or Yahshua (Jesus) – God saves
↑
Hebrew – teshuah – deliverance
↑
Hebrew – yasha – to deliver
↑
SALVATION
↓
Atonement – to cover over
↓
Skins to cover man’s nakedness
↓
Sacrifice – to give a life to spare (cover) another’s
↓
Abel’s sacrifice accepted
↓
Clean animals sacrificed
↓
Passover
↓
Sprinkled Israelites with blood
↓
Tabernacle/Temple
↓
Jesus’ sacrifice

Notice a trend here? Everything points to Jesus. Is it true for this tale?

Mirror Images

1 Corinthians 13:12 (Literal Translation) We see indeed right now, into a [distorted, polished bronze] mirror in a riddle, [soon] then however [we shall see] face to face; right now, I know from part; [soon] then however, I shall know, as also I have been fully known [by God].

The passage above typifies the normal view of Scripture until the Holy Spirit unveils a hidden or forgotten interpretation. How do we know if the interpretation is true? The Holy Spirit will only reveal things that give YHWH and His Son the glory with collaborating verses (the Law of Two or Three Witnesses). In addition, the markers pointing to Yeshua may not be in linear order. The future events in Genesis 3:15 are not in order, for example, and Saul, a Benjamite, became king before David, a Judean, did.

The following “distorted mirrors” in the tale aimed at Yeshua’s life and ministry, plus the result:

Mirror: She agreed to be a concubine.
Fruition: The Word agreed to become profane flesh – man is the most unclean creature.

Mirror: The concubine is from Bethlehem in Judah.
Fruition: Jesus is from Bethlehem in Judah.

Mirror: She left the Levite and returned to her father’s house.
Fruition: The Word left the Will and became the Son of Man (part of the world, a mortal) and Son of David [part of a bloodline or house (family)].

Mirror: Foreigners rule Jerusalem.
Fruition: Foreigners rule Jerusalem.

Mirror: The young male servant (the flesh) wants the easy, tangible way.
Fruition: Peter and the disciples wanted the easy, tangible way: Matthew 17:4 (Mark 9:5, Luke 9:33), Matthew 16:23 (Mark 8:33, Luke 4:8), Matthew 8:25 (Mark 4:38, Luke 8:24), etc.

Mirror: “We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel…”
Fruition: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Mirror: By divine providence, the old man saw travelers in need and cared for them.
Fruition: By divine providence, Jesus and the disciples celebrated Passover.

Mirror: They washed their feet, ate, drank and made their hearts merry before she died.
Fruition: They washed their feet, ate, and drank at Yeshua’s Last Passover.

Mirror: The Levite offered his concubine to save every in the house.
Fruition: The Father offered His Son to save us.

Mirror: She did not want to be sacrificed.
Fruition: Jesus did not want to be sacrificed, “…not My will, but Yours be done.” Matthew 26:39, Matthew 26:42, Mark 14:36

Mirror: And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning.
Fruition: He became sin, though innocent, and it killed Him within three hours; the goat sacrificed on the altar; His crucifixion by those in ignorance (darkness).

Mirror: The woman died at the threshold.
Fruition: Jesus, the Door (John 10:7, John 10:9, John 14:6), died on the threshold to the Kingdom.

Mirror: Her hands were on the threshold.
Fruition: “It (My work in flesh) is finished.”

Mirror: The Levite puts her body (the sacrifice) on a donkey to take home.
Fruition: Jesus, the Word of God, Yah’s sacrifice, rides on a donkey to the Temple.

Mirror: The woman’s body cut into 12 pieces.
Fruition: “Here is My body broken for you.” The Word divided and fed to the 12 apostles (including Paul, since Judas left). See John 6:13, Matthew 14:20.

Mirror: The bloody pieces spread through Israel.
Fruition: The Word became flesh; “My flesh [Word] is true food, my blood [life], true drink”; “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Mirror: And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel…”
Fruition: The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” See Mark 2:12.

In Judges 21, another mirror image springs to life:

Mirror: Israel forces the Benjamites to wed foreign women.
Fruition: Paul, a Benjamite, spreads the Word to foreigners. See 2 Corinthians 11:2.

Prophetic Layer #3

Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Luke 15:24 “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

Romans 6:5 For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. See 2 Corinthians 4:10, Ephesians 2:5, Philippians 3:10, Colossians 2:12, Colossians 3:1.

Ultimately, whatever happened to Yeshua will happen to us in some form. We, the called-out ones, are now the concubine and He came down from a high place (symbolized by Mt. Ephraim) to receive us. Although betrothed to Christ, we are willing to accept a lowly position (take crumbs from the Master’s table, become a bondservant rather than a free woman, poor in spirit, etc.)

“Foreigners” now rule physical Jerusalem, split between Jews and Muslims who refuse to see Yeshua as King and Messiah.

We sometimes accept false doctrine or get distracted, placing ourselves into a man-derived, Christian worldview, rather than a Christ-centered, heavenly view, which is supernatural. He woos us away from the comforts of what we know. Grace covers us during the transition.

Eventually, we sojourn with Him, but our flesh still wants what it wants. He corrects us and gives us moments of recovery. We learn that the world, including those who profess Christ as Lord and Savior, may not love or care for us. In those times, we must trust in Him for all that we need, even if we are capable of caring for ourselves. We allow Him to clean us up, eat and drink whatever He gives us, rejoicing and glorifying in what He does.

He uses creation to test our faith and destroy our self-focus. In turn, we must be willing to sacrifice everything we hold dear: family, job, wealth, dreams, interests, and even our very lives to serve Him and rescue others. When we die to self, our efforts also die, changing us into vessels ready for His use. Although imperfect, we deliver to the world the pieces of Himself He recreated us to be. The creation has been, should be and will be astonished at the spiritual power and authority of the called-out ones, even in the face of adversity.

In summary:

You are the concubine (the tainted soul).
You will run to either the Father’s will or the world.
You either are a foreigner in the world, or desire the world’s affection.
You will either embrace the Refiner’s fire, or be lukewarm (take the easy, physical way).
You will either rejoice with Him no matter what, or show Him your back.
You will be broken (sacrificed) so others can be fed His Word and Will through you.
You will become a new person by His process, not your own.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.