Die First

I was doing my Bible reading today, and a section of verses stood out to me. To me, it wasn't a moment of repentance, it wasn't a shock of grace, and it wasn't even a breath of love. It was a call to man up. Roll up your sleeves and do what's right -  no matter how it hurts.

The section was in Judges 19, and this is the put-it-in-easy-readin-version. You have to get into the story to get to the point, so bear with me for a second. I go suthrn in moment like these here ones.

There once was a feller - the text doesn't say his name - who went out and got himself a prostitute for a wife. (Ok, I know, not bright. I didn't say he was the hero....)
So, he marries the prostitute, and then she runs away on him and goes to her dad's place.
He decides to talk it out with her, nice and peaceful like, and bring her back. So, he moseys on over, and after talkin it over with her, he and his wife are gonna head on home again. Well, after the dad keeps them there for days longer than he wanted, partying and having a good time, he says they are headed home, and hits the road.
On the way home, they stop the evening in a small town, since it is getting dark.
Well, they camp out in the streets, until an old feller - again with no name - walks up and asks what they are doing. They explain the setup, and the old feller insists they come to his place for the evening. They agree that that sounds mighty nice, and mosey to his place for the evening.
In the middle of dinner, all the town thugs come to the door and pull the Sodom and Gomorrah line. I hope I don't need to tell you what that is.
The old feller says "listen here, I got this here daughter, and this chap got his prostitute. We'll let you chaps have my daughter and his prostitute as long as you leave this poor stranger alone."
The thugs said No-Way-Hosea, (their version of No way Jos-e -  these aren't Mexicans after all), So the fella chucks his wife out to them to make them happy.          
They beat and abuse the girl all night long, and she dies on the doorstep the next morning.

Wow. That was a WAY down-south version of that story, but I do that occasionally. Anyway.

So this is what hit me. This fella with no name, upon the threat of getting messed up in more ways than one, looks at his wife which he just got back, shrugs, and tosses her out to the thugs for their enjoyment and his safety.

Everything manly in me was itching to draw a bead on that jerk and haul that poor gal back in. Or better yet, chuck him out there to eat his own medicine.

It wasn't the right response of course, and I regained my composure to think clearly.

Men, as men, we have a duty to protect women and children (Isaiah 1:17) and I think one of the biggest signs of a degrading culture is when the men hide behind the girls in hopes they will catch the lead instead of them.

We just recently passed the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. When it was going down, we heard the famous line.
"Women and children first."
They were the first to go to safety, and the men, after securing them safely on the lifeboats, died manfully in the cold Atlantic waters.

Nowadays, Muslims set bombs in their women and children to kill men they are to afraid to face, and kill women and children just for the heck of it. They believe taking out the infidel will get them to heaven.

Guys, I have said it before, but it needs to be said again.

It is our duty and our privilege to defend these creatures of God, and chucking them to the thugs or blowing them up is about as far from that as it gets. We need to defend them with our lives. In the Bible, it was the men that went out to war, defending the women and children back at home.


John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

If you have to die that a woman or child might live - do it. It is our manly call - one which far too many don't live up to, or even try.

However, dying for them doesn't happen in a vacuum. One can't shove in front of women in the lunch line on Monday, go through the door first on Wednesday, take the last piece of cake from under a ladies nose on Friday, and then be willing to jump in front of a bullet to save them on Sunday.

We have to deny our own wants, needs, and desires, for them in the small things on a constant and daily basis, if we want to even dream of saving their life at the risk of our own.

We gotta start small.

Opening doors is easy, takes no time, and shows respect to who God has made them. You would be surprised how few guys actually do it. Honestly, it stinks.

Tipping your hat is another great sign of respect and honor NOBODY does. I love it and use it a lot.

How about when it starts to hurt though? Give them that (ouch....) last piece of fried chicken. *wince* Let them go through the lunch line first. Help that little lady even thought you are running late to work.

And yes, I have blown it here. Putting ladies safety first doesn't come easy when your first instinct is to jump ship. I remember one time in particular I jumped a fence to get away from a hive of rather cranky bees - with a lady in a skirt who couldn't hop the fence on the other side. Oooh, that one hurt. She merely went around through a gate and was perfectly safe, but ohh boy did I blow it.

It takes work, and hard work at that to make it a habit to get women and children safe, happy and healthy before you are - but it's worth it.

We have to be willing to do what it takes to protect these beautiful creations of God, even if it means you die so they live. Jesus died for his bride - a girl, if you will.

How can we guys do any less?