The Saviour who died then rose up from death three days later, to take his rightful place as King on the heavenly throne and pour out his Holy Spirit. Why? That out of love, he might sanctify [his bride], having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish
(Ephesians 5:26). Judges 19:1–30 is not the end of the story, because of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Saviour, and King. He gave up his life for his church. And he is now sanctifying us, cleansing us of our sins, washing us in his Word. In order that he might present the church to himself, not as vile offenders, idolaters, murderers, or for that matter as victims, but as those in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Whole in Christ Jesus. Any hope we have for holiness, for progress, for a future, is in Christ alone, who has given the church his Spirit.
1 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.