The Bible Edge
Random Thoughts of a Spiritual Nature II
Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
The book of Judges starts with the story of Israel asking the Lord for direction concerning their upcoming battle with the Canaanites, but the very last verse of the book states that there was no king in the nation, therefore every man did that which was right in his own eyes. This is a commentary on the sad state of affairs in Israel.
At the beginning of Judges, God was their leader and they had to know what God wanted just to survive. Yet, at the end of the book there is no leader, not even God. How sad!
It is a sad commentary on any community, whether it is a nation, church, or home, when every person only does that which is right in their own eyes. You see, everybody’s eyes tell a different story. Based on upbringing, personal experiences, biases, and culture, everybody has a unique way of looking at things.
God originated the idea of authority, and He is an authoritative God. He has given us His book as the final rule of all faith and practice that should guide the decisions of our life. Since we live in a free nation, we can choose to live within the God appointed authority of our lives. Sometimes the authority sees things different than we do with our eyes. It’s at such times that our faith guides us to obey authority.
Perhaps if we acted more like Israel in chapter one, praying to God, rather than acting like Israel in chapter twenty-one, only doing that which is right in our own lives, we would see more blessings of God. Just a thought.
William T. Howe, Ph.D.
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