learning DAILY

Judges 21:25, In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

Joshua was given the task of driving out the inhabitants of Canaan and divide the land between the twelve tribes of Israel.  The book of Joshua tells the events of entering the land of Canaan, the conquest of the land, the dividing of the land, and the beginning of life there under God.  

Joshua completed his task and then died.  The people had no leader and evidently did not train their children in the ways of the Lord (see Proverbs 22:6).  Judges 2:11-12, “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals; and forsook the Lord God of their fathers … and they provoked the Lord to anger.”  A pattern developed where the people forgot God, failed to drive out the inhabitants of the land as God had commanded, began to worship foreign gods, eventually cried to God for deliverance, He raised up a judge to defeat the oppressors, and peace was restored. Then the cycle began again.

The last statement in Judges (21:25) that during the time of Judges, the Israelites ignored God’s standards and did what was right in their own judgment.  There was no human king at this time to lead the Israelite people.  God was to be their King, the One the people looked to for guidance, protection, and to provide for their needs.  Instead they looked to be like those they were to drive out of the land.  I believe God is no longer welcome in this country by many people.

“Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”  This statement certainly fits into life in 21^st century America!  Pastor and writer, Tim Keller, tells of a comment overheard being expressed about Christianity, “A one-truth-fits-all approach is just too confining.  The Christians I know don’t seem to have the freedom to think for themselves.   Believe each individual must determine truth for him or herself.”  Not only is God no longer wanted as “King in America”, everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes and people are determining what is right and wrong for themselves.  The result is calling evil good and good evil.

Look at this country today.  Culture used to be centered on the family unit; today it is centered around the individual.  When this happened, the family began to become less important.  The individual has become king and has begun to establish their own values and to determine what is right in their own eyes.  For example, “I am a good person because I have not killed anybody” has become the determining factor of who is good or not.

 As we have seen in the last few weeks, human thoughts and opinions of what is right do not usually end well.  To make our opinions rather than God’s Word the guide for our lives is really rebellion against Him.  Let’s be honest.  This attitude is growing daily.  Can we honestly expect God to ignore this much longer?

The stage was set for a change.  God was about to give Israel what the people wanted.

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