“In those days there was no king in
Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)
This is the depressing end to the book
of Judges. Depressing, but not surprising. No sooner is Israel settling into
the Promised Land than they are turning from God’s ways and falling into sin.
The Judges were to bring the people back to God, but the chorus of this book is
that Israel again does what is evil in the sight of the Lord. Having heard that
phrase, in the sight of the Lord, so many times, it is then so fitting to close
the book, “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”
Many times over God has shown them how
He sees things. He urges them to live according to His ways, to do what is
right in God’s eyes. But continually they instead do what is right in their
eyes, according to how they see things…
We need God’s Word, prayer, and other
followers of Christ to speak truth to us. We are not equipped to be our own
judges. If everyone is left alone to decide for themselves what is right and
what is the truth for them, we find ourselves with the people of Judges. Rather
we should seek to see things through the eyes of God. We should seek to do what
He says is right, even if the world around us thinks us foolish.
-- Casey R. Clark, from
his “Year in the Bible” blog
#4052
