A Judges 21:25 World

Recently, in one of my study sessions, I came across a verse that I haven’t read in a while but perfectly captures the way our culture behaves. The verse happens to be the very last verse in the Book of Judges. It says: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Now, without painting with too broad of a stroke, I don’t think it’s difficult for us to imagine how applicable this is in our day. Because lawlessness abounds in our lands, many – if not most – feel that they are free to think, act, and behave any way they want. Metaphorically speaking, there is no “king” in our land to affirm truth, morality, and justice. Therefore, everyone defines them according to their own sets of truth, morality, and justice.
Now, to be sure, this condition takes place in the heart. Our nation does have its own set of laws, morality and truth that have been largely guided by the Bible for hundreds of years. So, in a sense, there has been a “king in the land” that has informed the heart what is true, right, and noble. But as these erode, so too does their standing in our hearts. What I mean is, as God’s Word fails to be hidden in our hearts, it gets replaced with other things: ideology, philosophy, or lies. Once that happens, truth, morality, and justice become subjective, and the individual is “free” to do what is right in their own eyes.
This is the current situation in America. We’re in a Judges 21:25 scenario. Americans, in general, have become so fundamentally ignorant of the Bible that we cannot effectively define what is true; we cannot agree on what is moral; we cannot execute our own justice. Rather, husbands, wives, children, churches, communities, judges, politicians, etc. now act, think, and behave according to their own understanding, persuasion, and belief. Thus, what has befallen us is a societal nightmare.
Biblically, the reason this happens is because God created humans with the innate desire to place something on the throne of our hearts to rule. Ideally, God is the only One who can rightly, morally, and justly rule as King. However, if He is not placed there, then something else is: self, money, ideology, idolatry, etc. When these latter things rule, chaos ensues, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes.
All is not lost, however. The Book of Judges ends with despair, but God had a plan to establish a King who would rule over the House of Israel forever. Temporarily, He anointed Saul, David, Solomon, and so on to rule until His plan was fully realized. Eternally, however, Jesus is God’s plan to rule over His people; and any heart, home, church, community, and nation that allows Jesus to rule will be blessed.
This is where the trend is starting to swing back in our lands. People are tired of subjectivity and desirous of certainty, objectivity, and truth. They’re tired of chaos and want clarity. They’re sick of injustice and want peace. Young people are beginning to return to the Lord – especially young men. Tradition and truth are becoming popular again, and Jesus is being sought as the answer to our societal woes. Praise God for this! May our nation receive the blessing of the Lord for seeking Him aside from what is right in our own eyes!
Blessings,
Bro. Ben