Right in Your Own Eyes Judges 1-21

Have you heard the story about the parents who were giving their kids a vivid object lesson about keeping out evil and not allowing in even the littlest thing? The mother baked a delicious looking cake and served it for dessert. As she placed it on the table the kids were eager to have a slice of the yummy looking treat. The father asked them to wait before they indulged themselves. He explained that he had asked their mother to bake the cake with just a teaspoon of dirt. He told them, "Recently you have been adding in a little bit of the world through the TV shows you watch and the friends you keep. I didn't think you would mind if I added in a little bit of the world into your cake. It looks perfect on the outside; it must be fine." The children quickly recognized that they did not want to eat the polluted cake and their dad's point was made. They were polluting their whole lives by the small things they were allowing in.

Our reading of Judges reminded me of the parent's concerns in this story. These parents knew that "a little bit of sin would leaven the whole lump." This very thing happened to Israel over and over again. Initially after Joshua died, they disobeyed God's laws just a little bit. In chapter 2 God makes the following statement and question:

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? (v 2:2)

The children of Israel hadn't chosen to totally forsake Yahweh, but they hadn't chosen to fully obey Him either. They thought they would be fine by breaking some of the laws. However, their lack of respect for all of the law led them down a slippery slope and they ended up in a horrible state. God's response to their sin and lack of repentance was strong and direct.

And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not harkened unto my voice: I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. (v 2:20-22)

"The book of Judges stands in stark contrast to Joshua. In Joshua an obedient people conquered the land through trust in the power of God. In Judges, however, a disobedient and idolatrous people are defeated time and time again because of their rebellion against God.

In seven distinct cycles of sin to salvation, Judges shows how Israel set aside God's law and in its place substituted "that which was right in his own eyes" (21:25). The recurring result of abandonment from God's law is corruption from within and oppression from without. During the nearly four centuries spanned by this book, God raises up military champions to throw off the yoke of bondage and to restore the nation to pure worship. but all too soon the "sin cycle" begins again as the nation's spiritual temperature grows steadily colder."

The Open Bible - KJV - Thomas Nelson

Let me repeat part of that quote from The Open Bible... "The recurring result of abandonment from God's law is corruption from within and oppression from without." The people of Israel did that which was right in their own eyes. They were not looking toward God for guidance or fulfillment. Their hopes rested on things of this world and not the Word of God.

We live in a society much like theirs. God's Word and prayer has been taken out of our schools. Christians don't even show up for church. Authentic worship has been compromised by the prosperity gospel and legalism. It could accurately be said of us that every man does what is right in his own eyes. It is easy to see that we have suffered from the effects for corruption from withing and oppression from without. Our nation has suffered at the hands of people trying to destroy our families, our health, our education, our financial stability, and the list goes on.

But let us not be without hope for our Lord is merciful to forgive us of our sins and is greater than he that is in the world. As the world around us seems to be one huge dumpster fire, let us fight the enemy with our greatest weapons of warfare: praise and worship.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 42:11