In those days there was no king in Israel

“In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 17:6

The last five chapters of Judges are filled with chaotic and vile behavior on a national level...racism, misogyny, bigotry, idolatry, rape, murder, human butcheries and wars of vengeance. And remarkably, these are God’s chosen people!

Sounds like America today...

One of the incidents in these chapters reveals how debauched people can become when all inhibitions are removed. A Levite (Assistant to a priest) was traveling through Israel and stopped for the night in Gibeah. As was the custom, he and his party were invited to stay at the home of a local resident. They were relaxed and enjoying themselves when a gang of local hell-raisers surrounded the house and started pounding on the door. They yelled for the owner of the house, the old man, “Bring out the man who came to your house. We want to have sex with him.” He went out and told them, “No, brothers! Don’t be obscene—this man is my guest.”  But the men wouldn’t listen to him. Finally, the Levite pushed his mistress out the door to them. They raped her repeatedly all night long. Just before dawn they let her go. The woman came back and fell at the door of the house where her master was sleeping. When the sun rose her master got up and opened the door to continue his journey. There she was, crumpled in a heap at the door, her hands on the threshold...dead. He lifted her onto his donkey and set out for home. When he got home he took a knife and dismembered her—cut her into twelve pieces. He sent her, piece by piece, throughout the country of Israel.

Well...when there is no king everybody does as they see fit in their own eyes.

Attila was the ruler of the Huns from 434 to 453. He was considered one of history`s greatest villains. In much of Western Europe, he is remembered as the epitome of cruelty. Yet, it has been said, a young virgin could walk alone throughout his kingdom...with a bag of gold...and not worry about being harmed. Atilla’s sense retributive justice was that sure and swift. Without dismissing the king’s venal personal behavior, we witness the change in behavior when a powerful ruler demands obeisance.

We don’t have a king...

Yet, as people of faith, we do have a King. All hail, King Jesus! We recognize His spiritual kingdom today, within us, and anticipate His coming earthly reign. The Apostle Paul reminds us  “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, as though they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:17-21

You and I live under a different set of rules. These rules are levied on us by our King to show the citizens of this world a better way...a way to peace with God and eternal life. We may be ridiculed. We may be abused but, we don’t get to do what is right in our own eyes. 

Live boldly out there today...