Right in His Own Eyes

The book of Judges has an ending that speaks to me. Samson, the last judge of Israel, dies in chapter 16. For the rest of the book there seems to be no central leader for the nation. Three times in chapters 17-21 we are told that "there is no king in Israel" (Judges 17.6, 19.1, 21.25). I just thought of this, but that might also mean that they didn't acknowledge God as their king. Based on the events of the last five chapters I think that's a pretty safe assumption.

God's system of government was with Him as King, prophets to communicate His will to the people, and priests to communicate the people to God. The priests were from the tribe of Levi. They had the responsibility to serve before the Lord and offer sacrifices. And the final chapters of Judges revolve around the stories and influence of two Levites.

The people are not looking to God, and there is no leader pointing them back to God, and so every one is doing what is right in his own eyes. A man named Micah returns silver that he stole from his mother. She then dedicates it to God for her son to make an idol out of. He has the idol made, then constructs a shrine and priestly instruments for worship, and consecrates one of his sons as a priest. It seems that they had a genuine desire to worship and follow God, but since there was no leader they did what was right in their own eyes.

Then a Levite is traveling from Bethlehem to the hill country of Ephraim and comes to the house of Micah. Micah asks the Levite to be his priest to serve before the idol, and when he agrees Micah believes that God will prosper him because he has a Levite, one who was set apart by God to serve as a priest, serving as his own priest.

Because no one was there to point to God, to point to truth, the people do what they think is right, and worship God how they see fit. The truth has been corrupted and twisted, and because there is no godly leadership, the people continue to fall further away from God as they try in their own way to get closer to Him.

From there it gets worse. men from the tribe of Dan are looking for a new place to live, and they find out about Micah's idol through the Levite. They come back in force, preparing to take a city, and end up taking the idol and have the Levite come and serve as the priest of the city they take. Now it is not simply a single family that is led astray, but an entire city. All because there is no leader pointing the people back to the truth of God.

The first Levite failed in His sacred duty. Rather than leading the people back to true and genuine worship of God, he aids in their idolatry, helping them go further astray. Enter Levite number two.

This Levite is from the hill country of Ephraim and is going to Bethlehem to bring back his concubine. On the return journey they are in a city called Gibeah staying in the public square when an older man invites them into his home. The men of the city learn of the traveler and pound on the man's door wanting to have relations with the Levite.

In Middle Eastern culture, hospitality is viewed very highly. The man refuses to give up his guest and urges the men of the city to not act wickedly. He offers them his own daughter and the Levites concubine. They refuse, but the text says that the man grabs the concubine and gives her to the men who rape and abuse her all night, and in the morning she dies.

The Levite takes her body to his home and then cuts her into twelve pieces and send them throughout Israel. The people are appalled, "All who saw it said, 'Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and speak up!'" (Judges 19.30). The rest of the nation goes to war against the tribe of Benjamin, the ones who committed this act. And at the end of the war thousands of men are dead, and the tribe of Benjamin has been nearly wiped out. In order to save the tribe the rest of the nation has them intermarry with the women of Shiloh, something God had forbidden.

The second Levite also fails in his duty. Rather than pointing the people back to the truth of God, he takes matters into his own hands and brings about a civil war that nearly destroys a tribe of God's chosen people. The book ends with these words, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21.25).

With no leadership people are left to do what seems right to them. Without godly leadership the people stray farther and farther from God, and even their attempts to get closer to God lead them farther away. Twice in the book of Proverbs it says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (14.22, 16.25). And we see that truth clearly displayed here, decades before it was written.

Godly leadership is crucial, because without it people are left to their own devices to do whatever seems right to them. My mind thinks to the movie The Patriot where General Cornwallis says, "imagine the utter chaos that would follow from leaderless armies having at each other. There must be gentlemen in command to lead and, and, and when necessary, restrain their men."

Look at where the world is. There isn't much godly leadership, and so many people do what is right in their own eyes, and we are walking down a path leading to destruction. There is so much truth that has been corrupted and twisted, (how much of it by well intentioned people?) and so much damage that is being done because people are not being pointed back to God by leadership.

Leadership is a sacred duty entrusted to us by God. "For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God" (Romans 13.1b). If God has given you ability to lead He will give you a position to lead. Take the responsibility and duty seriously. Seek God constantly, pour yourself into the truth contextually, and lead the people God has entrusted you with into His path of Righteousness.

God is King, and we must do what is right in His eyes. Our path leads to destruction, but His leads to eternal life.

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you