Everyone Did as He Saw Fit

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. (Judges 17:6, NIV 1984).

My Musings – Imagine a society where “everyone did as he saw fit.” A society where what might be right for you is not right for me. Some might say that is our society today. Who then is to say what is evil and what is good? Such a society is one that begs for a moral standard that is absolute and unchanging. A perfectly straight plumbline by which others can be measured.

And that is exactly what God handed down to Moses. For, “the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” (Psalm 19:7-8, NIV 1984). Perfect, trustworthy, right, and radiant. And that is exactly what Israel rejected then, and many are rejecting today.

“The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel the Lord handed them over to raiders who plundered them. They were in great distress.” (Judges 2:11-14a, 15, NIV 1984). Baal, Ashtoreths and various other “gods” Which really were not gods at all. At best mere superstitions, at worst demons (fallen angels).

I am sure that doing whatever “[they] saw fit,” included a number of other sins. But serving these other s0-called “gods” violated the first and greatest commandment. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38, NIV 1984). And where everyone does as they see fit, there is bound to be transgressions against one another, with no love lost. “And the second [commandment] is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39, NIV 1984). And the clincher? “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:40, NIV 1984). With nothing left to hang onto, they all fall.

My Advice – All was not lost. “Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders…for the Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.” (Judges 2:16, 18, NIV 1984). God deals with His children’s disobedience. But “[He] will not accuse forever, nor will [He] always be angry… [He] will heal [them]; [He] will guide [them] and restore comfort to [them].” (Isaiah 57:16, 18, NIV 1984). He will not leave us where we wander. He will guide His children back to the path of righteousness from which they strayed. Restored to a place of comfort, back in relationship with Him. Better to stay on that straight path to begin with.