We’re 3 chapters short of finishing our series on the book of Judges. We finally read what really sums the book up quite well (though it’s certainly debated). That is that, “In those days there was no king in Israel, and every one did what was right in his own eyes.” The statement is a big, fat, juicy, slap in the face. It practically leaps off the pages calling our attention to everything that’s happened, which we’ve just read.
That Moses and Joshua were dead. No one picked the mantle of leadership up for good, after them. And the nation is in the promised land, and immediately begins to, surprise, surprise, disobey and rebell. Rather than clear out the idolatrous nations, they became quite cozy with them. And the cozier they were in Canaan, the more they began to look like those nations, which of course God’s point all along. So God begins to give them over into their hands. Israel becomes oppressed, but as of yet still cries out to God for a deliverer. God hears, relents, and raises a deliverer to yank the yoke of slavery off of His people. Soon, they return to their old ways, and the next time is inevitably worse than the last.
Finally we get to the last account of the Judges, who were deliverers. We read of Samson. Without rehashing the details, Samson from beginning to end follows his eyes wherever they lead him. Typically to dangerous women. Finally he meets one who gets the better of him, and he’s enslaved. While in slavery, the man who follows the passions of his eyes, has them gouged out, so that he’s now bling. It’s a symptom, right? A sympton of the nation he is representing. The point becomes, the more you follow the passions of your eyes, the more blind you will actually become.
Now as we look at the end of the book, we find that the whole thing has spread to a place of complete corruption. Corruption in the household. Corruption in the priesthood. Corruption in the tribes. And corruption in the whole of the nation.
And after the Samson narrative about spiritual blindness, we find the phrase, “There was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” At that point, there’s no reference to following YAHWEH. It’s all self seeking, abhorrent, degenerative actions that reveal that their hearts are truly far from God. How will the whole thing end? We find out in 3 weeks. If you’ve sat through this series, I’d love to know what things really stuck out to you? I want to go application, but my content filter is about to cut me off in a few minutes. So I’ll leave it for another post.
2 Comments
September 2, 2008 at 10:07 am
It is easy to become corrupted as God’s people and as God’s minister. Allowing the culture around us and our passions to rule rather than God is idolatry. I wonder how many eyes will have to be gouged out before the church wakes up and seeks hard after God?
I’ve been preaching through I Peter and I am struck at how many times we are reminded to be seperated. . . to be holy. I have to remind myself, as a pastor, that I cannot become entrenched in the culture I love so much even though much of it is good. Seeking after God more than I seek, even my love for the rural church, has been a great struggle for me.
Thanks for the post. It has been a good reminder for me today to be careful what I love.
September 2, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Thanks Mike. Yeah, much of the past two Sundays has been about the corrupt priesthood. A Levite who’s bought by the highest bidder, angling for the best position. Don’t think that’s not convicting! I will be moving to 1 Peter as well, either on Sunday morning or evening. If you stop back by, let me know what resources you’ve been using.
I know what you mean with the idea of being devoted to even a God given passion MORE than the God who gave you the passion. Later.