Day 70 - When Everyone Does What Is Right in Their Own Eyes: A Society Without God’s Leadership

Welcome to Day 70 of The Glory Team Bible Reading plan and we are ending the book of Judges. In Chapters 18-21, are the final chapters of Judges that paint a dark picture of Israel’s moral and spiritual decline when they lived without God’s leadership. The tribe of Dan, rather than trusting in God's provision, steals idols and a priest, establishing their own corrupt form of worship (Judges 18). Judges 19 recounts a horrifying act of violence that exposes the deep moral decay in Israel. This sin leads to civil war in Judges 20, where the tribe of Benjamin is nearly wiped out. In Judges 21, the Israelites attempt to fix their mistakes through human reasoning instead of seeking God's wisdom, leading to further compromise. These chapters serve as a sobering reminder of what happens when people abandon God’s authority and follow their own ways, resulting in chaos, injustice, and suffering.

Judges Chapter 18: The tribe of Dan struggles to secure the land God originally allotted to them and instead chooses to take land by force. Rather than trusting in God’s plan, they send spies to seek out a new home, eventually targeting the unsuspecting town of Laish. On their way, they encounter a Levite priest serving in the house of Micah, a man who had created his own form of worship with idols. The Danites steal Micah’s idols and convince the Levite to become their priest, setting up a corrupt and unauthorized system of worship. This chapter reveals how easily people can justify idolatry and compromise when they prioritize personal gain over obedience to God. The Danites’ actions foreshadow the growing spiritual corruption in Israel, as they establish a priesthood not rooted in God’s commands but in convenience and self-interest.

Judges Chapter 19: One of the most disturbing stories in the Bible, Judges 19 exposes the moral collapse of Israel. A Levite travels to retrieve his concubine, who had fled to her father’s house. On their journey home, they stay in Gibeah, a city of the Benjamites. That night, wicked men surround the house, demanding to assault the Levite. Instead, the concubine is handed over to them, and she suffers a brutal night of abuse, leading to her death. In response, the Levite dismembers her body and sends the pieces throughout Israel as a call to action. This chapter highlights the depth of depravity in Israel, where people were no longer living by God’s moral law. The absence of godly leadership allowed sin to flourish, leading to devastating consequences for the entire nation.

Judges Chapter 20: Outraged by the atrocity in Gibeah, the tribes of Israel unite against Benjamin, demanding justice. However, the Benjamites refuse to hand over the guilty men, leading to a civil war. The battle is fierce, and although the Israelites initially suffer heavy losses, they eventually seek God’s guidance through prayer and fasting. On the third attempt, God grants them victory, and Benjamin is nearly wiped out, with only 600 men surviving. This chapter underscores the danger of unchecked sin and how it can divide a nation. The war, while justifiable in seeking punishment for evil, also reveals Israel’s deep divisions and their tendency to seek solutions only after disaster strikes. Instead of following God consistently, they turn to Him only when faced with crisis.

Judges Chapter 21: With the tribe of Benjamin nearly destroyed, the Israelites regret their rash actions and seek a way to preserve the tribe. However, instead of seeking God’s wisdom, they resort to human schemes. They realize they made a vow not to give their daughters to the Benjamites, so they orchestrate a plan to provide wives through violent means—first by attacking Jabesh-Gilead and taking their women, then by instructing the remaining Benjamites to kidnap women from Shiloh. This chapter concludes the book of Judges with the repeated refrain that "everyone did what was right in his own eyes," showing that even in attempting to correct a mistake, Israel relied on human reasoning rather than godly wisdom. Their actions reflect how far they had strayed from God’s law, emphasizing the desperate need for righteous leadership, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.