Apr Day 61 Judges 17:1–21:25

In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.

This morning, I concluded the reading of Judges. And I’m actually pleased with that accomplishment. Today’s four chapters are a study in the despicable. Travelers are taken in by a kind man. Men in the area go to the kind man, demanding that he turn out the travelling men, so they can have their way with them. Um, no. The man responds that no, they can’t have his guests, but they can certainly have the woman who came with the men and his virgin daughter, so he turns out the women. Um, no. The villagers rape and abuse them all night, and actually kill the woman traveler. Um, no. So the leader of the travelers cuts her up into twelve pieces to send around to all of Israel. Um, no.

Then we move into a battle between the Benjaminites and the rest of Israel. The Benjaminites are permitted to sleigh 40,000 of the Israelites before finally God says the Israelites will whoop the Benjaminites. And so they do, routing their city and killing many. Now they’re sworn enemies so the Israelites who are included in the groups that battled swear that they will never marry a Benjaminite. But then, they feel bad because God has said that all twelve tribes will be prosperous, but whatever will they do for the Benjaminites who don’t have wives, since they can’t give their daughters? Of course, they recognize that there was one group that didn’t participate in the battle. So naturally, they go to that community and kill all the married couples and young men, and give the virgins to the Benjaminites can have wives, just not theirs. Um, no.

And the conclusion of this book from the Bible is that the people did not have a king, so they did whatever they thought was right.

I’m going to presume that in my world, the king is God. Is this what we’d do if we didn’t have God? Would we do what we think is right, and would it be this horrid? Certainly some would. But many would not. What about all of the loving, good hearted atheists, or mono-theists?

So if God is God of all, omnipowerful, omnipresent, than isn’t God the God of the atheists, mono-theists, and the ill-behaved Israelites of Judges? Maybe it’s not so much that they don’t have a king, but that they don’t acknowledge the king they already have, bidden or unbidden.

As opposed to presuming that bad behavior or denial of a God refutes the truth of God, I believe that it refutes the fallacy of an all-controlling God. God is always there and present and good and loving. We are not always aware or willing to follow. We need reminders, and guides. As a Christian, my guide is Jesus. The ancient Israelites relied on kings and judges, hoping those judges and kings were good, God-abiding people.

Since Jesus is not walking the earth these days, it behooves good God-abiding people to lead, and speak and teach and work and love. We have a king. We have always had a king. We will always have a king. We need to remember that, and more important, model it.