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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
“So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1.13-17).
Now consider the following couple of verses from the same era in which Samuel lived: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17.6). In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21.25). These twin passages provide a sad commentary of the state of Israel during the time of the judges, Samuel being the last in the line of fourteen such leaders.
Moses spoke of these times before his death. Though he was not permitted to enter the promised land, he provided great and lasting words of wisdom for those who would be so privileged. On one occasion, he spoke as follows: “These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth… You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes - for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, then there will be the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 12.1,8-11).
It is a sad fact that some simply choose not to be warned. It is also a reality that some things are right and some things are wrong. We may wish to be politically correct and countenance every conceivable idea that the warped minds of men can concoct, but the truth is not turned or twisted due to these aberrations. The clear implication of the fact that man was doing what was “right in his own eyes” is that not everything is right! Some things are wrong and will be wrong regardless of what the culture or the times may say about it.
A favorite cry of those who demean those who speak with such black and white boundaries is the cry that we ought not judge others. These statements come in a great variety of contrasting garbs, but underneath they are all the same. The very people who do not believe the Bible anyway quote Jesus out of context to make Him appear to say that it is wrong to judge others under any circumstance (see Matthew 7.1). Contrary to what some think, I believe the best known verse in the Bible says, “Judge not that you be not judged!” It is known by every atheist, agnostic, and infidel ever to have confronted the Christian faith.
Who made Samuel a judge? The answer: Clearly Samuel and the other judges were servants of God in their roles. When Israel later demanded a king and rejected the judges, Samuel told them that they were rejecting God (see 1 Samuel 10.19)! Wrong to judge? Don’t tell God that; he ordains and approves it!!
Questions:
1. Why is implied by the fact that men did that which was right in their own eyes?
2. Did their failure to recognize the Law of God make their deeds right? Why or why not?
3. Is it wrong to judge? Is it always wrong to judge? Is it possible to judge righteous judgments (see John 7.24)?
4. What type of judging did Jesus forbid in Matthew 7.1 (the context will tell you)?
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