Long Live the King! – Part 1
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes [Judges 17:6; 21:25].
We have two constructs expressed in those words, words which appear twice in the Book of Judges. Let’s enumerate them.
1. there was no king in Israel
2. every man did what was right in his own eyes
A king is a central authority. A king makes the laws for his kingdom, enforces his laws, and judges the lawbreakers. He determines what is right and what is wrong.
The Lord delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery by marching into Egypt and whupping Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The mighty King of kings put the puny king of Egypt in his place.
Then the Lord marched the Israelites out of Egypt in martial array (cf., Exodus 13:18). The Lord was King YHWH and the Israelites were King YHWH’s subjects, you see. The Lord brought His subjects into His land, the Promised Land, defeated the denizens of the land, and bequeathed the land to His people.
The Lord was King of His land, the new citizens were His subjects, and He laid down the Law as the legal code to govern His subjects. The Lord was King, and the Law expressed His Word for His people. They were not free to do whatever they pleased. In fact they were micromanaged, so to speak, in every facet of living.
This brings us to the second construct contained in the quoted text with which we began this study: every man did what was right in his own eyes. They did this because there was no king in Israel. Without a king, without a central authority, each person has his own opinion of what should be done. So everyone is off somewhere or other doing whatever pleases him.
If the Lord was King of Israel, and if His Law defined every aspect of living in minute detail, that left no room for anyone to do what was right in his own eyes. This brings us face-to-face with a conundrum, dear friends.
• what happened to King YHWH?
• what happened to His Law?
King YHWH, the Lord, led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the desert in visible appearance as the Shekinah cloud of glory. When the Israelites came to the Jordan to cross to the west bank (i.e., Canaan), the Shekinah cloud ceased to appear.
Thenceforth the ark of the covenant became the visible symbol of the Lord’s presence. It symbolized the throne of King YHWH, but there was nothing visible atop the ark any longer. King YHWH no longer led His people visibly. In the Promised Land He led them by means of His Law.
Let us draw this study to a close. The hour is late. The night is falling. We must needs meet with the Lord Jesus before we fall asleep.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
We have two constructs expressed in those words, words which appear twice in the Book of Judges. Let’s enumerate them.
1. there was no king in Israel
2. every man did what was right in his own eyes
A king is a central authority. A king makes the laws for his kingdom, enforces his laws, and judges the lawbreakers. He determines what is right and what is wrong.
The Lord delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery by marching into Egypt and whupping Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The mighty King of kings put the puny king of Egypt in his place.
Then the Lord marched the Israelites out of Egypt in martial array (cf., Exodus 13:18). The Lord was King YHWH and the Israelites were King YHWH’s subjects, you see. The Lord brought His subjects into His land, the Promised Land, defeated the denizens of the land, and bequeathed the land to His people.
The Lord was King of His land, the new citizens were His subjects, and He laid down the Law as the legal code to govern His subjects. The Lord was King, and the Law expressed His Word for His people. They were not free to do whatever they pleased. In fact they were micromanaged, so to speak, in every facet of living.
This brings us to the second construct contained in the quoted text with which we began this study: every man did what was right in his own eyes. They did this because there was no king in Israel. Without a king, without a central authority, each person has his own opinion of what should be done. So everyone is off somewhere or other doing whatever pleases him.
If the Lord was King of Israel, and if His Law defined every aspect of living in minute detail, that left no room for anyone to do what was right in his own eyes. This brings us face-to-face with a conundrum, dear friends.
• what happened to King YHWH?
• what happened to His Law?
King YHWH, the Lord, led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the desert in visible appearance as the Shekinah cloud of glory. When the Israelites came to the Jordan to cross to the west bank (i.e., Canaan), the Shekinah cloud ceased to appear.
Thenceforth the ark of the covenant became the visible symbol of the Lord’s presence. It symbolized the throne of King YHWH, but there was nothing visible atop the ark any longer. King YHWH no longer led His people visibly. In the Promised Land He led them by means of His Law.
Let us draw this study to a close. The hour is late. The night is falling. We must needs meet with the Lord Jesus before we fall asleep.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
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