They Had No King

     In the book of Judges, the phrase "In those days Israel had no king," occurs four times. You can see it in Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25. In two of these mentions, in Judges 17:6 and 21:25, the passage is followed with the phrase, "everyone did as they saw fit." 

Why?

    In the wilderness, before the Israelites entered into the Promised Land of Canaan, it had been understood, established, and accepted that YHWH (the LORD) was their God, their Ruler, their King. He even taught and established His Commands and Law for the people. They became a holy people, set apart and distinguished by God to separate them from the Gentiles, the rest of the world. It was a true theocracy, so therefore the Israelites did not need a human king. They had the Lord God Almighty over them as king. The King of Kings!

    So why does the book of Judges emphasize four times that Israel had no king, when it was already understood that YHWH was their king? Why does it say twice that "everyone did as they saw fit," or there was lawlessness/anarchy, when God, Himself, gave them laws, rules, and regulations?

What happened?

When Joshua became the Israelite leader (after Moses), under the authority of the LORD, all Israel continued to obey the rulership of their God. The Tabernacle, where God's Presence met with the high priest, was established. Each tribe drove out the inhabitants of the land, for the most part that is...New routines were established and a new nation, truly under God, was established. So what happened?

    As Joshua died and the high priests came and went with the decades and centuries, the Canaanites still remaining in the land, began to be of moral (or rather immoral) influence. Under no circumstances were the Israelites to follow the gods and ways of the Canaanites. Yet, we see where very soon after the life and death of Joshua, the Israelites "forgot the LORD YHWH." (Judges 3:7) How does one simply "forget" the Lord, THE LORD!? How does one forget the One Who created the heavens and the earth?

    We can see how even in our own lives today, how forgetfulness on such a grand scale can happen. For example, in the 1700's, American pioneer women all knew and were taught how to churn fresh butter from scratch - starting with milking their cow at sunrise. It was nothing to them and had been taught to them by their mothers, and was taught to their own daughters, producing generation upon generation of women who knew how to make fresh butter. Back in 1832, for example, probably not a single woman entertained the thought that some day, the knowledge of knowing how to produce fresh homemade butter might be "forgotten". 

    Yet, can you go up to a random young woman today, let's say in Times Square, New York City, and receive a detailed tutorial on how to produce fresh butter? The most probable answer to that is a resounding "no". Why? Because we live in a time where the younger generations do not understand the ins and outs of agriculture, much less homesteading. Or at least a large percentage, very large, do not. 

    Many will say that machines, manufacturing, modern technology, etc... is to blame and it is. But, is it any different today with that analogy, than during the conquest days of Canaan with the Israelites? Is it any different today, with the same subject of godlessness, as it was then? No.

    The Israelites allowed themselves to get lax and lazy in passing down and implementing the Law of God, or the laws and regulations given to them by the Lord, Himself. You see, if you do not emphasize Who YHWH is to your children, His holiness, His righteousness, His omnipotence, His glory, His Word...can you really expect them to grow up with the same beliefs as you or their forefathers?

    If you don't teach your children how to live righteously, can you really expect them to be righteous or even to teach their own children? Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The Israelites did not take the Lord seriously, so is it any surprise that just after a few generations after Moses and Joshua, that they forgot who their King and God was?

    I often think about the Levites, the chosen tribe of Israel to be the priesthood for the LORD. Where were they during this time? Did they not continue with the rituals and sacrificial system at the Tabernacle? How could they have administered before the LORD at Shiloh (or wherever the Tabernacle was located), yet not enforce His Law amongst the other tribes of Israel? Why were their voices not loud enough to keep Israel truly set apart in both heart, mind, and deed from the rest of their neighbors? It is truly baffling to me, yet I see it so prevalent in our own culture of "American Christianity" or "Churchianity" today. Perhaps the Levites allowed themselves to become just as polluted as mainstream Christians are today. 

    God was the Israelites' King, yet they did not acknowledge Him. God gave them laws that would set them apart from other nations and bless them more than any other people on this earth. Yet, "they did as they saw fit", as if there was nothing there to guide and teach them. Can you imagine the Lord's frustration? 

    So what happened?

    When God saw that the Israelites had forgotten Him, He gave them over to their enemies. They wanted to worship the demonic (literally) gods of the Canaanites and adopt their way of life. So, God gave them over to those people and demonic entities. The Israelites became heavily oppressed by those they lusted after. And each time, the Israelites would realize the error of their ways, cry out to YHWH, their "forgotten" God, to deliver them. 

    It goes to show you just how much God truly loved His people, because He would appoint a judge, prophet, or leader to guide the Israelites back to Him as He delivered them from their enemies. It became a redundant pattern of the Israelites rebelling, being oppressed, being delivered, before rebelling again. Of course there are multiple aspects to the rebellion-oppression-deliverance-rebellion pattern seen in the Old Testament, but I want to only focus on the aspect of the Israelites' forgetfulness. Have we, the modern day church, forgotten the Lord? Keep reading.

    The pattern of rebellion-oppression-deliverance-rebellion continued all the way until the prophet Samuel, hundreds of years after the Israelites had entered the Promised Land. Samuel was a great man with a miraculous birth (born to Hannah, who was barren) and personally chosen by the Lord from childhood. He served YHWH as prophet and leader during a time that the Israelites were being oppressed by the Philistines. 

    When Samuel was an older man, Scripture tells us that yet again, the Israelites "had no king". But this time, the Israelites realized it and thought that they would take matters into their own hands. Instead of turning to the LORD as their King, they essentially forced Samuel into giving them a human king...as if a mere man could ever be more powerful, just, or kind as YHWH!

    Samuel was angry and grieved. God was angry and grieved. So the Lord, Himself, chose them a man to be king, even though the Israelites had asked Samuel, not the Lord, to choose. Now why would they go to Samuel, and not the Lord? Nevertheless, God chose from amongst the Benjamites a man named Saul. (1 Samuel 8:5-9, 9:2, 10:1) Keep reading to learn that story.

    Like I said, Samuel was not happy about having to anoint a human king. He served the LORD with all of his heart and could feel the stab in the back. Yet what did God say? "It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their King." (1 Samuel 8:7) Wow. To hear the Lord say that, to read it in the Word, makes me want to mourn, tear my clothes, and smear ashes on my head in repentance. 

    This is where my words are about to become hard to swallow. They have been on my heart for the past year, but the Lord has impressed upon me to share now. Can you imagine if Jesus said that about you? What if I told you that He already has? Would you repent? But I tell you my fellow Christians, you have. You have rejected Jesus as your King! You have lusted after the things of this world. You have cried out for a human king, for man's solutions to your problems. You go to church and sing songs about Jesus, yet your heart is far from Him!

    You say you "believe in God," yet you devote more time and thoughts on the things of this world. You care more about what man thinks than what Jesus, the King of Kings, thinks. You puff up your own pride rather than humbling yourself before the Lord, saying "I'm a good person. God is love. He wouldn't allow such bad things to happen to me. America is great, God bless America!" God cannot bless wickedness! You put bumper stickers on your car and wear "Jesus Loves You" t-shirts, yet your witness is dead because you have not set yourself apart for Christ and have chosen instead, the things of this world and worship idols rather than the One True God alone. 

    Most Christians today are lukewarm in their faith, with one foot in the church and the rest of their body in the world. Instead of looking to Jesus for all aspects of life, they look to man. They even lust and idolize demons, which come in many forms and are embodied in many things. 

    Don't you realize what you are doing when you love, encourage, and engage in content with transhuman superheroes (like Marvel), magic (like Harry Potter), mythical creatures (like unicorns), gods and goddesses, celebrities, fictitious characters, movies/shows/music that mocks God and is filth, prideful patriotism, homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, etc...etc...? These things are not innocent as they have been presented to us. Idols are not okay!

    Everyone does as they see fit, just like the Israelites. You have forgotten your King and then you ignore the warnings to repent, humble yourself, and turn back to the Lord! (Revelations 3:15-16) You even ignore the many consequences that come from doing whatever you want! What were the Israelites told? "Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." (1 Samuel 12:25) And they were.... Jesus says something very very sobering in Luke 18:8, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

    This is real folks! Time to realize how holy the Lord God is. Jesus is a righteous God, a righteous Judge, and His Name will not be mocked. I say all this not to be high and mighty, holier than thou, or condemning. I am still bound in this sinful flesh as you are. I still struggle. Yet, I have humbled myself before the LORD and have repented of my wicked ways. I do this daily! It wasn't just a one and done deal. And yes, I was once worldly and still said I believe in and love Jesus! 

    I was once a lukewarm Christian. I lusted after the world, I did wicked things in secret, and I partook in things that mocked the Lord - all while being a faithful "Christian" and church-goer, ministry leader, preacher's daughter, etc... I was blinded and fully duped by Satan's lies of "Did God really say....?"

    Evil has been repackaged to look good, cute, innocent, and fun...but it all leads to death. (Romans 6:23). I have always loved Jesus and worshipped Him as God. Yet, as a child, teenager, and throughout my young adulthood, I willingly followed the doctrines of demons because everyone else did. I saw it as fun, innocent, entertaining. And no matter what church I attended, righteousness was not taught to me outside of don't kill (unless they are declared the enemy by the government), don't steal (unless it's justified because you're poor), don't cuss (unless angry), don't do drugs (unless it's from a pharmaceutical company), don't watch trash on tv (unless it's funny and entertaining), worship God alone (except for America - you can worship America, and sports, and movie sagas, and Santa Clause, etc..), etc.... I digress... 

    I Praise the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY that He slapped me a good one and redeemed me from my ignorant rebellion! Jesus opened my eyes to the double life I was living three years ago. I rejected the world and stopped putting my trust in men, things, fiction, etc... I made Jesus my King and my God.

    I fear the Lord God. (Proverbs 8:13, 9:10) It is Him I serve, not man. I tell you right now, that the lukewarm church needs to repent and start setting herself apart to be holy! (Matthew 25:1-13) Stop seeking and praising man and the world, and start seeking and praising the LORD! Turn back to your first love! (Revelations 2:4-5) 

    I implore the Church to seek the Lord while you still can. (Isaiah 55:6-7) Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you if you are indeed lukewarm and repent! (Revelation 3:15-21) Give up the things of this world, stop conforming to it for the sake of "gaining attendance", being trendy/popular, or being accepted. Stop loving and participating in things that mock the LORD God Almighty.

    Seek Him! If you truly humble yourself and truly seek Him with all of your heart, He will forgive you. Let the Blood of the Lamb cleanse you of all sin. Take up your cross and follow Jesus, no matter the cost. (Luke 9:23) And it will indeed cost you...here on this earth that is. (John 15:18-19)

    You may lose friends, possibly even your job (depending), and you may even lose your church family (sad, but true). Family may shun and mock you. You will become targeted by literal demons as they seek to steal, kill, and destroy you. (John 10:10). Demons and their fallen angel masters hate you. The world is going to reject and hate you. Jesus warned of it and you see again and again this warning of rejection and hatred throughout the New Testament. The world will not accept nor love those who truly belong to and follow Jesus!  Read that again. 

    But, do not lose hope and do not despair. The Kingdom of God is our reward, the salvation of Christ is our promise. The most feared words in my mind are, "Depart from me, I never knew you." (Matthew 7:23) So I pray that when I stand before Him, as we all will, that I hear instead, "Well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21,23)

    I will never do enough good things nor will I ever be good enough to earn salvation. It is only through Christ alone that I am saved. But, I can earnestly seek the Lord and try my hardest while in this flesh, to walk in His righteous ways and obey His Word, repenting each time I mess up. Humble yourselves (James 4:10), study God's Word to find yourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15), and work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12) Give your whole heart and mind to the Lord, surrendering everything to Him. 

    I know this was probably a very hard post to read and I imagine I have a lot of people angry with me. But, I just don't know what it will take for my brothers and sisters in Christ to understand just how deceived we are in our daily lives, just how saturated our homes, our hearts, and our culture is with idolatry and sin. I praise Jesus that He is merciful and redeems us! If it were not for the Lord, we would all be condemned. However, we cannot allow ourselves to continue to live double-minded. The world will always be pleasing and tempting, sin will always start out cute and fun looking. But it will all lead to death, a condemning death, if we continue to rebel. I love you and only warn you as I myself was warned three years ago. I hate no one and condemn no one. Just seek the Lord and be cleansed of everything unclean. 

Judgement is coming.

Will the Lord say, "depart from me"?

Or will He say, "well done"?

The choice is yours alone to make.