Judges
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6 ESV)
Reason
Without a need for the gospel, there is no need for the gospel.
The Messiah was not foretold, born, suffered, died, resurrected, and lifted into heaven as King because God was bored. Since everyone was doing what was right in THEIR eyes, they were not paying much attention to what was right in God’s eyes.
When we read about the absence of a King in Israel, we do not merely see that a political government was lacking. Israel always had a King, you see. The people of God from Abraham onward always had a King. All of humankind, from Adam onward always had a King.
That King was God.
But the people of God dwelling in the Middle East decided that they knew more than God. Without a rally or revolution, they began to ignore their King, and His Word… as short as it was back then.
And thus, God moved ahead with His plan to provide the Messiah. Yes, to help the downtrodden, suffering, and lost. But also to pull, prod, and push His people into remembering that HE is King.
A good King.
The perfect King.
Our King!
We, too, seem to prefer to do what is right in our own eyes. But learn the lesson of long ago (repeated often…) Let HIS eyes determine what is right.
And lest we wander too far from His path… what is right in HIS eyes, can be right in OUR eyes when we lift our eyes to Jesus!