EVERY MAN DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES
Judges 21:25 says: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
The context of this verse takes place during the time of the Judges of Israel, after Joshua had conquered the promised land and died of old age.
Without his leadership, the nation of Israel quickly fell into lawlessness & apostasy, but God raised up judges who ruled Israel, like Gideon, Deborah, or Samson.
& there are two ways that people usually interpret this verse.
1 is that everyone lived & did as they pleased, whether for good or evil.
In other words, it was like a moral cesspool.
And while there is a great amount of truth to that, and people didlived wickedly, it goes even further than that.
What the phrase, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” means …
… is that people themselves had become the arbiters of morality.
And it was the people themselves who were judging & deciding between right & wrong & good & evil.
& that is exactly how our society views Truth, Justice & Morality today in this nation.
We live in a morally relativistic culture where we have rejected God …
… and where in large part, man gets to decide for himself what is good & evil.
Instead of looking to God and the Bible as the only moral authority …
… people decide in their own eyes, based on their own views and opinions, what is considered right & wrong.
Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
So unless we are following the absolute and perfect Law of God, it will always leads to death.
Yes, there is ABSOLUTE TRUTH, and it is available to us in God’s Word.
Jesus said in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
The Bible says that GOD’S LAW is the only standard of justice, truth, & morality.
Psalm 19:7-9 says:
7 The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether.
So we see that’s it is God’s Law that is (1) perfect (2) has the power to convert the soul & to save lives (3) makes a person wise and gives them knowledge & understanding (4) is absolutely right (there’s no variable or relativity, it’s absolute) (5) it brings joy (6) it’s pure & true & (7) is endures forever. It is eternal and unchanging.
God’s Law reveals the difference between good and evil.
Paul says in Romans 7:7: “… I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet”;
and in v. 12, he says: “Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”
So, right & wrong, is clearly defined in the Bible; it’s not guesswork, we don’t have to reason it out and try to progress.
It’s evident in His Word.
1 John 3:4 says: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
So the Bible very clearly defines sin for us as transgression or a turning away from the Law.
Not don’t get me wrong, we are saved by faith, not by following the Law.
We are under grace. But it is God’s perfect Law that reveals us how we should view things like abortion or homosexuality and to be able to decide between right and wrong.
So whereas man’s way of thinking leads to death, God’s Law leads to holiness & perfection and is called “good”.
And the goodness of the Law of God emanates from God Himself.
James 4:12 says of God: “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy …”
It is God alone who is the sole arbiter of morality, not man, and certainly not our politicians or our government.
In James 2:12, James calls the Law of God: “… the law of liberty …”
& We often think of law & morality as something that limits our freedom …
… but when the law is JUST & GOOD & PERFECT, it protects our freedom & establishes our liberty.
The government does not bestow rights, it’s sole job is to preserve them.
That’s why the government has no business altering the timeless truths on display in our Constitution.
Not only the Constitution itself defines rights, it only defines them.
Our rights ultimately, come from God & His Law, “the perfect Law of Liberty”.
Now, During this phase of Israel’s history in the Book of Judges, the Law had been revealed …
… but Joshua had died and there was no leader or civil government to oversee or enforce God’s perfect Law.
It was, in many ways, a great time of anarchy.
… So God raised up JUDGES who led the nation of Israel during this interim-period before they had kings.
& so during the reign of the prophet Samuel, Israel demanded to have a king, like the nations around them.
But God warned them that having a king and a worldly government was a two-edged sword that came with a steep price.
In 1 Samuel 8:10-17, the Bible says:
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
In other words, there are no entitlements or free handouts in government.
You’re not gonna get a free-cell phone, free university, or free health care.
Someone has to pay for it, and that someone is usually you & me.
The king would reap their harvest, take their sons & daughters for himself as workmen, & take a tenth of everything they owned.
This was the beginning of taxation. They were to be taxed of all that they possessed.
And a 10% tax was greivious to them!
How I would love a 10% tax rate right now.
Now, we have federal tax rates of up to %25-35% or more …
… and that doesn’t include State taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, illegal health care taxes, social security taxes, death & estate taxes, and hidden taxes that we aren’t even aware of.
Astonishingly, in America, we have become a Socialist (nearly Communist) nation living under the false pretense of American capitalism & liberty.
We can’t even OWN OUR OWN PROPERTIES …
… because even if I were to pay off the LOAN on this house, which I’m renting from the bank.
… I would still not be in the free & clear, because the moment I stop paying property taxes …
… the government would repossess my house.
So you can never own your own property, free & clear.
How is that Liberty?
Thomas Paine, whose book, Common Sense, influenced the forming of this nation, wrote that: “Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one;”
And that’s really what earthly government is, a necessary evil.
It is the real & practical necessity of having a lesser evil rule, so that a greater evil does not reign in its place.
And we have the upcoming presidential elections, and that’s how I see the choice before us, when I look at the candidates.
Trump is not perfect by any means.
I’m not deceived that he’s saved or that he’s some kind of Saint …
Or that he’s going to change everything in this country ….
But I know that Hillary will destroy it.
So I’m not going to tell you who to vote for, because that I would be uncouth …
…. But I will tell you WHO NOT TO VOTE FOR.
Because of our sin nature, government is instituted among men to protect us from the sin of other men.
It’s a “necessary evil”, in the words of Thomas Paine.
Romans 13:3-4 days:
13 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
But what happens when the rulers & the government itself has become evil?
Well, that’s what we’re seeing today.
The government becomes a terror the people.
The Bible says in Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
Our government today is doing what is right in its own eyes.
By rejecting God, our government has discarded any link to absolutely morality …
Which comes only from a proper understanding of the Bible.
That’s why we’re seeing the fulfillment of Isaiah 5:20 right before our eyes: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
That’s the verse of our generation.
For example, when Hillary Clinton was asked during the last presidential debate how to interpret the US Constitution …
… she called THE CONSTITUTION, “a living document” that changes with the times & the culture.
That is absolutely moral relativism.
What Clinton is proposing is to interpret the Law in any way that she sees fit.
Clinton is doing that which is right in her own eyes.
& as the people of nations do what is right in their eyes, they inevitably turn to evil, instead of to God …
& so God raises wicked leaders as judgment against wicked people & wicked nations.
Daniel 2:21 says that God: “changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings …”
God ultimately is the one who appoints rulers over nations, whether for good or for evil.
God is ultimately in control.
He is sovereign of the affairs of men.
In Proverbs 8:15-16, God says:
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
Even Jesus Himself said to Pilate in John 19:11: “… Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above …”
While it is true that Satan is the prince of this world, God is the King and ultimately in control.
Speaking of Satan, John 14:30 says: “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”
So the bible calls Satan, the prince of this world.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan is called the “god” of this world, with a small “g”.
But God is still sovereign.
& Psalm 22:27-28 says of God:
27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.
But even though God is in control, we have a responsibility to do good …
And God uses us as instruments of righteousness in the world.
First of all, we should be praying for our leaders.
Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4:
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Now, I’m not going to blindly pray that God blesses Obama, so that he can continue to do evil.
What I can pray though is that God open his eyes & saves him or that God removes him from power (which is going to happen soon anyway).
He’s not going to declare Marshall Law before the elections.
We will have a new president.
But ultimately, the reason that Paul tells Timothy to pray for our leaders is so that: “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life”.
It’s so that we may have the freedom to preach the Gospel to the nations in peace.
& In verse 4, Paul explains that we pray for leaders so that they may be saved.
… because God desires that: “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Now, it’s hard for me to pray for Obama or Hillary to get saved …
… because I harbor disgust for them in my heart.
I think they’re evil incarnate.
But it’s in our best interest for them to get saved.
And so I find it ironic that there are preachers like Steven Anderson who got famous publicly praying that Obama dies, when that prayer goes directly against Scripture.
& it’s really important that as a church that we are able to publicly & freely talk about such things, like abortion, and homosexuality, and gun control, and politics …
… because these are important issues of our day.
… But most churches today have voluntarily given up their right to free speech …
… & bound themselves to the principalities of the government by becoming 501c3 or State corporations.
& that’s 1 reason why we are not incorporated.
Now, we don’t break the law …
When we do receive offerings, I simply pay individual taxes on it, and I forgo the tax benefit.
But we don’t yoke ourselves together as a church with the government.
2 Corinthians 6:15 says: “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?”
We know that the world’s governments are evil, so why would the church yoke with them?
& I understand that there are good churches out there who incorporate ignorantly.
There are some good pastors who have not thought this issue through completely …
… so I’m not saying to abstain from all such churches, but it is not God’s will for the church to become a business entity.
There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for getting government approval to start churches or to worship God.
In fact, the early church met together & worshipped God at the risk of death, contrary to the opinion of the government.
Can you imagine a prophet in the wilderness, like John the Baptist going to do the government, to make sure he’s doing it legally …
… or Paul the Apostle filing his intent with the government before preaching?
And since we have no religious accord with the government, we are free to talk about things like …
ABORTION, the evils of homosexuality, the sanctity of marriage, the presidential candidates, and whatever else we want to talk about.
Because we can’t be bought with tax benefits.
& Just like Israel in Judges 21:25 who were doing that which was right in their own eyes …
We have progressively entered a phase of lawlessness in our society, where collective, popular opinion trumps the Bible.
Proverbs 14:34 says: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
And so we are bringing reproach to ourselves.
Not of this is the judgment of God. It’s what we’ve done to ourselves.
judgment of God has not yet begun!
Today why we have laws protecting the rights of “homosexuals” to practice sin …
At the founding of this nation, homosexuality was punishable by death, according to Leviticus 20:13.
But now, homosexuality is protected, encouraged, celebrated, and marketed to us on television, in music, in media, and even taught in public schools to our children at the kindergarten level.
It was only just over a year ago that the Supreme Court unlawfully decided to make “Gay marriage” legal …
And now we’re seeing homosexuality openly practiced, celebrated, & promoted on TV.
But it’s the Bible that defines marriage, not government, not the culture, and certainly not TV shows or Hollywood.
The bible defines marriage as the consensual union of 1 man and 1 woman.
So you can get a license from the State or the government, but it’s ultimately just meaningless piece of paper.
& some people say that Jesus didn’t say a Word about homosexuality in the New Testament.
But, in fact, He did.
First of all, Jesus observed the Law of God perfectly.
He was the Author of it.
And the Law of God was unapologetic about the fact that homosexuality is an abomination.
But even in the NT, Jesus did in fact define marriage as both heterosexual & monogamous.
When asked about marriage & divorce in Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus said:
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Jesus specifically mentioned that marriage is between a male and a female, a man and a woman.
So when the US Supreme Court decides otherwise, and overturns thousands of years of Biblical law (including the original laws of this nation) …
… the Supreme Court reveals that they have become as wicked and lawless as the rest of the nation …
… & are doing WHAT IS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES.
Even in our own our State of Washington, we have an openly-Gay Supreme Court Justice nominee in this election, named Mary Yu.
So it’s important that we vote.
Let’s talk about the elections for a minute.
The presidential elections are coming up in 9 days …
… and I was watching the recent presidential debates a few weeks ago …
…& one of the questions they were asked had to do with the upcoming Supreme Court nominations.
There is going to be somewhere between 2 & 3 new Justices appointed by the next president of the United States.
And so that’s going to define the laws of our nation for a long time to come.
& the candidates were asked what they look for in Supreme Court nominees.
Hillary Clinton answered first:
… I feel strongly that the Supreme Court needs to stand on the side of the American people. Not on the side of the powerful corporations and the wealthy [that’s code for Socialism & raising taxes. And they always say it’s for the wealthy, but we’re at a 30% tax rate ourselves. And so they always lie about that. & There’s also a strong anti-rich sentiment in this nation, which is un-American and the seed of Communism, so beware of that]. For me, that means that we need a Supreme Court that will stand up on behalf of women’s rights [that’s code for abortion. Whenever they talk about women’s health or women’s rights, it’s doublespeak for baby killing], on behalf of the rights of the LGBT community … [So, so far she’s going to raise our taxes, kill babies, & push the LGBT agenda]. I feel that at this point in our country’s history, it is important that we not reverse marriage equality, that we not reverse Roe v. Wade …
So Hillary believes it’s the Supreme Court’s job to protect sodomy, increase taxes, & legally approve the murder of unborn babies.
Elsewhere, Hillary said that she believes that babies in the womb, have no Constitutional rights ….
… not even up until the very moment before they are born.
And she also approves of killing babies, as they’re being delivered … which they call “partial-birth-abortion” …
… where a baby is literally killed after it’s already breached the womb.
When asked on a talk show to clarify her statement, she was asked: “Are you saying that a baby, on its due date, just hours before it’s born, has no Constitutional rights?”
Hillary answered: “Under our law, that is the case. I support Roe v. Wade.”
In other words, Hillary Clinton supports the murder of over 1 million babies per year.
A staggering 22% of all pregnancies in America end in abortion today.
That’s almost 1 in every 4 pregnancies.
Currently, in the United States alone, there are 1.21 million abortions annually.
Worldwide, there are about 50 million babies butchered every year.
Numbers 35:33 says: “So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.”
There is bloodguilt over this nation.
Psalm 106:37-42 says:
37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. [In ancient times, they sacrificed their children to false gods, today parents sacrifice their children to the god of the self.]
39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
America hasn’t recovered from its downward spiral, because we’ve become a wicked, reprobate nation …
… that promotes fornication, legislates the murder of babies, endorses homosexuality, and incites war & bloodshed globally.
How can we expect God to bless America when we are killing over 3,000 babies per day? Over 1 million babies per year?
Ezekiel 33:25-26 says:
25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?
26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall ye possess the land?
We can’t expect to be prosperous in this nation with such stats.
So that was Hillary’s answer about the Supreme Court.
I liked Trump’s answer a lot better.
When asked about Supreme Court Justices, Trump said:
We need a Supreme Court that in my opinion is going to uphold the second amendment and all amendments, but the second amendment which is under absolute siege. I believe, if my opponent should win this race … we will have a second amendment which will be a very, very small replica of what it is right now.
… The justices that I am going to appoint will be pro-life. They will have a conservative bent. They will be protecting the second amendment … They will interpret the constitution the way the founders wanted it interpreted … It is all about the constitution … the constitution the way it was meant to be.
Now, I have no illusion that Trump is a Saint.
I don’t believe he’s a saved, born-again Christian.
But I believe he will do less evil than Hillary.
And at least he says he likes and is friendly towards Christians, unlike Hillary who calls us “irredeemable” and “deplorable”.
And a lot of Christians won’t vote this year because they want the perfect Christian candidate, but that’s unlikely to ever happen …
Some Christians are looking for a Messiah-like president and won’t settle for anything less …
But this is wrong.
By staying out of the elections, they are ensuring the election of “President Hillary Clinton”.
Voting for president is a vote for political office, not necessarily a Christian one.
This is a tough matter, because we want to take a pure, principled and ideological stance …
… but in this evil realm of the world, purely-idealistic stance when it comes to political matters …
… can lead us to the greater of two evils simply by default of us not voting.
Trump isn’t the perfect candidate, but he at least has the potential of appointing Pro-life Supreme Court Justices, overturning Obamacare, cutting taxes, & boosting the economy with his business-sense (which we badly need).
People say Trump is too risky, but with Hillary as president, we are ensured to fail.
So who is the greater risk?
Take the 2nd Amendment, which Trump at least mentioned & strongly defended in his answer.
The highest law of our land states that: “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Does the 2nd Amendment seem unclear to anyone or open to interpretation?
Did the 2nd amendment stutter? Or qualify itself with conditions?
What part of “shall not be infringed” does our government not understand?
The sole responsibility of the Supreme Court is to ensure that our laws line up with the Constitution.
But our politicians have become the criminals and our “laws” have become unlawful …
… because our government is doing THAT WHICH IS RIGHT IN ITS OWN EYES …
The Government is supposed to be following the letter of the law of the US Constitution & the Bill of Rights.
Even the Bible supports the 2nd Amendment, because the 2nd amendment is based on Natural, Universal Law endowed to us by our Creator.
It’s our right to defend ourselves from criminals, invaders, and even our own government, which is why the 2nd amendment was established in the first place.
Luke 11:21 says: “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:”
That’s an endorsement from the Bible to be armed …
In Luke 22:36, Jesus told His disciples to buy a sword, which would be the equivalent today of a gun: “Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take [it], and likewise [his] scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”
Ultimately, it is God who decides between good and evil, not man!
& we have the Bible to show us God’s heart & God’s mind.
Romans 1:25 says that those who reject God: “changed the truth of God into a lie …”
There is 1 truth, there is 1 God, & morality emanates from that one truth.
And when we try to change that, we are changing the truth of God into a lie.
And so we’re seeing the state of our government in turmoil, in a similar state to the days of the judges of Israel, before there was a king in the land …
When everyone was doing right in their own eyes.
Proverbs 21:2 says: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”
The world believes that we should just “follow our heart” & do what we think is right.
That we should have faith in ourselves.
But Jeremiah 17:9 says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
The world’s philosophy to “follow your heart” is the modern equivalent of Judges 21:25 “where every man did that which was right in his own eyes”.
Psalm 33:4-5 says:
4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
