When we look around our culture it seems like people are doing whatever they please. We hear people say things like, “it makes me happy” or “it’s my right” and justify whatever it is they desire. This is the world we live in, a world we are a part of, and a world we often times affirm. We do what we want despite the commands of God. This is not a new development in the history of man; it is a part of our nature to do what we want. We are sinful creatures.
Our next sermon series, Judges, examines the stories of three judges in Israel: Deborah, Gideon and Samson. As Israel gained the inheritance of the promised land under the military command of Joshua, they began to enjoy the country they were promised. However, they also began to fall into idolatry and as Joshua’s days came to an end, the period of Israel’s judges began. The judges were prophets and leaders of the Israelites prior to the establishment of King Saul. The book of Judges tells the story of how tragically wayward God’s people can go when they fall into sin and idolatry. The people were not obeying the commands of God, but instead were doing what was right in their own eyes which put them on a path toward judgment. As we go through the series Judges we will see the similarities between the Israelites and our own desires to fulfill our dreams on our own terms. We want the best for ourselves, which is a good desire, but the question is: do we desire to find our best in God, or by doing what is right in our own eyes?