In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. ~(Judges 17:6, NLT)

Sorry, I’ve been away for so long, guys! It’s been pretty busy at work, since I was given two more responsibilities, and by the time I get home in the evenings I’ve been really tired and lazy. Furthermore, my weekends have been busier than I would like, so I’ve been trying to cut back on my TV time during the weekdays so I can be a better steward of my time and energy, and give you more material.

That being said, I have continued to study the Word on my own, and have finally gone back to participating in Wednesday night Bible studies this year—be it almost over. In my personal Bible study time, I’ve been reading through the book of Judges. Today as I read Judges 17-18, I noted a phrase that keeps popping up in this book: “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” I thought about these words for a few minutes and realized…but Israel did have a King!

God intended for Himself to be their God and King, and for Israel to obey His commands. However, Israel refused to recognize their King! We can’t be angry with Israel for doing this, though, because we’re often guilty of doing the same thing; but just because we can’t see Him, doesn’t make God any less real or sovereign.

Okay, let’s discuss the sovereignty of God for a moment. What does it actually mean? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines someone as sovereign as “possessing unlimited power or authority; not subject to the rule or control of another.” Thus when we say God is sovereign, we mean that He has unlimited power and authority and isn’t swayed by our opinions or desires. That means when we think things should go a certain way, if our ways go against God’s plan, then we’re the ones who are in the wrong.

Unfortunately, we live in a time, where just like Israel, we do what we believe is right in our own eyes, without regard for what is right in God’s eyes. And then we have the audacity to argue with and/or question God regarding the consequences of our actions. Israel suffered under both physical and spiritual slavery and oppression because they decided not to follow God’s leadership and direction, even when God told them beforehand what would happen if they turned their backs on Him.

We should look at Israel, during the time of the judges, as an example of what not to do and recognize that God is not subject to us, instead, we are subject to Him. He’s not a genie in a lamp that grants us our every wish and whim. We are His children, devoted to Him, living to glorify Him and to share His heart with the world; that they, too, may turn towards Him and allow Him to direct their paths.

God was Israel’s King; He’s our King. May our lives be a reflection of that.