Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

The 400-year period of the Judges was marked by this radical individualism. They rejected the standard of God’s word and accepted the individual standard of what was right in their own eyes. But the consequence of a man doing right in his own eyes always ends in ruin. Proverbs 14:12 says it like this: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” When man follows his own instincts and inclinations, it leads to ruin. We must follow God’s way, not our own.

God does not change His moral law to suit our behavior. What God says is right is right even if nobody is right and what God says is wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong. The very nature of the fallen world system and our flesh concludes that if something brings us profit or pleasure, it must be good, even if it is wrong. There was a popular song years ago that contained the venomous lyrics, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.” But God says: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21)

Self rule will always produce confusion and chaos. Fallen man without King Jesus ruling in the heart is a monster of self will, self righteousness and self deception. A self willed person will grieve The Holy Spirit of God and inevitably do that which is right in their own eyes for the simple reason that Jesus Christ is not ruling as King in their life.

The book of Judges gives us a picture of the tragic results of sinful compromise with an ungodly world. Fortunately, the appendix of the book of Ruth indicates that God was still at work among His people, even during this dark hour. A ray of hope was about to dawn through which God’s man would come to rule His people. Liberty Bible Commentary