Judges 19:22-30 – Right in Their Own Eyes – Bible study

Judges 19:22-30 Right In Their Own Eyes Be advised. The Biblical account that we are about to read is very graphic. You might want to plug your ears as I read it. Read: Jud 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Read the text. Then: Jud 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. If you have never read through the Bible, you might be surprised to find an account like this in it. I have pastored 36, maybe 37 years and preached for 42 years. This is the first time I have used this as a text. Last Sunday night (10/1/2017) around 10 PM, Stephen Paddock, opened fire on a crowd of around 22,000 from a 32nd floor hotel window. His rampage lasted for maybe 15 minutes. At that time I researched this information, 58 had died and more than 500 were wounded. In the end, Mr. Paddock killed himself. http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/us/las-vegas-shooting-what-we- know/index.html There are lots of questions surrounding this incident. Mr. Paddock was not a foreigner but was born in the United States. It appears that he had no religious or political affiliation. His brother, Eric Paddock, said he had never even drawn a gun before. So far, he in no way fits the profile of a terrorist or a deranged person. http://www.kansascity.com/latest-news/article176514361.html The word that seems to be used by most who knew him was "dumbfounded." It does not appear he ever spoke of doing this type of deed to anyone or let on that he was angry at anyone or anything. Mr. Paddock was a fairly wealthy man and had been in an intimate relationship with a woman for some time. Everything suggests that he was sound of mind and in control of his facilities. The investigation continues. But many are left wondering, "What is going on?" We are seeing things take place for which there is no precedent. In an effort to curb the carnage, some are wanting to tighten laws. 1. Restrict gun ownership 2. Increase surveillance 3. Compromise some of our freedoms While most of us may be against these measures, we need to understand that it is logical for scared people to want to do something. You also might as well also face the fact that all of those things will happen sooner rather than later. It does not matter that the logic of doing them is flawed or that the places where they have been done are no better. People are searching for a way to explain what is going on and the only thing they can think of is, "If there werent so many freedoms, there would not be so much carnage." However, I believe the Bible reveals both what is happening and why it is happening. Let me share some thoughts with you. I. These kinds of tragedies are happening because of three Biblical realities which are now coupled together in our country and in our time. A. Man has a dead spirit. 1. This is nothing new, but it is the primary reason all men do evil. 2. It is because we are separated from God. Ge 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. a. It is interesting that in the Hebrew, the word for surely and dead are both the same word. b. It is the word the Hebrew word for suddenly, surely die, but it is repeated. c. That is the Hebrew way of emphasizing just how dead Adam and Eve would be if they ate of the forbidden fruit. d. It is God saying, "You will die dead." 3. Even though God used the double emphasize for what would happen to them, they did not physically cease to breath and to live, but their spiritual connection with God did. 4. Ever since that day, man has been born spiritually dead. a. On his own, every human is incapable of hearing God. b. He is incapable of sensing God. c. He is incapable of feeling God. d. He is incapable of knowing God. e. He is incapable of understanding God. 5. If it were not for two things, every human being would be on the lowest levels of morality and worship. a. The work of the Holy Ghost. (1) The Holy Ghost is here and He is helping us to hear God, to sense God, to feel God, to know God, and to understand God. (2) The Holy Ghost works in the lives of both saved and unsaved people. Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: b. The training of those who have been worked on by the Holy Ghost. Mt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (1) This is why parenting and witnessing are so important. (2) We who have been touched by the Holy Ghost can make a difference in the lives of even lost people. 6. Sadly, it seems that the Holy Ghost is stepping away from His work as Convictor. Perhaps that is because we are quenching Him, but without His force in this world, man- kind will sink to the lowest rungs on the morality ladder. B. There is no fear of God. 1. When there is no fear of God, man does that which is right in his own eyes. a. This is a reality that is changing in our country. b. People in the United States areor haverapidly lost the fear of God. c. Losing the fear of God has greatly influenced our country in the area of violence. 2. You do not have to take my word for that. The Bible bears it out. a. Genesis 6 should be remembered and studied with two truths in mind: (1) It is before the Gods law was given, meaning people were doing what was right in their own eyes. (2) It was a wicked, violent, corrupt world. Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Ge 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. b. Abraham told his wife Sarah to call say they were brothers and sisters. When he was called out for doing so, he told them why. Ge 20:11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wifes sake. (1) He thought someone might kill him because they wanted his wife. (2) Why would anyone do that? Because there was no fear of God there. c. Paul described how wicked people live. Romans 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 3. When there is no fear of God, people will do as they please. a. There does not have to be a reason or a motive for evil behavior. It can just pleases them at the time. b. They may have some demented rational in the back of their mind. They may not. c. Expecting people with no fear of God to act in a rational manner is in itself irrational. 4. When our society gets scared enough, two things will happen. a. More and more laws will be passed to restrict more and more of our freedoms. (1) Of course most people who do not fear God are not going to obey mans laws either. (2) And no number of man-made laws will replace the fear of God. b. Sooner or later, a dictator will rise to the surface and people will let him. (1) Even a bad dictator is better than no law at all. (2) Anarchy is even more cruel than a dictator. 5. However, there has alway been spiritually dead people and some people who did not fear God. a. Why are things getting worse now? b. Because of a third Biblical reality. C. Demons are rising in power and acceptance. 1Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 1. As people turn from God, they are turning toward demons. a. Most of them do not realize it, especially in our country, because they do not believe in demons any more than they believe in God; but their effect is obvious. b. However, they do not have to believe in demons to be influenced, even controlled by them. c. The Bible describes the work of the demons as "seducing" spirits, meaning the demons deceive and mislead those they are influencing. 2. What is the proof that demons are influencing the madness of our world? a. Not that you can see or document them, but that you can see and document their influence. b. Every type of evil the Bible condemns is being welcomed into our world. c. Mayhem, murder, murder in masses, and misery now hang over the world like a cloud. d. This is what a godless world looks like and the more godless it becomes, the darker the image will be. e. When President George W. Bush (the 43rd and last Bush president left office), some posted pictures of him leaving the White House, waving, with the caption, "Miss me yet?" So God should be pictured waving goodbye to America and the world with such a caption below it. 3. Demons revving up the volume of the evil in mens hearts. a. Whereas a godless individual might lose his temper and kill once, a demon controlled person may kill again and again until caught or might rent a 32nd floor hotel room and see how many he can kill at one time. b. We have seen these kinds of things happening since the term "postal" was first coined in the late 1900s. II. These three realities will continue to cause more evil to be done. A. As these three realities 1. the dead spirit of man 2. the lack of a fear of God 3. the rise of demonic influences continue to combine, we can expect to see more of these kinds of displays. B. More and more, people will do what they consider to be right in their own eyes. 1. While to some that might mean just throwing off the reigns which hinder "pleasurable immorality" (i,e, free sex, profanity, no worship, drunkenness) for more and more, it will mean freedom to commit violence, thief, rape, and pillage. 2. In our text, not only was wrong done to the man and woman by those who did what they deemed to be good in their own eyes, but the manhaving no legal and just recoursedid what he deemed right in his own eyes. a. And so it spreads. b. An wrong or an injustice done against you now gives you the right to do what you deem right in your own eyes. 3. In Joshua, have you ever wondered why God had the people who previously occupied Israels land completely exterminated? a. Many condemn God as a cruel, unloving, evil God because He commanded first Moses and then Joshua to kill men, women, and children. Why? b. Because of their evil influence on Israel. (1) Not only would they influence Israel to worship false gods, but they also influenced Israel to godless, violent, living. (2) Once people begin to do that which is right in their own eyes, it is very difficultperhaps impossibleto turn them back to a controllable society. (3) It is much easier to stir up a spiritual dead, fearless of God, demonically-controlled people than it is reign them in III. What is the cure for such a condition? A. There is only one course. Depending on where you are, there are several actions, but they all follow one course. 1. If you are lost, be saved. 2. If you are saved, get right. 3. Everyone needs to repent and humble themselves before God. B. If moving away from God is causing the rise of wickednessand it isthen turning to God is the only thing that will stem it. This is called REVIVAL and our church, our community, our nation is in desperate need of it. I cannot preach to the world, but I am preaching to us. If we cannot have revival here, we will not have it out there.