In Those Days There was no King in Israel; Everyone did what was Right in His Own Eyes

More than 3000 years ago, the author of Judges wrote at the end of his book that there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.  How can we learn from the biblical judgment of the anarchical spirit of ancient Israel and how it relates to the hostility to God’s authority that exists in our times?  After all, the Psalms are full of writers who affirm that God was their king–and as believers God is our King as well.  Similarly, the Bible speaks harshly of those who are right in their own eyes rather than right in His eyes.  This split sermon explores the complexity of the verdict that the author of Judges had on the times he was writing about and how it serves as a cautionary example for our own troubled times.