Judges 19-21

Things get really peculiar really fast for the Israelites during the years of judges beginning with Israel's disobedience and incomplete conquest of Canaan while Joshua is still alive, unfaithfulness to YAHWEH in the generation immediately after Joshua's death. All-in-all the judges of Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon were largely faithful leaders over Israel, while Gideon obeyed and was used mightily by God, it seems that many of the leaders after Deborah that have longer narrative stories did not finish well. One theme that is repeated frequently in the last chapters of Judges indicative of a collective heart issue for the people of Israel:

Judges 21:25 (NKJV) "...everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

As people called of God, a royal priesthood, we are to do what is right in the eyes of the righteous and holy God Almighty according to what is found in His word. Over and over again I see highlighted throughout the story of the Israelites the tendency for the sin of presumption and I am convicted of this even in my own life. How often do I make decisions to do what I believe is right when the LORD has not given me permission or spoken to me clearly and the resulting outcome is outside of the will and sovereignty of God. The root of presumption is the prideful attitude that declares, "I don't know and I don't trust God." I'm beginning to understand more and more each day that the pride of presumption is a fundamental trust issue and I must surrender fully to the LORD and repent of this spirit. 

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