The Virus that Broke the Country's Back

Photo: cdc.gov

“At that time, the sons of Israel walked away from that place, every man to his tribe and his family. And they went out from there, every man to his inheritance. In those days there was no king in Israel. A man did what was right according to his own vision.” –Judges 21:24-25 (NKJV)

For me, one of the most memorable endings to an Old Testament book in the Bible is that of Judges.
We’re used to stories ending with either good triumphing over evil or evil triumphing over good. Instead, the author of Judges—traditionally believed to be Samuel—leaves the reader with unresolved feelings that impart the country and men’s hearts are left in a state of bleak nihilism (the reject of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless-New Oxford American Dictionary). The country has devolved into factions, there is literally no leader, and worst of all men have become their own god. The Truth is lost, trust has vanished, and moral relativism reigns supreme.

Usually in Scripture, when people were afflicted with either a horrible illness or intangible calamity—they often times recognized the cause and effect of their actions. They realized they had not rightfully honored God or never had in the first place—now that doesn’t mean they always turned their hearts back to him, but they still recognized Him as Supreme. What happens when people have devolved so far into—to borrow words from Robert H. Bork—radical egalitarianism and radical individualism—they no longer have faith in their country, in their leaders, in their communities, and especially in God? As the book of Judges states, “A man did what was right according to his own vision,” meaning they saw themselves as sufficiently their own god capable of denying transcendental boundaries. Further yet, what happens when all faith is lost and the threat is intangible? Once this happens, people reach a final conclusion…nihilism. See, when you are your own god then you are capable of exhibiting a certain amount of control however strong or weak that may be.

Remember back to the passage in Judges, every man had a tribe, family or inheritance. They had an influential promise which allowed them capability of keeping them and their tribe focused on corporeal goals. Despite each leader exercising moral relativism, their tribe didn’t have a lack of belief in their leader, otherwise they wouldn’t be following him.

But once control gives way to an intangible power then faith is lost even in the tribal leader because his godship is proven to be limited and ultimately unworthy of trust. Therefore, their leader becomes the god who failed and once god has failed then nothing is true. And then the chaos sets in. Transcendental and earthly leaders cannot help us since even the malicious, unrelenting world cannot be reasoned with.

Except don’t forget that the people of Judges do not exhibit the inevitable way of life.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” –Matthew 23: 37-39 (NKJV)

In this age, when fear of the unknown has overtaken our lives, the Enemy delights in our crumbling faith not only in God but in our leaders God has appointed (Romans 13). “But it is not that the word of God takes no effect” (Romans 9:6a). “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?....Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8: 34b-35, 37). (bold and some emphasis added)

Make no mistake, we are living in the last chapter of Judges, but gratefully Christ made the remedy to despair abundantly clear: “…say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” It causes anguish to Jesus we are not willing to abide under his wing! He is willing to take us into his shelter! Clearly, our house is desolate; therefore take hold of Jesus’s remedy! Why not? Self-idolatry has been proven false; nihilism is no fun. Go back to your own house and build it on the Rock.

Never stop improving the present moment.