“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25; cf. 17:6

In many ways, these words are the sum of what took place in Israel during the days of the judges. Because the people had no king to rule over them and hold them accountable to one set of laws, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” and the results were not pretty. The people fell into all sorts of sin and idolatry and, again and again, God’s judgments came upon Israel.

Wait, didn’t they have God’s law? Hadn’t God given to Moses the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible)? Yes. But instead of listening to God and what He revealed and commanded them in his Word, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

But what does that have to do with us, God’s people and church members in the 21st century? A lot more than we may think because we have the same problem today in our churches and congregations — “every man [does] that which [is] right in his own eyes.”

Instead of listening to what God has revealed in His Word — the Bible — we do what we think is best. Instead of letting God speak to us in the Bible and show us His will and His ways, we apply our own opinions and our own faulty understandings to the Bible. We accept the parts of the Bible which agree with our thoughts and opinions, and we reject and ignore what does not.

In truth, this is a contradiction to God’s commandment which forbids us to serve other gods and make graven images: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Ex. 20:3-4).

We may not make a golden calf and call it by the name of the LORD as the children of Israel did at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 32), but we make a god after our own image and in our likeness — a god who thinks as we think, whose commandments reflect our own beliefs and opinions, whose doctrines conform to our views and understanding. And, sadly, when we are confronted with the true God of the Bible and His words and commandments, we reject Him in favor of the idol and image of God we have created in our own minds. “Every man [does] that which [is] right in his own eyes.”

The true God, of course, does not condone such actions on our part. Moses commanded the people in regard to their worship: “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes” (Deut. 12:8). Rather, they were to conform their worship and sacrifices to God’s commandments. In Proverbs 12:15, God says: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” And we would be wise to listen to the counsel of the LORD God in His Word!

We need to remember that the Church and each congregation of believers is not “our church” but “God’s church.” We have no business setting up our own church so that we can do what is right in our own eyes. Rather, we are to join together in following Christ, hearing His life-giving Word, receiving the Sacraments He instituted and continuing in all that He has commanded us.

Through Holy Baptism, we are joined to Christ as our husband and head, which means that we are to be subject unto Him in all things (cf. Eph. 5:22ff.). The words which the minister proclaims must not be his own words and opinions but those of God, as recorded in the Bible. The administration of the Sacraments is not to be according to our views and opinions but according to Christ’s institution and the commands of Holy Scripture. Our worship practices are not subject to our personal likings and preferences but are to be in accord with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures and to build up Christ’s Church. The business decisions of the congregation are not to further personal interests or opinions but to advance the kingdom of God through the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word and the right administration of the Sacraments.

If we do what is right in our own eyes, we will find we miss the blessing which God would give us by continuing in His ways and holding fast in faith to our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died to redeem us from our sins and rose again to give us life through faith in His name.

O God, grant that we walk by faith in Christ Jesus and His Word and not according to what is right in our own eyes. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]