Doing What Is Right

Proverbs 12:15 tells us, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise." In a day when this scripture is prevalent, we do not have to guess that it is relevant to today's attitudes. The feeling is, "as long as it is right for me, then it is right - period." What a sad state to be in. In a time when unity of spirit is sacrificed for "what I want for me" and sometimes, "what I want for my church, no matter what" - - - "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is sacrificed for "what is right in their own eyes."

The book of Judges speaks to the same sad state of affairs. Two verses, Judges 17:6 & 21:25, record, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Israel had gone through several Judges after they cried to the Lord from being under oppression of the enemy from their own disobedience. Yet, after being delivered over and over, again and again they went back into their own ways of being disobedient to God. Between those two verses, and the verses preceding, the Scripture records the sad condition of those involved in "doing that which is right in their own eyes." Judges 17:5 says, "And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest." This man made a graven image of silver and "had an house of gods" and concecrated one of his sons to be a priest. In reading this it seems almost beyond our imagination that these people, whom God had delivered so many times, would stoop so low as to make a graven image and have a house of gods - one of the ten commandments forbid graven images. Yet. their continual falling from God's favor and their disobedience to Him brought on this sad condition.

In reading between the two passages in Judges one can readily see the ridiculousness of the beliefs of this man Micah. This man, Micah, was trying to set up his own "tabernacle of religion." A young levite left his home in Bethlehemjudah and traveled through the area where Micah lived in the mountains of Ephraim. Micah asked the young levite to stay with him and be his son and to be his priest. Micah offered him ten pieces of silver and the young levite agreed to stay and be his priest. The foolishness of such arrangement is apparent. Then the Scripture records Micah's deceived thoughts. Verse 13 says, "Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest." How could he be so deceived to think that just because he has a levite and has ordained him as a priest in his house that "the Lord will do [him] good." Going though religious activity and religious ceremonies does not bring the favor of God when there is rebellion and disobedience. Religion can be very deceptive. All the religious piety and pompousness cannot bring the favor of God.

There can be the best contemporary worship music, the best oratory, the best facilities, the best technology, the best schedule, the best format, the best whatever but if there is the absence of obedience to the Lord and a genuine relationship with Him, then His blessings and favor will not be with us. Another passage in 2 Kings 17:33 says, "They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence." Another translations says, "They worshiped the LORD but also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had come." GWV Do we see some of the same type of conditions in our time.

It is sad to see people going through the motions of worshipping God but having no real relationship with Him. It is sad to see people who are living a social gospel but have not genuinely been born again by the Spirit of God. It is sad to see people who can go through the motions of doing "praise and worship" to the Lord yet in their heart of hearts knowing that they are living in rebellion and disobedience to the Lord. It is sad seeing hundreds and hundreds of people in religious meetings with no power of the Lord present. It is sad to see them with a "form of godliness but denying the power thereof."

Doing what is right involves being in the center of those who are giving wise counsel. Doing what is right involves avoiding the attitude of "what is right in my own eyes." It involves being subject to those over us in the Lord and being in submission to each other. This man Micah was doing "his own thing." Later a whole tribe (the tribe of Dan) got caught up in this man's foolishness and "did what was right in their own eyes." Reading on through these chapters shows the horrendous, abominable behavior of the people during this time. The details are such that it would make most moral people blush to read them. Some in Sodom and Gomorrah would be akin to such behavior. This is what happens to a people who "do what is right in their own eyes." The tribe of Benjamin got caught up in one man's attitude of "doing what is right in his own eyes." The tribe of Benjamin did not realize "their own evil was about to overtake them." Judges 20:34b GWV After God intervened in the battle and after the civil war was over, 25000 men in Benjamin had been killed. The rest of Israel sat before the Lord and cried, "why has this happened among us? Why should one tribe be missing today in Israel?" Judges 21:3 GWV

God help me to not get caught up in "doing what is right in my own eyes." God help churches to not get caught up in "doing what is right in their own eyes." God help us to follow our anointed leaders and to follow wise counsel. Make your Word more clear to us. Make what is right more clear to us. Give us a heart to follow what is right. Let us do what is right, in a right spirit, in a right attitude with prayer for grace to do what is right, with right motives. AMEN!