Posture

Our society will degrade but we must not.

Judges 17:6

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 19:22

As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, 'Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.'

Judges 19:25

But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning.

Judges 21:25

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

God's people degraded so far. Worshipping other gods, kidnapping, murder, rape. In the end, they were guilty of the same sin Sodom committed. The stories are parallel in almost every way.

This is the result of a society given to its own desires. They become slaves to sin and destruction is the only result. Without godly authority people cast off restraint and fall down an endless hole of depravity.

Sadly, we are seeing this very thing in our own society. Sure, we never were in a theocracy. Obviously, America was never God's covenant nation, however the downward spiral of depravity still persists. God's people are more and more demonized for their convictions.

So what should our posture be in a warped world? I look at Jesus' posture and see truth and love. I see honesty about who God is and what sin is. I see love for people of all kinds. I see confrontation against legalism. I see self-sacrifice. I see him calling his followers family. I see new life through faith in him. I see a different society within first century Judea.

This is the same posture we must take. Honesty about who God is. Honesty about what sin is. Love for everyone. Truth to everyone. Seeing Jesus' followers as family. Lay down our lives for each other. Confront legalism. Offer the good news. Enjoy the Lord's presence in our lives.

Our society will degrade but we must not. We need such intimacy with God that we find joy in his good ways and in his truth.

Taken from reading Judges 16-21