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Judges 21:25 – Irony
An example of irony: Judges concludes with this observation: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted” (Judges 21:25 – HCSB). Literally, “…what was right in their own eyes.” Subjectivism ruled, and was each individual’s king. The same is said in Judges 17:6. The comment of “no king’ is found in 18:1; 19:1.
[ ] 4 times within 5 chapters the writer gives one cause: “there was no king in Israel.”
[ ] 2 times, at the beginning and end of these 5 chapters, he lists another cause: “each one did what was right in their own eyes.”
These chapters form a narrative that reveals a dark period where at least once it is said, “Everyone who saw it said, ‘Nothing like this has ever happened or has been seen since the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt to this day. Think it over, discuss it, and speak up!'” (HCSB Jdg 19:30).
Where’s the irony? When they got a king, Saul sadly did what was right in his own eyes.
This irony serves a purpose because Judges is not only historical, it is polemical. Etiologically it was written to politically support the kingship of David (or so one theory goes). That means, Israel did not need just any king who would do what was right in his own eyes. They needed a king like David, one after God’s own heart.
Applications can be made today:
[ ] Churches need elders, but not just any elders, or just to have elders. Congregations need the right men in God’s sight.
[ ] People need friends, but not everyone is up to the challenges of being what we need to help us imitate Jesus.
[ ] Children need parents, but sadly some are not qualified to take care of themselves, let alone their children.
Too many in the world don’t have Jesus as their King, which leads to doing what is right in their own eyes, and what is detrimental to themselves and others.
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