In those days the Israelites did not have a king, so everyone did whatever they thought was right.

Today’s verse is the final verse from the book of Judges. A hopeless ending, it seems. The narrative of the book of Judges shows a repetitive pattern: the people of Israel stray away from God’s paths and slide into suffering inflicted by hostile nations. Each time, God saves them through His servants, men like Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. All their efforts seem in vain, though. The book ends with an appalling succession of idolatry, rape, atrocity, and warfare. Everyone does as they please, regardless of God and His commands.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Our verse could’ve been written in our days. If we look around us, we see people living their lives, making their decisions, doing as they please, as if no King were ruling over everything. You don’t have to think long to come up with examples of immorality and godless behavior. Indeed, people do whatever they want.

Are we being fair, though? Doesn’t our verse force us to measure our own lives against God’s laws? How often don’t we do whatever we think is right, as if there were no King? Aren’t we as hopelessly lost as the Israelites in the days of the Judges? We’d better be honest.

Thank God! His Word doesn’t end with Judges 21:25. He has given a King to Israel! He is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who has saved His people from sin and death and restored hope! King Jesus teaches us to do what is right in His holy eyes: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-38).

Can we follow that command by our own strength? Of course we can’t, but Ephesians 2:10 tells us how we can live according to God’s will: “In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.”

The book of Judges ends on a despairingly low note. God’s Word ends with strikingly beautiful words of hope: “Jesus is the one who says that all of this is true. Now he says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all people” (Revelation 22:20-21).

Has He become the King of your life already? Today and henceforth, let this be your desire, your firm hope, that Christ the King is coming soon. May His grace be upon you!

By Anton de Vreugd, Bible League International staff, the Netherlands