Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Sunday, January 18: Judges 21:25:

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

Many do not realize that this was the primary sin of Adam. Adam had the knowledge of good. He was in the presence of the Almighty God. He only knew good. But as we see, Adam had the freedom to choose. As long as he set his affections on his Lord, he would continue in that way.

But the devil lured him to sin, and did it through his weakest link: his beloved wife. And the awful thing about the whole thing was the phrase: "and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6b)

He could have stopped this, but allowed the devil to manipulate the one he loved into the sin that twisted our human nature in such a way that now, unless we are touched by the breath of the Spirit, our will will always choose our own way. And that way leads to sin, and that sin leads to death. Eternal death.

This verse that closes out the awful book of Judges epitomizes the way of fallen man. We have grown so selfish that one of the most common phrases our "educated" people say is "follow your truth." And "your truth" is whatever you decide.

It is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. If my truth says to take your stuff, and your truth says to take my stuff, which truth is truth? We become like beasts, and end up like the Darwinian "man" with the notion of "survival of the fittest". The smartest, most ruthless, most powerful, the most wicked typically win out.

"Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." (Romans 1:22)

We've gotten so degenerate that we have "furry" clubs in our prestigious universities, where our children, usually there supplied by the money from their unsuspecting parents, are acting as if they are dogs, or cats, or other beasts.

They are simply "doing right what is right in their own eyes."

I can imagine the laughter of those in the spiritual world, who are enjoying manipulating the minds of these fools. It's crept all the way to our Supreme Court, where a Justice doesn't even know the difference between a man and a woman!

But from the beginning, God offered a promise to Adam and Eve. They promised that a Seed coming from the woman would bring them salvation. And this Seed had been carried through centuries: through the family of Noah, the family of Abraham, the family of Judah, the family of David, to the virgin Mary, who, through the power of the Holy Spirit bore the Messiah, the One:

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:4-8)

And He came to show us that it is not doing "what is right in our own eyes" that saves us, but believing on the One sent to us to save us from ourselves and bow before the living God. And when we believe in Him, we are given a new nature, reconciled to God and are given the hope that when we return to Him when all is said and done, we will never sin, nor have the will or desire to sin again.

It says later in that passage that every knee will bow before Him. And they will, either gratefully or reluctantly. Which will it be for you?

Memory Helps:

Here again is the order of the books.

OLD TESTAMENT: 39 books

Four Sections: LAW, HISTORY, POETRY/WISDOM, PROPHETS (MAJOR/MINOR)

5-12-5-5-12 Pattern. (three "handfuls" (5 fingers) and two "dozen")

LAW: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (GELND)

HISTORY: 3 single, 3 pairs, 3 singles (3-6-3 pattern)

Pre-Kings: Joshua, Judges, Ruth (Josh Jr)

Pairs of Kings: 1&2 Samuel, Kings, Chronicles (SKC)

Post-Kings: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (ENE)

POETRY/WISDOM: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (JP-PES)

3 writers: Job, David, and 3 by Solomon.

PROPHETS: 5 Major, 12 Minor

MAJOR: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel (I Just Love Eating Donuts!)

MINOR: 6-3-3 pattern: (HJAOJM-NHZ-HZM)

Pre-Assyria: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah (Note the five O's and the three "Ah's)

Pre-Babylon: Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (all 3 contain 3 chapters)

Post-Babylon: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi