A phrase shows up towards the end of Judges in three places, in Judges 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25
“In those days, when there was no king in Israel”.
This phrase speaks volumes about Israel’s lack of faith. How the Israelites trusted in themselves and not God. Out of sight out of mind. This is very much like today in America and the world in general. If man cannot figure something out, they have already discounted God or prayer and move on to credulity. Instead of believing in the God of the Bible that has clearly revealed Himself in history most people will now believe in anything besides the God of the Bible.
Judges was the book of “no king” (Wiersbe 170). Neither God as a Divine King or a human as king. Israel was looking for or desiring a king that they could physically see and potentially touch. They had rejected the Lord as the rightful King. They had lost faith. By 1 Samuel 8 the Israelites were practically screaming in unbelief demanding a human king from elderly Samuel “such as all the other nations have”. This is also where it is cleared up for Samuel in terms of understanding the demands of the people by the Lord. It is not Samuel the people reject but rather the Lord Himself. This is why, when God inevitably allowed a human king, that king's benchmark to follow was the Lord himself. As with every human their shortcomings soon become apparent.
The other pertinent statement is in Judges 21:25 “everyone did as he saw fit” which is to say, they were spiritually bankrupt. God was pretty much removed from the picture in terms of spirituality. No God, no Law, no rules. Practically anarchy. These people couldn’t be much more removed from God than they were. They were dead spiritually. Kind of like today.
Wiersbe, Warren. “Looking Back and Looking Around." Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Wisdom and Poetry (Bible Knowledge). Acambaro: Victor, 2003. 170. Print.
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