That Which Is Right In Our Own Eyes

As part of reading through the Bible, the portion that I read on Thursday morning was Judges 17-21. It is a sad section of scripture which I would like to consider for this week’s Sabbath Thought.

Chapter 17 begins with the theft and return of a significant amount of money. When the money is returned, a portion of the money “was dedicated to the Lord” and was used to pay a craftsman to make a carved image and a molded image. The thief, Micah, then sets up a shrine containing the carved and molded images, household gods, an ephod, possibly a garment placed on one of the images, and the setting apart of one of Micah’s sons as family priest. What is described in the first five verses of the chapter is wrong on many levels.

The next statement says everything that needs to be said about what has happened so far. Judges 17:6 tells us, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Why would what happens in the first five verses of the chapter be summarized in this fashion?

During the time of the judges in Israel, there was no physical king in Israel. But Israel did have a king ruling over them whether they knew it or not. The king that was to rule in the nation was God. The judges that God raised up were not kings. Instead they were viceroys ruling over Israel as God determined. As judges, they were always to look to God, the King, for how to proceed.

As one considers the terrible events of Judges 17 through 21, we find idolatry established in a household, a man setting up his own priesthood, the tribe of Dan establishing their own idolatrous religion, sexual perversion, murder, and vicious warfare causing the death of thousands and the near extinction of the tribe of Benjamin.

What we are being told is that there are serious consequences that unfold as people live as if there is no “king”. The King who rules heaven and earth is always on His throne and to live as if He does not exist is a path that only ends on disaster.

When an individual or a nation lives as if there is no king, to whom they are accountable, the only path left for them to follow is that of doing “what was right in their own eyes.” Judges 17-21 was written to illustrate for us the outcome of living in that way. Clearly, living by what is right in our own eyes only leads to disaster.

As we assess our world today, we are following the very same path. Spiritually speaking, is the God of Bible the King to whom everyone looks for how to live? Can we expect anything but the same result as that which happened in the time of the Judges?

God does not want His people to live as if He did not exist. He does exist and wants us always to walk humbly before Him (Isaiah 66:1-2).

To help us to stay on the right path, God established the Sabbath day. Note what God tells His people in Exodus 31, "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. . . .Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'" (Exodus 31:13, 16-17).

The Sabbath is essential to our living in acknowledgement of God as our King and our avoiding “doing that which is right in our own eyes.”

Have a pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

Christmas Gifts: Kingly Present or Ancient Eastern Custom?

It is the 26th of December and Christmas is past. Yesterday in many parts of the world Christmas was observed. Families gathered, gifts were exchanged.

On what scriptural basis do people in the Christian world exchange gifts? The scriptural support for gift giving is found in Matthew 2:11,

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Does this quote support exchanging gifts in observance of Christmas? Although giving gifts based upon Matthew 2:11 indicates a misinterpretation of what is happening in the verse. First, let us look at the historic origin of trading gifts back and forth, then see exactly what the Bible does say about it.

From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we quote, "The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows."

The fact is, this custom of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the Christmas season has not a single trace of Christianity about it, strange though that may seem. This does not celebrate Christ's birthday or honor it or Him! Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to honor that person on his or her birthday. Would you lavishly buy gifts for everyone else, trading gifts back and forth with all your other friends and loved ones, but ignore completely any gift for the one whose birthday you are honoring? It would seem rather absurd, when viewed in that light.

Yet this is exactly what people the world over do. They honor a day that is not Christ's birthday by spending significant amounts of money to buy presents to trade back and forth among friends and relatives.

Now consider what the Bible says about giving gifts when Christ was born in Matthew 2. Let’s examine the passage:

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."” (Matt 2:1-2)

• Note they were seeking a king they would worship.

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” (Matt 2:3-4)

• The arrival of these men from the east upset Herod because he saw this king as threatening his rule in Judea and apparently the men’s search for a king stirred Jerusalem as well.
• An inquiry was made to determine where the Christ was born.
• Matthew 2:5-6 tells us that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.
• Matthew 2:7-8 informs us that Herod wanted to know when the men began their journey and asks that when they find this king they are to report back to him.
• How long was the journey of these men from the east? Matthew 2:16 tells us that Herod set about killing all infants aged two years and younger. Herod had determined from the inquiries of the men from the east that their journey began approximately two years earlier. Since the men did not return to tell Herod of the location of this king, he killed all that fit into that time frame with the hope of eliminating his supposed rival.
• Note Matthew 2:10 tells us that the child was not in a manger in Bethlehem since about two years had passed. Christ, was no longer a newborn, but was possibly as old as two. He was living in all probability in his home town of Nazareth.

Now back to the verse we addressed at the outset,

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt 2:11)

Notice, they inquired for the child Jesus, who was born King of the Jews! Now why did they present gifts to Him? Because it was His birthday? Not at all, because it was some time after the date of His birth! Was it to set an example for us, today, to trade gifts back and forth among ourselves? No, notice carefully! They did not exchange gifts among themselves, but "they presented unto Him gifts." They gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives, or one another!

Why did they give gifts to the child? Let me quote from the Adam Clarke on Matthew 2:11, “The people of the east never approach the presence of kings and great personages, without a present in their hands. This custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the east, and in some of the newly discovered South Sea Islands.” (From Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

They were not instituting a new Christian custom of exchanging gifts with friends to honor Christ's birthday. They were following an old and ancient eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king when they come into his presence. They were approaching Him, born King of the Jews, in person. Therefore custom required they present gifts—even as the Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon—even as many people today take a gift along when they visit the White House for an appointment with the President.

The custom of trading gifts back and forth does not stem from this scriptural incident at all, but rather, as quoted from history above, it is the continuance of an ancient pagan custom.

Have a most pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith