The Era of the Judges and the Kingdom of God (2) Life Without a King

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (Jdg 21:25)
 
Review
Last Sunday, we started to look at the book of Judges and reflect on the era of the judges. The story begins after the death of Joshua and the passing of his generation. Scripture tells us that the third generation—the children of those who had entered the Promised Land—grew up not knowing the Lord or the mighty works He had done for Israel. Unlike their parents, they had no living experience of God’s power and faithfulness.
The book of Judges repeatedly points out their failure to drive out the inhabitants of the land. Tribe after tribe compromised, allowing the Canaanites to remain. This disobedience led to spiritual corruption. Surrounded by foreign nations and their altars, the Israelites were influenced by their practices and began to serve their gods. God had clearly warned them not to make covenants with the people of the land but to break down their altars. Yet they ignored His command.
At the heart of the problem was the failure of one generation to faithfully transmit the knowledge of God and His Word to the next. Moses had clearly commanded the second generation to impress God’s Word upon their children—teaching it daily in the home and writing it on their hearts. But this responsibility was neglected. As a result, the third generation grew up spiritually ignorant and vulnerable to idolatry.
So, in Judges chapter 2, we saw the tragic cycle that defined Israel’s history: Israel sinned by forsaking the Lord, God judged them by handing them over to their enemies, the people cried out in distress, and God in His mercy raised up judges to deliver them. Yet after each deliverance, Israel quickly fell back into sin.
This repeated pattern reveals the seriousness of human rebellion, but also the steadfastness of God’s grace. The book of Judges reminds us that God is both just and merciful. He disciplines His people, yet He never abandons them. Even when they were unfaithful, He remained faithful.
This same truth holds for us today. We stumble, compromise, and fall short—yet God never lets go of His people. He demonstrated His ultimate faithfulness by sending Jesus Christ, our true Deliverer, who bore our sins and died on the cross for us.
So The key takeaway from last week was this: the foundation of a faithful life is the Word of God. To guard our hearts, to resist the temptations of the world, and to live as citizens of His Kingdom, we must daily fill ourselves with His Word. Only then can our lives be guided by His truth and shaped by His Spirit.
 
When God Is Not Recognized as King
Today, we continue our study of the Book of Judges to reflect on the most important mindset we must have as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Our passage for today comes from Judges 21:25, which says,
"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." (Jdg 21:25)
This verse serves as both a summary and the conclusion of the entire book of Judges. At first glance, it may seem to simply describe Israel’s political chaos. Unlike the surrounding nations, the Israelites did not have a human king. While there were leaders such as judges and elders to guide them, there was no king who ruled over them with strong leadership and authority.
However, the text is not primarily speaking about a political king. From the very beginning, Israel was very different from other nations. Before entering the land of Canaan, they had been nothing more than slaves in Egypt. They could not have left Egypt by their own strength. Yet God delivered them from slavery, sustained them in the wilderness, and enabled them to conquer the land of Canaan by His great power. In this sense, they were unlike other nations. In fact, the Israelites did not need a human king because God Himself was their King.
Therefore, when Judges 21:25 says, "In those days Israel had no king," it does not simply mean that there was no human ruler over them. The deeper meaning is that they did not recognize God as their true King. That is the central theme of the entire book of Judges. Throughout the book, we encounter the stories of various judges, and these narratives show us the tragic consequences for people and nations who fail to make God their King.
The message is clear: without acknowledging God as the sovereign ruler of our lives, chaos, moral confusion, and spiritual decline follow. The Book of Judges reminds us that true leadership, guidance, and security come only from God when He is recognized as King over our hearts, our choices, and our lives.
 
The Meaning of God Being King
Before we dive deeper into the Book of Judges, let us first reflect on what it means that God is King and what it looks like to live under His kingship. We can find this meaning in the book of Genesis.
God created the world in six days. After creating everything by His word, on the last day, He created human beings in His image. Genesis 1:26–29 says,
"Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.' Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.'" (Gen 1:26-29)
From this passage, we see several important truths about God’s creation of humanity. First, God created humans in His own image. Although God created countless things in the world, humans alone were made in His image. He formed the human body from the dust of the ground and breathed His Spirit into it. This is what distinguishes humans from all other creatures.
Then, why did God create humans in this special way? According to Genesis, it was so that humans could rule over the world God had made. Notice that the phrase "rule over" appears twice. God entrusted humanity with the creatures and resources of the world and gave them the responsibility to govern and steward them.
We can describe this as humanity being “representative kings.” God created the world; He is the Creator. Therefore, He is the true Owner and King of this world. But God did not intend to govern the world directly. Instead, He created humans in His image and gave them the ability and authority to govern the world on His behalf.
Here, the term “representative” is key. Humans were to live as kings over God’s creation, ruling over it, but this did not mean they were the true King. All the ability, authority, and wisdom to govern were given by God.
Here, we see the first example of God’s Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is His reign—the place where God rules. However, God’s chosen method of rule was indirect, through humans. He did not rule the world directly but placed humans as His representatives to understand His will and govern the world according to it.
In this sense, the Garden of Eden was God’s Kingdom. It was established by God, and He governed it through humans as His representatives.
What, then, is most important in God’s Kingdom? It is God’s will. Humans were called to be representative kings, but this did not mean they could act however they wanted. They could only fulfill their role as kings if they acted in accordance with God’s will.
Therefore, the most important task for a “representative king” was to remember who the true King was, know His will, and live according to it. Adam could only fulfill his role properly when he remembered that God was the true King.
So how did humans remember and acknowledge God as King? The answer is obedience to God’s Word. I believe this is the reason God placed the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden.
Genesis 2:15–17 says: "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'” (Gen 2:15-17)
Here we see the elements we just discussed. God gave Adam the Garden to steward and care for, granting him the authority and ability of a representative king. But God also gave him one command: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That tree was placed prominently in the center of the Garden, where it was easily seen.
Why did God do this? God wanted Adam to constantly remember who the true King was. Every time Adam saw the tree and chose not to eat from it, he was reminded that God is the true King. Even though Adam governed the Garden, he was to acknowledge God’s ultimate authority through his obedience to God’s command.
From this, we discover the most important principle of God’s Kingdom: God is the true King, and His reign is real and sovereign. And the way we enter and live under God’s Kingdom is through obedience to His Word. To obey God is to acknowledge and confess that He alone is the true Lord of our lives. Only obedience is what enables us to live as true citizens of God’s Kingdom, under His rule and authority.
 
Sin: Rebellion Against God the King
But we know what happened next. Adam and Eve ultimately disobeyed God’s command and ate from the tree He had forbidden. However, the more important issue is not simply that they ate the fruit, but the motivation behind their actions. Why did they eat from the tree? We can understand this by looking at how Satan tempted them.
Genesis 3:1–6 says, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?' The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”' 'You will not certainly die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Gen 3:1-6)
The most significant phrase here is “you will be like God.” Satan was essentially telling them, “You don’t have to live under God as your King anymore. If you eat this fruit, if you disobey God’s command, you can be the lord of your own life. You can live as a king yourself.”
This was the motivation that led Adam and Eve to eat the fruit. Their action carried far more significance than merely eating from a tree. It was a rebellion against God as King. It was a refusal to acknowledge Him as the sovereign ruler. And this rebellion began with the simple act of ceasing to obey the command God had given.
 
From this account, we see two ways Satan deceives humanity. First, he lies. Satan distorted the truth to deceive Eve. God’s Word was clear: “If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die.” This was absolute truth. But Satan said, “You will not surely die,” and twisted the truth to mislead Eve.
This is happening even today. Jesus calls Satan “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Truth belongs only to God. For something to be true, it must be unchanging, and only God possesses this quality. Satan does not own truth; he only distorts it, presenting lies as if they were truth. Even now, countless people are deceived by Satan’s lies, believing falsehoods as if they were truth.
The second way Satan deceives is by omission—by not telling, but hiding the truth. He told Eve she would “be like God” if she ate the fruit. But what he didn’t tell her was that disobeying would place her under his authority, not make her a true king. When Adam ate the fruit, he did not become a king. It meant that his king changed. Life under God’s kingship was exchanged for life under Satan’s authority.
This is a truth we must remember: we often desire freedom from God and His Word to live as we please. Many in the world live this way. But what they do not realize is that what seems like “freedom” is actually slavery to Satan.
Ephesians 2:1–2 confirms this reality: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath." (Eph 2:1-2)
Living according to the world, following our desires and thoughts, is not true freedom. It is simply another form of slavery—to Satan.
So, we are left with only two choices: either to live under God as King, experiencing freedom from sin, Satan, and death, or to live under Satan as king, destined for eternal judgment and separation from God. There is no third option.
My prayer is that each of us will not be deceived by Satan’s lies but will choose to live with God as our King, submitting to His authority and walking in the true freedom He offers.
 
To summarize what we have discussed so far: in God’s Kingdom, the one and only true King is God Himself. Yet God entrusted this Kingdom to humanity, created in His image, giving humans the authority as His representatives to rule over it. The only way for humans to live according to their calling and purpose is to acknowledge God as the true Lord of their lives and to obey His Word and His will.
This is the practical meaning of God being the King of our lives. It is not merely confessing with our lips, “God is the Lord of my life,” nor is it simply praising, “God is the true King.” Even if we make countless declarations of God’s kingship, if we do not actually obey His Word, we are still living as the masters of our own lives. We are not living according to God’s will, but according to what we think is right—making ourselves the lord of every decision, choice, and desire. And this is exactly what it means to still live in sin, under the rule of Satan.
 
Rejecting God’s Kingship
The Book of Judges illustrates this truth most clearly. Judges 21:25 says, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." (Jdg 21:25)
The people of Israel rejected God as their King. They did not seek to understand God’s will through His Word, nor did they follow the commands He had given them. When making decisions, their standard was not “What does God say?” but “What seems right to me?” Their own judgment became the measure of good and evil, truth and falsehood, instead of God’s Word. This led to many problems and great tragedies in their lives.
We will look more closely at these events next week. For today, the point is this: the lives of those who reject God’s kingship are filled with difficulty, corruption, sin, and the tragic consequences of sins.
We have defined living under God’s kingship as obeying His Word. So how do we define sin? The fundamental definition of sin is rejecting God’s kingship—turning away from His Word and will, and instead living according to our own thoughts and desires.
This is exactly how Paul defines sin in Romans 1. He said,
"Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless." (Rm 1:28-31, ESV)
Verse 28 gives us the most fundamental definition of sin: sin is failing to acknowledge God. The Korean Bible translates it as, “they hated to have God in their hearts.”
This is the root of sin. The essence of sin is not primarily what we do, but whom we recognize as King in our lives. Sin is refusing to acknowledge God in our minds and hearts, dethroning Him, and sitting on the throne ourselves.
All visible sins are the fruits that grow from this root. These are exactly the sins Paul lists in Romans 1:29-31: unrighteousness, ugliness, greed, malice, envy, murder, strife, wickedness, slander, pride, boasting, disobedience to parents, ruthlessness, and more—all of these flow from the root sin of not living under God as King.
Today, I want us to reflect on our own lives. Who is the true King of your life? Is it God, or is it Satan? What are you following right now? What motivates your daily choices? Is it God’s Word, or your own thoughts and goals? Are the standards for your small and large daily decisions based on God’s will, or on your own judgment? What kind of fruit are you producing in your life? Are you bearing good, spiritual fruit that reflects the character of Jesus Christ, or are you producing the sinful fruits that Paul describes in Romans?
It is not enough to simply confess that God is the King of our lives with our lips. The truth of God being our King must be evidenced in our daily obedience, in our fellowship with Him through His Word and prayer, and in the tangible, good fruits of our lives. It is for this very reason that Jesus Christ came to this earth in grace and truth—to show us that life, to restore us, and to die on the cross for us.
At this moment, I hope and pray that God’s kingship would be truly restored in our lives. May we become genuine citizens of His Kingdom, building His Kingdom wherever God has placed us, by obeying His Word and His will in every part of our lives.

[Prayer]
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for revealing once again that You alone are the King of our lives. Thank You for making us in Your image and calling us to live under Your rule, to seek Your will, and to bear fruit that reflects Your character.
Lord, we acknowledge that we often fall short, following our own desires instead of Yours. Forgive us for the times we have rejected Your kingship and lived as if we were the masters of our own lives. Restore us, Lord, and draw us back to Your Word and Your ways.
Fill us with Your Spirit, that we may live each day in obedience, guided by Your truth, and empowered to walk in Your will. Let our lives reflect the reality of Your Kingdom, and may everything we do bring glory to Your name.
As we go from this place, help us to remember that Jesus Christ came to demonstrate Your grace and truth, to restore us, and to make us part of Your Kingdom. May we carry this truth into every moment of our lives.
We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Amen.
 
[Reflection Questions]
1. Who is the King of your life right now? Is it God, or is it Satan? Are there any signs or fruits in your life that demonstrate God’s kingship?
2. What small acts of obedience could you take this week to experience God’s Kingdom in your life? And what changes or growth do you hope to see as you live as a citizen of God’s Kingdom?