Anarchy is Pregnant Again! Part I

Wherever there is a throne, there must be someone to occupy that throne. When there is a throne without an occupant, anarchy is pregnant again. It is only when anarchy is pregnant that abortion becomes an unquestionable intervention. Unfortunately, there are times when people ignore such interventions and instead provide top-notch prenatal care to pregnant anarchy till anarchy delivers identical triplets. 

Nations find themselves in such circumstances, families are confronted with such realities, and even at individual levels, people experience a meshwork of anarchy. It, therefore, means that at every level of our government, we need somebody on the throne, from self-government to the highest levels that our oneness affords. 

Israel found itself in a situation with a high propensity to anarchical government. This is represented by the period between when they settled in the promised land and when they had their first King, during which the judges ruled them. Because Israel was a theocracy—governed by God—they did not have an elaborate framework to have someone on the throne. They only needed to recognize the divine throne by submitting to God, and God would protect them from the bloodhounds that surrounded their territories and, if need be, raise a judge to lead them to face-off with their enemies. 

It is essential to understand that theocracy differs from democratic or monarchical governments. In a democracy, monarchy, or outright dictatorship, leaders will cling to the throne even when people refuse to recognize and oppose them. Furthermore, the administrators of these humanistic government systems will demand obedience by the force of a bullet. In a theocracy, however, when people behave in a way suggesting that they recognize God no more, nor do they want anything to do with Him, God backs off and lets people follow their desires and reap its full consequence. This is the time when anarchy gets pregnant again.

Let Us Read It In The Scriptures

NKJV Judges 17:6

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

NKJV Judges 18:1, 7

In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them.

So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no ties with anyone.

NKJV Judges 19:1 

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

NKJV Judges 21:25

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

The state of anarchy in Israel had been witnessed in its mild forms between the time judges ruled Israel. However, its full force was felt after the death of the last judge of Israel, Samson. Let us get to the anatomy of encroaching anarchy.

The Anatomy of Anarchy

After the death of Samson, the Bible states that a man named Micah had his mother hire a silversmith to make carved and moulded idols, and he placed them in his house. Micah had a shrine, made an ephod, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. Later, Micah found an estranged, famishing, and homeless Levite willing to be hired at the going wage rates. He was out to stay wherever he could find. Micah hired him at an annual wage of 10 shekels of silver, a suit of clothes, and daily bread.  All these happened because, in those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

When God is pushed out of the equation, idolatry will creep in, and people will become enfeebled, dwarfed, and debased. Who’s on the throne of your heart? Whoever that is, you will worship him.

After this, the tribe of Dan, in pursuit of inheritance for themselves, attacked the inhabitants of Laish, a well-endowed neighbourhood where there was no lack of anything on earth. In the process, they usurped Micah of his sorry priest and took his idols with them. When Micah tried to intervene, he got the response from the Danites; “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!” And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and returned to his house. All these happened because, in those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

There will be no respect for property laws when God is pushed out of the equation. The helpless will be oppressed sore, and everyone will blame them for being burdensome to society. Anarchy is pregnant again!

After this, a Levite practising country living in the remote mountains of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem. The concubine practised whoredom and fled to her father’s house. The man of God went to solve issues with his in-laws to bring his concubine back. After five days of merriment, the man took his concubine and left at dusk. He hadn’t travelled long before common sense demanded they find a place to spend the night. They ignored Jebusites and favoured Gibeah, which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. 

There being no Airbnb, they were hosted by some generous old man. It didn’t take long before some sons of Belial confronted them and threatened to break into the house.  They took the concubine, humbled her the entire night, and left her at daybreak, drained of virtue and life; she dropped dead at the door of their host. All these happened because, in those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

When there is no king, the morals will sag, and the world will become worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. 

After this, the entire Israel was enraged and demanded justice for the Levite. The eleven tribes demanded that the tribe of Benjamin jettison the perverts from among them to face public retribution.  In pride and arrogance, the Benjaminites enraged the entire Israel, and this resulted in a battle that deprived Benjamin of male folks. The tribe was almost wiped into extinction because of this careless arrogance. All these happened because, in those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

When there is no king, people will not own up and create a conducive environment for justice. 

Conclusion

The world is suffering because, like during the period after the reign of the judges, there is no king, and everyone is doing what is right in his own eyes. There are families with no king, and everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. There are churches where there is no king, and everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. There are some relationships where there is no king, and everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. Some homes have no king, and everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. There are some lives where there is no king, and everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes.  Despite all these, Christ is still the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Your option remains to crown Him Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, or you will crucify him. Anarchy is pregnant again!