God through Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and gave them the law. The law taught them right from wrong, taught them how to worship God, and taught them how to deal with many situations in life. Then Moses died and Joshua became the leader. Joshua warned the people in Joshua 1:7-8 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Through Joshua’s leadership and God’s power, the Israelites defeated many of the inhabitants of the Promised Land and they possessed the land.
Not long after Joshua’s death, another generation of Israelites arose who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel (Judges 2:10). For approximately three hundred years, they dwelt in the land with no king to lead them. They did not know the law and therefore did not know what God expected of them. Repeatedly they did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the gods of the peoples of the land. As a result, God allowed the Israelites to be oppressed by other peoples until the Israelites repented and pled with God to deliver them. God then raised up a judge to deliver them from their enemies. This happened over and over again as is described in the book of Judges. Judges 17:6 “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
This expression “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” also describes many people today. As the Israelites were without proper guidance on how to live because they forgot the law, many people today do not have guidance in their lives; they simply do what they think is the right thing to do. But just as the Israelites often went the wrong way and made bad decisions, people today often go the wrong way and make bad decisions. This is largely true because they have no guidance from God in their lives. Jeremiah 10:23 “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” God has made all mankind. He is the source of all truth. He has designed us and knows how we should live our lives. Let us look at a couple of areas where people often take a path that is contrary to God’s direction.
Sexual immorality is common today in most countries. While God has designed sexual relations to be only in marriage, many couples live together without marriage. It seems right to them to try out their relationship first before committing to marriage. Some never get married. Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” What is right in their eyes is not right with God.
When someone does you wrong, the common way of the world is to respond in kind. If someone hits you, you hit them back. Countries follow this philosophy. If one nation harms another nation, the second nation responds with harm to the first nation. In most people’s eyes, if you don’t take vengeance on the one who harms you, it is a sign of weakness and will encourage the first one to continue taking advantage of you; you have to try to even the score. But we are taught in Romans 12:19-21 “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” What is right in many people’s eyes is not right with God.
Rather than doing “what is right In our own eyes”, we need guidance from God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught against many of the common ways of thinking and acting. He gave us guidance on how to live. He concluded in Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” We are wise if we build our lives on the guidance from God. When problems in life come, we will stand and not fall.
The Bible is filled with guidance from God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Scripture gives instruction on how to rightly live our lives. This instruction is different from “what is right in our own eyes”. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
The book of Proverbs teaches us to look for God’s direction. Proverbs 16:2-3 “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” Proverbs 21:2 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Don’t depend upon what is right in your own eyes. I encourage you to instead do what is right in the eyes of God as revealed to us in the Bible and through His Holy Spirit.