First and Last Verses

First and last verses are very interesting, sometimes. For example:

Want to know what happens to every great people who follow the Lord? Just go to the first verse of Judges and you will see:

Jdg 1:1 After Joshua's death the people of Israel asked the Lord, "Which of our tribes should be the first to go and attack the Canaanites?"

The people didn't move without asking for guidance from the Lord. They depended on Him for their very lives. They waited for the Lord. They trusted Him. They asked of Him. They understood what authority was. They recognized God's full authority in everything. They knew He had conrol over everything, even their enemies.

Then, go to the last verse of Judges:

Jdg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

By the end of the book they had forgotten to ask God. The relationship with Him was broken. They didn't recognize His authority. They didn't ask Him for guidance. They didn't need Him to help them.

When recognition of authority breaks down, people do whatever they feel is right. They become their own authority. Authority becomes relative.

The Word of God has lost much authority in the Church. People don't read it. They don't know it. They don't seek out the treasure hidden in it.

The Word of God is today's foundational sources of God's guidance and wisdom. But, we are living more in the last verse of Judges, than the first.