Life Matters - March 25, 2026

‘’Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation – at least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.” – Senator Barrack Hussein Obama, during a keynote address at the Call to Renewal’s – Building a Covenant for a New America conference in Washington D.C. Then in April 2009 President Obama stated…”we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.” So said Obama to the Turks when in Turkey. 

Citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values. Hmmm. Those last words are good if we ignore what went before. Because, yes, a well-functioning society must have a common center of gravity – a law that applies to all the same – a law to which all must answer and appeal to for order in a functional society. A central set of ideals and values to which all are responsible, accountable, and equal, as on a level playing field.  

Without rules to live by there is only chaos and confusion. Such was the case in Israel of old after the death of Joshua, who had succeeded Moses when he died at 120 years of age. Moses represented the law of God as delivered to him on Mt. Sinai and during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. He had been raised in Pharoah’s household where he was about 40 years old when he killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was abusing a fellow Israelite out in a field. Then, out of fear, Moses exiled himself to Midian. Moses married Zipporah the daughter of Jethro, and they had one son, Gershom. For about 40 years Moses tended his father-in-law’s flocks in the land of Midian. 

At about 80 years of age God directed Moses in leading the Israelites out of Egypt. It had been 430 years since Abraham and his eleven remaining sons, with their wives and children had migrated to Egypt at the invitation of a former Pharoah and to be reunited with his long missing son, Joseph. In those 430 years the Israelites had increased to 600,000 men and women besides children and Egyptians who joined with them. It is safe to say that Moses was the sole leader (under God) leading a million people on foot out of Egypt. A pyramid of leadership was later established in the wilderness, as well as strict laws to live by. It could have been chaos. But no. The orderly group of a million strong moved their tents from place to place in orderly fashion. Their daily lives were consistently regulated and doable. Those otherwise were punished with degrees of severity. 

Joshua, the son of Nun, was given the mantle of leadership by Moses before his death. Joshua, under God, led his million across the Jordan river into the Promised land of Canaan. An orderly million moving as one to settle in their respective land areas as directed by God. Joshua led Israel until his own death at 110 years of age.  

Various Judges led Israel after the death of Joshua, some of them good ones, such as a woman named Deborah with Barak, the warrior Gideon, and Samson – though Samson’s lifestyle left much to be desired and led to the loss of both of his eyes. Still, as a nation, Israel lost out in the central set of ideals and values that were an ever-present guide to them so long as Moses, then Joshua, then elders who had personally known Moses, lived. As these leading men died off the magnetic pull toward the law of God lost its gravity in the minds of the peopleand by the 17th chapter of Judges, in verse 6 we have this sad commentary on the disarray of a formerly orderly congregation; ‘In those days there was no king in Israel, but  every man did that was right in his own eyes.’ As the Deutscher would say ‘’wo keine ordnung ist, dort ist unordnung.’  (where no order is, there is disorder) 

That disorder was not long in showing itself and eventually led to tribes of Israel warring with each other. Over the abuse and death of a woman. The sons of Belial had no regard, protection, nor respect, for the weaker vessel among us. No respect nor regard for the Law of God. Unsanctified feelings were king. So they did whatever their evil hearts felt like doing. The stronger neglected, rejected, abused, and finally killed, the weaker. 

In Judges chapter 20 the Israelites rose up against the offending tribe of Benjamin. Chapter 17 to the end of Judges is extremely painful reading. It is, however, an eye-opening account of what can be the horrid consequences when mankind continues long down the self-degrading path of ‘every man doing that which is right in his own eyes.’ 

 Was Barack Obama right? Can we really be an America where Muslims do their thing, Buddhists do their thing, Hindus do their thing, nonbelievers do their thing, Christians and Jews do their thing? We have gotten used to – or at least learned to tolerate – Christian churches applying the Bible in a variety of ways, even to the ignoring of parts of it. What is new is the extreme extent to which some have gone down the self-destructive path of ignoring God’s Word, of ‘doing that which is right in their own eyes.’ In the ‘Woke’ world unsanctified feelings are king. Unsanctified feelings are king in false religions and man-centered governments. We need a central set of ideals and values that are not subject to the fickle feelings and wanderings of mortal man. The Word of God. 

Christianity has its King. He is Jesus. Our King transcends feelings, man’s eyes, ways, and the means by which he may think to excel. Christianity, as centered upon the New Testament, is the most peaceful of all religions. It destroys the idea of ‘every man doing that which is right in their own eyes.’ Our King portrayed humility in its excellence while yet resisting the devil. He calls us to be like Him, conformed to His image.           

Life Matters!