We finished the book of Judges today. I don’t have a lot to say about the reading, but I do have a couple of observations. First, God requires total righteousness. The mistake comes in thinking we can achieve righteousness on our own without the saving grace of Jesus. In the book of Judges, they had to be righteous on their own and relied on the sacrifices by the priest. We are fortunate and blessed that we have Jesus’ to sanctify us from our unrighteousness. The second observation comes from the very end of the book where the author talks about the fact that Israel had no king to rule over them. As we progress in the Old Testament and begin to read about all the Kings of Israel, it is important to realize that God never intended Israel to have an earthly ruler. He gave Israel a ruler because they wanted it, but God was supposed to be ruler of His people. The same goes for us when we look to earthly leaders such as pastors. While pastors are ordained to shepherd God’s people, we must never forget where their authority comes from. God is our authority and we should always make Him the ultimate guide for our lives.