Today’s readings are Romans 1:26-32; Judges 19; 20; 21. I’ll be away for the next few weeks. I will, however, attempt to post a link to the readings for the 49 Week Bible Challenge so you can follow the plan easily. During this time there will be no audio versions of these blog posts.
Judges 21:25
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Our guide in Uruguay was bragging on the progressive character of the nation. Indeed, Uruguay has long been one of the most socially progressive nations in South America. It was the first country in the world to fully legalize and regulate recreational marijuana (2013), and it has permitted no-fault divorce since the early twentieth century. Uruguay recognized women’s political rights in its 1917 constitution, implemented national suffrage by decree in 1932, and women voted in national elections beginning in 1938, making it one of the earliest adopters in the region. The country legalized abortion 2012, and in 2025 it became one of the first in Latin America to legalize euthanasia. Uruguay is often cited as the most secular country in Latin America.
Quite a source of social pride! And a sad commentary about what happens when people abandon God. A society without God loses its moral compass. When “everyone does what is right in his own eyes,” human selfishness takes over. Judges 19 is a biblical picture of what happens when God’s word is ignored. Accountability collapses, power is misused, and people are treated as objects.
Today’s readings from Judges 19–21 show with sobering force that the wages of sin is death. This is not only true of the pagan nations, but of Israel itself. These chapters remind us that no one stands righteous on their own; we all stand in need of a Savior.
These are deeply sorrowful chapters in the story of God’s people. Yet even here, God’s patience, grace, and mercy shine through. He did not sweep Israel away in judgment but remained faithful to his promise to redeem his people – a promise fulfilled in Christ.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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