The opening and closing statements of today's reading sets the tone for the condition that Israel had fallen to, "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. (17:6 and 21:25). This is always a major problem when people do whatever seems right in the own eyes. For people who had been raised under the law and had a legacy of great leaders, to have no one to follow and to have no moral compass was disastrous.
This dual epilogue (which complements the dual prologues of chapters1:1 to 2:5 and 2:6 to 3:6) which are 17:1 to 18:31 and 19:1 to 21:25 detail specific sins of people and sins of tribes. Because there was no leadership and because the people had forgotten God, people set up shrines to themselves hiring their own priest. This type of idolatry could not be tolerated. Additionally, the tribe of Benjamin had devolved into the sins of Sodom, desiring men over women. Because of their gang-rape of a concubine, the tribe of Benjamin is attacked by the other tribes and nearly eliminated.
When people get to the point where they think they know better than God, then the type of lawless society described in the final chapters of Judges is the result.
May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.
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