Judges

Judges 18:1

Micah seems to be presented as typical of the culture, of not just having lost their sense of the worship of Yahweh but had come to the sense that right and wrong was determined in their own eyes.  Many do this same thing today, twisting the scripture of 'working out your own faith'.  Working out your own faith is walking in the setting of your own life with the gospel salvation applied to your life, filled with the Holy Spirit and the promises of God, defined by His word.  A new creation in Christ inherently means the old creation died, in this case, was crucified with Christ.  There is no thought that we are to make it up as we go along, following our heart or emotions.

Now we enter into the next scene of this story.  We know this isn't going to turn out well when the first line offers the reason for failure.  It was because there was no king would have to be thought of in the sense of as:

• It's because we had no one to lead us in faith.
• It's because we had no King David (of which they knew nothing about).
• It's because we had no King Jesus (of which they knew even less about).

Maybe we could sum it up by saying, 'they knew there was something greater, something more they were missing.  They were searching for the answer their ancestors seems to have known, but they never made that same answer their own.  They were pumping answers into the dark void of their heart and nothing filled it.

The tribe of Dan had their original allotment of the Promised land along the coastal plain between Ephraim and Judah with Benjamin to the east.  They would have been the first to feel the effects of the Philistine oppression.  If the book of Judges is chronological, then Samson was their hero.  If he could not dislodge and weaken the Philistine grip on the land, then finding a new territory was a better choice. 

Yet, the writer gives us a little more information so we understand.  Dan was given in inheritance in Joshua 19:40-48 and it says they took possession of the land.  They were not able to secure their inheritance.  This is something to be considered. 

• Can that which has been given to us by God be stolen away?
• Can a bigger god and stronger people overwhelm God's people and steal what He gave them?

Should we not also ask:

• Did God's people not maintain their relationship with God properly?
• Did the land slip away from them as they slipped away from knowing the Living God?

This certainly seems to hit closer to the truth.  The generation who had lived in the presence of God and seen so much and taken possession had all passed away.  The next generation had not learned to fight for what they had.  They took it for granted.  All the enemies seemed to big.  Their God seemed too small and far away.

Judges 18:2-6

The Danites sent five representatives to search the land.  They were from Zorah and Eshtaol, cities in the allotted territory.  This is where Samson was from and where he was buried.  The five men went to the mountains of Ephraim where they ended up at the house of Micah.  One has to wonder if they sought out the house of Micah because of its reputation as a religious center or if they wandered upon it, as if my chance.   

One of the five Danites must have known the young Levite, recognizing his voice.  He explained his situation and how he came to Micah's house.  Their questions about the success and prosperity of their journey are more likely the reason they were there.  They sought a place of abominable divination to get the answers to their question.  They assume this man has access to God and see nothing wrong in what is going on there. 

The Danite confusion about spiritual things could be summed up this way:  They were seeking spiritual counsel to acquire a stamp of approval for their sinful mission from a heretical priest who used divination, idols and shrines in hopes to hear the will of a righteous and Holy God.

From this, we see the scope of the problem getting larger.  It wasn't just Micah, his mother, a Levite, the mountains of Ephraim or an alternative to true worship.  We now see it is also another tribe who is looking for an alternative to the land the Lord gave them.  There was discontent, a knowledge something was wrong, but no wisdom to return to the Lord, to the beginnings of faith.  They were doing what seemed expedient to them.

The Levite tickles their ears.  He gives them the answer they want to hear.  The priest has violated so many regulations of the priesthood and yet stood as a priest and gave them a word in the name of Yahweh.  They, with not discernment, happily accepted this word. 

Judges 18:7-10

The men went to Laish, the northernmost part of the territory.  The name means 'an old lion.'  This is at the base of Mt Hermon (a few miles from the site of the future city of Caesarea of Philippi).  They saw a quiet and secure place where people dwelt in safety.  Sidon was on the coast and the city may have been under Sidonian rule but it was some distance away.  The security and safety of the city may have come from the remote location.  They saw no local or regional authorities to interfere with them.  It was like a gang of outlaws discovering there was sheriff in this town.  There was no one big enough or brave enough to stop them from doing whatever they wanted to do.    

The language the five spies use is reminiscent of the language used by Joshua and Caleb when they spied the land for Moses or the Hebrews spies that Joshua sent into the land as they were crossing the Jordan.  The five men declare that it was time to go.  There is an urgency to their report.  It was a good place and they presume that God had given it into their hands.  Would there not have been one Danite present who asked, "Didn't God given this land into our hands also?" 

We can't miss this, because it's happened throughout the ages and is still happening today, particularly on a personal level.  They were proclaiming God's alternative provision, the one they found for themselves and put God's name on it.  They did this because God's original promise and provision appeared too difficult to secure, too costly and had become untenable in their eyes.  They were doing what was right in their own eyes and putting God's name on it. 

Judges 18:11-13

A large army wasn't necessary to conquer this unguarded city.  Six hundred men went armed for war.  This first stop, or maybe the gathering place from which they began, was Kirjath Jearim, along the border of Dan and Judah.  The place Mahaneh Dan means 'camp of Dan.'  From there they passed through the Mountains of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 

It's as though there was a fork in the road there.  They could go to Shiloh, the official place of worship, the tabernacle of God, the One who brought them to the land; or, they could turn left and go to the house of Micah.  This was an easier way, apparently more popular and seemed less disruptive and more capable of serving their needs.  That's what's important to a people pursuing life on their own terms, their felt needs must be met. 

Judges 18:14-17

The six hundred stood at the gate with the young Levite while the five men plundered the home of Micah.  This was common among the pagan warfare of the time.  Attach the shrines and holy sites, these were places of great wealth and storage of food and supplies.  The Danites are acting more consistent with the godless people around them, than a tribe of Israel.  Remember, this section is giving us an overview of the nation and culture in the time of judges.  It is setting the stage for a people who will demand a king.

These men stole Micah's business.

Judges 18:18-20

The priest questioned their actions.  He was in no way in a position to stop them.  Micah was out of business, as such, so was the Levite.  It was apparently their intention they would steal the priest as well.  The offer to accompany them was probably more of an offer he couldn't refuse.  They couched this as a promotion to the priest of a tribe of Israel.  This apparently made the priest feel better about going. 

Judges 18:21-26

The thought with positioning the little ones and the livestock to the front was to shelter them from pursuing Ephraimites from the rear.  Those around the house of Micah who saw the shrine and holy site as their own joined to form a posse to pursue the Danites. 

"What ails you?"  What an odd question, as if they didn't know.  And Micah is offended by their question and presumed innocence.  There's an irony in it though.  The entire shrine was born of godlessness, lies, deceit and thievery.  The Danites perpetrated the same on them.  Micah's response is equally repulsive and telling.  "You have taken away my gods which I made."  Just to say that out loud should have sent a chill down his spine.  What kind of god is it if you have to fabricate it with your hands, protect it and even nail it down to keep it from toppling?  

In a time when you do what's right in your own eyes, you don't have to explain yourself; you don't have to possess logical reason.  You don't have to have truth, use truth or even respect truth.  In days like this, everyone has their own truth.  In days like this, you cancel those who challenge your truth and way.  The Danites silenced Micah with the threat of being cancelled!  Micah decided his god wasn't worth dying for.  Interesting.

Judges 18:27-31

The Danites conquer the city of Laish, killed the residence and then rebuilt it, calling it Dan.  This was a fresh start, away from the oppression of the Philistines.  However, the Philistines were a judgement on them for their idolatry and their turning away from Him. 

Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. (Judges 13:1)

The 'fresh start' did not address the matter of the heart.  They set up their own carved image and priesthood.  If the idea of a Levite taking part of this was not bad enough, we now find out his name and discover he was the son of Gershom, Moses' son.  The connection to Moses shows how quickly things had degraded after that first generation in the land had passed away.  In addition, we are reminded the tabernacle was still in Shiloh. 

Final thought:

If we were able to ask questions, we would likely find that the idol created by Micah was a god that agreed with Micah's politics and thoughts of religion.  Micah's god probably affirmed Micah's religious ideas, even though they went against the written law of God.  Micah's god winked at his sin, acknowledging that everyone was doing it and it was not that big a deal.  Micah's god looked very much like Micah.  Micah had created a god of his own understanding, one that looked right in his own eyes.  This has gone on across the ages.  It is more prevalent today than ever before.  The entire concept was born in the garden when the deceiving serpent said, "Did God really say?"

This idolatry can be traced back to 1100 cursed shekels of silver stolen by a young man.  Then we see the lack of principals by a mother who celebrated the return of the stolen money by spending it on an idol.  She spent a great sum of money having this idol made.  The effect of this idol and the accompanying idolatry ended up affecting the surrounding area and ended up finding a home in a tribe among a nation.  A little leaven made its way through the nation of Israel.

Every nation goes down in this order: (1) religious apostasy; (2) moral awfulness; (3) political anarchy. Deterioration begins in the temple, then to the home, and finally to the state. That is the way a nation falls.

[McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: History of Israel (Joshua/Judges) (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 213). Thomas Nelson.]

This is a period of compromise, corruption, and confusion, which are the marks of apostasy at any time. We are in a state of apostasy today. The church has compromised. It is in a state of corruption and confusion. Our problem is that it is not returning to its authority, which is the Word of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ who is revealed in the Word of God.

[McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: History of Israel (Joshua/Judges) (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 217). Thomas Nelson.]

© 2015, 2023 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater