JUDGES 17

The book of Judges closes with two sections (chs. 17–18 and 19–21) characterized by the statements, “In those days there was no king in Israel” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) and, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (17:6; 21:25).

1 ¶ And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

·        A name meaning "who is like unto Jehovah." This name stands in complete opposition to Micah's true character. He will establish a system of idolatry in Israel and an illegitimate priesthood.

2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.

• It was fear of the curse, not the fear of The Lord that prompted Micah to return the silver to his mother.

3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

• A carved image was made from wood and overlaid with silver or gold, and a molten image was made of silver or gold poured into a mold. Such images were forbidden according to Exodus 20.4
• An image was made contrary to the divine law, and yet it was to be dedicated unto Jehovah.

4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder (silversmith), who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.

5 And the man Micah had an house of gods (made a shrine), and made an ephod (the linen garment worn by priests of Jehovah ), and teraphim(household idols), and consecrated (ordained) one of his sons, who became his priest.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

• The verse is an editorial comment on the nation’s apostasy. People were doing whatever they wanted, as opposed to what was right in the Lord’s eyes.
• This verse will be repeated when we get to chapter 21. Whenever a person does that which is right in his or her own eyes, it always ends up in disaster.
• Prov 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
• Prov 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

7 ¶ And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

• Levite - Indicates a man from the lineage of the tribe of Levi, who would be qualified to serve not as a priest but as a priest's assistant in Israel. The priests came from the family line of Aaron.
• We will see in Jud 18.30 that this man’s name was Jonathan. It is to be noted that Bethlehem of Judah was not one of the cities assigned to the priests and Levites. There is no explanation given as to the reason why this Levite moved from a place prescribed by God to Bethlehem.
• As the events of these 2 chapters unfold, we will see that this Levite was a man that was gripped by covetousness.

8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mountEphraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

• Micah meets a Levite and lures him into serving as a private priest by offering him a fine salary and a safe house.

·        The Levite shows his heart by accepting monetary compensation in return for going against Jehovah. He will prove that heart in the next chapter by accepting a more attractive offer.

·        This man was an hireling. He didn’t serve the True and Living God, he was serving mammon, Micah and his idols.

11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.

12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

• The sad part of this story is that Micah believes that The Lord is blessing him now that he has his own priest. Little did he know that his priest and his gods would soon be taken away from him.

JUDGES 18

1 ¶ In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

·        Had not fallen unto them; it had been allotted to them, but they had not gotten possession of all of it. The Danites had not been able to secure their allotment of land because they had not driven out the pagans that previously inhabited it. Thus, they were looking for an easier place to claim and settle.

·        God’s will is not always the path of least resistance.

2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew (recognized) the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here (what is your business here)?

4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.

·        The Lord had already spoken concerning the land that they were to conquer and inhabit, but they were unwilling to do the work necessary to take it and were looking for God to bless them with an easier task.

·        They were actually rejecting God’s counsel by refusing to remain in the land that He assigned unto them.

6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.

• Jonathan wasn’t a true spokesperson for The Lord. He told the people what they wanted to hear. He was more interested in people liking him than being holy and speaking the truth.

7 ¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish (100 mile north), and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless (carefree lives), after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet (peaceful) and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.

• Laish was located about 25 miles (40 km) north of the Sea of Galilee, making the migration of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol to Laish about a hundred miles. Laish was renamed Dan, and it was here that Jeroboam set up one of his golden calves (1 Kings 12:29–30).

8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye (what is your report)?

9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.

10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.

11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan (the camp of Dan) unto this day: behold, it is behind (on the west side) Kirjathjearim.

13 And they passed thence (from there) unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

14 ¶ Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim (household gods), and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.

15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.

17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim (household gods), and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.

18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

·        He again shows his true heart and is glad to go with them, because in so doing he would receive a promotion and material gain.

·        When he was offered a place involving more money, more people, and more prestige, he took it. And then he assisted his new employers in stealing his former employer’s gods! W.Wiersbe

21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them (in front of them).

22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

• Idolaters worship gods that they can carry, but Christians worship The God Who carries them (Isa 46.1-7).

25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

27 ¶ And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.

30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land (Refers to the Assyrian captivity of Israel in 722 BC.).

31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

• The tribe of Dan was the first tribe in Israel to officially adopt an idolatrous system of worship. Even though Shiloh was the place appointed by God, this tribe preferred their idols, images and priesthood.
• As I stated earlier, years later, Jereboam 1 would set up the golden calves in Dan and Beersheba and encourage the whole nation to turn away from worshipping the True and Living God.