Judges 17
Chapter 17 is an intriguing chapter because I see aspects of American Christianity. More pointedly, I see parts of myself in this chapter. Reading and journaling through Judges has been good for me and I hope it has been good for you.
Let’s talk about Micah. Verse 2 begins with his confession to taking 1,100 pieces of silver from his mother. In verse 3, he gave the money back to his mother, the rightful owner.
Her response - I dedicate this silver to the Lord and give it back to you, so you can make carved and metal images. His mother’s response should make you pause and wonder. It should remind you of the Ten Commandments. It should cause you to think she is delusional.
Exodus 20:4 says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”
Micah’s mother dedicated money to the Lord for the sole purpose of breaking the Lord’s commands. Micah had the images made and placed them in his shrine with other objects of worship. He, then ordained one of his children to be the priest of his personal temple.
There are many things wrong with Micah’s attempt at worship. Here are two points of application.
It is possible to give money to religious organizations without those funds being used for God’s purposes. As an obedient follower of Jesus, we must give our finances to the kingdom of God. Your local church, missionaries, religious organizations that promote the cause of Christ, organizations for fight food insecurities, etc. As a wise steward of what God has given to us, we have a responsibility to diligently research how organizations spend money we give them. The organizations your family supports should complement your family mission. For example, our family values long-term disciple-making and we support missionaries that work in Bible translation.
It is possible to pursue your own system of religious that doesn’t seek to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Micah built his own shrine and controlled the outcomes. If a human being controls the outcomes of a temple and its worship, there is no room for the Holy Spirit’s powerful transformation that we desperately need. I believe there are many churches in our country that (like Micah) place several gods next to Jesus and worship them simultaneously. Avoid those churches! I also believe there are many who have replaced online church with corporate worship because of convenience. I suggest you might be pursuing your own system of religious that will become difficult to glorify God.
Let’s talk about the Levite. I want to remind you that not all Levites were priests. Not all pastors preach to the congregation on the weekend. Those pastors are not a lesser form of a pastor, they just play a different role. This Levite may not have been a priest but was still a Levite and had an important role to play in the nation of Israel.
Verses 7-9 mention three times that the Levite is wandering, looking for his place. Does he have an identity issue? Does he struggle with discontentment? Was he jealous of other Levites? Did he feel overlooked?
My biggest question about this Levite – Did he miss out on something God had not yet revealed to him?
Friends, we speed through life and it is easy to jump ahead of God. As Judges 17 has encouraged me to slow down and wait on God more frequently, I encourage you to look for what God has not yet revealed to you. If we look to God for our future, that future will be perfect.
Waiting on God’s plan is not always easy, but it is always right.
I pray that you continue pressing forward into God’s mission during 2021.