JUDGES17and18: MICAH THE EPHRAIMITE

Introduction. Read Judges 17and18.

The story of Micah, Jonathan the Levite and the Danites is included in Judges to illustrate the spiritual condition of the Israelites as summed up in Jd17v6: In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.

Micah's experience illustrates 7 features of the religion commonly practiced by the Israelites at that time. Sadly, thousands of years later, they are not without relevance to Christians today - especially where Christianity is in decline.

Micah's religion was:

(1) Superstitious.

Faith is different from superstition. If you Google faith and superstition there are websites devoted to this topic. Many consider that faith and superstition are the same. Even those who think they are different don't give sensible reasons for their view.

Faith is absolutely essential to function from day to day. Children need to have faith in their teacher, commuters need faith their train driver and sick people need faith in their doctor or surgeon.

Faith is of course reasonable. It is based on evidence. It is reasonable to suppose that the train driver is competent and will get you to your destination. He has undergone training, health checks and he is liable for dismissal if he is ever found drunk on duty. There is of course no guarantee that the train driver will not do something very stupid which results in disaster. His wife might have left him and in despair he decides to crash his train. Faith is not based on a certainty but that does not mean it is irrational or unreasonable.

A superstitious belief is not reasonable. It is not evidence based. A person who will not travel by train unless they have first sacrificed a chicken or are wearing a purple bra or a St Christopher medal are acting irrationally. There is no evidence at all that people travelling after sacrificing a chicken are any less liable to an accident than those who don't.

The Israelite's faith in God was based on two sorts of evidence: the existence of the universe and their history. There are only two possible explanations for the origin of the universe, either it created itself or God created it. The Israelites were constantly reminded of what God had done for them, namely, he had delivered them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land - a process that had involved many well attested miracles.

Micah was a superstitious man. He owned up to stealing his mother's fortune after she had pronounced a curse upon the thief. Micah was fearful of the curse even though there is no evidence that curses affect the well being of thieves in anyway whatever.

Micah manufactured objects, an ephod and clay figures called teraphim, that were used in ways not fully understood for divining the future. Micah's priest probably used them to answer the question of the five Danite spies: Please enquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful. Jd18v5.

Finally, Micah thought employing a real life Levite to officiate at his shrine would bring him luck. Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.

There is a lot of superstition in our society and it has crept into the church. For example:

(a) In some African churches in Britain there is an exaggerated fear of witchcraft and devil possession. Children are accused of being witches and bringing bad luck by casting spells or uttering curses. There is a rise in exorcism and worse in these churches.

Christians in the charismatic tradition are inclined to blame Satan for anything that goes wrong. If they are in a car accident - Satan caused it; if they drop a plate - Satan caused it; if there is an illness in the home - Satan caused it. This is unreasonable and superstitious because there are far more likely explanations - like carelessness and bacteria.

(b) Lots of people read their horoscope because they believe it forecasts the future. Professional sportsmen think they can influence the outcome of a match by what they wear or the ritual they perform before the contest. Is it really going to make a difference which boot they put on first or whether they are wearing their jock strap back to front?

Christians can rely on omens and signs to guide their decisions. There are still those who open the Bible at random and stab their finger on a text thinking that by such means God will direct them.

(c) There are many ploys to win good luck from crossing fingers to hanging a horse shoe over the door. There are numerous internet sites selling good luck charms like: the gambler's amulet, voodoo love amulet, the witch's cat, the coin of Apollos and lucky number 7.

Christians are not immune to superstition. Some believe their luck will change if they confess their sins to the priest, light a candle, pray to a saint or make a financial offering. The fact of the matter is that God is not much interested in our earthly prosperity. His own dear son was one of the world's poor.

(2) Customised.

A motor car or motor cycle can be customised by adding to or subtracting from the standard model. This is done to satisfy the requirements of the owner.

Micah customised or personalised his religion. He created a shrine dedicated to the worship of the LORD. His mother said: I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. Jd17v3.

Micah does not make a shrine so that he can worship Baal, Dagon or any other false gods. His shrine was created to worship the one true God - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But he was going to worship the LORD in his own way. He did so by copying the Canaanites and having an idol made.

Micah's mother did not give her son a huge amount of silver for an idol - about five pounds weight. This was hardly enough for two idols. So possibly the reference to a carved image and a cast idol means the idol was first carved in wood or stone and then coated in molten silver.

I don't expect for one minute that Micah thought his idol was the LORD! Rather it represented the LORD as the did the ark in the Tabernacle.

I think there was some excuse for Micah. The 12 tribes had settled their own areas and there was no dominant religious leader like Moses or even Joshua. The ordinary people didn't possess a copy of the Pentateuch - the first five books of the Bible. There were no prophets. There were no synagogues in the towns for teaching the Scriptures. Worship was centred on the Tabernacle at Shiloh. The priest's main job was to offer sacrifices, not to teach.

When the adherents of one religion assimilate either aspects of another religion or popular culture this is called syncretism. It is a very interesting subject and worth researching on the internet. One writer states that the Psalms are evidence of borrowing from Canaanite religious practice. They had songs to their deities. It is a bit like William Booth saying, "The devil shouldn't have all the best tunes."

Today there are many examples of syncretism. The Church of the Latter Saints combines the writings of Joseph Smith with some of the tenants of traditional Christianity. The hierarchical system of government of the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church owes something to the Roman Empire. Bishops of the Church of England live in palaces and wear gorgeous vestments in imitation of medieval princes. The organisation of the Salvation Army borrows heavily from the British Army. As I have indicated elsewhere, I think the mistaken ideas about heaven and hell derive from the paganism of the Germanic tribes at the time the Roman Empire disintegrated. See: See Article on Heaven and Hell.

Today, Christianity in the West is being infected by two features of popular culture: individualism and equality. Christians certainly embrace individualism. I must do what is right for me. Paul's teaching about being members of the body of Christ is not taken seriously. Some Christians even worship privately at home and have nothing to do with other believers. Many Christians feel they can leave a church at will and go somewhere else that meets their needs better. Their whole attitude to church membership is tainted by consumerism. Popular notions of equality mean that there are increasing numbers in the church campaigning for women's rights and gay rights. A friend of mine told me only this week that the minister at his church started the Lord's Prayer with, 'Our Parent who is in heaven .. .' They will soon start calling Jesus, 'Judy.'

(3) Convenient.

It was very convenient for Micah to have his own shrine and his own priest. We read: So the Levite agreed to live with him like one of his own sons. Jd17v1. This saved Micah from making trips to the tabernacle at Shiloh. In Jd18v31 the expression, 'the house of God,' is used rather than the 'tent of meeting'. This may signify that the tabernacle had been enclosed by a wooden shell to protect it from the elements. 50 years ago we protected our old clay lump chapel with a brick facade.

Worship at Shiloh was costly. It was all about making sacrifices rather than preaching and singing. It was cheaper to make small daily offerings in the home shrine.

Micah was not likely to hear anything unpleasant from his Levite. He that pays the piper plays the tune. A hundred years ago a wealthy member of the Baptist church I attend paid the pastor's wages. This was a very unhealthy arrangement. The rest of the congregation considered the pastor was in the rich farmer's pocket and also they never got into the habit of giving generously - something that was necessary when the farmer died.

Today, many make discipleship as painless as possible. They are like the Pharisees and concentrate on externals. Richard Tow was thinking along these lines when he wrote: I can see this woman living today with a fish symbol on her lapel, a shiny cross on her necklace, and wearing a “what would Jesus do” bracelet yet doing nothing that Jesus would do. Wear the symbols. Talk the talk. But if you’re going to do that then walk the walk.

Christians make discipleship easy by attending a large church and hiding in the congregation, worshipping once a week, avoiding anything practical like cleaning, DIY, visiting, helping the elderly, neglecting private prayer and sacrificial giving. Little heed is paid to Jesus' words: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Lk9v23and24. See exposition on Lk9v18to27.

(4) Opportunistic.

There are several instances of opportunism in the story.

Micah took the opportunity first, to manufacture an idol from his mother's gift and second, to hire a wandering Levite to legitimise his shrine. The Levite, a real life descendent of Moses, put Micah's shrine on the map.

The Levite had his eye open for the main chance. He had been living in Bethlehem in the territory of Judah. He should have been dwelling in one the 12 cities designated for Levites in Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Manasseh. He appears to be a young man travelling about looking for an opportunity such as Micah provided. He seized the opportunity of work and a secure future. He became Micah's priest. He told the Danites: He has hired me and I am his priest. Jd18v4. He was not God's priest!

A large group of Danites on their way to settle a lush valley in the north grabbed the opportunity to steal Micah's idols and his mercenary priest to establish their own cult in the new land they hoped to conquer.

The Levite hadn't changed. He wasn't even loyal to Micah who had set him up in life. No, the Levite was just like most professional footballers, he joined the highest bidder. The renegade priest was happy to leave Micah to become chief priest of a tribal group. He opted for more money and more status. As he set off with the Danites then the priest was glad. Jd18v20.

There are plenty of examples of opportunism in the church today:

(a) Pastors of nonconformist churches nearly always accept a call to larger causes.

(b) Pastors conveniently recognise a call elsewhere when things are not going well in their church.

(c) Large churches are happy to swallow up smaller ones. They have the appetite of sharks.

(d) Churches welcome defectors from other fellowships into membership - even if the reason for leaving their previous fellowships if reprehensible.

(e) A church goes ahead with a grandiose and unnecessary building project on receipt of a legacy.

(5) Manipulative.

Micah said on hiring his priest: Now I know the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite became my priest. Jd17v13.

Richard Tow wrote this in his sermon on Micah to be found on SermonCentral: Micah has one thing in mind — his own personal prosperity. He is not dedicated and sold out to God. He is intent on manipulating and using God for his own ends. This touches upon a very important issue. God has called us to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and being. Our relationship with God should be one of devotion — a debt of love and adoration — placing ourselves at His disposal as His servants. This is very different from the pagan, Canaanite view of God and worship. Pagans strive to manipulate the gods to their own ends. Baal was the fertility god so they sacrificed to him and tried to manoeuvre him to make their crops grow and prosper them. This is not even close to the relationship we are to have with God! Be very careful when you are finding ways to put God in a box and make Him do what you want Him to do. He most likely will not fit in our religious boxes. He is not some pagan deity that can be manipulated. He is the Almighty Lord of all! I hope Pastor Tow will forgive me but I could not put it better myself.

We try to manipulate God when we pray: please make OUR church successful, make our denomination prosper, let a candidate from the religious right win the election. This is the prayer of the Pharisees. They thought their orthodoxy obligated God to do what they wanted; to send them a Messiah who would co-operate with them and deliver the Jewish people from Rome.

(6) False.

Micah's religion was false. The Law strictly prohibited him from worshipping the LORD through idols. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. Ex20v4.

The Levites, more than any other tribe, knew the consequences of Aaron making the golden calf. They were the ones who dished out the punishment on that fateful occasion.

The Levite should have been serving the LORD at Shiloh and not anywhere else.

The tragedy was that Micah's shrine, his idols and his priest, assumed collectively greater significance for him than the ultimate reality - the LORD GOD OF HEAVEN. So when Micah lost his idols and his priest he had nothing left. He wailed in despair: "What else do I have?" Jd18v24.

An idol is something that can displace Jesus from first place in our affections. It can be something good like work, family, a doctrinal statement or even the Bible.

We need to ask ourselves what is the chief object of our affections, our efforts and our attention? What occupies most of our time? On what do we spend most of our resources on? What do we think about? If a young man is in love probably his first thought on waking concerns his sweetheart. He will look forward to seeing her. He will think about what he can do to please her. Do we think about Jesus like this?

There are three great idols we are apt to worship:

(a) Success. It is very easy for a Christian's dominant desire to be academic, sporting or business success. When I was a young man my weekend was ruined if my team lost at cricket. Nothing raised my morale more than to score lots of runs and to achieve a resounding victory. Something is wrong when a game of cricket gives us more happiness than Christian worship.

It is a dangerous thing when commitment to business eats into the time we should be devoting to the Lord's service. I know a couple who built up a wonderful business. During this time they attended church on Sunday evenings spasmodically. They made a minimal contribution to our fellowship. When they retired husband and wife threw themselves into the Christ's service. But they were given so little time and died quite young. What a waste!

(b) Greed. The priority of some Christians is making and holding on to money. Jesus said, "You can't serve God and money." This made the greedy Pharisees sneer! But Jesus knew what he was talking about. Money is the idol some so called Christians worship at.

Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 roubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide. The title of Tolstoy's story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need? Taken from Bits & Pieces, November, 1991.

How much money does a man need? Let us suppose you have £50, 000 in the bank. It comes to your knowledge that a poor believing brother needs £1000 desperately to help pay for his mother's funeral. Would you give it to him gladly - no strings attached? Many Christians would not! So whom do they serve: God or money?

(c) Entertainment. William Hooper has some caustic comments on this subject in his sermon on this passage in SermonCentral: Someone has said that we are in danger of entertaining ourselves to death. In his blog, Michael Spencer has said that "work must be entertaining. Education must be entertaining. Marriage must be entertaining. Family life must be entertaining. Children must be entertained. Our lives must be full of more and more entertainment. Entertainment will save our economy. Entertainment is the ultimate judge of talent, worth and value. We are entertained from cradle to grave. Leaders provide it, and the mob insists upon it. Of course, religion, church and God must all be entertaining, or we will have nothing to do with them.

We do not, however, say this to one another. We talk about worship, or church growth, or evangelism or youth ministry, but what we are actually doing is more and more entertainment. We call it ministry, but it is increasingly merely entertainment. Preachers have been traded for comedians and vaudevillians. Specialized ministries for children, youth, students, music and senior adults must be entertaining, but we are quite skilled at saying they are actually about fellowship or discipleship."

The entertainment industry has been invading the Christian market place. Our churches are getting so caught up in contemporary worship styles and fads and self help topics we have left off prophetic preaching of the fiery truths of God's Word! I think sincere America is fed up with coffee shop based churches with their interpretive dance, drama skits, and pop psychology from the pulpit.

This is a fine piece of invective! Is entertainment your idol? Ask yourself how you would feel if entertainment in your church stopped; there was no more whiz music, no more jokes and pop psychology in the sermon, the choir was disbanded, social events - all the fun times - were discontinued. Would you leave and go to another church?

(7) Enduring.

Micah's shrine, his idols and his priest, were taken north by the Danites. After the Danites captured Laish from an isolated pocket of Sidonians they set up Micah's idols for worship in their chief city, Dan. Micah's Levite, Jonathan, and his descendents continued as priests to the tribe of Dan until the Jews of the Northern Kingdom were taken into captivity. See 2 Kings15v29. So the deviant cult persisted among the Danites for 100s of years.

Once errors are introduced into the church they are extremely difficult to eradicate. The remarkable persistence of error must be the achievement of which Satan is proudest. The tenacity with which so many mainstream denominations hang on to infant baptism is totally beyond me!! I don't object to vicars sprinkling babies in a pretty and appealing ceremony - but why must they call it baptism? It is enough to make John the Baptist turn in his grave!

ANY COMMENTS FOR JOHN REED: E-mail jfmreed@talktalk.net

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