Judges

Judges Chapter 17

• Judges 17:1  And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 
• 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. 
• 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. 
• 4  Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, 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, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated 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. 

I always feel so grieved when I hear of any person who departs from the real God and goes into idolatry. We do not realize how depraved and evil we can become when we forsake our creator and substitute a false religious system or deny the knowledge of God in our country. Our children suffer and it gets worse from generation to generation.

In the United States we see how we became a country that was founded upon a strong belief in God but soon began to teach evolution. From there it went to the Supreme court ruling the observance of God in public schools to be unconstitutional. Ten years after that, abortion was legalized. Drugs, gang violence and teen age pregnancy increased. Abortion increases to include partial birth which occured just before a baby can be born alive but killed before leaving the womb. Now we have school shootings and some states allowing a baby to be born alive and then letting it die. Also we sexual immorality and gender identity confusion. Divorce has increased also.

Romans chapter one tells us the reason for this happening to society. God doesn't make commandments to make people miserable. He knows how this stuff causes our own misery. We must not forsake our creator or our minds become reprobate. Mental confusion and illness, drug addiction and all kinds of violence occurs when we for sake the fountain of living water. We need the real true living God. That is why Jesus came to give us the right way to live both now in eternally. 

• Judges 17:7  And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 
• 8  And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim 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. 
• 11  And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 

Something caused this Levite to wonder about seeking a place to serve. Perhaps the people stopped paying tithes and supporting this particular Levite so it appears he is agreeing to be a priest for an idol to make a living.

• Judges 17:12  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. 

It would seem that Micah who was into idolatry by making a image seems to want it both ways. The blessing of God by hiring a priest but also the image he set up.So hiring a priest in his mind may be a way to justify his idolatry. This is sad that people resort to a false religious system and try to us it to represent God. Nothing we can make with our hands could ever represent God. Idols made out of wood, stone or any kind of metal can't do either good or evil but rest assured, evil is present when an idol is set up. Making idols to worship is forbidden in the ten commandments.

God knows they are worshipping devils instead and it will only cause harm to them in the long run.
The next chapter tells us that this led to the whole tribe of Dan getting into idolatry.

How great it is to come to Jesus Christ and receive power to overcome this evil temptation. God has something better for all who come to Him. We don't need these powerless, evil images to take God's place when His Holy Spirit can dwell within us now that Jesus Christ made that way possible for not only the Jewish people but all nations.DC

Judges Chapter 18