Judges Part 18

XVIII. Judges 18. A. This chapter sets forth the continuing misadventures of Micah and his hired Levite, added to which are the colored antics of some of the tribe of Dan in fleshing out their inheritance in the land. 1. Here we will see erring camps of a common heritage fighting over the possession of something religious that actually displeased God. 2. This is not unlike squabbles among professed followers of Christ having differing claims on the correct date of Christmas or Easter, or over who actually has possession of some “sacred” relic. B. vs. 1-6. 1. The tribe of the Danites needed to improve their inheritance. a. It is not that Dan had not received their lot in the conquest of Canaan. JOS 19:40-46. b. Rather it is that “...all their inheritance had not fallen to them...” (v. 1). There was unfinished business that needed to be addressed. c. Their growth demanded action (JOS 19:47-48), and how often is it that we have likewise been slow to take full possession of our inheritance in Christ until we were forced by circumstances to do so? Maybe a “little” sin issue has been tolerated too long and then one day its implications demand a wake-up call. 2. Dan sent out five men on a reconnaisance mission for their expected military adventure. We do not read that they consulted with Urim beforehand. c/w NUM 27:21. a. They were spies operating as did the spies in Moses’ day (NUM 13) and in Joshua’s day (JOS 2). Israel has a long history of spying, and the Judaizers even tried this with the true church. GAL 2:4. b. We can be effective spies for Christ by study: reading what Scripture says about certain belief systems, and sometimes by reading their own words (which can be very telling). c. We ought to desire that God spy on us and search us out to expose our weaknesses to ourselves so we can repent of them. PSA 139:23-24. d. What we don’t need to be doing is spying on one another as nosy busybodies. 1PE 4:15. 3. They lodged close to “Micah’s House of Gods” and recognized the voice of the gadabout Levite. This is further evidence that the Levite had somewhat of a reputation. 4. The Levite unashamedly told them that he had become a hireling priest. 5. Instead of reproving him for usurping priestly authority, they ask him to inquire of God for them. Where was the Danites’ interest in divine guidance before they stumbled upon Micah and his hired Levite? a. Mind that Micah’s religion used teraphims (charms of divination) and this Levite had no problem selling himself out to such a system. b. What this Levite was involved in was errantly (or pretendedly) as unto the LORD while breaking a number of His commandments. c. This scenario is not unlike the ignorant or headstrong professor of Christ who avoids the proper source of information in favor of anything/anybody else. 2TI 4:3. 6. The Levite affirms, “...Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go” (v. 6). a. We can be sure that the LORD wasn’t giving some positive answer: the Levite was likely blowing smoke. EZE 14:3. b. The Levite’s words were ambiguous, typical of horoscopes and fortune- tellers. It’s tougher to hold someone accountable as a liar when he hasn’t really said anything definitive. c. “Corruption in doctrine works best when it is unfettered by any explicit statement of that doctrine. Error loves ambiguities. It does not desire to state its position clearly, either because it has no distinct position to state, or if stated, it would stand convicted of iniquities in the eyes of all honest and God fearing men.” (Martin L. Wagner, Freemasonry, An Interpretation, p. 539) C. vs. 7-10. 1. The men found Laish dwelling dissolutely under a false sense of quiet and security. a. They were libertines enjoying themselves without the needed oversight of a magistrate to curtail their antics. c/w ROM 13:3; 1SAM 16:4. b. They were isolationists, a virtual “political nudist camp or hippie colony” living a dream life. c. “Outward safety is often a cause of inward security, and that is an inlet to all sin.” (Matthew Henry) d. The gospel church is as a favored land and city which imperils itself by Laish-like living. REV 3:14-19. e. This world will end under such a false sense of security. 1TH 5:3. 2. The men bring a positive report back to Dan and prompt them to act. a. Here would be an isolated city full of sleepy dissolutes ripe for conquest: no giants, etc. b. Therefore they should not be slothful with such a favored land awaiting. Neither should we in pressing toward heaven. HEB 6:11-12; 2PE 1:10-11. D. vs. 11-21. 1. The five men advise the warriors of Micah’s stash and set a plan to steal it all. 2. Their ambitions, methods and bad religion get muddled together. Gaining the land was one thing but the rest was a travesty. 3. Superstitious image-lovers will break whatever commandments are in the way of getting and using the images that bring a curse with them. DEUT 27:15. a. Robbery may be justified because of a “greater good.” ct/w ROM 3:8. b. How many justify folly like the Christmas fable because it makes them warm and fuzzy and “blesses” little children? c. “Their idolatry began in theft, a proper prologue for such an opera. In order to the breaking of the second commandment, they begin with the eighth, and take their neighbour's goods to make them their gods. The holy God hates robbery for burnt-offerings, but the devil loves it.” (Matthew Henry) d. “In proportion to the slender influence religion wields over the heart, the greater is the importance attached to external rites; and in the exact observance of these, the conscience is fully satisfied, and seldom or never molested by reflections on the breach of minor morals.” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary) 4. The Levite put up little resistance and quickly sold himself again to new masters. a. If he is a purchasable man rather than principled, he will be purchased again. b. This hireling fled because he was an hireling. JOH 10:13. c. He had men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. JUDE 1:16. d. “It cannot be expected that he who is false to his God should be true to his friend.” (Matthew Henry) E. vs. 22-31. 1. Micah pursued them and complained, “...Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest...” (v. 24). There can be no doubt that Micah was an idol- maker even if pretending to do it to the LORD as heathen did to their gods. DEUT 12:29-32. 2. The Danites threatened Micah and he backed off. vs. 25-26. a. He unwillingly counted the cost and took the loss. c/w LUK 14:31-32. b. Paul willingly counted his religious and personal benefits loss. PHIL 3:7-8. c. One would think that if the LORD was on Micah’s side (and vice-versa), that Micah’s efforts would have been blessed and he would be strong for the LORD, but hypocrites in religion are not as sure as they pretend to be. 3. The Danites overpowered Laish, renamed it Dan, and set up false worship there that continued until the days of Samuel, when the ark was seized from Shiloh’s hand. 1SAM 4. a. “...until the day of the captivity of the land” (v. 30) is most likely referring to the captivity of the ark by the Philistines. b. Consider PSA 78:58-66; JER 7:12, 14; 26:6. c. Jeroboam later chose Dan as a citadel of idolatry, the groundwork having been long established there. 1KI 12:29-30.