Breaking and Entering, Robbery and Intimidation (Judges 18:14-26)

2/28/2010 7:50 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time           Focus:  Breaking and entering, robbery & intimidation

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Judges 18:14-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “14 ¶  Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish said to their kinsmen, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod and household idols and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you should do." 15  They turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. 16  The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17  Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war. 18  When these went into Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod and household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" 19  They said to him, "Be silent, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?" 20  The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and household idols and the graven image and went among the people. 21  Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the valuables in front of them. 22  When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house assembled and overtook the sons of Dan. 23  They cried to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?" 24  He said, "You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ’What is the matter with you?’" 25  The sons of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, or else fierce men will fall upon you and you will lose your life, with the lives of your household." 26  So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.”

            This is one of those times that because I follow the outline in Warren Wiersbe’s book that I skip ahead, and I suppose that this is done to make it easier to understand the text.

            I have to agree with Wiersbe on the humor that is found in this passage, for if I think about how the people of Dan, the five spies, come in and steal Micah’s gods and his priest  and nothing is done about it, it makes one wonder why they have a god that cannot protect them.  It also makes me think of latter down the road when the Philistines steal the Ark of the Covenant and think that they have just another idol, but find out later when they wake up that their god is bowing down to the Ark, another humorous story too.

            The Danites come in and steal Micah’s gods and priests and then Micah confronts them to no avail and we read the sad commentary in verse 24:  “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ’What is the matter with you?”  Dr. Wiersbe writes at the end of his commentary these words:  “Idolaters worship gods they can carry, but Christians worship a God who carries them.”  Isaiah 46:1-7 “1 ¶  Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary beast. 2  They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity. 3  "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; 4  Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you;And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

    5 ¶  "To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike? 6  "Those who lavish gold from the purse And weigh silver on the scale Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it. 7  "They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; They set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress.”  Wow! What an Awesome section of Scripture!

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am always a bit touchy whenever I study about idols because I have to make sure that I don’t have any idols in my life, things that I put before the Lord things like sports on TV.  There is nothing wrong with enjoying the Cavs and the Indians, but it can’t come before my worship of the Lord.  Yes idols are a touchy subject to me.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Make sure that the Lord is first place in my life, all of it.

 

2/28/2010 8:23 AM