Judges 17
There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. 2 He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and even spoke it in my hearing,—that silver is in my possession; I took it; but now I will return it to you.” And his mother said, “May my son be blessed by the Lord!” 3 Then he returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, “I consecrate the silver to theLord from my hand for my son, to make an idol of cast metal.” 4 So when he returned the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into an idol of cast metal; and it was in the house of Micah. 5 This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and installed one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan of Judah. He was a Levite residing there. 8 This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah, to live wherever he could find a place. He came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim to carry on his work. 9 Micah said to him, “From where do you come?” He replied, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to live wherever I can find a place.” 10 Then Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your living.” 11 The Levite agreed to stay with the man; and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 So Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest.”
What does the passage say?
Judges 1-16 is a history of wars and deliverance. The remaining chapters (17-21) are often called an appendix. The period related to these chapters is referred to as “when there was no king in Israel.” The events of this period did not follow the death of Samson (Judges 16), but more likely followed the death of Joshua.
The Message Bible
17 1-2 There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Micah. He said to his mother, “Remember that 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you? I overheard you when you pronounced your curse. Well, I have the money; I stole it. But now I’ve brought it back to you.”
**Money was important to both of them.
His mother said, “God bless you, my son!”
3-4 As he returned the 1,100 silver pieces to his mother, she said, “I had totally consecrated this money to God for my son to make a statue, a cast god.” Then she took 200 pieces of the silver and gave it to a sculptor and he cast them into the form of a god. **This was the beginning of idol worship in their family.
5 This man, Micah, had a private chapel. He had made an ephod and some teraphim-idols and had ordained one of his sons to be his priest.
**Micah created his own private religious establishment so he and his family would not have to travel to Shiloh.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing.
7-8 Meanwhile there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah and from a family of Judah. He was a Levite but was a stranger there. He left that town, Bethlehem in Judah, seeking his fortune. He got as far as the hill country of Ephraim and showed up at Micah’s house.
**Micah took this as a sign of God’s favor to him and his images. He pleased himself with his own delusions.
9 Micah asked him, “So where are you from?”
He said, “I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I’m on the road, looking for a place to settle down.”
10 Micah said, “Stay here with me. Be my father and priest. I’ll pay you ten pieces of silver a year, whatever clothes you need, and your meals.”
11-12 The Levite agreed and moved in with Micah. The young man fit right in and became one of the family. Micah appointed the young Levite as his priest. This all took place in Micah’s home.
13 Micah said, “Now I know that God will make things go well for me—why, I’ve got a Levite for a priest!”
What does the passage say to you and me?
In our society of instant gratification, we want to do everything the fastest and easiest way. When we are successful following this process, we feel we are doing the “right” thing in our lives and that God must be happy with our plan! We are often rewarded by societal accolades; awards, high status in society, worldly respect, bonuses, promotion. Just like the people of Israel without a king; when we continue to do what is right in our eyes, we will soon be looking at what is evil in the sight of the Lord. As we learned in worship yesterday, when we are self-directed, then we are without the Holy Spirit. Christ is on the outside and we are empty, no matter how important we are in this life. We must keep our focus on God without allowing substitutes to lure us away. What is in your life that interferes with your daily walk with God? Spend some time on your knees and ask God to help you.
Let’s Pray
O Gracious and loving Father. Thank you for each day that we awake to the beauty of your earth. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we may be transformed into your loving servant. Transform our hearts to seek your way instead of our way. As a result of following the lead of the spirit, may we always follow your word and remember to put others first. We ask in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
*contributed by Sue McCoy
What are your thoughts?
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.