October 25th, 2026: A Lack of Instruction- Judges 17:1-6, Judges 18:18-19, 27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:7) .

And ever since, mankind has tried to create God into the image of man. (Anonymous).

Scripture from the very beginning, challenges us to choose how we will respond to the words of God.  Adam and Eve chose to act on a manipulated half-truth version. By the time we get to the book of Judges we find the chosen people of God, all doing what is right in their own eyes. Each account, one after another, shows us that the very nature of mankind is to falsely believe that being made in His image, makes us as wise as God.

Judges 17:1-6

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 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. 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. 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. 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. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Most scholars think that the entirety of the book of Judges was between 300 and 330 years long.   At this point in the scripture we have been through all twelve of the Judges.  It is easy to forget that during these centuries there have been long periods of both peace and turmoil.  

The progression of falling away from God seems to be the same for both the Old and New Testament worship.  Micah has stolen money from his mother.  A departure or lack of knowledge from even the basic commandments of God.  This is not a small amount of money either. The value of a shekel was as much about the weight of silver as it was about its buying power. It appears this was a household of prosperity.  The average annual income of a laborer, in that day, would be only 10 shekels a year.   This son stole 110 years worth of annual income money!

The mother has fussed and cursed the loss of her money.  Micah has heard her. Not wishing to bear the burden of this sin Micah tells her that he took the money. And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 5:1)  His mother releases Micah from her curse by blessing her son. No accountability for his actions.  No tough love.  Instead she confesses that this money had been dedicated for her son and the creation of a graven molten image. Another complete departure from the God of her heritage. 

As you read this you may wonder how on earth could this family not remember that the creation of any image, any idol, was a most egregious sin. It was ranked in the top two!  Not only did they make the idol, they also copied priestly garments and artifacts, as well as dedicating  one of Micah’s sons as a priest.  They may be serious in their pious faithfulness to God but are breaking many commandments of God to do so.  It is the same with us today.  We like the tradition.   We like the feelings of holiness.  We decide that if we think it is ok, then surely God must also.  We exclude and include into our worship and theology the things that make us comfortable. The things that make us look religious.  God however, prefers obedience.  

Judges 18: 18-19

And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

So the account only gets worse. It does not state how long it was before a real priest showed up to the house of Micah.  He too is happy to settle there and minister to this family. 

 The tribe of Dan, unsettled because they did not battle their enemies for the land Joshua had assigned them, decided to find more land, in what they considered a better, easier place to conquer.  As they scout out their target they come across the house of Michah.  Between Judges chapter 17 and 18, as the true Levite arrives and Micah enlists his service as a “father and a priest” for his house, we also see five spies of the Danites meeting the priest as well.  

When the tribe of Dan determines to conquer and destroy  the land of Laish, they go to the house of Micah to inquire and to ask the priest to join them.  The priest agrees and decides that being a priest over the whole tribe of Dan is better than being the priest in one man’s house.  Sounds a little familiar?  In the name of religion, the priest is being swayed by status, wealth, basically what sounds good?  The men of Dan are agreeable to setting up their own form of worship.  Surely God will understand, right?  

Judges 18:27

And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 

The tribe of Dan will indeed conquer the new land they pursue.  They will think that part of that victory comes from having their own religion set up.

We will find that this type of religious actions will be the great error of the northern kingdom of Israel.  There will not only be a priest separated and dedicated by the tribe of Dan but within 150ish years the northern kingdom will set up two places of worship with additional idols and priests.  This growth of false worship will end with the invasion of the Assyrians in 722-721 BC.

So what does this mean for today? Something not mentioned much in modern church is  Apostasy or the Apostate church. In modern times it has a new name.  It is frequently referred to as "Cultural Christianity.”  In the Old Testament, this meant that the chosen people of God turned away to worship false gods. They intermingled religious practices and compromised to allow other gods and ideas into their worship. The nation of Israel rejected God’s teachings and created their own “god-like” theology and practices. They preferred their own ideas as appropriate substitutes for what God required. There is no King or no ultimate authority in Israel. This theology is identified as  “ every man doing what is right in his own eyes.”

The New Testament church does the same as the Old Testament faithful and is just as guilty.  Paul says it like this: This knows also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3: 3-7). 

We often think of Paul’s list of characteristics as only being in business, livelihood or family affairs.  These have also found place in houses of worship. 

If we are not careful we will think there is no hope.  There is always hope.  Each generation has a faithful remnant.  The few that hold tightly to the keeping and passing down of God’s word.  His faithfulness never leaves us without the option to choose to believe His word, His Son Jesus, and to be led by  the Holy Spirit.  

Satan is a great copy cat as well as a deceiver.  Don’t fall for the same tricks over and over.  God means what He says.  He has given us every advantage to be faithful to the end!

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!