JUDGES CHAPTER 17-18. We now come to the third section of the Book of Judges. The first section in Judges 1 to Judges 2 was introductory to the activity taking place in Canaan after the time of Joshua and described the decline and fall of Israel in relation to the covenant, followed by the statemen... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 17 . MICAH AND THE LEVITE. This chapter illustrates the rise of idolatry and disobedience to Yahweh in Israel after the death of Joshua. It is illustrated from an incident which occurred in the hill country of Ephraim, where a man, who had stolen a large sum of money from his mother, returne... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 17:2 a ‘And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke of to me, behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His story begins with his admission that he was a thief. It would seem that he was moved to... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 17:3 a ‘And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I truly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image.” His mother was so pleased that he had owned up and returned the silver that she dedicate... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And on his restoring the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the smith, who made of it a graven image and a molten image. And it was in the house of Micah.' At the mother's request two hundred pieces of silver were turned into a graven image and a m... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the man Micah had a house of God (or ‘gods'), and he made an ephod and a teraphim, and installed (‘filled the hand of') one of his sons who became his priest.' The fact that he at this stage installed one of his own sons suggests that this house of God was new, prepared by him to receive the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ In those days there was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes.' Here is now the reason for their questionable behaviour. It was because in Israel every man did what was right in his own eyes. This in the writer's view was the sad state of things. The first stress here wa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.' There were two Bethlehems, one in the tribe of Zebulun, (Joshua 19:15), and this in the tribe of Judah. This Bethlehem occurs twice in the narrative, as a source here of a dishones... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.' The Levite went out on his travels as a religious adventurer, looking for opportunities, his first concern his... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Micah said to him, “From where have you come?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.” ' Micah would be providing hospitality and thus politely enquired as to where the man had come from as a fellow Israelite. And when he learned t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And 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, and a suit of clothing, and your keep.” ' This confirms that his religious aims were Yahwistic, and that he sought to conduct his worship in accordance with the Law as he saw... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to him as one of his sons.' The Levite accepted the offer and was welcomed into the household at the level of a son of the house. Thus he was well treated and shown due respect. He had no reason for showing anything other tha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Micah installed (filled the hand of) the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.' The Levite was installed as priest in Micah's house of God. Strictly of course he should have pointed out where Micah was going amiss, but instead he appears to have gone alon... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Then said Micah, “Now I know that Yahweh will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to be my priest.” ' Micah was now even more satisfied with his house of God. He was sure that Yahweh would bless him now because he had a genuine Levite, one set aside as Yahweh's, as his priest. He was a mixture of... [ Continue Reading ]