This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
JUDGES
CHAPTER 17
1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
Here is a sordid story of covetousness and idolatry.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Note this statement closely. A land and a nation NEEDS a government. God had provided the IDEAL government for Israel. All they needed to do was look to HIM for guidance, direction, provision, and protection.
7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
Now, a man comes to Micah's house and makes himself known as a "Levite." He was from Bethlehem, which belonged to the tribe of Judah at that time. Obviously, this man was not a "full-blooded" Levite, and probably that was the REASON he left Bethlehem.
Please continue to follow along with us in Bible Study.
Evidently Micah's mother had saved 1,100 shekels of silver, or about 34 pounds; and she discovered it had been stolen.
She "cursed" about the theft. Matthew Henry once said, "outward losses drive good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses."
Can a person's heart be told by the words of their mouth?
In Matthew 12:34, Jesus says, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
The mother's cursings put fear in the heart of her son who had stolen her money. He confessed and returned it. Then she "blessed" him.
"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not so to be."(James 3:10)
The mother had money, and perhaps the son with his family needed help - but she perhaps coveted the money more than helping him.
The son knew she had the money and coveted it more than honoring his mother.
It is not money that is the "root of all evil." It is the "love" of money that is the root of all evil. (1Timothy 6:10) And chasing money has caused many people great stress in their lives.
After the money was restored, the mother and son were reconciled (verse 3). Then she said she would fulfill her vow to God and make an image for the son which would help him worship God. This violates the 2nd commandment which says, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image..."
Man doesn't need images or trinkets to worship God. God desires that we worship Him in "spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).
This image because an object of prestige and status, and another form of covetousness took place.
Micah obtained other images (verse 5) and outfitted one of his sons to be a priest. This also goes directly against the Word of God. According to Leviticus, Chapters 8-9, it is clear that only Aaron's descendents were to be priests.
Having consecrated a priest in his own home, Micah circumvents the laws of tithing and worshipping at the central location as God had required.
But instead, since they had no physical sign of authority, the Bible says, "..every man did that which was right in his OWN eyes."
In order to make correct decisions, we should:
1st - consult God through prayer,
2nd - Consult God through His Word,
3rd - Consult God's people,
4th - THEN determine how GOD is leading us.
This takes away selfish actions and puts us in the ways of God.
Nevertheless, Micah offers him pay, and consecrates him to be the "priest" in his house instead of the son whom he'd already consecrated.
This act shows he KNEW it was wrong to have his son as priest!
Can you see here the direction covetousness takes? The avenues of greed, pride, prestige, social status, and yes - even religious desires.
Those who would try to change and rearrange God to fit their own desires for a god, will worship ANYTHING, and allow anyone to lead them in worship.
Many today devise imaginary gods, and lead people to believe a lie. Paul wrote in his second letter to the church at Thessalonica,
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.." (2Thessalonians 2:10-11)
When people refuse the truth, and do not believe God as He reveals Himself in truth (through His Word), then it is easy for the devil to get them to believe a lie.
How many of us put God in a little box? Then we say, "OK, God. Now that's the way I perceive You, so that's the way you MUST be." But we SHOULD be reading God's Word daily and receiving Him as He reveals Himself.
To do otherwise is to "make an image."