Reflections on Judges 17

Judges 17 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Micah belonged to the Ephraim tribe and lived in the hill country.
   
2. One day he told his mother, "Do you remember those eleven hundred pieces of silver that were stolen from you? I was there when you put a curse on whoever stole them. Well, I'm the one who did it." His mother answered, "I pray that the LORD will bless you, my son."
   
3. Micah returned the silver to his mother, and she said, "I give this silver to the LORD, so my son can use it to make an idol." Turning to her son, she said, "Micah, now the silver belongs to you." But Micah handed it back to his mother. She took two hundred pieces of the silver and gave them to a silver worker, who made them into an idol. They kept the idol in Micah's house.
   
4. (SEE 17:3)
   
5. He had a shrine for worshiping God there at his home, and he had made some idols and a sacred priestly vest. Micah chose one of his own sons to be the priest for his shrine.
   
6. This was before kings ruled Israel, so all the Israelites did whatever they thought was right.
   
7. One day a young Levite came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. He had been staying with one of the clans of Judah in Bethlehem, but he had left Bethlehem to find a new place to live where he could be a priest.
   
8. (SEE 17:7)
   
9. "Where are you from?" Micah asked. "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," the man answered, "and I'm on my way to find a new place to live."
   
10. Micah said, "Why don't you stay here with me? You can be my priest and tell me what God wants me to do. Every year I'll give you ten pieces of silver and one complete set of clothes, and I'll provide all your food." The young man went for a walk,
    
11. then he agreed to stay with Micah and be his priest. He lived in Micah's house, and Micah treated him like one of his own sons.
    
12. (SEE 17:11)
    
13. Micah said, "I have a Levite as my own priest. Now I know that the LORD will be kind to me."
    

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    The remaining chapters of the book of Judges are considered an epilogue to the book. Rather than adding to the list of judges they give a snapshot of the religious apostasy and social decline of this period. They do not fit chronologically with the previous chapter but the events simply occurred sometime during the period of the judges. It has been suggested they occurred during the period of Othniel who was the first judge.
    
    People of all time have fallen into the fallacy represented by the man Micah in this account. They lineup an array of rituals and activity in an attempt to please God by being properly religious failing to understand that what God really desires for His people is that they "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5) The man Micah was operating more from superstition than loving the Lord with all his heart.
    
    First, Micah stole from his mother which gives us a glimpse into his character. Then, evidently fearing the curse she put on the thief, he confessed. She, in turn, blessed her son the thief. Having received back the money she lost, she dedicated a portion of it to be made into an idol which Micah added to his household shrine. Furthermore, he installed his son as his personal priest.
    
    Next, a young Levite from Bethlehem enters the picture. It would seem that since the people of Judah were not worshipping God any longer, neither were they caring for their priests and Levites in keeping with God's covenant. Therefore, this young Levite was forced to seek other means of survival. This took him, in his travel, to the hill country of Ephraim and the home of Micah. When Micah learned the young man was looking for a place to live he invited him to live with him and be his own priest, in addition to his son.
    
    Along with his idolatry, Micah added the sin of having his own personal priests which was also forbidden by the law. But the young Levite was also in error for having accepted the position. As a Levite his proper role would have been to instruct Micah regarding the teachings of the law. In his ignorance, Micah thought "the the LORD will be good to" him because he had done all these things, not realizing God forbade all of it.