Judges 17

Bible Passage:  Judges 17

We now reach the final portion of Judges. These last 5 chapters showcase several puzzling, inhumane, and ultimately, faithless deeds of the people of Israel. The rampant  idolatry and mind-boggling violence are probably at the lowest point in the history of God’s people.

Judges 17-21 is an appendix to the list of judges since the events here took place back in the early period of the judges when Phinehas was still ministering as high priest (cf. Joshua 24:33, Judges 20:27-28). Knowing this serves as an early warning for us: It is very easy and very fast that faithful people can become faithless people (cf. Gal 1:6).

Specifically, Judges 17 is the first of a 2-part mini-series. In today’s chapter, we consider the 3 characters and obtain some caution for ourselves.

Micah’s mother

Her puzzling behavior speaks of a gross lack of faith and decorum. How could an Israelite woman utter curses that would find their way into her son’s ears? Further still, she had conceded to a desire for idolatry. Should not the mother have taught her children the ways of God, speaking of His matters as Deut 4:9-10 had stipulated instead? Her near-comical utterance at the discovery of her son’s theft also depicts a mother with a failed moral conscience. We probably ask: ‘How could it be when the times were only just after Joshua’s death?’ Yet this was what happened, and will continue to happen when there is a lack of alertness. When the parents fail in their own religious life, it translates very naturally into how their children are like.

Micah

Thus we consider how Micah’s inherited foolishness and presumptuousness were sadly laughable. A quick count of his sins and errors gives a basic list: theft, idolatry, sacrilege, disregarding God’s worship laws. His flawed character also showed up in his miscalculation of the Levite’s character and we find that Micah’s blunder would be a prelude to the further troubles up ahead with the tribe of Dan in Judges 18. The folly of Micah is best reflected in Judges 17:6. This manner of behavior was found in him and his mother. When we take a hard look at our own level of faith, there might yet be traces of Micah in us: Are we leading a life of faith under the impression that it is a life of faith, when it is just our own self-designed life of faith? This is a bold and even unpleasant thought to consider, but still, it is the warning from the history of God’s people.

Levite from Bethlehem of Judah

Perhaps the Levite is the most questionable of all three. Having come from a chosen tribe specially set apart by God Himself, we would think that he should have known better. Yet Judges 17:8 shows us that he was of an unsettled character and habits. Further still, Bethlehem was not even an allocated Levitical city so his previous sojourn there must be questioned (cf. Josh 21). Now however, here he was. But who exactly was he? What was his background? Did he have something to hide and thus roamed all around Israel? And why was he plying the priestly service as one who is a hireling? These are all questions we have to consider for ourselves today. While we do well to receive strangers who might be angels in disguise, let’s also be wise enough to discern the characters of people who come into the church (cf. 2 John 7-11) for we have a duty to preserve the pureness in the one body of Christ.

May God grant us the wisdom to remain faithful in faithless times.