The Problem with Idolatry
Judges 17 turns the page on righteous although flawed judges raised up by God to deliver His people from bondage. Now the narrative will describe through tragic stories the corruption of Israel's heart as a result of them turning from God over the previous century.
Note the first of four phrases to be repeated until the end of Judges six verses in:
Judges 17:6 (ESV) In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
The story begins with a man who stole money from his mother and then confesses upon hearing her curse over it.
Judges 17:2 (ESV) And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD.”
The picture we have here of Micah's house speaks to the shallow, self-serving worship resident in Israel at the time of the judges. The Israelites were supposed to worship at the fixed place where God dwelt among them in the Tabernacle. They were to go to His appointed priests for sacrifice and worship. Micah is looking for his own "personal" form of religion and believing for God's blessing over it.
At the same time nothing here is THAT outlandish by modern estimations. This is the second problem with idolatry. It is only among the first steps into debauchery. The average American wants God to be with them in their personal ambitions but shows little interest in knowing what God has decreed for the world, for His body, and for each of us individually according to His will.
Israel was not to worship God as they saw fit nor fashion idols representing God for anything they "imagined". The reason is anything they imagined would never fully encompass who He is and what He's like. Israel was not to have household priests for they were a community of people accountable to one another and not individuals who "followed their gut."
The reality is we don't jump right into heinous sins and tragic departures from God. The path to our own demise is riddled with idolatry. Idolatry distorts our understanding of God in ways we do not fully comprehend. Instead of coming to know God for Who He actually is, we invariably project a version of Him we are more comfortable with, one that looks a lot like us. The problem then becomes we have fashioned a "god" with the same doubts, fears, and anxieties we already possess. A "god" that is powerless to save us.
Christian, you are not called to idolatry and self-made religiosity. Instead, Christian, you are called to an endless discovery of the Divine. This is not simply our responsibility, it is our highest privilege. And most importantly, it saves us from ourselves.
Note the first of four phrases to be repeated until the end of Judges six verses in:
Judges 17:6 (ESV) In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
The story begins with a man who stole money from his mother and then confesses upon hearing her curse over it.
Judges 17:2 (ESV) And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD.”
The mother then proceeds to hire a silversmith with part of the money to fashion an idol and put it in a makeshift shrine in the house. This she does, claiming to dedicate the money to Yahweh.
Judges 17:4 (ESV) So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah.
This is everyone deciding for themselves what is right. Yet there is a gloss of religiosity to it all. This is the first problem with idolatry. It usually looks a lot like devotion to God when in reality it is devotion to one's own interest.
Judges 17:4 (ESV) So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah.
Not long after this, a Levite journeying through the area arrives at Micah's house. Micah invites him in and hires him as his personal priest for some money and clothes. The Levite accepts the offer:
Judges 17:11–13 (ESV) 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”
Judges 17:11–13 (ESV) 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”
The picture we have here of Micah's house speaks to the shallow, self-serving worship resident in Israel at the time of the judges. The Israelites were supposed to worship at the fixed place where God dwelt among them in the Tabernacle. They were to go to His appointed priests for sacrifice and worship. Micah is looking for his own "personal" form of religion and believing for God's blessing over it.
At the same time nothing here is THAT outlandish by modern estimations. This is the second problem with idolatry. It is only among the first steps into debauchery. The average American wants God to be with them in their personal ambitions but shows little interest in knowing what God has decreed for the world, for His body, and for each of us individually according to His will.
Israel was not to worship God as they saw fit nor fashion idols representing God for anything they "imagined". The reason is anything they imagined would never fully encompass who He is and what He's like. Israel was not to have household priests for they were a community of people accountable to one another and not individuals who "followed their gut."
The reality is we don't jump right into heinous sins and tragic departures from God. The path to our own demise is riddled with idolatry. Idolatry distorts our understanding of God in ways we do not fully comprehend. Instead of coming to know God for Who He actually is, we invariably project a version of Him we are more comfortable with, one that looks a lot like us. The problem then becomes we have fashioned a "god" with the same doubts, fears, and anxieties we already possess. A "god" that is powerless to save us.
Christian, you are not called to idolatry and self-made religiosity. Instead, Christian, you are called to an endless discovery of the Divine. This is not simply our responsibility, it is our highest privilege. And most importantly, it saves us from ourselves.
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