Judges 17:1–6

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.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Judges 18:18–19, 27

18 And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.

Conclusion

A. Maintaining Continuity

     Micah, his mother, the Levite, and the Danites all illustrate the problems associated with each person doing what is “right” in their “own eyes” rather than that which is right in God’s eyes (Judges 17:6; compare Deuteronomy 12:28). There is a danger in establishing one’s own rules—and every person plays a role in either furthering obedience to God or perpetuating degradation and dishonesty.

     Unfortunately, the choices of the players in today’s account resulted in a cult being established in the northern region of Israel. Micah’s idol(s) and the illegitimate priesthood led by his Levite are both reiterated and reinforced by later generations (compare 2 Kings 17:32). Hundreds of years later, first Jeroboam and then Jehu describe Dan as a pilgrimage site for idol worshipers (1 Kings 12:28–30; 2 Kings 10:29).

     God’s covenant emphasized remembrance and the responsibility each family must take to pass along God’s instructions (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Errors occur because of both pride and ignorance. It takes humility to correct and to be corrected. It takes time and intention to teach the ways of God. Believers must positively—not passively—reinforce consistency in faith. True discipleship requires lifelong learning, submission to instruction, regular remembrance, and communal accountability.

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B. Prayer

    Father God, we thank You for preserving Your Word. Help us receive guidance from it in every way. May we remember Your miraculous and loving provision from one generation to the next. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

 

C. Thought to Remember

Know Scripture and put it into practice.

 

Key Text

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.  —  Judges 17:6

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Questions

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1. Micah was from which region? (Ephraim, Benjamin, Dan) Judges 17:1

2.  How many shekels of silver did Micah’s mother use to make an idol? (two hundred, six hundred, eleven hundred) Judges 17:4