Chapters 17 and 18 will begin the final of three sections in the book of Judges. It will parallel the first section in themes as we will see the spiritual state of Israel in the time before the institution of a king over Israel. This final section follows the description of the ten judges of Israel. It is important to remember the general decline in the goodness and righteousness of these judges. We went from judges who are heroes in the faith to those who have a much more convoluted story of heroism mixed with stumbling blocks. Samson leaves us with a sour taste as the final judge before a king is brought in. As we read this final section, use it as a reflection of our own spiritual journey both individually and as a broader church. 

• 17:1-6 Micah, a man of Ephraim, steals the life-savings of his mother. He fesses up to this large robbery, and for this confession the mother rewards the son greatly. Micah uses the 200 pieces of silver ephod as the image for the foundation of his own religious system. The section ends with the important mention that there is no king and each did what was right in their own eyes. 

  • There is much debate on who this mother is. Some say that it is Delilah, as this is the same amount of money that she would have received for the deception of Samson. Other scholars claim that this is an entirely new account, the number is irrelevant. They explain that Micah would have been born at the time of Othniel, disqualifying Samson as being the father. 

  • Micah does several things that are against the Law. He esteems a metal image, making it an idol. He then creates a housing for this image, replacing the tabernacle as the true place of worship. Finally, he institutes his own priesthood, which was reserved for the Levites. 

• 17:7-13 A Levite stumbles into Micah and the wicked religion Micah was starting for himself. Micah buys off this priest, promising solid pay, comforts, and a family with Micah setting himself as under the Levite. 

  • The Levite is a sojourner, not having a stable place to call home. This call to comfort would have been an easy temptation. 

• 18:1-10 This chapter begins once again with the reminder that there is no king in Israel. The tribe of Dan was one of the tribes that had not gone forth and captured the land that had been given to them by the Lord, spoken through Joshua. They went forth to seek this land, and rested in the house of Micah, and gained blessing for their journey by this hired Levite. 

• 18:11-20 The Danites, armed for war and aiming to take the land intended for them, stop first at the house of Micah. While there they take all the religious trappings Micah had made for himself. They also persuade the Levite that it is better for him to be known as the priest for the whole tribe of Dan than to be the priest of one household. 

• 18:21-31 The Danites and those in this house of Micah come to the brink of fighting because of all that was taken from Micah, but Micah knew that he was no match for the army before him. So, the army of Dan continued and destroyed the city of Laish, taking the land as their own. They placed the gods of Micah as their own, headed by Jonathan the Levite, grandson of Moses. 

  • We see that this idolatry and immorality is infecting all of Israel and even the strongest of bloodlines. 

    • What does the fallen depravity of one of the bloodline of Moses prove about the importance of passing down our faith? What about personal relationship with the Lord?

    • What is Israel missing that Moses provided that for the most part kept people from straying this far?

If you are able to see a connection, in what ways do you see parallels with the world of faith today in our own church contexts?