The following story from The Book of Judges is an example of man-made religion. Getting away from God's word but remaining religious results in spiritual chaos. The people did what they thought was right in their own eyes.
Micah from the hill country of Ephraim told his mother that he had taken 1100 shekels (11 kg) of silver from her, on which she had pronounced a curse. When he returned the money to her, she blessed him in the name of the Lord.
She said that she consecrated her silver to the Lord for her son to make an image overlaid with silver. She would give it back to him. After he returned the silver to his mother, she took 200 shekels (2 kg) of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house. Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods, and installed one of his sons as his priest. At that time Israel had no king; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Jdg 17:1–6).
She said that she consecrated her silver to the Lord for her son to make an image overlaid with silver. She would give it back to him. After he returned the silver to his mother, she took 200 shekels (2 kg) of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house. Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods, and installed one of his sons as his priest. At that time Israel had no king; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Jdg 17:1–6).
Micah didn't repent of his sin of stealing from his mother. He was willing to steal from his mother, but was afraid because of her curse and therefore returned the money.
His mother wanted to consecrate her silver to the Lord, but instead broke the
2nd commandment by making a graven, see The Ten Commandments. Micah then made his own house gods in his home, to be worshipped. Making one's own son a priest was against the Mosaic Laws. The Israeli priesthood was required to be male individuals descended from Aaron, see The High Priest in the Bible.
His mother wanted to consecrate her silver to the Lord, but instead broke the
2nd commandment by making a graven, see The Ten Commandments. Micah then made his own house gods in his home, to be worshipped. Making one's own son a priest was against the Mosaic Laws. The Israeli priesthood was required to be male individuals descended from Aaron, see The High Priest in the Bible.
We can also see the same inconsistency in our culture today, that people do what is right in their own eyes. It's called Relativism.
A young Levite who had lived in the tribe of Judah was looking for somewhere else to live. He came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim. Micah asked him to live with him and be his father and priest, and he would give him ten shekels of silver a year and clothing and food as he needed. The Levite agreed to live with him as a priest, and became like one of his sons to him. Micah said that he now knew that the Lord would be good to him, because this Levite had become his priest.
(Jdg 17:7–13).
(Jdg 17:7–13).
Micah's religion is made more legitimate by using a Levite as priest, even though he wasn't descended from Aaron. He put an element of truth in it. Micah ordained the Levite as priest in his house. He had no right to do that.
In those days Israel had no king. The tribe of the Danites sought a place of their own where they could settle, because they had not yet received their inheritance among the tribes of Israel. They sent five of their leading men to spy out the land and explore it. They represented all the Danites. They entered the hill country of
Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. (Jdg 18:1–2).
Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. (Jdg 18:1–2).
The Danites neither sought the Lord nor spoke to the leadership of Israel before making decisions, see The Parable of the Rich Fool. As Christians, we can make
similar mistakes (James 4:13–17).
similar mistakes (James 4:13–17).
The Levite told the Danites that Micah had hired him as his priest. They asked him to inquire God if their journey would be successful. The priest answered them that their journey had the approval of the Lord. (Jdg 18:3–6).
This is called itching ears. He told them what they wanted to hear (2 Tim 4:3–4).
So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people lived in security, like the Sidonians, in peace and security. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. Moreover, they lived far from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else. When they returned to their fellow Danites, they told them them that they would attack them. Then 600 men of the Danites went forth, armed for battle. On the way they came to Micah’s house. (Jdg 18:7–13).
Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish told their fellow Danites
that one of these houses had an ephod, some household gods, and an image overlaid with silver. They turned in there and went to the young Levite's house at Micah's. The 600 Levite armed for battle stood at the entrance of the gate. The five men who had spied out the land went in and took the idol, the ephod, and the household gods while the priest and the 600 armed men stood at the entrance of the gate. The priest asked them what they were doing. They answered him to come with them and be their father and priest. It would be better for him to serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household. The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the idol and went with the people. Setting their little children, their livestock, and their possessions before them, they turned away and left. When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and came upon the Danites. Micah told them that they had taken the gods he had made and his priest. The Danites threatened to kill him and his family. Micah saw that they were too strong for him and went back home. (Jdg 18:14–26).
that one of these houses had an ephod, some household gods, and an image overlaid with silver. They turned in there and went to the young Levite's house at Micah's. The 600 Levite armed for battle stood at the entrance of the gate. The five men who had spied out the land went in and took the idol, the ephod, and the household gods while the priest and the 600 armed men stood at the entrance of the gate. The priest asked them what they were doing. They answered him to come with them and be their father and priest. It would be better for him to serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household. The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the idol and went with the people. Setting their little children, their livestock, and their possessions before them, they turned away and left. When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and came upon the Danites. Micah told them that they had taken the gods he had made and his priest. The Danites threatened to kill him and his family. Micah saw that they were too strong for him and went back home. (Jdg 18:14–26).
The Danites didn't come to serve the Lord, they came to take. They relied in their own strength but not in God, because they knew what they were doing was wrong.
The Danites moved on to Laish, to a people in peace and security. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. There was no one to rescue them because they lived far from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The
Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. They named it Dan after their ancestor
Dan, although the city was formerly called Laish (or Leshem (Joshua 19:47)).
There the Danites set up the idol for themselves, and Jonathan (Gershom's son who was the son of Moses) and his sons were the priests of the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the Tabernacle was in Shiloh. (Jdg 18:27–31).
Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. They named it Dan after their ancestor
Dan, although the city was formerly called Laish (or Leshem (Joshua 19:47)).
There the Danites set up the idol for themselves, and Jonathan (Gershom's son who was the son of Moses) and his sons were the priests of the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the Tabernacle was in Shiloh. (Jdg 18:27–31).
The Levite's name was Jonathan, grandson of Moses. Jonathan's priestly service on behalf of the Danites was illegal, because even though he was a Levite
he wasn't of Aaron's family, see The High Priest in the Bible.
he wasn't of Aaron's family, see The High Priest in the Bible.
The land allotted to the tribe of Dan was a small enclave close to the Philistines
(Joshua 19:40–48). Dan belonged to the land assigned to the tribe of Naphtali.
The Danites were therefore not allowed to take that place but did so anyway.
(Joshua 19:40–48). Dan belonged to the land assigned to the tribe of Naphtali.
The Danites were therefore not allowed to take that place but did so anyway.
The tribe of Dan is missing among
The 144 000 in the Book of Revelation.
The Danites may have intermarried with the people around them and assimilated into those cultures and societies.
The 144 000 in the Book of Revelation.
The Danites may have intermarried with the people around them and assimilated into those cultures and societies.
Although the consequences of sin don't strike immediately, they will come if not repenting
(Gal 6:7–8). The tribe of Dan disappeared.
(Gal 6:7–8). The tribe of Dan disappeared.
See also The Book of Judges.
