Their Own Eyes
One Year Bible (May 3)
Judges 17:1-18:31
“Their Own Eyes"
“I believe you love who you love
Ain’t nothing you should ever be ashamed of
I believe this world ain’t half as bad as it looks
I believe most people are good
I believe them streets of gold
Are worth the work
But I’d still wanna go
Even if they were paved in dirt”
Can you name these lyrics from a popular country song? Catchy song! Very Catchy!
The theology in it is “very catchy’ as well. In fact, it was rampant in our story way back in Judges 17: 1-18:31 and it is alive and still “not well” today!
Love whoever you love, nothing to be ashamed of…even if they belong to someone else?
Can our work earn us the way to those streets of gold? Just askin’ for a friend… Oh, you’ve heard that line before?
If you read the OT passage today and you were just thoroughly confused and lost in the woods raise your hand? Glad that I was not all alone! I just couldn’t wrap my head around it, but I will give it a try. Here Goes Nothin’...
So, there is a man named Micah (not to be confused with Micah the prophet) who was cursed by his mama for stealing 1,100 pieces of silver from her. He then admitted that he had the money. So, being a good mama, she decided to teach him a lesson. She dedicated the coins to the Lord and then turned around and in honor of her son had an image carved and an idol made in the son’s honor.
Is anyone just shaking their head with me right now? I may be giving myself whiplash, seriously!
Oh, but hang on because this story gets even crazier. Micah (not prophet Micah) meets a young priest who is a Levite and decides that he will hire his own personal priest to live with him because, “I know the Lord will bless me now…. Because I have a Levite serving as my priest.” (17: 12) Alrighty then, problem solved! (I guess he really was worried about his mama putting another curse on him).
So, some good ol’ boys from Dan (no not Dan, guys from Dan) ask Micah’s personal priest if their journey and conquests will be successful. This novice priest tells them what they want to hear, “Go in peace, for the Lord is watching over your journey.” (18:5-6)
Before you know it, we have the first “traveling evangelist”. This dude got a better gig and he is now on tour with “The Dan Band”. They don’t just take the priest; they have their entire revival set up--complete with all of Micah’s gods! (Wonder what mommy dearest is going to say about her son now?)
The “Traveling Dan Band” has now set up the carved image and appointed “Jonathan son of Gershom, son of MOSES, as their priest.” (18: 30-31) Oh my! I have more than just a few questions to throw out here…
Who gives glory to God and then builds an idol to celebrate the “wrongdoer”?
What good is a priest who is “bought and paid for” and who just tells you what you want to hear and goes with the highest bidder?
When have false beliefs ever led to the right actions?
(Just askin’ for that same friend.)
Micah’s priest told these men what they wanted to hear, “Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord’s approval.” (Judges 18:6) Yet the Danites’ journey was a violent one that resulted in the destruction of a peaceful town.
Down was up, and up was down!
Can we begin to make any sense of this story? Let’s go back and check out the beginning of today’s reading… “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” -- Judges 17: 6.
And that, my friends, is the message behind this story… Being RELIGIOUS should never be confused with being RIGHTEOUS! Exchanging the truth for a lie has long-term effects.
They needed to listen more carefully to the actions and words of “Micah, The Priest & The Dan Band”. Not every song that is sung rings true… Not then. Not today!
“All the people did what seemed right in THEIR OWN EYES”...
How is that turning out for our day and time?
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Just askin’ for a friend.
