Judges 17: Downward Spiral-1

There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 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.” 3 And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” 4 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. 5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.” 10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in. 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.”
 
Meditation
Ruin is the result of doing what is right in our own eyes. Sin grows from submitting to the standard of living that we see and take. Life spirals downward when the eyes of our heart do not look to The Lord of heaven and earth.
 
The ruin rising from the rebellion of God’s people is recorded with a repeated refrain: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (17:6; 21:25). Ruin cascades from disordered worship, flooding all of society.
 
Micah did what was right in his own eyes in regards to religion, rejecting God’s design for worship and synchronizing his faith with cultural practices. Micah’s house was “a house of gods” (5) so adding new idols was no big deal. To baptize his backward practices, Micah ordained a Levite. Levites were a tribe set apart for service and worship of the Lord (Numbers 8), but with eyes looking to justify distorted worship, this Levite abandoned his call so that he could serve a wealthy man who wanted religion his way. Everything, beginning with worship, spirals downward when we do what is right in our own eyes.
 
The book of Judges will not have another rescue, leaving readers looking for God’s mercy. Our eyes must see God’s mercy to eventually give Israel a king, and how this king points to the true King, Jesus. God ultimately redeems the ruin of the world through Jesus, offering mercy to those who look to Him not only for salvation but holistic restoration.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the distorted worship in Micah’s house- his lack of authority in his family, accepted idolatry, rewiring God’s religion to work his way, or his syncretism? Why?
 
-We do not see the ruin, yet, but the refrain is introduced. Why is it important for the narrator to highlight Israel doing what is right in their own sight? Where do you identify?
 
-How does lifting the eyes of our hearts to look at Jesus lead to restoration and renewal? What area of your life do you need to look to Jesus alone for salvation and restoration?
 
Key verse
6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.