Furthermore, calls him "Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh." The term "Levite" Is not always used in the Old Testament to mean an actual descendant of Levi. It is occasionally used to designate someone who is serving in a Levitical role. Samuel was an Ephraimite by birth I Sam. 1:1) and yet is listed in the tribe of Levi in I Chron. 6:16-34.

b. This Levite named Jonathan was looking for someone who would allow him to serve as his priest. So he departed Bethlehem-judah passing northward through the central hill country where he stopped at Micah's house, verse 8.

c. When Micah found out who he was, he offered him "ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and;, thy victuals," vs. 10. Jonathan accepted, and Micah consecrated him to be his own persona) priest.

d. How nice! Micah now has a house full of gods, a great image made with the 200 shekels of silver, all the Levitical apparel, and a Levite as his priest. Although, it was as rotten as a bucket of 3 day old dead shrimp in the hot sunshine. Every aspect of what Micah and his hired priest were doing was anti-God. Just because someone is very carefully going through the motions of worship and service to God doesn't mean they're right.

Micah and this priest are such a stark example of false religion for hire. What a state of idolatry and spiritual decay they picture in the land of promise. Israel is reaching for the bottom: heading toward total anarchy.

There is no question that Jonathan was Micah's hired priest. He admitted such in Judges 18:4, "Micah ... hath hired me, and I am his priest." Cursed be the man of God whose spiritual services are for hire. God's preachers have one master, even the Lord in heaven, Eph. 6:9 Every God-called man in the ministry has the scriptural directive to follow the orders of his heavenly Master; not someone who hired him. II Tim. 2:4 says, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Preachers work for the Lord; and are not available for the hire of men, I Tim. 1:12. How despicable Jonathan was in reducing the holy office of God to a mere service for hire.

Furthermore, the action of Micah was equally despicable. The very idea that anyone would think he could "hire" a priest or preacher to do his service to God stinks. Yet, many a modern believer thinks this way: "We've hired the pastor and staff to win souls, pray, carry on the work of the church. We just pay our money, and they do it for us." Though we can help others in the work of God, the work of God is not by proxy. No one can ever do certain of our spiritual work for us. God's work is personal. Though we give to missionaries; we do not alleviate our personal responsibility to win souls. Though we give so men like the pastor and staff may give themselves fully to the work, we are in no wise excused from personal involvement in the work of God. Micah thought different. He said, "Now know I that The Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest, " Judges 17:13

5. The idolatrous Danite bullies: Judges 18:1-31.

a. Judges 17 emphasizes the apostasy of individuals while -chanter 18 emphasizes the apostasy of a whole tribe.

b. The -inheritance of the tribe of Dan was divided. Some fell in the central area and some to the far north, Joshua 19:41-48. Although, because of the Amorites, who dwelt in their inheritance, they were unable to fully occupy it, Judges 1:34-36. Judges 18 opens with the Danites determined to conquer more of their inheritance. Five great men of valor were sent from their central inheritance to spy out their northern inheritance. Moving northward, they passed through Ephraim, and lodged overnight with Micah, verse 2.

c. They recognized the Levite, verse 3. They promptly asked him to inquire of the Lord as to whether or not they would prosper on their spy journey. It is strange that they would ask this question in the middle of their journey rather than prior to it. How much like most of us they are. We act and then inquire whether or not what we do is of the Lord as a sort of afterthought. Although, the scriptural admonition of Matt. 6:33 is, "But seek we first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." The Levite told them to go ahead with their mission, and that it had the Lord's approval, Judges 18:6.

d. The 5 Danite spies proceeded with their mission, verse 7 When they came to Laish, they found it to be a very peaceful, unfortified city. Excavations in the area have found the city was unwalled. Mount Herman protected the city from Syria from the north and the Lebanon range protected them from the Phoenicians to the west. The phrase "there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in anything" is understood by many scholars to mean they-had no dictatorial governor or king, nor were they under the domination of any conquering nation. They were very remote and well protected by natural fortifications, and felt very secure where they were.

The 5 spies were elated, and returned to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol recommending immediate conquering of this new land. Listen to verses 9 & 1 , "And they said, Arise, that we may go up against the for we have seen the land, and, behold, it, is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the Land. When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath qiven it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth."

e. Six hundred choice Danite soldiers were appointed to make the conquest, verse 11. On their way, they passed through Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, verse 1 . The 5 spies told them about the Levite and all the religious paraphernalia he had, and suggested that the Danites take it and the Levite with them, verse 14. While the 600 heavily armed Danites stood at the door of Micah's house of gods, the 5 spies went in and took everything, verses 16-18. When the Levite asked what they were doing, "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?" verse 19. "Lay thine hand upon thy mouth is the Hebrew idiom for "shut-up", "don't say a word". Consider Job 21:5, Prov. 30:32, Micah 7:16, etc.

When the Levite heard their proposition his "heart was glad," verse 20. If you are for sale, you go to the strongest, highest bidder. If glory and money is your goal, you go with the biggest, most glamorous spender. Why be a priest over one man's house when you could be a priest over a whole tribe? Prostituted religion: the worship of God in mockery! That's what prevailed here. And, no doubt, the story has been and is being repeated many times since. Where is integrity? Where is conviction? What happened to being in the place where God wants you to be? Such considerations didn't concern Jonathan; nor do they concern many believers now.

f. The Danites took Jonathan and his religious items of mockery and departed toward Laish. Anticipating retaliatory action from Micah, they put their cattle, wives, and children in front, verse 21 Sure enough, Micah and his house, along with their neighbors (the neighbors probably worshipped at Micah's house of gods) pursued, verse. The Danites turned against Micah and spoke rudely, "What aileth thee that thou comest with such a company?" verse 23. Micah in turn pleads for his gods, verse 24. What a silly, ironic, stupid scene! Micah is pleading for his gods: trying to save his gods.Folks, gods are supposed to save the worshipper: not the worshipper save the gods. How well this scene illustrates the futility of false gods. King David spoke on the issue in Psalm 115:3-8 But 3-8 and said) our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and -gold, the work,, of men's hands. They have mouths, but they sneak not.; eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."

The 600 lusty Danite soldiers warned Micah and company to shut up and go home "lest angry fellows ,run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household," verse 25. Micah realized he was no match for these soldiers, so he returned home, verse 26. What a fitting climax for a man who would build a house of idol gods and hire a priest!

g. The Danites took Jonathan and his idols and proceeded on to Laish, which they easily conquered, verse 27-28. They renamed Laish "Dan". This is the northernmost tip of Israel. Thus, the saying "from Dan unto Beersheba" means from extreme north to extreme south.

h. The Danites then set up Jonathan and his idolatrous system of worship in Dan in spite of the fact that it was in direct contradiction to the house of God which was at Shiloh. They continued this false worship until the land finally fell to later invaders.

With this individual and this national example in view, it is evident that the land of Israel is in a condition of grave spiritual decay, as is any person or people who think this way.

 

QUESTIONS ON "PREACHER FOR SALE TO HIGHEST BIDDER"

1.  Locate Bethlehem-judah on your map.

2. Why do you suppose the author here spoke of Bethlehem-judah instead of Bethlehem?

3. Why was it wrong for a Levite to live in Bethlehem-judah?

4. Why is it possible that the term "Levite" does not always refer to a descendant of Levi?

5. From what tribe was Samuel?

6. What was the name of the "Levite" of Judges 17-18?

7. What arrangement was consummated between Micah and the Levite?

8. How does Micah foreshadow the believer who would pay others to do his worship and service of God?

9. Explain how the "Levite" foreshadows the "professional" clergyman.

10. Who were the Danites?

11. In Judges 17-18, how is both the apostasy of individuals and the people as a whole shown?

12. What area did the Danites hope to expand?

13. Explain the mission of the 5 Danite spies.

14. How did the 5 Danite spies meet Jonathan?

15. From a military viewpoint, what was the defense position of Laish?

16. How did the Danites come to possess the god's of Micah?

17. What did Micah's gods do to save themselves and Micah from the Danites?

18. What was Jonathan's attitude about becoming a priest to the tribe of Dan?

19. What does the scene of Micah pleading for his gods say about all false gods?

20. What is the significance of the phrase "from Dan to Beersheba"?