Day 85 · Part 6: The Judges
Micah’s Idol
In the Story
In context
The last five chapters of Judges step outside the order of the judges. The priest at the end of today’s story is Jonathan, “the son of Gershom, the son of Moses” (Judges 18:30), and the site dates these events to about 1380 BC. Micah’s story and tomorrow’s are framed by the words “there was no king in Israel” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25), twice adding, “Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes” (17:6; 21:25).
Micah, of the hill country of Ephraim, gave back eleven hundred pieces of silver he had taken from his mother, and she had a carved image and a molten image made with part of it. He set up a shrine with an ephod and teraphim, household idols, and made one of his sons his priest (17:1–5). Then he hired a wandering young Levite from Bethlehem for ten pieces of silver a year (17:7–13). The tribe of Levi had no land of its own (Joshua 13:14).
The tribe of Dan was still looking for land (18:1). Six hundred armed Danites carried off Micah’s idols and his priest, struck the quiet, unsuspecting town of Laish with the sword, burned it, and rebuilt it as Dan (18:11–29; Joshua 19:47). The phrase “from Dan even to Beersheba” came to mean all Israel (Judges 20:1).
Israel, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield. House of Aaron, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield. You who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
Psalms 115:9–11 · Micah’s gods were made from his mother’s silver; Psalm 115 says idols are “silver and gold, the work of men’s hands” (115:4), and calls Israel to trust Yahweh.
For families
Micah told his mother that he was the one who had taken her eleven hundred pieces of silver, the silver she had spoken a curse about. She answered with a blessing, asking Yahweh to bless her son (17:2). Later Micah took in the young Levite, who “was to him as one of his sons” (17:11).
What do you think Micah’s mother felt when he told her the truth?
In the Bible
World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).
Judges 17
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Judges 18
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A hymn for today
Holy, Holy, Holy · words by Reginald Heber
- Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!
- Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
- Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,Only Thou art holy; there is none beside TheePerfect in pow'r, in love, and purity.
- Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!