Appendix: Setting of the Book, Israel’s Two-fold Corruption
Judges 17 – 21
Judges 17 – 21
Judges 17-21. The last five chapters are an appendix to the book of judges that really give the backdrop of the seven cycles of oppression and deliverance that occur in the earlier part of the book. The chapters are linked together by a phrase that occurrs four times. “In those days there was no king in Israel” (Jud. 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25) because as yet the Lord was their king (1 Sam. 8:5), and “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes” because they were acting according to conscience (a poor guide) rather than the Word of God. The events of these five chapters take place chronologically before the first judge, in the days of the elders who outlived Joshua.1 We know this from a few specific details that are given.
- First, Micah’s priest was the grandson of Moses (Jud. 18:30).
- Second, Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, who had been a man in the wilderness journey, was still the priest (Jud. 20:28).
- Third, the northern place “Mahaneh-dan”, taken by the tribe of Dan in Judges 18:12 occurred during the conquest (Joshua 19:47) and was known by that name at the beginning of Samson’s history (Judges 13:25).
There are two primary evils that arise in these chapters. The first is religious corruption (idolatry), instituted by Micah then embraced by the tribe of Dan – a sin against God (ch.17-18). The second is moral corruption committed by the men in Gibeah, then embraced by the tribe of Benjamin – a sin against man. A key principle to understand in ch.17-21 is that Israel was ready to avenge a sin against their fellow man (ch.19) but indifferent about a sin against God (Micah) and God had to deal with that. Another principle is that idolatry if it is unjudged leads to moral corruption. A third principle (ch.20) is that God’s people must be in a right state of soul in order to exercise discipline.
Ephraim vs Judah. In the book of Judges we see that God’s order among the tribes had been reverses. Jacob had said, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:10). We find the pride of Ephraim rising up, and that tribe taking the lead in Israel. Judah means “praise” and represents worship, and Ephraim means “fruitful” and represents service. Judges 17 and 18 show one consequence of when service (Ephraim) displaces worship (Judah). This reversal of God’s order makes room for idolatry of a particular type… mixture of idolatry with the name of the Lord. This is pictured in the state of Israel before and during the time of the Judges with Judah not in the lead. This situation was ultimately fixed by the Lord putting David on the throne. We see the Lord’s ways of grace through the book of Ruth, ensuring the royal line, and tracing the generations of that line down to the birth of David. “Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.” (Psa. 78:67-68).
O U T L I N E
Sin Against God, Part 1: Micah’s Idolatry
Judges 17
Judges 17
Judges 17. This chapter begins the appendix of Judges and exposes the religious corruption that lay beneath Israel’s outward decline. Micah disregarded the Word of God while freely using the name of Jehovah, creating a man-made religion that mixed idolatry with the outward forms of divine worship. He first appointed his own son as priest, then hired a wandering Levite, although the priesthood belonged exclusively to Aaron’s family. The Levite was content with this arrangement, and Micah even supposed that Jehovah would bless him because of it. The root of the whole disorder is given in v.6: “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” We also see God’s order reversed: Ephraim, representing fruitfulness or service, had risen to prominence while Judah, representing praise or worship, was not in its proper place. The result was religion according to man’s thoughts rather than God’s Word, producing idolatry, a man-made priesthood, and false confidence in the Lord’s blessing. Micah’s personal/household idolatry in ch.17 becomes the tribe of Dan’s established idolatry in ch.18. Religious evil tolerated privately does not remain private.
Micah’s Theft, the Creation of an Idol (17:1-6)
CHAPTER 17
1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred silver-pieces that were taken from thee, and about which thou didst curse and speak of in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Jehovah! 3 And he restored the eleven hundred silver-pieces to his mother; and his mother said, I had dedicated the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; and now I will restore it to thee. 4 Now he restored the silver to his mother; and his mother took two hundred silver-pieces and gave them to the founder, and he made of them a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah. DARBY
vv.1-4 Micah’s Stolen Silver and Graven Image. We see in Micah a total disregard for the Word of God. He stole, they both made a graven and molten image, it violation of the commandments. What is even more shocking is their misuse of the name of Jehovah: “Blessed be my son of Jehovah!” Mixing idolatry with the name of Jehovah is a classic tactic of Satan, and we see it about us today. All of this is done apparently without the slightest prick of conscience. Micah’s mother says, “I had wholly dedicated the silver unto Jehovah… to make a graven image and a molten image”. Something expressly forbidden by God was presented as devotion to Him.
5 And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. DARBY
vv.5-6 A Man-Made Religion. The single image led to many gods: “the man Micah had a house of gods”. Along with these false deities Micah made (1) an ephod or priestly garment, (2) a teraphim or household image, and (3) a priest of one of his sons. In short, he created an all-inclusive man-made religion replete with the outward signs and functions. The root of this evil is given in v.6: “every man did what was right in his own eyes”.
Micah Pays a Levite to be His Idolatrous Priest (17:7-13)
7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed from the city, from Bethlehem-Judah, to sojourn where he might find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah. 9 And Micah said to him, Whence comest thou? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10 And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee yearly ten silver-pieces, and a suit of garments, and thy victuals. And the Levite went in. DARBY
vv.7-10 Micah Hires a Wandering Levite as Priest. We have a new development. A Levite of Bethlehem-Judah was passing through and lodged with Micah. He says, “I go to sojourn where I may find a place” (v.9). Why would a Levite need employment? Rather than functioning according to God’s established order, he goes wherever he can find employment. This man was part of the tribe that was dedicated to the service of Jehovah, but he had no right to the priesthood, which was reserved for the family of Aaron alone (Ex. 28:1). This may no difference to Micah, who willfully took him and made him “a father and a priest”, a position of spiritual authority that God never gave him. He also agreed to pay for his salary, clothing and food. Micah hires him for salary, clothing, and food; then ch.18 shows him readily leaving for a larger sphere. Religious service was employed for personal advantage. This was a man-made priesthood that supplanted God’s order in Israel. The church did the same in history, creating the clerical and sacerdotal systems which were completely contrary to the Word of God.
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then said Micah, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, because I have the Levite for priest. DARBY
vv.11-13 False Confidence in Jehovah’s Blessing. Micah was successful in setting up what represents the development of a clergy. This arrangement was perfectly acceptable to the Levite who “was content”, and to Micah, who said “Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, because I have the Levite for priest”. This comment shows how seared Micah’s conscience was, that he could actually think the Lord would approve and bless him because he had taken a Levite as his idolatrous priest. There is a moral lesson here: man’s priesthood separates the conscience from God.
- “Chapters 17 to 21 form a kind of appendix to the book of Judges, an appendix of all importance for the completion of the moral picture of the declension of Israel, but which, in reality, as to time, precedes the opening of the book we are considering, and goes back to the last days of Joshua and of the elders that outlived him.” – H.L. Rossier. The Book of Judges.