May the mumbling commence!
In the book of Judges, there is a recurring phrase. It is found in chapter seventeen. “In those days Israel had no king, so the people
did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. (Verse 6)” Times have not changed much.
If we do not accept the Lord as
King, then we often crown ourselves with that title by default with our attitudes,
thoughts, words, and actions. Read about
the idolatry of the tribe of Dan from Judges chapter eighteen:
The five men who had scouted
out the land around Laish said to the others, "There is a shrine here with
a sacred ephod, some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. It's obvious what we ought to do." So the five men went over to Micah's house,
where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly. As the six hundred warriors from the tribe of
Dan stood just outside the gate, the five spies entered the shrine and took the carved
image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol.
When the priest saw the men
carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah's shrine, he said, "What are
you doing?"
"Be quiet and come with us," they said. "Be a father and
priest to all of us. Isn't it better to be a priest for an entire tribe of
Israel than just for the household of one man?" The young priest
was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the
household idols, and the carved image. They started on their way again, placing
their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.
When the people from the tribe
of Dan were quite a distance from Micah's home, Micah and some of his neighbors
came chasing after them. They were
shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said,
"What do you want? Why have you called these men together and chased after
us like this?"
"What do you mean, what do I want?" Micah replied. "You've taken away all my gods and my priest, and I have
nothing left!"
The men of Dan said, "Watch what
you say! Some of us are short-tempered, and they might get angry and kill you
and your family." So the
men of Dan went on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him
to attack, he turned around and went home.
Then, with Micah's idols and
his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose
people were peaceful and secure. They attacked and killed all
the people and burned the town to the ground.
There was no one to rescue the residents of the town, for they lived a
great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley
near Beth-rehob.
Then the people of the tribe of
Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. They
renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel's son, but it had originally
been called Laish.
Then they set up the carved image, and they
appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, a descendant of Moses, as their priest. This
family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. So Micah's carved image was worshiped by the
tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh. (Verses 14-31)
Talk about some demented ideas of right and wrong. They knew about the idols, and they said they
knew what to do with them. What would
God ask of them? The Lord commands all
idols to be destroyed – no exceptions.
What did the people of Dan do? They stole the idols and their priest. They wandered away from the commands of the
Lord already.
But that’s not all! They took them because they were mightier
than Micah and his household. That’s
another perversion of justice.
And they marched into battle with that phony priest and
idols into battle… against a peaceful and secure people. Oh, the perversion!
And, when they won, they set up the idols and worshiped
them. Even though the people of Dan
never claimed to be doing what was “right in their own eyes”, they did it all
the same. What shame!
God wants us to know the Holy Spirit, to
recognize its movement, and to follow faithfully its lead. Read from John chapter fourteen:
"If
you love me, obey my commandments. And I
will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never
leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large
cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him.
But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” (Verses 15-17)
Oh, God – may I pursue not what it right in my own eyes…
may I pursue instead what is right in your eyes.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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