J
U D G E S
CHAP. XVII.
All
agree that what is related in this and the rest of the chapters to the end of
this book was not done, as the narrative occurs, after Samson, but long
before, even soon after the death of Joshua, in the days of Phinehas the son
of Eleazar, ch. xx. 28. But it is cast here into the latter part of the
book that it might not interrupt the history of the Judges. That it might
appear how happy the nation was in the judges it is here shown how unhappy
they were when there was none. I. Then idolatry began in the family of Micah, ch.
xvii. II. Then it spread itself into the tribe of Dan, ch. xviii. III.
Then villany was committed in Gibeah of Benjamin, ch. xix. IV. Then
that whole tribe was destroyed for countenancing it, ch. xx. V. Then
strange expedients were adopted to keep up that tribe, ch. xxi.
Therefore blessed be God for the government we are under! In this chapter we
are told how Micah an Ephraimite furnished himself, 1. With an image for his
god, ver. 1-6. 2. With a Levite, such a one as he was, for his priest, ver.
7-13.
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Micah
and His Gods.
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B.
C. 1406.
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1 And there was a man of
mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said unto his
mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee,
about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the
silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou
of the LORD,
my son. 3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels
of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver
unto the LORD
from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now
therefore I will restore it unto thee. 4 Yet he restored the money
unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and
gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image:
and they were in the house of Micah. 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, but every man did that which was right in his
own eyes.
Here we have, I. Micah and his mother quarrelling. 1. The son robs the mother.
The old woman had hoarded, with long scraping and saving, a great sum of
money, 1100 pieces of silver. It is likely she intended, when she died, to
leave it to her son: in the mean time it did her good to look upon it, and to
count it over. The young man had a family of children grown up, for he had one
of age to be a priest, v. 5. He knows where to find his mother's cash,
thinks he has more need of it than she has, cannot stay till she dies, and so
takes it away privately for his own use. Though it is a fault in parents to
withhold from their children that which is meet, and lead them into temptation
to wish them in their graves, yet even this will by no means excuse the
wickedness of those children that steal from their parents, and think all
their own that they can get from them, though by the most indirect methods. 2.
The mother curses the son, or whoever had taken her money. It should seem she
suspected her son; for, when she cursed, she spoke in his cars so loud, and
with so much passion and vehemence, as made both his ears to tingle. See what
mischief the love of money makes, how it destroys the duty and comfort of
every relation. It was the love of money that made Micah so undutiful to his
mother as to rob her, and made her so unkind and void of natural affection to
her son as to curse him if he had it and concealed it. Outward losses drive
good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses. This woman's
silver was her god before it was made thither into a graven or a molten image,
else the loss of it would not have put her into such a passion as caused her
quite to forget and break through all the laws of decency and piety. It is a
very foolish thing for those that are provoked to throw their curses about as
a madman that casteth fire-brands, arrows, and death, since they know not
but they may light upon those that are most dear to them.
II. Micah and his mother reconciled. 1. The son was so terrified with his
mother's curses that he restored the money. Though he had so little grace as
to take it, he had so much left as not to dare to keep it when his mother had
sent a curse after it. He cannot believe his mother's money will do him any
good without his mother's blessing, nor dares he deny the theft when he is
charged with it, nor retain the money when it is demanded by the right owner.
It is best not to do evil, but it is next best, when it is done, to undo it
again by repentance, confession, and restitution. Let children be afraid of
having the prayers of their parents against them; for, though the curse
causeless shall not come, yet that which is justly deserved may be justly
feared, even though it was passionately and indecently uttered. 2. The mother
was so pleased with her son's repentance that she recalled her curses, and
turned them into prayers for her son's welfare: Blessed be thou of the
Lord, my son. When those that have been guilty of a fault appear to be
free and ingenuous in owning it they ought to be commended for their
repentance, rather than still be condemned and upbraided for their fault.
III. Micah and his mother agreeing to turn their money into a god, and set up
idolatry in their family; and this seems to have been the first instance of
the revolt of any Israelite from God and his instituted worship after the
death of Joshua and the elders that out-lived him, and is therefore thus
particularly related. And though this was only the worship of the true God by
an image, against the second commandment, yet this opened the door to
the worship of other gods, Baalim and the groves, against the first and
great commandment. Observe,
1. The mother's contrivance of this matter. When the silver was restored she
pretended she had dedicated it to the Lord (v. 3), either before
it was stolen, and then she would have this thought to be the reason why she
was so much grieved at the loss of it and imprecated evil on him that had
taken it, because it was a dedicated and therefore an accursed thing, or after
it was stolen she had made a vow that, if she could retrieve it, she would
dedicate it to God, and then she would have the providence that had so far
favoured her as to bring it back to her hands to be an owning of her vow.
"Come," said she to her son, "the money is mine, but thou hast
a mind to it; let it be neither mine nor thine, but let us both agree to make
it into an image for a religious use." Had she put it to a use that was
indeed for the service and honour of God, this would have been a good way of
accommodating the matter between them; but, as it was, the project was wicked.
Probably this old woman was one of those that came out of Egypt, and would
have such images made as she had seen there; now that she began to dote she
called to remembrance the follies of her youth, and perhaps told her son that
this way of worshipping God by images was, to her knowledge, the old religion.
2. The son's compliance with her. It should seem, when she first proposed the
thing he stumbled at it, knowing what the second commandment was; for, when
she said (v. 3) she designed it for her son to make an image of, yet he
restored it to his mother (being loth to have a hand in making the image), and
she gave it to the founder and had the thing done, blaming him perhaps for
scrupling at it, v. 4. But, when the images were made, Micah, by his
mother's persuasion, was not only well reconciled to them, but greatly pleased
and in love with them; so strangely bewitching was idolatry, and so much
supported by traditions received from their parents, 1 Pet. i. 18; Jer.
xliv. 17. But observe how the old woman's covetousness prevailed, in part,
above her superstition. She had wholly dedicated the silver to make the graven
and molten images (v. 3), all the 1100 pieces; but, when it came to be
done, she made less than a fifth part serve, even 200 shekels, v.
4. She thought that enough, and indeed it was too much to give for an image
that is a teacher of lies. Had it been devoted truly to the honour of God, he
would not thus have been put off with part of the price, but would have
signified his resentment of the affront, as he did in the case of Ananias and
Sapphira. Now observe,
(1.) What was the corruption here introduced, v. 5. The man Micah had a
house of gods, a house of God, so the LXX., for so he thought it, as good
as that at Shiloh, and better, because his own, of his own inventing and at
his own disposal; for people love to have their religion under their girdle,
to manage it as they please. A house of error, so the Chaldee, for
really it was so, a deviation from the way of truth and an inlet to all
deceit. Idolatry is a great cheat, and one of the worst of errors. That which
he aimed at in the progress of his idolatry, whether he designed it at first
or no, was to mimic and rival both God's oracles and his ordinances. [1.] His
oracles; for he made teraphim, little images which he might advise with
as there was occasion, and receive informations, directions, and predictions
from. What the urim and thummim were to the prince and people
these teraphim should be to his family; yet he could not think that the
true God would own them, or give answers by them, and therefore depended upon
such demons as the heathen worshipped to inspire them and make them
serviceable to him. Thus, while the honour of Jehovah was pretended (v.
3), yet, his institution being relinquished, these Israelites unavoidably
lapsed into downright idolatry and demon-worship. [2.] His ordinances. Some
room or apartment in the house of Micah was appointed for the temple or house
of God; an ephod, or holy garment, was provided for his priest to officiate
in, in imitation of those used at the tabernacle of God, and one of his sons
he consecrated, probably the eldest, to be his priest. And, when he had set up
a graven or molten image to represent the object of his worship, no marvel if
a priest of his own getting and his own making served to be the manager of it.
Here is no mention of any altar, sacrifice, or incense, in honour of these
silver gods, but, having a priest, it is probable he had all these, unless we
suppose that, at first, his gods were intended only to be advised with, not to
be adored, like Laban's teraphim; but the beginning of idolatry, as of other
sins, is like the letting forth of water: break the dam, and you bring
a deluge. Here idolatry began, and it spread like a fretting leprosy. Dr.
Lightfoot would have us observe that as 1100 pieces of silver were here
devoted to the making of an idol, which ruined religion, especially in the
tribe of Dan (as we shall presently find), which was Samson's tribe, so 1100
pieces of silver were given by each Philistine lord for the ruin of Samson.
(2.) What was the cause of this corruption (v. 6): There was no king
in Israel, no judge or sovereign prince to take cognizance of the setting
up of these images (which, doubtless, the country about soon resorted to), and
to give orders for the destroying of them, none to convince Micah of his error
and to restrain and punish him, to take this disease in time, by which the
spreading of the infection might have been happily prevented. Every man did
that which was right in his own eyes, and then they soon did that which
was evil in the sight of the Lord. When they were without a king to
keep good order among them, God's house was forsaken, his priests were
neglected, and all went to ruin among them. See what a mercy government is,
and what reason there is that not only prayers and intercessions, but
giving of thanks, should be made for kings and all in authority, 1
Tim. ii. 1, 2. Nothing contributes more, under God, to the support of religion
in the world, than the due administration of those two great ordinances,
magistracy and ministry.
7 And there was a young
man out of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite,
and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city
from Beth-lehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he
came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. 9
And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am
a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a
priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a
suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. 11 And
the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto 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 know I that the LORD
will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
We have here an account of Micah's furnishing himself with a Levite for his
chaplain, either thinking his son, because the heir of his estate, too good to
officiate, or rather, because not of God's tribe, not good enough. Observe,
I. What brought this Levite to Micah. By his mother's side he was of the
family of Judah, and lived at Bethlehem among his mother's relations (for that
was not a Levites' city), or, upon some other account, as a stranger or
inmate, sojourned there, v. 7. Thence he went to sojourn where he
could find a place, and in his travels came to the house of Micah in Mount
Ephraim, v. 8. Now, 1. Some think it was his unhappiness that he was
under a necessity of removing, either because he was persecuted and abused, or
rather neglected and starved, at Bethlehem. God had made plentiful provision
for the Levites, but the people withheld their dues, and did not help them
into the possession of the cities assigned to them; so that they were reduced
to straits, and no care was taken for their relief. Israel's forsaking God
began with forsaking the Levites, which therefore they are warned against,
Deut. xii. 19. It is a sign religion is going to decay when good ministers are
neglected and at a loss for a livelihood. But, 2. It seems rather to have been
his fault and folly, that he loved to wander, threw himself out where he was,
and forfeited the respect of his friends, and, having a roving head, would go
to seek his fortune, as we say. We cannot conceive that things had yet come to
such a pass among them that a Levite should be poor, unless it was his own
fault. As those are fit to be pitied that would fix but may not, so those are
fit to be punished that might fix but will not. Unsettledness being, one would
think, a constant uneasiness, it is strange that any Israelite, especially any
Levite, should affect it.
II. What bargain Micah made with him. Had he not been well enough content with
his son for his priest, he would have gone or sent abroad to enquire out a
Levite, but now he only takes hold of one that drops into his hands, which
showed that he had no great zeal in the matter. It is probable that this
rambling Levite had heard, in the country, of Micah's house of gods, his
graven and molten image, which, if he had had any thing of the spirit of a
Levite in him, would have brought him thither to reprove Micah for his
idolatry, to tell how directly contrary it was to the law of God, and how it
would bring the judgments of God upon him; but instead of this, like a base
and degenerate branch of that sacred tribe, thither he goes to offer his
service, with, Have you any work for a Levite? for I am out of
business, and go to sojourn where I may find a place; all he aimed at
was to get bread, not to do good, v. 9. Micah courts him into his
family (v. 10), and promises him, 1. Good preferment: Be unto me a
father and a priest. Though a young man, and taken up at the door, yet, if
he take him for a priest, he will respect him as a father, so far is he from
setting him among his servants. He asks not for his credentials, takes no time
to enquire how he behaved in the place of his last settlement, considers not
whether, though he was a Levite, yet he might not be of such a bad character
as to be a plague and scandal to his family, but thinks, though he should be
ever so great a rake, he might serve for a priest to a graven image, like
Jeroboam's priest of the lowest of the people, 1 Kings xii. 31. No
marvel if those who can make any thing serve for a god can also make any thing
serve for a priest. 2. A tolerable maintenance. He will allow him meat, and
drink, and clothes, a double suit, so the word is in the margin, a
better and a worse, one for every day's wear and one for holy days, and ten
shekels, about twenty-five shillings, a year for spending money--a poor salary
in comparison of what God provided for the Levites that behaved well; but
those that forsake God's service will never better themselves, nor find a
better master. The ministry is the best calling but the worst trade in the
world.
III. The Levite's settlement with him (v. 11): He was content to
dwell with the man; though his work was superstitious and his wages were
scandalous, he objected against neither, but thought himself happy that he had
lighted on so good a house. Micah, thinking himself holier than any of his
neighbours, presumed to consecrate this Levite, v. 12. As if his
building, furnishing, and endowing this chapel authorized him, not only to
appoint the person that should officiate there, but to confer those orders
upon him which he had no right to give nor the other to receive. And now he
shows him respect as a father and tenderness as a son, and is willing thus to
make up the deficiency of the coin he gave him.
IV. Micah's satisfaction in this (v. 13): Now know I that the Lord
will do me good (that is, he hoped that his new establishment would gain
reputation among his neighbours, which would turn to his advantage, for he
would share in the profit of his altar; or, rather, he hoped that God would
countenance and bless him in all he put his hand unto) because I have a
Levite to be my priest. 1. He thought it was a sign of God's favour to him
and his images that he had so opportunely sent a Levite to his door. Thus
those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence
unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that furthers them in their evil
way, are too apt to infer thence that God is pleased with them. 2. He thought
now that the error of his priesthood was amended all was well, though he still
retained his graven and molten image. Note, Many deceive themselves into a
good opinion of their state by a partial reformation. They think they are as
good as they should be, because, in some one particular instance, they are not
so bad as they have been, as if the correcting of one fault would atone for
their persisting in all the rest. 3. He thought the making of a Levite into a
priest was a very meritorious act, which really was a presumptuous usurpation,
and every provoking to God. Men's pride, and ignorance, and self-flattery,
will undertake, not only to justify, but magnify and sanctify, the most daring
impieties and invasions upon the divine prerogatives. With much reason might
Micah have said, "Now may I fear that God will curse me, because I have
debauched one of his own tribe, and drawn him into the worship of a graven
image;" yet for this he hopes God will do him good. 4. He thought that
having a Levite in the house with him would of course entitle him to the
divine favour. Carnal hearts are apt to build too much upon their external
privileges, and to conclude that God will certainly do them good because they
are born of godly parents, dwell in praying families, are linked in society
with those that are very good, and sit under a lively ministry; whereas all
this is but like having a Levite to be their priest, which amounts to no
security at all that God will do them good, unless they be good themselves,
and make a good use of these advantages.
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