046 The Religious Degeneration of Israel (Part 1)
Verse 17:1 announces the start of the third major section
of the Book of Judges. With Samson’s death and burial we have reached the end
of the accounts of the lives of the judges of Israel. As we have seen, even
though the judges were raised up by Yahweh, they each have become increasingly
separated from Yahweh, lacking spiritual and moral sense. Each judge has
surpassed the previous judge in becoming more and more like the Canaanites.
Throughout the chapters of judges that focused on the lives of the particular
judges (2.6-16.31), there was little dealing with the lives of Israel’s
ordinary citizens. In these remaining chapters of Judges, the writer will
provide us with a picture of life in the day of the ordinary people during the
“dark ages” of Judges. The major theme of the writer, the Canaanization of
Israel, will remain unchanged. 
The remaining five chapters, 17-21, are divided into two
sections. The first section, chapters 17 and 18 describes the life in the Tribe
of Dan during the period of Judges, and section two will describe the life in
the tribe of Benjamin, chapters 19-21. Each of these sections has their own
story but Daniel Block identifies several common features that link the two
sections.
1. Dan and Benjamin had been assigned territory in
Israel’s heartland, between Judah and Ephraim, the two major tribes that would
later lead the Southern and Northern Kingdoms respectively. The intent of the
writer was to demonstrate “that the degenerating tendency in Israel was not
simply a problem in the fringe territories. It had infected the very heart of
the nation.”
2. Both tribes found themselves in desperate situation
though for different reasons. Dan was unable to conquer the territory allotted
to it wandered in search of a territory they could make their own. Actions on
the part of the tribe of Benjamin so incensed the remaining tribes that
Benjamin was almost wiped out in an internal “holy war.”
3. In both accounts the crisis was precipitated by the
actions of a nameless Levite.
4. In both accounts the Levite had a Bethlehem-Judah
connection. The first Levite came from Bethlehem-Judah (17:7-8); the second
traveled to Bethlehem-Judah (19:1-2).
5. Both Levites had connections with Mount Ephraim. The
first Levite ended up in the household of Micah, who lived on Mount Ephraim
(17:1); the second actually lived in this region (19:1).
6. Both accounts involved priestly characters inquiring
of God concerning the outcome of a proposed plan of action (18:5-6; 20:27-28).
7. Both accounts conclude with a reference to Shiloh.
Judges 18:31 notes that the Danites continued to use Micah’s idols as long as
the tabernacle was at Shiloh; in 21:19-24 the narrator describes an event that
took place at Shiloh.
8. In both accounts military contingents consisting of
six hundred men played a critical role (18:11, 16-15, 25; 20:47; 21:7, 12, 14,
16-17, 23).
9. Both accounts are punctuated by variations of the
refrain “In those days Israel had no king” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). Twice,
once in each section, the formula is augmented with, “Everyone did as he saw
fit” (17:6; 21:25).
There has been much debate about the significance of the
refrain in item 9. Many scholars and commentators have understood this as being
evidence of an idealized monarchical agenda in the Book of Judges. But it may
not be that simple. The key to understanding “the significance of the refrain
is found in the expanded versions in 17:6 and 21:25 where together these two
frame the entire work, that tells the reader how to interpret these events.” The suggestion is that as the events describe
in chapters 17-21, “Israel does not need a king to lead them in doing what is
right in their own eyes-they will do exactly as they please without being led
astray.” Stated simply, the writer’s intent was to demonstrate that the
Israelites didn’t need a judge or a king to lead them into sin, they were quite
capable of doing it on their own.
The remaining five chapters of the Book of Judges will
examine the Canaanization of Israel from the perspectives of: 1) Religious and
cultic Canaanization as seen in the lives of the Danites (17.-18.31) and; 2)
Moral and ethical Canaanization as demonstrated in the lives of the
Benjaminites (19.1-21.25).
The Religious Degeneration of Israel
(17.1-18.31)
Micah’s Idols: (17.1-13)
(1) The Religious Corruption of the Family (17:1-6)
Verses 1-5 provide us with an interesting mix of both
positive and negative elements. Let us look first at four positive
elements.
It is positive that our main character has an orthodox
Israelite name that is tied to Yahweh. The name Micah is translated “Who is like Yahweh?” This rhetorical
question is intended to draw the response “No one!” It would be typical for
names such as this to reflect the belief of the one doing the naming. So it would be easy to assume that Micah’s
parents were Israelites and were believers in Yahweh.
Second, it is always a positive when someone confesses to
sin, right? Micah confesses his sin to his mother and even returns the money
that he stole from her (v. 2a).
Third, and perhaps totally unexpected, Micah’s mother
blesses him (v. 2), after his confession and return of her money. The reason
for the blessing is to counteract the curse she had uttered on the one who had
stolen her money. The woman’s blessing is an expression of thanks to Yahweh for
the recovery of her stolen silver but it is also a prayer request to counter
the curse she had spoke against the thief which turned out to be her son. It is
also a positive that she turns to Yahweh and not some Canaanite God and would
indicate the “she is devoted to the covenant God of Israel.”
Fourth, Micah’s mother takes the money that has been
recovered and sets it apart to Yahweh (v. 3). Thus, leaving us with a curse
that has been canceled by a blessing and a the stolen silver no has been
dedicated to Yahweh
However lest we succumb to the idea that all is well in
Israel, Block suggest that there are a least “eight troubling issues.”
First, let us not forget that despite his pious name and
his confession, Micah did violate the commandments of Yahweh by stealing and
dishonoring his mother (cf. Ex 20:15; Deu 5:19), and (cf. Ex 20:12; Deu 5:16).
Second, why did Micah return the stolen goods? We must
realize that Micah only returned the goods upon hearing his mother’s curse.
Since there is no apparent regret or remorse, we are left with the feeling that
Micah was “motivated by fear of the curse,” more than a desire to make things
right.
Third, the woman’s dedication of the silver to Yahweh
appears to be in name only. She does not take it to Shiloh, or give it to any
of Yahweh’s priests but rather gives it back to Micah.
Fourth, in the same vein, the woman, while saying she is
dedicating the silver to Yahweh, gives the money to her son to have it made
into an image and an idol. Noting that she gave Micah just two hundred of the
eleven hundred silver shekels, we are left to answer the question “Where has
all the silver gone?”
Fifth, the woman’s intention in having the dedicated
silver made into an image and an idol violates the second commandment
prohibiting the making or worshipping of an idol (Ex 20:4-5; Deut 5:8-9).
Sixth, Micah establishes a shrine or “house of God” of
his own (v. 5a). This is another violation of the covenant (Deu 12), which
declares that the Israelites were to worship only at the place which Yahweh
would designate. Here we see Micah building a shrine “at the place of his own
choosing.”
Seventh, Micah, acting as if he were a priest, designs
and makes “an ephod and some idols” (v. 5b). As was noted by Block: “the items
crafted by Micah represent a direct challenge to the ephod of Israel’s
officially authorized priests (cf. Ex 28) and the Urim and Thummim which Yahweh
had sanctioned for oracular purposes (Ex 28:30).
Eighth, Micah “installed one of his own sons as priest”
(v5a). “This action posed a direct challenge to the officially authorized
Aaronic priesthood.”
Verses 1-5 set the tone for the remainder of this chapter
and the next. On the surface it may appear that the characters are following
the covenant of Yahweh, but it is in appearances only. Sadly, the characters
are not even aware of how far they have drifted from Yahweh; their actions do
not support their words. The syncreticism that is rampart here is likely
rampart throughout Israel and it establishes the basis for the actions of the
Danites in subsequent events.
17:6 provides us
with a bridge to the next section. It is also gives us an insight into the
personal understanding of the writer and his interpretation of the biblical
events that he has been writing about. One may be quick to jump to the
conclusion that the writer is making a statement in favor of the monarchy. This
is highly doubtful. Writing from a time when Israel had a king, our writer was
likely making a comment on the fact that “Israel did not need kings to lead
them into idolatry, since the people did it on their own.”
Additionally, the writer seems to believe that Micah and
his mother, “did what was right in their own eyes”, and that their actions were
typical of all Israel. “They illustrate
the general disregard for Yahweh’s covenant within the nation.” The difference
between the time of judges and the time of kings does not rest in the degree of
idolatry or evil but rather in its source. “During the monarchy kings led the
way in abominable acts; in premonarchic times the people did it on their own.”
(2) The Religious Corruption of the Priesthood (17:7-13)
17:7 introduces us to a new character, “A young Levite
from Bethlehem in Judah.” Before we make too much of the statement “a young
Levite” we need to remember that Moses said that a man had to be thirty years
old before he could begin service in the priesthood. We are also told that the
young Levite was from “Bethlehem of Judah,” which distinguishes this town, five
miles south of Jerusalem, “from a Zebulunite place of the same name near
Nazareth mentioned in Josh 19:15.” The
writer tells us that the young is from one of the clans of Judah. Since we know
that the young man is a Levite from Bethlehem and that the Levites had not been
given a “territory” like the other tribes, but were given forty-eight cites
within the territories of the other tribes, none of which were Bethlehem of
Judah, it is a safe assumption that the Levites for whatever reasons no longer
confined themselves to their allotted cities. It would seem our young Levite
had a bit of the wanderlust in him.
The tribe of Levi was chosen to be responsible for the
spiritual leadership of Israel. The tribe had earned that right by standing
with Moses during the rebellion of the golden calf, and they were subsequently
“rewarded for their faithfulness to Yahweh by receiving the divine blessing and
being dedicated for priestly service.” The fact that this young man was a
Levite will be very important to Micah in v. 13.
There are a number of problems that we can find with this
young man based on even the scant information that the writer has provided us.
Our guide is Moses’ instructions regarding the conduct of the Levites in Deu
18.6-9.
If a Levite moves from one
of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all
earnestness to the place the Lord will choose, 7 he may minister in the name of
the Lord his God like all other Levites who serve there in the presence of the
Lord. 8 He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received
money from the sale of family possessions.
Our young, wandering Levite will violate these instructions
in several critical areas. He does not appear to be headed to the central
shrine at Shiloh but any place of interest to him. AS we will see shortly, he is not going to
join other Levites but he is going to simply replace a single, unauthorized
priest. He will not serve Yahweh or in the name of Yahweh, but he serves Micah,
in the name of Micah. Our priest will
not serve at a place of Yahweh’s choosing but rather he will serve at a place
of man’s choosing. His money or
compensation is not that described by Moses but rather it is one derived from
negotiations between him and Micah.
It is interesting to note that we have here another
nameless person. The writer’s intent here is difficult to determine because in
18.30 he reveals the priest’s identity. Not only are we given his name,
Jonathan, but we find out the shocking fact that he is the grandson of Moses,
the son of Gershom. Why would the writer take pains to hide his identity from
us here only to reveal it to us in the next chapter? It might be that the
writer was trying to protect Moses and was just delaying the inevitable as long
as possible. It is more likely that as
Block suggests that writer,” by keeping the man anonymous . . . invites the
reader to generalize the present specific event to the Levite tribe as a whole.
This man’s behavior is typical of the group.”
In verse 8 we are confronted with the statement that our
young priest left Bethlehem “in search of some other place to stay.” What was
he searching for? We have no sense that he is going towards that to which
Yahweh has called him but rather we have an impression that he is wandering,
without a sense of guidance. He is certainly not priest whose heart is on fire
for Yahweh. Yahweh’s hand is not on him, leading him. There is no fire in him
to hold himself or others accountable to the covenant. He is an uninspired,
priest for hire looking for the right opportunity to come his way, and he found
just such an opportunity in the house of Micah. As Block concludes: “And he
just happens to arrive at the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim.
But what a stroke of luck this turns out to be, for both him and Micah!”
Verses 9-10 allow us to observe the negotiations between
the unnamed Levite and Micah. The
writer’s dialogue is designed to portray the “opportunism of both men.” Beginning
with the simple question of where has the young man come from, Micah opens the
door for our young priest to walk through. The priest gives all of his particulars and openly confesses he is
looking for a place to setup shop.
In verse 10 realizing what this could mean to him, Micah,
makes an offer that it would be hard for the young man to resist. Micah offers
him a chance to live with him; to be his spiritual advisor (his father) and
counselor; and to be his priest, to oversee the cultic activities of his shrine
that are performed on his behalf. Micah
tops of his offer “with a handsome salary of ten shekels of silver annually, a
suit of clothes, and a living allowance.”
Micah’s is a ball of human spiritual insecurity. Even with his own shrine and his son as its
priest, Micah was in need of constant encouragement. Micah was dependent upon his own man-made
religion and could not bring himself to rely on a system of worship that was
centered on Yahweh. The thought of
having a Levite priest as his own priest surely would have helped him overcome
much of his insecurity and yet it only enhanced his man-made religion. Instead
of placing his dependence on Yahweh and a cultic structure designed by Him
Micah retreats to that which he can control-a system of his choosing, led by a
priest of his choosing. Micah makes an offer to the young priest. The young
priest accepts. On the surface it is a good deal for both of them.
In verses 11-12 the young priest accepts Micah’s offer.
The priest agrees to live with Micah and accept the role of being “father” to
him and is “ordained” by Micah. The irony of all of this is expressed in v11,
where while Micah has hired the priest to be his “father,” he ends up treating
him like one of his sons and it this relationship that brings about the events
in chapter eighteen.
17:13 Micah, thrilled by the young priest’s acceptance of
his offer, believes that now “God is on his side.” He can only see a rosy
future ahead as he expects now that Yahweh will be good to him. For Micah, “the
Levite is nothing more than a good luck charm.”
The young Levite, rather than speaking the hard truth to
Micah, explaining that it was not right and proper for him to start his own
man-made religion and in the process alienating himself from Yahweh, he takes
the profitable way out, he takes the money and runs, he promotes Micah’s
man-made religion as it will be lucrative for him as well as expedient to do
so. This is the perfect job, heady stuff for a young Levite priest to be asked
to be a spiritual advisor and mentor to a man of such wealth and prestige as
Micah. Yet for the writer, this is another grievous example of the
Canaanization of Israel. Here, even the guardians of the Covenant, the priests
of Aaron, participate in the corruption of society. Instead of being the
defenders of the faith that they were called to be, they have played a key role
in helping Israel violate their covenant with the Lord.
“In the words of Malachi,
the heirs of “the covenant of Levi” have corrupted their high calling. Instead
of serving as an agent of life and peace, revering Yahweh and standing in awe
of his name, offering truthful and righteous instruction, walking with Yahweh
in peace and uprightness, turning Micah back from iniquity, preserving
knowledge, and serving as a messenger of Yahweh of hosts, this Levite has
himself been apostatized. He has lent his support to the perversion of his
countryman, failed to keep Yahweh’s ways, and demonstrated partiality to this
man with money (cf. Mal 2:1-9). The religious establishment in Israel has been
thoroughly infected with the Canaanite disease.
There will be a high price to pay for these actions.
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