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The Religious Degeneration of Israel (Part 2)
Chapter eighteen begins with the simple refrain: “In
those days Israel had no king.” The writer is asking us to evaluate the
preceding events in light of the absence of a king. We cannot determine whether
the writer was speaking of Yahweh as king or if he had a human king in mind,
but according to the Mosaic Law, Israel “should have risen up against Micah and
stoned him for his idolatrous ways (Deut 13:6-11). One of the responsibilities
that belonged to the king was that he was to ensure the orthodox interpretation
of the Law and the correct practice of the cult. If the writer was indeed
referring a human king, the comment still suggests the fact that Israel has
repudiated Yahweh as their king.
As Israel would learn, Yahweh would not give up His rule
because His people rejected Him. We
might assume that the Danite treatment of Micah was just a human one, yet “the
Danite treatment of Micah may be interpreted as the divine response to Micah
for his abominable behavior. With delightful irony the despised Danites serve
as agents of judgment upon this representative of the high and mighty
Ephraimites.”
Chapter 18 presents us with an unusual picture for
Judges, the Danites, without the obvious help of Yahweh or a human king achieve
a military success. Daniel Block notes: “This chapter portrays a tribe
venturing out independently of Yahweh and without the benefit of a king but
achieving perfect success. The nation needs no king to lead them in battle or
into apostasy. They will do both on their own.”
The theme of chapters 17 and 18 remains the religious
degeneration of Israel as represented in by corruption of Dan. As the writer
has continually pounded home the point of the downward spiral of the spiritual
condition of the nation the singling out of Samson, a Danite, and then the
narrative of Micah and the Tribe of Dan, it is obvious that the writer’s
purpose is to demonstrate all that is spiritually amiss with Israel. It would seem likely, that as readers, we can
only expect more of the same. As we have seen throughout Judges, our writer is
a master at using irony and in chapter 18 his skill at using this literary
device at is best.
Chapter eighteen is easily divided into two parts. The
first part verses 1-10 deal with the mission of the spies while part 2 verses
11-31 deal with Dan’s conquest of Laish. Let’s look at the particulars of
chapter 18.
The
Mission (18:1-10)
In 18:1 the writer provides us with the context in which
chapter 18 will take place, “In those days Israel had no king,” and then
proceeds immediately to his primary focus, Dan’s struggles to find a place of
their own where they could settle down. This poses the question of if the tribe
of Dan didn’t have a place of their own what are we to make of the statements in Joshua 19.40-48 which tell us of the
specific territory that was to Dan’s. Much has been made of this question but it seems reasonable to assume
that the writer is just stating the fact that Dan had been unable to conquer
the Amorites and take possession of the land that had been allotted to them by
Joshua. It seems likely that Danite
towns of Zorah and Eshtaol were more refuges than anything else. Unable to capture the lowlands held by the
Amorites, Dan took refuge in the hill country surrounding and including Zorah
and Eshtaol, but this area was not sufficiently large enough for the tribe and
the lack of good agriculture territory made food production a constant problem.
As we see in chapter 18 there was an urgent need to find a more suitable,
productive home for the tribe of Dan.
In the tribe of Dan’s response to their problem we might
see a bit of ourselves. Faced with a crisis, the Danites, instead of turning to
Yahweh, and confessing their sins and seeking His help, they proceeded to do “what
is right in their own eyes.” They sought to find a land that would support them
and that they could call their own.
In 18:2, seeming to take a page from the playbook of an
earlier generation, the Danites appointed five spies to go in search of a new
and suitable territory rather than have the whole tribe wandering around the
Promised Land looking for a home. The five men selected represented the best of
each of the clans of Dan and were charged with spying and exploring the
land. The writer doesn’t tell us what
land they are exploring or spying on at this point only that they are to
“explore the land.”
It is easy to miss the parallelism suggested by the
writer as he mentions that the spies enter the land of Ephraim and come “to the
house of Micah.” It is almost certain that the writer wants us to recall the
earlier account of the spies sent into the Promised Land by Moses and their
coming to “the house of the prostitute.” The idea of Israel playing the harlot
as mentioned earlier by the writer now comes to center stage. Block suggests
that this would also explain why “Micah is out of the picture in vv. 2b-6. The
scouts’ primary interest is in the Levite, the facilitator of their spiritually
harlotrous activity.”
The writer sets up an interesting situation in verse18:3 when
the scouts arrive at Micah’s house. Rather than being greeted by Micah, they are
greeted by the Levite priest whom they recognize, not by sight but by his
voice. The writer doesn’t explain how the spies may have known the priest. One
can assume that the priest in his wanderings, before coming to Micah’s house,
had spent time with the Danites and that their path of exploration had
inadvertently, followed the priest to Micah’s house. The voice recognition will
become important in subsequent scenes as the voice of the priest comes to carry
the same importance as the voice of Yahweh for the Danites.
In verse three the Danites pepper the priest with
questions: "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why
are you here?" Block raises an interesting point. He says that:
“If the Levite had been
playing his rightful spiritual role, he would have turned the tables and asked
these same questions of the scouts. If they were honest, they would have
replied: (1) “The tribe of Dan has sent us.” (2) “We have come to spend the
night.” (3) “We are scouting for a land where we can live and claim as our
inheritance.”
The dialogue that would ensue from this reversal of
questioning should result in the priest’s rebuke of the spies. “(1) “You should
be going where Yahweh sends you.” (2) “You should not spend the night in the
home of this apostate Micah; he should be stoned.” (3) “You should not be
scouting for territory; go back and claim the land Yahweh has granted you as
your inheritance.” What should have been
was not what was and this is readily apparent in the priest’s reply in verse 4.
Rather than respond in verse 4 as a proper priest of
Yahweh should have, for example: “(1) Yahweh has brought me here. (2) I am
instructing the people of this household in the way of Yahweh. (3) I am
faithfully fulfilling my charge as a Levite,” the priest responds that Micah “has
hired me and I am his priest.” His comment reveals his self-serving motives and
also the fact that his services may be had by anyone willing to offer him
greater compensation. Like the Danites, he is seeking his own well-being, his
own way, and he is not seeking Yahweh.
Verse18:5-6 have the Danites seeking confirmation from
the priest that their venture will be a successful one. They ask him to inquire
of God, Elohim, the generic designation for God, rather than the more personal,
covenant name for God, Yahweh. The priest’s
answer is too quick and too simple. Using a standard formula, beginning with “Go
in peace,” the Levite tells the Danites what they want to hear. Block believes
that the priest’s response “does not declare out rightly that the mission will
succeed, only that, literally, “The course on which you are going is before the
Lord.” Block continues to say “This could mean that it has the approval of
Yahweh’s watchful eye, but it could also mean the opposite that is, the conduct
of the scouts and the Danites as a tribe is under critical scrutiny by Yahweh.”
Yet the bottom line is that the scouts heard what they wanted to hear, that
their mission was to be a success.
The spies depart from Micah’s house in verse 7and find
their way to Laish (Lion), which is called Leshem in Joshua 19.47. Laish is
located in the northern portion of the Promised Land. Laish was known for is
pleasant climate, plentiful water, and productive land. Located at the foot of
Mount Hermon it was 18 miles north of Hazor. The scouts’ impression of the
population of Laish was that they were prosperous, unsuspecting, and living under
a false sense of security, in other words easy pickings. The Laishites false sense of security seems to
stem from the facts that they lived under the shadow of Sidon rule, the major
Phoenician City of the day, they had no immediate enemies in the region, they
had never lived as a subjugated people or lived under oppression, while under
the shadow of Sidon, Sidon didn’t interfere with them, Sidon was more concerned
with building their commercial trade, and lastly, they were somewhat isolated
from the surrounding peoples, they were of the beaten path so to speak. All of
this worked to create a sense of peace and well-being among the Laishites until
the arrival of the Danites.
Another reason may have existed for the Laishites sense
of security; findings from recent excavations indicate that Laish was not
defended by stone walls but by huge ramparts consisting of alternating layers
of soil from the surrounding region and debris from previous settlements. These
“earthen works” would have conquest by attacking forces more difficult than
just the normal stone wall defenses of the day.
Verses 8-10 give us a sense of the anxiousness of the
Danites that had been left behind to wait for the news from the spies. The
enthusiasm of the spies upon their return offers us a stark contrast to the
response of the spies returning to Moses from their foray into the Promised
Land. Eager to begin the move to and subsequent attack on the Laishites, the
spies offer a glowing report designed to motivate the rest of the tribe. Urging
the tribe to attack, the spies tell them that the land is good, people are
unsuspecting, the land is spacious and it lacks nothing. Each of their points
solves an existing problem for the tribe in their present circumstances. The
scouts even play the “God card,” assuring everyone God has given the land into
their hands. Yet here is another instance of the use of the generic term for
God rather than the more personal term Yahweh.
The
Migration (18:11-31)
In verses 18:11-13 the writer tells us of the march to
Micah’s in the hill country of Ephraim by six hundred armed Danites on their
way to Laish. This number is critical as
there is no subsequent mention of those left behind ever moving to Laish. This
would indicate that all a small number of the tribe of Dan participated in the
“migration” to Laish. Those that stayed behind are never heard from again
having disappeared from history. This might explain the sense of impatience the
scouts where having with their fellow countrymen about moving forward and taking
the land of Laish. Daniel Block says that “Having been commissioned by the
tribe as a whole, only a small fraction accepted their report. The rest of the
Danites disappeared from history all together.”
The tribe of Dan was unable to take and possess the
territory allotted to them by Joshua. Their territory was small in comparison
to some of the tribes, and in their territory there was no city that was any
larger than Laish. So here is the irony; how does a band of six hundred
warriors travel all the way to Laish, conquer the city without apparent
difficulty, make their home there, and all without the need of a “divinely
called governor, nor a king, as a later generation would demand?”
The writer emphasizes that this military force provides
us with an abbreviated itinerary. He notes that their first camp was made in
Judah and that they named the site “the camp of Dan.” From there they move on
to Ephraim with the seeming intention of stopping at the home of Micah. This
fact alone builds tension and anticipation in the reader as we wonder what is
going to happen next.
The
Danites and the Priest (18:14-20)
In verse 14 upon the arrival of the Danite force at
Micah’s, the scouts ask if their countrymen know that there is “a complete set
of religious and cultic appurtenances-ephod, teraphim, and idol? The scouts,
with their own idea of what should be done, slyly ask the others if they know
what to do? Without words, the writer lets the actions of the Danites speak for
them. The men go straight to the Levite’s house, surrounding the compound with
the six hundred armed men, the scouts greet the priest and then go in and seize
the cultic objects. Confronted by the
priest about what they are doing, the scouts threaten him to be quiet and offer
him the opportunity to be their priest instead of Micah’s. The Levite was happy
to accept their offer and taking the Ephod, the household idols, and the idol,
he joins the Danites. The priest is complicit, along with the Danites, of
committing “grand larceny and treachery as well. The man has betrayed his
patron and employer.”
The
Encounter with Micah (18:21-26)
.Where has Micah been? With all that has being going on
with the visit of scouts of Dan and their return 600 fighting men and their
families Micah has been conspicuously absent from the action. Micah does not
re-enter the scene until the Danite force has left the compound, taking with
them his priest and his household gods.
In preparation for departure, the Danites also prepare
for some sort of response by Micah to the loss of his priest and his gods. The
Danites send out their woman and children first and have their fighting men
departing last. This was likely done because they expected Micah to attack with
some sort of force and they wanted to make sure they met him force run which is
why the fighting men were placed last in the order of march.
Upon discovery of the loss of his gods and priest, Micah
hastily assembles a small fighting force and takes off in pursuit of the
Danites. Traveling swiftly, without the baggage of women and children, Micah
quickly closes the distance and he and his force started calling after Danites
and causing a commotion. The Danites insolently ask Micah what his problem is
and want to know why he has chased after them with his fighting men, raising a
battle cry along the way. The writer is
likely leading us to draw the conclusion that Micah’s cries are like those of
earlier Israelites that raised their voices against oppressors. The difference
here is that the oppressors are not outside enemies, but rather “fellow
apostate Israelites.”
Verse 24 contains Micah’s response to the Danites. “He
replied, ‘You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do
I have? How can you ask, what’s the matter with you?’” The great irony of this statement contained
in the two words, “I made,” the gods that Micah made with his own hands are
incapable of defending “themselves or their maker.” Another irony is that the
priest that he had “bought,” that Micah thought would bring good fortune to him
and his family, has been bought by a higher price and has betrayed him and his
family, leaving them with less than when the priest had joined them, without
the protection of Yahweh or his gods. And the Danites have the audacity to ask
him “What’s the matter with you that you called your men out to fight?”
This is a gathering of those without integrity, Micah,
the Levite and the Danites all have no room to talk; they are all bereft of
integrity. The Danites go a step further adding intimidation and the threats of
brutality to their sins in verse 25.
The character of the Danites is reflected in verse 25 in
their response to Micah. The writer continues to cast this remnant of the Tribe
of Dan in the same light as the main tribe, arrogant, insolent, bullying,
whiners and complainers, who will stop at nothing to get their way. Block suggests
that: “These men are brutes before whom any right-thinking person will step
aside. By threatening to take the lives of Micah’s household as well as his own
life, they escalate the threat and also confirm their own inhumanity.”
Predictably, verse 26 carries the results of this
encounter, this much ado about nothing. Recognizing his inability to defeat the
Danites, Micah decides to cut his losses and turn around and go home. The
Danites, with the stolen gods and the bought off priest, push on towards the
“promised land.” It is likely not an accident that the silver that Micah had
stolen from his mother, who had been melted down and poured into a mold to make
and idol, had now been stolen from him. He, who was a thief, has now been robbed. “This man, whose ethical (and spiritual)
values were clearly pagan, finds himself the victim of his own Canaanized
countrymen.” Micah, whose crime of
idolatry called for his death, is allowed to escape with his life and return to
his life, seemingly little worse for wear.
Mission
Accomplished (18:27-31)
These verses offer is a of the events that took place as
this relatively small remnant of the tribe of Dan capture, destroy, and rebuild
the city of Laish as Dan.
Attacking the unsuspecting city, the Danite force
slaughters Laishites and burn the city. Like Micah, the writer portrays the
Danites as opportunists and their victory over the Laish as a victory of man
without any help from or reliance on Yahweh. Renaming the town Dan after their
ancestor, they establish Dan as a center of cult worship; install the Levite
priest as their own priest, all without regard for covenant law. The writer
presents this event as “a purely human affair-human in its origin, design, and
intention.”
In a shocking conclusion to this chapter of the narrative
of Judges, the identity of the nameless, Levite priest is revealed as being
that of Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses.” The shock of having the
name of Moses tied to “abominable idolatrous behavior” is great. The writer,
recognizing that a nameless Levite priest would help to attribute “the present
symptoms of spiritual Canaanization to the priestly class/tribe as a whole,”
takes to another dimension “by associating the abominations committed in this
chapter with Moses, the most venerable character in Israelite history.” The depth
religious syncretism in Israel is so great that it has even infected its “most sacred
institutions and the most revered household.”
Verses 30b-31 provides us with a postscript to the
conquest of Laish and the establishment of the city of Dan. We are told that Jonathan
and his descendants continue to serve as priests at this cult site until the
day the land went into captivity. This is likely in reference “to the
deportation of the population of Dan by Tiglath Pileser III to Assyria in 734 BC
(2 Kgs 15:29).” The writer also continues to highlight the sin of apostasy by
contrasting as a center of apostasy with Shiloh, the location of the ark and
tabernacle of Yahweh. Throughout the time of judges, this cult site at Dan “functioned
as an apostate challenge to the true worship of Yahweh.” This center of
apostasy was man-made; Micah made the image, and the Danites using it for their
own purposes, established a shrine of apostasy in Israel.
Conclusion
and Observations
The role of the shrine of Dan in the history of Israel is
difficult to overestimate. This shrine along with the shrine established at
Bethel became symbols of the apostasy of Northern Israel as Jeroboam became
king became king of the ten northern tribes (1 Kgs 12:25-33).
In this and the previous chapter of Judges, the writer
continues to pound home his them of the Canaanization of Israel, as
individuals, as tribes and as a nation. By portraying individuals and “an entire
tribe as faithless and opportunistic,” the writer makes his point that Israel
is as shameless in their religious practices and conduct as the Canaanites, and
considering the Covenant that Yahweh had made with them, their behavior is even
more abominable than that of their neighbors.
In an unlikely ending, the writer shows us that sin can
and does have its own reward as the sin of the Danites does not prevent them
from accomplishing their goal and their man-made agenda is completed. A rule of
observation, from the writer, then, is that success is no guarantee or
indicator of blessing or righteousness. It could mean just the opposite. “God
does not stifle every corrupt thought and scheme of the human heart.”
The conclusion can certainly be drawn from this narrative
that “the people do not need a king to lead them down this path. They are quite
capable of sinning on their own.” We can change our surroundings, hire
qualified people, destroy old symbols and establish new one but if there has
been no change of heart then there really hasn’t been any change. Israel has
become like the Canaanites and even those, the professional clergy, the
Levites, even “the descendants of Moses,” have come under the influence of
apostasy and become corrupt. “The cult is syncretistic, the priesthood is
mercenary, and the devotees are evil. Instead of calling people to repentance
the professional spiritual leaders capitalize on the degeneracy of the times.”
Thing are not much improved today. How many religious leaders are motivated by
personal gain rather than the call of God? Who should today’s pastor serve? Is
it better to serve a small church or is it better to be the pastor of a
“mega-church?” “The contemporary problem
of ambition and opportunism in the ministry has at least a three-thousand-year
history,” with no end in sight.
