Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and
some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. In those days Israel
had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.
Judges 17.5,6
Micah had stolen quite a substantial amount of silver from
his mother. So, at the outset, we see a dubious side to his character. When he
hears his mother utter a curse in respect to the theft, he confesses, doubtless
fearing the curse and its possible effect. In her gratitude for the return of
the silver, his mother consecrates it to the Lord, intending thereby to
counteract the curse. At his mother’s suggestion, Micah creates a carved image
and a cast idol, and sets up a shrine, installing one of his sons as a priest. What
they are doing is paganising the worship of the true God. They are in direct
contravention of the law:
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in
heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below (Exod.
20.4).
You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out
of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become
corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape...
(Deut. 4.15,16).
Micah is further aided in this paganising behaviour by a
Levite claiming descent from Moses, whom he took into his home as a priest
(Judges 17.9,10).
As I reflect on this reading, I sense God give me a caution,
and almost a plea. It is as if He’s saying:
“Micah was not alone in his wandering from the truth. Many others in
his time professed to follow me yet strayed from right and good behaviour in
relating to me. And this did not cease, not even with the coming of my Son in
human form. Still today, in the twenty-first century people are inclined to
follow their own ideas of how they will worship me and, supposedly, follow my
will. In the story of Micah you read that Israel had no king and everyone did
as he pleased. This is no excuse. I do not accept that you need a “king” or any
other leader to keep you legitimate in my presence. Before me, every person is
responsible for their own behaviour, and answerable to me, and to me alone.
I urge you not to be tempted to follow any fancies of your own
thinking. I direct you to the instruction of my Word, and I ask you to give
yourself to it. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Look to Him in all things. Take up His invitation
to ‘Come, follow me’. Be as He would be. Hold close and true to His
commandments to love the Lord your God with every part of your being, and to
love your neighbour as you would want to be loved yourself. Consider also these
words from the older testament to not lean on your own understanding but to
trust me with all your heart, and acknowledge me in all things. I will lead
you. I will not let you down nor abandon you. I have plans for you and I want
to see you realise the plans and purposes that is my will for you. You need
nothing else – no rites or rituals, no images or other creations. Keep it
simple. Give yourself to me and be willing for me to lead and guide you. And,
remember, I love you more than you could possible imagine.”
Lord, Mighty God,
Precious Saviour and Loving Father,
I come to You in new
commitment. I’m not aware of having created any idols or of adopting any
divergent practices, but this does not clear me of having done so. If I have,
unknowingly or unwittingly, followed such ways, I ask Your forgiveness.
I give myself to You
and the ways of Jesus. I desire to focus so intently upon You that I become
more and more infused by You. May You fill me and seep out from every pore of
my being. Lead me, please, further into You, in Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
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