Judges 18 - The Danites

Most Recognizable Voices??

John Wayne - Well howdy partner, you

"Whoa, take 'er easy there, Pilgrim."

Epilogue Overview (Judges 17-21)

Danites (CH 17-18)

Chapter 17 - Micah & the Levite priest

Chapter 18 - Danites take the Levite and the Idol from Micah

Benjamites (CH 19-21)

Chapter 19 - Levite who took a concubine / Gibeah’s Crime

Chapter 20 - Civil War in Israel with Gibeah over the Levite’s Concubine

Chapter 21 - Israel’s plan to preserve Benjamin

Danites Abandon Their Inheritance (1-10)

Judges 18:1 ESV

1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.

1a - In those days there was NO KING in Israel ( Judges 17:6 “6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” )

For a second time the refrain of this epilogue is begins our passage. In contrast to following the Lord as King or even following a representative of the Lord (prophet, priest or king)…everyone (and every tribe) was simply doing whatever they wanted to do.

1b - Dan was still seeking an inheritance, for until then no inheritance had fallen to them.

An inheritance had fallen to Dan, but one of two things (or maybe both)

The Danites don’t trust the Lord

AND / OR

The Lord wasn’t ready to allow them to complete the possession of their land

Circumstantially, they were up against the Amorites in their land and were stopped in the hill country...

Judges 1:34 ESV

34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain.

Judges 18:2–3 ESV

2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”

Spies from Dan reach house of Micah (2-6)

2a - Dan sent out five spies

2b - They came to Ephraim to the house of Micah

Remember from ch 17, Micah has built household gods, an ephod, a carved image and hired his own Levite priest....

3a - They recognized the VOICE of the Levite

This Levite too had LEFT Bethlehem in Judah to find a place

Judges 17:7–9 ESV

7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.”

3b - who brought you here?

Judges 18:4–6 ESV

4 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” 5 And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” 6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”

4 - Micah has hired me as a priest

5 - Ask God if we will succeed

6 - Go in peace, your journey is under the eye of the Lord (what does that mean?) …OR the course on which you are going is before the Lord… this could mean anything positive or negative. It’s like opening a fortune cookie…

Don’t eat Chinese food today or you’ll be very sick

Change is coming

Judges 18:7–10 ESV

7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. 10 As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”

Laish (120 miles to the north)

Spies go to Laish and return with report (7-10)

7 - Spies left to go spy the land…it’s great land

8 - What’s the report?

9 - It’s very good, let’s go! Do not be slow to go

10 - The people of the land are unsuspecting, the land is spacious. God has given it into your hands

Danites Take Micah’s Idols (11-26)

Judges 18:11–13 ESV

11 So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, 12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

Leave Zorah/Eshtaol; arrive at Micah’s house (11-13)

11 - 600 men of the tribe of Dan set out from Zorah and Eshtaol (cf Samson)

12 - Went up and encamped at Kiriath-Jearim in Judah (Mahaneh-dan)

13 - Passed from the to hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah

Judges 18:14–20 ESV

14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” 15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare. 16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. 18 And when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?” 20 And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.

Danites/Priest steal household gods (14-20)

14 - Five spies mention the ephod/carved image in Micah’s house…whatcha gonna do? LOL

15 - They came to the house of the Levite at the home of Micah and asked about his welfare

16 - 600 men of the Danites ready for war waited at the gate

17a - The five spies went in and stole the carved image, ephod, household gods

17b - while the priest stood at the gate with the 600 men of war...

18 - The priest said…what are you doing?

19a - The 600 men: don’t worry about it…keep quiet

19b - Come with us: Is it better to be priest to one man or a to a whole tribe

20 - Priest was glad…and he took the ephod, household gods and carved image and went with the people

Judges 18:21–26 ESV

21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them. 22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. 23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” 24 And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ” 25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” 26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

Micah chases after Danites (21-26)

21 - Set out

22 - People around noticed and called out and chased

23a - Micah shouted at Dan

23b - Dan said to Micah, “What’s up?!?!?” LOL

24a - Micah to Dan: What do you mean what’s up, you took my priest and my household gods, etc!!

24b - Micah: What have I left?

25 - Don’t cause us any trouble or else we’ll kill you and your household

26 - They left and Micah went home seeing they were too strong for him

Danites Conquest Laish (27-31)

The Battle at Laish (27-29)

Judges 18:27–29 ESV

27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first.

27 - Danites struck Laish with the sword and burned the city with fire

28a - They had no deliverer because they were far from Sidon

28b - Danites rebuilt the city and lived in it

29 - They renamed Laish to be called Dan

Idol worship at Shiloh (30-31)

Judges 18:30–31 ESV

30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

30a - The people set up the carved image for themselves

30b - The priest: Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses

Exodus 2:22 ESV

22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

Not Manasseh as Rabbinic tradition suggested.

30c - His sons were priests until the day of captivity of the land

31 - So they setup Micah’s carved image that he made as long as the house of God was at Shiloh

GO WITH THIS...

Don’t forsake your inheritance in the Lord

The Danites forsook their inheritance

…all the tribes had been given an inheritance…which they were to help each other fight for. The Lord gave them a quick initial victory over the entire land (which is the story of Joshua) and then promised to continue the conquest with them

Deuteronomy 7:17–26 ESV

17 “If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ 18 you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, 19 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover, the Lord your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you are destroyed. 21 You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. 22 The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. 23 But the Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24 And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. 25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. 26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

Why didn’t the Danites taken possession of the land they were given?

They didn’t trust the Lord’s timing

They didn’t trust the Lord’s strength

Instead of trusting the Lord, they “did what was right in their own eyes and went North”

Listen to how they describe the people and the land of Laish

Judges 18:7 ESV

7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

Judges 18:10 ESV

10 As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”

The people are lacking nothing that is in the earth and possess wealth

The land is spacious and has no lack of anything that is in the earth

You never lack anything you need within the inheritance the Lord gives

Exodus 33:14 ESV

14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

The tribe of Dan forgot…it wasn’t about where the land was, it was and always has been about where the Lord is

Jonathan, grandson or great grandson of Moses ALSO forsook his inheritance

He left his people in Bethlehem

Took a job as a cult priest to Micah

Took a better paying job as priest to the tribe of Dan

With the tribe of Dan setup a rival place of worship to in Northern Israel while the ark was at Shiloh

Let us not forsake our inheritance...

I want to read a few passages about what we have inherited in Jesus...

1 Peter 1:3–9 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Ephesians 1:11–14 ESV

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 2:1–7 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Let us not be like Dan or Jonathan who forsook that which you gave...