Judges 17-18 The Fate of the Danites

Introduction

the last section of the book of Judges: 17-21. Gives us 2 narratives: a) Danites b) Benjamites

keep in mind, Dan and Benjamin aren’t just some guys the bible tells us a story about; They are two tribes in the nation of Israel!

The line the land given to these two tribes will separate Israel into the Northern and Southern tribes when they split officially in 1 Kings (Nation of Israel to the north and Nation of Judah to the south)

Benjamin will become a part of Judah and Dan a part of Israel

despite each if the Judges being raised up by God, they get worse and worse when it comes to their moral and spiritual lives

in Samson, we never heard Israel cry out to God; so here we are. the Israelites have become more and more comfortable being like the Canaanites they have no problem and even enjoy their idolatry and sin

Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25 are bookends to the section and tell us how to interpret everything between them:

Judges 17:6 “6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Judges 21:25 “25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

takeaway: Israel doesn’t need a king to be led into sin and rebellion against Yahweh, they’ll glad do those on their own

The author is painting a picture of a nation that has walked so far away from God it calls evil good and good evil!

Judges 17:1–6 KJV

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 an 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.

If there are no coincidence’s in the Bible, not one that we’re here with a man of mount Ephraim

Before we even get to the book of Judges and all that’s happened lest rewind; Joshua 18:1 “1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.”

Shiloh and Bethel, two of the most prominent cities for the worship of Yahweh are in Ephraim, makes it worse when we remember:

Judges 1:29 “29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.”

Micah: “who is like Yahweh”? If the correct answer is “no one!”, the answer here is “not this guy!”

The last 5 chapters are filled with things that as you read, just seem to get more confusing.

Here is a great example. As we read we hear the words we expect from Israel: “Blessed be thou of the Yahweh” and “wholly dedicated the silver unto Yahweh”. The problem is the actions don’t match the words

This is syncretism. She sounds like a worshiper of Yahweh but her actions show to her, Yahweh is just another of the cult gods the Canaanites worshiped and followed

Micah confesses he stole his moms silver

his mother had cursed the one that had stolen it so in vs. 2 “Blessed be thou of the LORD” is her trying to undo the curse she now sees would fall on her son

says she had dedicated 1100 shekels to the Lord but she didn’t send it to Shiloh where the tabernacle was

she may have “dedicated” 1100 for her son to make an idol, but she only gave 200 of it to her son for the purpose.

On top of her worshiping Yahweh just as another one of her cult gods she sacrificed to for her own purposes, she’s not even real faithful to them. Proving Matthew 6:24 “24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Micah’s following the worship he sees his mother do.

What’s so sad is I could stop right here. You’re already hearing that faint whisper that ALL of this sounds like our world today. I’m not just talking about the lost! Mixing the church with the world, idolatry, greed. Absent Fathers and mothers leading the home spiritually, this is the church today too!

There is so much in these verses that violate Yahweh’s covenant with Israel time keeps me from pointing them out. Summed up in:

Judges 17:6 “6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Judges 17:7–13 KJV

7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah 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 Bethlehemjudah, 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.

Levites were set aside from the family of Aaron to be the priests of the nation

Numbers 8:24–26 “24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.”

He doesn’t get a name until the end of chapter 18 Judges 18:30 “30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.”

The author is pointing out it’s not just this Levite, it’s the whole house of Aaron. As the nation has slid farther into the world the priest have too.

Not looking for the place where Yahweh is, he was just looking for a place

Micah gives him a job

Another scrabble word sacralism. The intertwining of religious and political authority, where the state enforces religious laws and the church wields political influence, effectively fusing church and state power.

The idea of separation of church and state we see given today is a joke. The constitution only says no national religion, no state church (the states at that time actually had “state denominations”) that would be imposed on other states.

Scripture gives three distinct governments among men that were established by God directly.

The first was the government of the family when God presented our first mother to Adam (Gen. 2: 22-24) The family is supposed to be the Ministry of Health, Education, and Welfare.

The second government established by God is civil government, as Paul tells us (Rom. 13:1-7) The civil government is the Ministry of Justice.

The third government He established was the government of the church (Eph. 4:8-13). The church is the Ministry of Word and sacrament.

This Levite priest was put in office by the governor and we see the place he was looking for: Judges 17:11 “11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.” a place to be content

In the ideal Biblical model, these three institutions would:

Recognize their distinct but complementary spheres of authority

Support rather than usurp one another’s roles

All operate under God’s ultimate authority and law

Create a system of balanced powers with checks on abuses

The book of Judges repeatedly shows what happens when these institutions fail to function properly - particularly when religious authority is compromised (as with Micah’s shrine) or when civil leadership is absent (“there was no king in Israel”).

Judges 18-21

Judges 18

In Chapter 18, the tribe of Dan seeks an inheritance in Israel, as they had not yet received land. They send five men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land, who eventually arrive at the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. There, they encounter a Levite priest who has been hired by Micah. The spies ask the priest for guidance, and he assures them that their journey will be successful.

The spies then travel to Laish, a secure city, and report back to their tribe that the land is good and unprotected. Encouraged, 600 armed men from Dan set out to claim the land. Upon returning to Micah’s house, the spies inform their relatives about the idols and images present there. They take these items, along with the Levite priest, convincing him to join them for greater prestige.

Micah confronts the Danites about the theft of his idols and priest, but they threaten him, leading him to retreat. The Danites then attack Laish, killing its inhabitants and burning the city. They rename the city Dan and establish the graven image as their idol, with Jonathan, a descendant of Moses, serving as their priest until the exile.

*This chapter highlights themes of ambition, idolatry, and the quest for belonging among the tribes of Israel.

Judges 19

In this chapter, a Levite from Ephraim goes to Bethlehem to retrieve his concubine, who had left him. After spending several days with her father, they set out for home but decide to stop in Gibeah, a city of the Benjamites, as night approaches. Despite their arrival, no one offers them hospitality until an old man from Ephraim, residing in Gibeah, takes them in.

While they are enjoying their time, a group of wicked men surrounds the house, demanding to have the Levite brought out for abuse. The old man pleads with them not to commit such an act and offers his daughter and the Levite’s concubine instead. Ultimately, the Levite hands over his concubine to the mob, who abuse her throughout the night.

In the morning, the concubine is found at the doorstep, lifeless. The Levite, upon discovering her, is devastated and, in a shocking act of vengeance, dismembers her body and sends the pieces throughout Israel, prompting outrage and calls for justice among the people.

*The chapter highlights the moral decay and lawlessness in Israel during this time, as there was no king to uphold justice.

Judges 20

In Chapter 20, the tribes of Israel gather at Mizpah to address the murder and the Levite recounts how it happened, prompting the Israelites to seek justice. They demand the surrender of the perpetrators from Benjamin, but the tribe refuses, leading to a civil conflict.

The Israelites muster an army of 400,000 soldiers, while Benjamin gathers 26,000 warriors, including 700 elite left-handed slingers. The Israelites consult God, who instructs them to let Judah lead the attack. In the first two battles, the Benjaminites inflict heavy casualties on Israel, killing 22,000 and then 18,000 men (40,000). The Israelites, devastated, seek divine guidance again and are reassured by God that victory will come.

On the third day, the Israelites set an ambush around Gibeah. As the battle unfolds, the Benjaminites, believing they are winning, are caught off guard when smoke rises from their city, signaling their defeat. The Israelites, emboldened, surround and pursue the fleeing Benjaminites, resulting in the death of 25,100 warriors from Benjamin. Only 600 men escape to the rock of Rimmon, where they remain for four months. The Israelites then return to Benjamin, destroying their cities and killing all they find, marking a devastating end to the conflict.

Judges 21

In Chapter 21, the Israelites mourn the loss of the tribe of Benjamin after swearing not to give their daughters to them as wives. They gather at Bethel, seeking guidance from God and expressing sorrow over Benjamin’s plight. The Israelites discover that the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead did not attend the assembly and decide to attack them, killing all but 400 young virgins. These women are brought to Shiloh to provide wives for the remaining men of Benjamin. However, this number is insufficient, prompting the elders to seek a solution. They suggest that the Benjaminites hide in the vineyards during a yearly festival in Shiloh and abduct the daughters who come to dance. The plan is executed, and the Benjaminites successfully take wives for themselves. The chapter concludes with the Israelites returning to their respective tribes, finishing with:

Judges 21:25 “25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Conclusion

We have watched the steady decline of God’s people from following him to following the world

During that decline we have watched God’s men become less and less holy and more and more sinful

This leads the church to look less and less sacred and wise to more and more sinful and silly

And without the church the nation looks less and less secure and more and more like slaves

This is us in a nutshell!

That’s the problem, what’s the solution:

Luke 15:17–20 “17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

Come back to the Father in reformation to His word and the repentance His word demands for our sin!

That’s the command for those of us who are His children and have declared HIM as king.

If you haven’t then you’re just like the nation of Israel in the book of Judges: Judges 21:25 “25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Let me do what Paul commands me to:

2 Corinthians 5:20 “20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Colossians 1:20 “20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

1 Timothy 6:12–15 “12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; 14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;”