The Dire Consequences (Part 2)

Introduction

If you would, please open your Bibles to Judges 18. We will be examining verse 1-20 today. Judges 18:1-20

The last time our conversation focused on Micah. We saw that though for over 200 years the revealed will of God about worship was known, everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Micah was a man that worship God for what he could get out of God and not for God’s ever surpassing worth. Micah’s motivations are made clear when he said, “Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.” (Jdg 17:13, ESV)

Micah said, look at me, my worship of God is so good that God owes me prosperity. If Micah would have done what we all need to do and compared his worship to the scriptures, to the law of God, he would have known how short he was from God’s perfect standard.

Today, we are going to consider Jonathan, the Levite, his name appears in verse 30 of chapter 18. We have much in common with this Levite, Jonathan. The Levite’s were set apart among the people of God, they had no physical inheritance, they had God. They were set apart for the service of God above and beyond all others.

With that in mind, lets read Judges 18:1- 20

Judges 18:1–20 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. 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?” 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.” 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.” 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. 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.

May God Bless the Reading of His Holy and Infallible Word.

Let’s Pray

Transition

The story seems to come in three parts,

The sending of the spys

The report of the spys

The action of the Danites and the Levite

We will spend most of our time this evening with the last part of the story in verses 18-20. But we need to get there, since we have so much text this evening i’ll forgo my normal reading of the text and then exposition of pieces of it. We will just jump in and exposite and apply as we go. The first part of the story is in verse 1-8.

Body

No King no King (1)

Exposition

“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. 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.” (Judges 18:1-2, ESV)

Exposition

In those days there was no king in Israel

Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in

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?” 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.” (Judges 18:3-6)

they recognized the voice of the young Levite

This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.

Identified as Micah’s priest not God’s man.

And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”

"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?”(Judges 18:7-8)

Exposition

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

How far is this report from that of Joshua and Caleb?

And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?”

So they returned and gave their report. Take a look at verse 9-15

No Bravery Here (2)

Exposition

"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.” (Judges 18:9-10)

Exposition

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.

There is no bravery here, this is not a message about a battle God will win for us,

This is not the land God allotted to them.

"40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans. 41 And the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, 42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, 45 Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, 46 and Me-jarkon and Rakkon with the territory over against Joppa. 47 When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor. 48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans—these cities with their villages. (Jos 19:40–48, ESV)

Application

for God has given it into your hands

How often do we look at life and only believe God’s provides when things are easy.

"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.” (Judges 18:11-13)

Exposition

that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day

Means camp of dan

"4 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.” (Judges 18:14-15)

Exposition

“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.”

The same belief as Micah, if we have the ephod, if we have a Livite God will prosper us.

Think about that for a moment

They are going to rob the man so they can get the same prospering that he has....

No one seems to be standing there saying, umm guys, God said don’t steal.

Transition

As we look at verse 16-20, the focal of our consideration tonight, we see that not even the Levite, the person that was supposed to know the Law of God, raises an substantial objection to this thievery.

The Sins of the Levite (3)

Exposition

"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.” (Judges 18:16-17)

Exposition

Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate.

Such hero’s

took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image

Application

Evil breeds evil, cowardice, theft. These people see themselves as on God’s mission, to settle the Land God told them to.

Only is not the land God told them too.

How many of these types have come over the years, atrocities committed in God’s name.

and all of them for the reasons.

The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians “Purge the evil person from among you” (1 Co 5:13, ESV)

‘guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler.” (1 Co 5:11, ESV)

Illustration

How much fire would I need to burn this church down? Not much, a match in the right place and the building would go.

This is utterly important, evil breeds, it permeates, it leavens.

Transition

What can we say to these Danites, when woke-ism and theft are excused and even celebrated in the Southern Baptist convention. Aren't we acting like Jonathan? Take a look at verse 18-20.

“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.” (Judges 18:18-20)

Exposition

priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

There is no rebuke, there is no warning from him who should be a man of God.

“What are you doing?” there was nothing confusing about their actions.

“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?”

Well you know if we fight with each other that will damage our witness.

What is the lowest common denominator? How low do we go before we say, enough.

“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.”

He didn’t just stand by and let it happen.

He celebrated it.

He thought it a good thing.

He helped to do it.

Application

Understand believer, you may be sitting there agreeing with everything I have said, but you should be sitting there in dismay.

Those Danites and that Levite is not some other person doing evil. THEY ARE YOU! But for the grace of God. They are me.

Look around at our world and see it. Look through this Southern Baptist convention, and see it.

Pastors that allow atrocities, LGBTQ, Woke, Theft, the condoning of murder, making the predator the victim, turning God’s word and his created order on it head. For What! Money, ten Shekels and a shirt, a title, a successful mission campaign.

Are you not bought with a price? Are you not set apart to be a holy priesthood? Act like it, call those around to holiness.

Transition

We must purge every evil from among us and it starts with repentance.

Lord I have been slow to live a holy life.

Lord I have been slow to call those around to me holiness

Lord I have failed to warn others of your coming wrath

Lord I have held my tongue and even been glad in my heart when I should have been appalled.

Conclusion

Friends, family, those redeemed in Christ, in conclusion today. Repentance means turning from what you were before. It means locating all your focus, all your life, all your worth in Jesus Christ. The text clearly shows the depravity of humanity. It shows us, us. We must stand in the power of Christ today, to proclaim the uncompromising truth of God’s greatness, God’s Law, and God’s grace.

Benediction

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jud 24–25, ESV)