Setting Personal Standards for Spiritual Behavior leads to Disaster

Open: Changing oil in my car. The standard calls for hand-tightening. My personal standard was way higher. The next oil change took 1.5 hours and I had to cut off the oil filter

Transition: There is a need for absolutes in many areas of life. Too often we operate from a moral ambivalence that will result in spiritual disaster

READ THE TEXT: JUDGES 17:1-13

1. Setting personal standards for Spiritual behavior leads to situational ethics (Judges 17:1-2)

Explanation: Micah is introduced to the reader through a confession. He is confessing to his mother that the thief who stole her silver was her very own son. Interestingly, Micah mentions the curse she had placed on the thief. It seems getting out of the curse, not remorse for thievery, is his motivation for confessing.

Illustration: Politicians who “confess” to immorality when they get caught. A child who admits wrong-doing only when confronted with the evidence.

Argument: Pagans are expected to act according to the world’s standards. They have the freedom to engage in situational ethics and waffle on moral absolutes. The child of God, however, is called to a higher standard. We are to live holy lives because God is holy and He has commanded us to be holy (1 Peter 1:15; Proverbs 11:20)

Application: Believers are to be people of integrity. We are to do what is right, even when no one else is watching. We are to do the right thing even when it costs us (Psalm 15:4c). Jesus called His followers to go the extra mile (Matt 5:41)

2. Setting personal standards for Spiritual Behavior leads to a convenience (degradation) of worship (Judges 17:3-5)

Explanation: Following on the heels of his “confession” is his mother’s blessing. In an attempt to counter act the curse, she now gives a blessing on this unrepentant son. Then she goes further and dedicates the returned silver to the LORD - note the use of the covenant Name. The dedication of the silver is to be viewed as an act of worship. She decided to take a few short cuts to satisfy her personal standards.

A few problems show up quickly. First, she had 1,100 pieces of sliver, but she only gives up 200 pieces. She, like Ananias and Sapphira, is guilty of holding back. (She said “I had wholly dedicated the silver). Secondly, she clearly states that the purpose of the money is to be for the crafting of a graven image - a clear violation of the 2nd commandment! Micah gladly goes along with his mother and is morally and physically complicit in idol worship

Illustrate: Danger of short cuts. Going down the back side of the Chimneys instead of using the trail because it would be quicker.

Argument: Note that her first statement relates to an act of worship to the LORD. Her actions (and Micah’s) negate true worship immediately. It doesn’t matter what we say if we do something else instead. This is the idea of, “well, I had good intentions, it just came out wrong.”

This is where doing it our way simply fails. God has prescribed the format of orthodox worship and we are not free to modify His format for convenience. I will just make my own shrine since its so far to go to Shiloh from here.

God’s prescription for genuine worship is for our protection. He loves us and doesn’t want us to get hurt. His way is the best way because He actually does know all things. He knows that when we take “short-cuts” we are the ones who get hurt.

And, more importantly, God is the One who gets to set the standard. We are to do things His way. The tabernacle only had ONE door. (cf John 14:6 for exclusiveness)

3. Setting Personal Standards for Spiritual Behavior can lead to a prostitution of ministry (Judges 17:7-10)

Explanation: The reader is quickly introduced to a wandering Levite who had been sojourning in Bethlehem. This city was not one of the cities given to the tribe of Levi so the question arises as to what he was doing in Bethlehem away from the other Levites. When he leaves Bethlehem, the Narrator reveals that he was seeking a place. This wandering does not sound like he was seeking to serve according to God’s will - he was simply roaming around looking for a good deal.

When he got to Micah’s place, this wandering Levite found a home. Even though it was not his to take, he agreed to stay with Micah and to serve as priest to the one, singular family. He was willing to give up his birthright for a sure thing. Micah provided his lodging and food, some nice clothes and some spending money. What a deal!

Illustrate: After Hurricane Hugo in the Charleston area there were a lot of roofers and stump grinders who gouged people with high prices and shoddy work. Thes storm-chasers move from one devastated area to the next taking advantage of others sufferings

Argument: The Levites were called to serve as priests for the nation. It was a high calling and one worthy of a best effort. Every believer, even if not called to professional ministry, is called to “walk worthy of our calling” (Ephesians 4:1)

Application: We periodically need to examine our work ethic. Are you compromising to get ahead? We are to trust God with our circumstances and to wait on His timing to work things out. Obedience is a long walk in the same direction.

Setting Personal Standards for Spiritual Behavior leads to unrealistic expectations of God (Judges 17:12-13)

Explanation: Micah hit the jackpot when the Levite wandered in. He had been forced to ordain one of his own sons to serve as a fill-in counterfeit priest. Now, with the Levite, Micah had the real deal.

Having a Levite for a priest was a game changer in Micah’s way of thinking. Look at verse 13. “Now I know that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest” (Judges 17:13). Micah was upside down in his thinking. He actually believed that he could manipulate God! Micah had reduced God to a genie in a bottle; if one has the right stuff and operates said stuff in a particular manner the results will be blessing from the Most High.

Argument: Silly, silly Micah. The Most High is never obligated to His creatures. We can never get to the place where we can demand God to act according to our wishes based on our actions. Too often we are guilty of trying (even if we don’t do it intentionally with active thought) to reduce God to our level. It simply cannot be done!

God is always more interested in the internal than the external (1 Samuel 16:7). Worship that pleases God comes from a surrendered heart, not one that is smug with unrealistic expectations.

Application: Are you “tipping your hat” to God? Are you just going through the motions and still expecting God to work things out for you? Are you still trying to “check the right boxes?” Many times, like Micah, we do things our way and then still expect God to “bless our mess.”