18:1The Danites had been assigned enough land to meet their needs (Joshua 19:40-48). However, because they failed to trust God to help them conquer their territory, the Amorites forced them into the hill country and wouldn't let them settie in the plains (Judges 1:34). Rather than fight for their allotied territory, they preferred to look for new land in the north where resistance from the enemy wouldn't be so tough. It was while they were traveling north that some of their men passed Micah’s home and stole some of his idols.
Life Application Study BibleJudgesChapter 18
Judges 18
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 389, 390, 391
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
18Judges 18
Idolatry in the Tribe of Dan
118 Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. 2So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtao! to scout out a land for them to settle in. When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there.?While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” 4He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest. 5Then they said, “Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful.” 6"Go in peace,” the priest replied. “For the LORD is watching over your journey.” 7So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sidonians; they were peaceful and secure.* The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. 8When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?” 9The men replied, 11Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don’t hesitate to go and take possession of it. 17When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!” 4So 600 men from the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12They camped ata place west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, which is called Mahaneh-dan* to this day. ‘Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. 14The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, “These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?” Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah’s house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly. 16As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate, ‘”the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors. 18When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, “What are you doing?” 19"Be quiet and come with us,” they said. “Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn’t it better to bea priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?” 20The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image. 21They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them. 22When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah’s house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them. 23They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What's the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?” 24What do you mean, ‘What's the matter?’” Micah replied. “You've taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!” 25The men of Dan said, “Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family.” 26So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home. 27Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground. 28There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob. Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. 29They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish. 30Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses,* as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. 31So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh. 2. War against the tribe of Benjamin
Textual footnotes
- of Manasseh.
- 18:30 As in an ancient Hebrew tradition, some Greek manuscripts, and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads son
Life Application Notes 11 notes
18:4-6Priests and their assistants were all members of the tribe of Levi (Numbers 3:5-13). They were to serve the people, teach them how to worship God, and perform the rituals involved in the worship services both at the Tabernacle in Shiloh and in the designated cities throughout the land. But this disobedient priest showed disrespect for God because (1) he performed his duties in a house. Priestly duties were to be performed only in the Tabernacle or a designated city. This requirement was intended to prevent God's laws from being changed. (2) He carried idols with him (18:20). (3) He claimed to speak for God when God had not spoken through him (18:6).
18:7The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
18:11-26Through this entire incident, no one desired to worship God; instead, they wanted to use God for selfish gain. Today some people go to church to feel better, be accepted, relieve guilt, and gain business contacts or friends. Beware of following God for selfish gain rather than selfless service.
18:14An ephod was a ceremonial vest worn by a priest.
18:24Micah made idols and hired a priest to run his personal retigion. When the men of Dan took his idols and priest, nothing remained. What an empty spiritual condition! An idol is anything that takes God's place in a person’s life. Some people invest all their energy in pursuit of money, Success, possessions, or a career. If these idols are taken away, only an empty shell is left. The only way to protect yourself against such loss is to invest your life in the living God, whom you can never lose.
18:27Did the tribe of Dan have the right to kill the citizens of Laish? No. God had commanded Israel to clean out and destroy certain cities because of their idolatry and wickedness, but Laish did not fal! under that judgment. It was not within the assigned boundaries of Dan, and its people were peaceful in contrast to the warlike Canaanites. But the tribe of Dan had no regard for God's law. God’s law said to destroy a city for idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:12-15). The Danites themselves were guilty of this sin. This stary shows how far some of the tribes had wandered away from God.
18:27Just because the Danites successfully defeated Laish doesn’t mean their actions were right. Their idolatry showed that God was not guiding them. Today many justify their wrong actions by outward signs of success. They think that wealth, popularity, or jack of suffering is an indication of God's blessing. But many stories in the Bible indicate that evi! and earthly success can go hand in hand (see, for example, 2 Kings 14:23-29). Success doesn’t indicate God’s approval. Don’t allow personal success to become a measuring rod of whether or not you are pleasing God.
18:30,31The tribe of Dan had stolen Micah’s idols, and now they set them up in Laish, Although the Danites were actually denying God by worshiping these images (Exodus 20:1-5), they probably assumed they were worshiping God through them (see the note on Exodus 32:4, 5}. Worshiping images of God is not worshiping God, even if it resembles true worship in some ways. People repeat the same mistake today when they claim to be Christians without really believing in God’s power or changing their conduct to conform ta his expectations. Godliness cannot be merely a claim. it must be a reality in our motives and in our actions.
18:31Shiloh was probably destroyed during the events reported in 1 Samuel 4 and 5, not long after the time described here. Because Shiloh was the religious center for israel, all adult males were required to travel there for certain religious feasts. The tribe of Dan, however, set up idals and priests in the new territory they conquered. The fact that they were over 80 miles away from Shiloh may have been their excuse for not fulfilling the law’s requirements. This act was a further demonstration of their disregard for God.
18:31The true worship of God should have been maintained through the Levitical priests scattered throughout the land and the influence of the Tabernacle in Shiloh. This story shows how pagan influences and moral depravity had crept into every corner of Israelite culture. Although 300 years had passed since they entered the Promised Land, they still had not destroyed the idola~ try and evil practices within it. There may be a tendency in your life to allow “harmless” habits to have their own small corners, but they can become dominating forces. The values, attitudes, and practices you have adopted from the world’s system can be exposed by applying the light of God’s truth to them. Once you see them for what they are, you can begin to uproot them.