Judges 17:7-13
7 Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he was staying there.
8 Then the man left the city, Bethlehem in Judah, to stay wherever he would find a place; and as he made his journey, he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah.
9 Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to stay wherever I may find a place.”
10 Micah then said to him, “Stay with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a supply of clothing, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in.
11 The Levite agreed to live with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons.
12 So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in the house of Micah.
13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as a priest.”
Micah and His Priest
One Levite
True faith and superstition are different. People who live with a self-centered faith often interpret good things that happen by chance as evidence of blessings from God. However, this is only a superstition and contradicts Biblical faith. If someone lives in opposition to God’s will, sooner or later, they will face His judgment. In today’s passage, it becomes evident that the faith of Micah is not genuine but rather superstitious. There was a young Levite who temporarily stayed in Bethlehem of Judah. He was from the tribe of Levi, not from Judah. Since Bethlehem was not a Levitical city, he continued his journey in search of a place to stay. He eventually arrived at Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim. Micah learned that the young man was a Levite and pleaded with him. (1) Micah asked him to “be a father and a priest for us.” “Father” is a term of respect, and here it means a spiritual guide. (2) In return, he would receive ten pieces of silver a year, a set of clothes, and his living expenses. (3) The Levite accepted this proposal and began to live in Micah’s house.
Micha’s superstition
Until then, Micah’s son had served as the priest. But now, this Levite was appointed by Micah as his personal priest. Micah selfishly interpreted this as a blessing from the Lord. However, this was a grave misunderstanding. Priests were originally to come from the descendants of Aaron within the tribe of Levi. Being a Levite didn’t automatically qualify someone to be a priest. Micah arrogantly set up his own shrine, placed idols there, and even appointed an unqualified Levite as a priest. All of these actions were abominable in the eyes of the Lord, yet Micah saw them as God’s blessings. The Canaanization of Israel’s faith had even reached the priestly system. God’s judgement was looming above Micah’s superstitions. The only way to be freed from superstition is to study the Scriptures and understand the Lord’s will. Are you studying the Bible under a reliable leader and living Christian life understanding God’s will? Let’s examine our faith for any elements of superstition.
Today's prayer
Holy God, give me the wisdom and strength to recognize and remove any superstitious elements in my faith. In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.