January 28, 2021
Judges 17:1-6
Micah and the Levite
There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Last night was a good night of rest, which has not been the norm for most of this week, but around five my sleep had ended, and I thank the Father for my rest. I tried to go back to sleep but felt the need to get into the Word of God, and I’m writing in Judges chapter 17, and verse 6 got my full attention. Samson is dead after being God’s judge over Israel for twenty years. In the 17th chapter, we are introduced to a man named Micah, a thief who stole from his mother, and then returned the silver to her sometime later. She had a metal image made with some of the money and gave it to her son, and he made it into a household god and ordained one of his sons as his priest.
That was not what grabbed my attention, it was the last part of the fifth verse and verse six. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
When it comes to the new administration in our national capital, I have heard the word used that Biden and Harris, or the fictitious President and Vice President, that the election was a sham, and that no one knows who is really pulling the strings, but it is not that poor sick man, Joe Biden. I believe with all my heart that millions of USA citizens believe that to be true and that many of them are people of faith, but the question is it is the government or God? Whose kingdom are you engaged in, the Kingdom of God, or the one you have on earth?
Let me be clear, I am in full agreement with them, but do I have the right to do as the people of Israel did in the time of Micah? That is the question each of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ must come to grips with. It is found in verses 20-21, in Proverbs 19. Will you open our minds and hearts to those verses; “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future? Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” As you ponder on that verse, you must give thought to Romans 13:1, ESV: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God."
Did you get that there is no authority except God, and if you have knowledge of the Scriptures, you come to understand that God has often used bad kings to bring His people to repentance? The apostle also addresses this subject, being led by the Holy Spirit, and has this information for those who are followers of Christ. “Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor] as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
(1 Peter 2:13-17)
Biden and Harris may not be your cup of tea, not mine, not even close, but so far they are not doing what the Roman emperor did by burning followers of Christ to death or putting them in a coliseum and watching the lions tear them to pieces. And still, the Holy Spirit said to honor them, and you are asking how, the only way is allowing Jesus to do it, your flesh will never desire to do so.
I do believe we may see much of our freedom and civil rights disappear in the next four years, you must remember 1 Peter 4:17, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
Acts 5:27–29, distinguish between ''submission'' and ''obedience.'' These are instructions for all who are followers of Christ; “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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