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Judges 18:13-20 – Theft

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Judges 18:13-20 – Theft

As the Danite force heads north to attack Laish, they come to the home of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim. The five spies tell them of the idols that Micah possesses, and, perhaps believing possession of the idols will aid their mission, determine to steal them. The six-hundred armed men stand guard while the five spies go into the shrine to get the idols. Not only do they steal the objects, but they offer the Levite the position of priest over the entire clan of Danites who are planning to move to Laish. Consistent with what we learned of his character in chapter 17, the Levite is delighted at the prospect of the comfort and prestige being priest to an entire tribe (or significant portion of one) will bring, and agrees to go with them.

In verse 30, we will learn that the Levite’s name is Jonathan the son of Gershom. Some Old Testament manuscripts say Gershom is the son of Manasseh while others say he is the son of Moses. The best reading is probably that Jonathan is a descendant of Gershom son of Moses. Perhaps Jonathan hopes to capture some of the prestige that he feels should come with being a son of Moses, and perhaps the Danites believe having a descendant of Moses as priest is as good as having a son of Aaron. However, in Exodus 29:44, the LORD declared, “Aaron and his sons I will consecrate to serve Me as priests.” As important as Moses was to the history of Israel, it was to Aaron and his descendants that the priesthood of God’s Old Covenant people belonged.

After having determined a sinful course of action in their plan to conquer Laish, the Danites now add the sin of theft. Worse still, as they steal Micah’s idols, they also entice Jonathan to become their priest, thus perpetuating and broadening the false religion Micah began.

Questions

  1. Why might the Danites want Micah’s idols?
  2. What offer do they make to Jonathan the Levite?
  3. Why would he accept their offer?

Prayer Points

  1. Pray that God will bring an end to false religions.
  2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
  3. Pray for family matters.