Judges 17

Chapter 17 begins a new episode surrounding  the actions of Micah who is the only person named in the passage.  The start of Micah’s episode looks promising in light of his honesty for stealing his mother’s money and returning it.   The flow of Judges so far has been the depiction of downward spiral of God’s people.  As every man is allowed to do whatever he thinks is right, each generation plunges further into ignorance and corruption.  But perhaps here is a young man with a conscience that will merit the Lord’s favor?

Nope.  With the following verses the central argument of Judges is still being made.  One of the most blasphemous quotes in all of scripture comes from Micah’s mother albeit made in ignorance perhaps. She says the silver was intended to make an idol to represent Jehovah.  This of course would be a most basic offense to Siniatic Covenant Israel agreed to keep before the LORD as He commanded them out of the mountain,

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Despite the command and the horrible incident concerning the golden calf, this indeed shows the striking ignorance of a Levite family sworn to Jehovah’s priesthood.  Now, even those who are supposed to know the ways ofOur portion of Scripture here is another element moving God’s story towards a single direction.  It is the direction Judges continually makes with this repeated sentence found here again in verse 6:

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

God is moving His people towards the next step of reconciliation, the need for a King.  Of course they will first have Saul, a king after their own liking, and then even David.   But the King God wants them to have is still a mystery to them but revealed to the New Testament believer, our King Jesus Christ, God Himself their King.