Hiring a Levite

In the 17th and 18th chapter of Judges, we read about Micah who made himself a god out of melted down silver shekels. (Let's overlook the literalness of making shekels into a god for a moment!) Micah tried to do right by his new god: he made an ephod and even set up one of his sons as priest to make offerings to this new god.

Later Micah tried to make his worship more legitimate by hiring for himself a genuine Levite priest. (talk about unemployment...because the Israelites weren't obeying Yahweh, the Levites weren't getting their share of the offerings and couldn't earn a living!) But he quickly learned that people who can be bought can also be sold when the well-armed tribe of Dan came along and stole the idols, the ephod, the cast silver god and even the priest! What could Micah do, but let them go. He was no match for the mighty Danites.

What a great lesson for us! When we make for ourselves a god using material things like shekels—or spouses, or children, or food—we replace the unmovable, unchangeable God of the universe with a minor, movable, perishable thing that can easily be stolen by our own personal Danite, Satan. Matthew 6:19 warns us not to put our faith in things that can become moth-eaten and rusted or stolen, but instead we should store up incorruptible treasures in heaven by walking in obedience to the true God.

Lord, help me to not make for myself idols of any sort

either with shekels or flesh. Help me to walk in obedience to your will

and store up incorruptible treasures in heaven. Amen!