MAN-MADE RELIGION. Judges 17 The rest of the book of Judges highlights the widespread impact of religious, political, and moral decay. Living without unchanging moral and spiritual standards repeatedly leads to a downward spiral. Not all parts of the Book of Judges are presented in chronological order. Most stories about the judges focus on threats from foreign powers attacking the Israelites. The need for God's deliverance and strong leaders to guide His people remains relevant today.
The conclusion of the book, from chapter seventeen to the end, reveals what the Israelites were like themselves. The internal breakdown of Israel’s unity and worship is detailed in these final chapters. Their main problem was themselves. They were in a severely poor moral condition. Idolatry, theft, violence, conspiracy, prostitution, sexual depravity, and a warlike attitude toward each other led to the disintegration of Israel as a functioning nation. These last chapters highlight what happens to a nation when “Everyman does that which is right in his own eyes.”
The events later in the book likely occurred long before Samson's time. From this conclusion, based on the three hundred years of the judges' era, we see what happens when people invent their own religious practices to fit their desires. Such self-made religion often leads to selfish service when people become dissatisfied with God's laws. Life lacking moral and spiritual standards repeatedly fails, leaving God's people spiritually starving. When that happens, it seems like anything goes, "and every man does that which is right in his own eyes."
God's commands must be taken seriously and applied to life to live productively with "quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty." This principle remains unchanged across all time and generations. Independence and self-reliance should stay within the boundaries of God's revealed will and word. Some people believe I will do what I want, how I want, and when I want, regardless of what God or others say. That superficial satisfaction results in spiritual failure, weakness, and spiritual starvation. When that happens, there is no power for righteous living, and people fall first, then nations, under external pressure because of internal weakness.
These events likely occurred before the final part of the book and were added later, possibly when David was king of Israel. The purpose of documenting such horrific acts by the Israelites is to show what happens when God is ignored by His people. If we follow our own independent path, unthinkable evil opens the door to human-made religious practices. Like the young Levite man, when people choose to live where they want, do what they want, and when they want, moral and spiritual darkness ensues. In those times, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Man-made religion is paganized worship that rejects what God teaches and is designed to attract the fallen, sinful nature of lost sinners. When this happens, religious practices deteriorate, and terrible consequences follow evil rituals. “If that light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.”
The example of Micah illustrates how situations can unfold and why it's important to be aware of who we are and what we are doing. Micah was a thief of the worst kind. He stole a fortune from his own mother. There was nothing in his life for God because he lacked a spiritual foundation to support him and had no spiritual example to guide him. He was following the way of the whole nation, doing what "was right in his own eyes." Israel repeated the same cycle of failure over and over because they refused to follow the Lord with their hearts. There were moments of repentance and submission under different judges, but the people stuck to the accepted form, not the living and true God. Micah and his mother were no different.
She cursed the thief who took her eleven hundred pieces of silver, and Micah must have heard her curse on the thief and grown afraid of God's judgment falling on him. When he confessed the robbery to his mother, his confession was without remorse or repentance. She basically said her son was a good thief and blessed God with the same mouth she had cursed, to counter the effect of the curse. Between the mother and the son, the laws of God were broken repeatedly without hesitation.
They sounded so holy, those words of a son to his mother; she speaks to him “in the name of the Lord.” All she had saved, he took and now returned all her money, and some of it is melted down to create a private silver god. One thing led to another, and before they knew it, they had a separate place built for the gods they worshipped. He even went so far as to consecrate one of his own sons. In their “homemade worship,” they completely missed the true God.
Attempting to manipulate spiritual matters for our own benefit leads to confusion and strays from righteousness and God’s guidance. Things meant to uphold life and family can be twisted into pitfalls that cause many to fall away. Over time, becoming so accustomed to sin and ignoring its unavoidable consequences can cause us to persist in what we know is wrong, simply because judgment isn't immediate. Religious apostasy may appear holy and seem to offer a more reasonable approach to divine matters than what the word of God clearly states. We often teach our values to our children in ways we might not even realize. Parents who fail to discipline or correct their kids can expect future struggles with failure and deception. Any perception of God that diminishes His greatness—whether through images or human-made worship—misleads people and could lead to eternal separation from Him.
The mother, who had a paganized view of God, said she was giving the silver to God for religious purposes, a carved and molten image. However, she kept nine hundred pieces for herself. She was a covetous, cunning woman who had a covetous and cunning son. Micah began as a thief and then became an idolater. From there, he established a false priesthood that led to man-made religion. Micah's "house of gods" containing the ephod and teraphim was a false place of worship, even though he made his son a false priest. What an awful perversion of what is truly right in God's eyes when we do "that which is right in our own eyes." Allowing one idol leads to another in a household, and the devil has found a way to deceive and condemn lost souls.
Even those who should know better, instead of following God’s Word, have abandoned His plan and sold out for money. When hired for “homemade worship,” he no longer serves the Lord. His obligation is to the ones who hired him; he doesn’t believe he owes anything to the truth. This is still happening today, just like in ancient days. Everyone does what’s right in their own eyes as long as the money keeps coming in. “Keep those cards and letters coming. We need your support, and our funds are low.” A true commitment to God, His work, and His ways must wait until he gets his golden handshake and retirement prize.
The young Levite from Bethlehem-Judah likely didn't receive the support from the people that his position under God's plan would have allowed. He was also living outside of the designated Levite cities. He left his proper place and role for the Lord, driven by material reasons rather than spiritual purpose, and embarked on a aimless journey just "looking for a place." The young man became a priest under contract to Micah. This Levite should have been appalled at the offer to be a paid priest, but he willingly accepted it.
Dissatisfaction with God’s will is a deviation from God’s truth and word. It leads to turning away from holiness and becoming a deceiver for the sake of money and self-centered living. Such a choice has nothing to do with God's work and will, regardless of what people may say or promote. Modern-day Christendom has deceived many, causing the name “Christian" to have a negative connotation for many who are without God, without Christ, and without hope in today's world.
When a man is young and possesses his health and strength, he is called by God to bear the yoke in his youth. He hasn’t spent his best years for “gods” that will fade into nothingness but has instead served his Lord, His Gospel, and His truth. “Homemade worship” is only part of the departure that has come upon our nation and the churches. Whatever is convenient for me and helps me get ahead motivates many who would never leave their home to serve the Lord. They leave for God at the end of life an empty cup with its dregs.
Being in the wrong place and doing the wrong thing leads us to go to other wrong places and do other wrong things if we follow "that which is right in our own eyes." Moral decay spreads like a contagious disease and also harms the work of the Lord. Servants start serving people for money instead of serving God for the sake of truth. Those who look for "a place" can usually find one, but it will be in the wrong spot. Those who serve for money will compromise truth and serve in "a house of gods."
We are willing to sacrifice everything we know is right and should stand for just to gain material advantage and become wealthy. Religious "hucksters" know how to extract money from people, claiming they do it for God while secretly becoming rich themselves. He corrupted what should have been a holy priesthood. It wasn't long before he received a better offer, with more prestige and followers. Jonathan advanced in the eyes of men because circumstances compelled him to move, and he "did that which was right in his own eyes." Self-made religion, created by a self-seeking man, turned into a self-serving form of service that was evil in God's eyes.
O God, help me guide these young men who are here for this period. Help me pass along to them the important things others gave to me. May these young men of strength and intelligence shine as lights in the world and be messengers of truth and light throughout their lives. May they look ahead to the next generation and teach others to be true worshipers and faithful servants of the Lord.