Migration of the DanitesJudges 17:1-18:31

Lesson 19

Other stories in Judges

• This story is not connected with leaders of Israel

• It is not a part of the story of the judges

• This may have occurred shortly after the death of Joshua

Micah and his IdolJudges 17:1-13

• Micah and his idol sets the stage for the story of the moving of the Danites

• This shows how deep Israel was into idolatry

• A man lived in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah

• He told his mother he had taken money from her

Micah and his Idol

• The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken that you uttered a curse over, I took it

• Blessed be thou of Jehovah my son• Micah returned the money• She dedicated the silver to Jehovah

to make a graven image and molten image

• She gave 200 pieces of silver to the founder who made graven images and molten images

Micah and his Idol• The image was placed in Micah’s

house for his gods.

• Micah also made an ephod and set up one of his sons to be HIS priest.

• There was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own opinion

• There were not two different idols

• More than likely it was one idol and the base for it to sit on

Micah and his Idol• Though Jehovah is the name mentioned

by Micah and his mother v. 2-3, 13

• It is obvious that they would worship him by making a image and bowing down to it

• This was a violation of the 2nd of the ten commandments Ex.20:4-6

• These were small, household gods, very common in the ancient world.

• There was complete disregard for God

Baal

Baal

Asherah

Micah and his Idol

• There lived a young Levite in Bethlehem-Judah who set out to seek his fortune

• While traveling he came to Micah’s house

• Micah ask where are you from?

• The Levite told where he was from and was seeking a place to live

• Micah ask him to stay there and be a father and priest and he would pay him

Micah and his Idol• He told him he would give him 10 silver

shekels a year, a change of clothes, and food

• The term “father” was an honorary one

• It referred to being a spiritual leader or adviser

• The Levite accepted his offer and became as one of Micah’s sons

• Micah consecrated the Levite to be his priest – Now Jehovah will be good to me

Micah and his Idol• Micah knew the thing he was doing was not

according to the law.

• Hiring a Levite to be his priest did not help

• A Levite could not be priest unless he was of the lineage of Aaron

• Micah thought since he had a Levite to conduct the worship, god would be pleased and better to him

• You begin to see how far from God they were in worship.

Danites seek a new home Judges 18

• There was not a king in Israel

• The tribe of Dan sought a place to inherit, because until that day their inheritance had not fallen to them

• Joshua 19:40-48 a portion of land had been distributed to them

• The census showed that there were 64.000 soldiers in Num. 26:42-43

• This story involves 600 Danites V.11

Danites seek a new home• These 600 are a very small part of the

tribe of Dan

• The border of Dan extended beyond their actual border because they fought Laish and captured it and named it Dan after their father Joshua 19:47

• Judges 18 gives the same account

• This one is a little more in detail

• Jos 19:47 And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

Laish

Dan

Mt. Hermon

Danites seek a new home• The Danites could not enjoy all their

land allotment because the Amorites forced them into the hill-country and would not allow them to live in the plains Judg. 1:34

• This move was made to Laish to alleviate the crowded circumstances Dan was in

• The children of Dan sent 5 men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land to find a suitable place to live

Danites seek a new home• These men came to the hill-country of

Ephraim, and lodged in the house of Micah

• They could tell by the young mans speech that he was a Levite

• They knew he was not from there originally

• They ask “What are you doing in this place? And what is your arrangement?”

• He told about the deal with Micah and that he was a priest to him

Danites seek a new home

• The Danites said, “Ask counsel of God, so that we may know whether our journey will be successful.”

• The young priest said, “Go in peace your way is approved before the Lord.”

• The 5 men made their way on to Laish

• They found the people lived in peace and felt secure

• No one exercised control over them.

Laish

Danites seek a new home• Laish was cut off from the Phoenicians on

the coast, an no one else was close enough to control that region

• The 5 men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol

• Their brethren ask, “What did you find?”

• The spies said, “Let’s go right now to take the land, it is a very good land.”

• Don’t be lazy about going to take it God hath given it into our hands

Danites seek a new home• 600 Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol,

taking their families with them V.21

• They moved just west of Kiriath-jearim and made camp

• They called the camp Mahane-dan which means the camp of Dan

• They proceeded on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah

Danites seek a new home• The 5 spies told the group that in a

house near here there was a an ephod, and teraphim, and an idol

• The five men went into the house and gathered up all the things they wanted

• They took the idol and its pedestal

• They took the ephod and teraphim

• The priest said, “What are you doing?”

Danites seek a new home• Just keep quiet he was told

• Go with us and be a father and priest to us

• Would you rather be a priest to one or to a tribe?

• He did not have to think very long

• He was filled with joy and took custody of the ephod, the household gods, and the idol Micah made and left with them

Danites seek a new home• The Danites left but put all their families and

livestock in front and left the warriors behind

• They had gone only a short distance when Micah found out what had happened

• Micah assembled his neighbors to go after the Danites

• They caught up with them

• Why have you taken my gods and priest?

Danites seek a new home• Their reply was, “What is your

problem?”

• You left me nothing! Micah said

• Watch how you talk to us or you will be attacked and slain along with your household

• The Danites marched on and Micah could tell he was not strong enough to fight so he went back home

• The small army attacked Laish • Killed all the people and burned the city• There was no one to come to their aid and

save the city• The Danites built a new city and called it

Dan• They set up the idol to worship, and

Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses became their priest, and his sons after him

• They used the idol all the time the house of God was at Shiloh, until the captivity of the land

Danites seek a new home

• Jonathan was more than likely a descendant of Moses possibly a great-grandson of Moses

• He was under 40 so it would have been impossible to be a grandson

• See Ex. 2:21-22

• What captivity is referred to?

• There are several possibilities

Danites seek a new home• Probably not Assyrian captivity

• Possibly talking about during the judges when the ark was taken and never returned to Shiloh 1 Sam. 4-7

• It is hard to believe that David and Solomon would allow this idolatrous worship to continue during their reign

Danites seek a new homeJudges 18:1-31

• When Jeroboam set up his golden calf it was in Dan

• A descendant of Jonathan may have switched over to serve for Jeroboam

• No way to be sure what captivity it refers to

• The evidence leans toward a time during the judges