Guided by convenience rather than conviction

Judges 17:1–13
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We have now completed the history of the Judges. This portion of scripture gives us a full picture of what it was like to live in a day of moral and political disorder before there was a king in Israel (v. 6). Micah was regarded as a religious man. He had “a house of gods” (v. 5). Yet he stole a huge sum of money from his mother, only to return it without any explanation (vv. 1-2). His mother had theoretically dedicated this money to the Lord, but she did not hesitate to give a sizable portion of it for the fabrication of idolatrous images (v 3). Micah then set up a little pagan idol in his home and designated one of his sons as head of his shrine (vv. 4-5). Probably similar things were done in other parts of Israel as it says, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (v. 6). 

Next, we meet a young man from Bethlehem who was looking for a job. His name was Jonathan, son of Geshom, son of Moses (18:30). This story illustrates how Israel’s moral decay affected even the priest and Levites. For the sake of security (salary) he was content to serve as a priest to Micah for ten shekels of silver per year (v. 10). He agreed to serve as Micah’s priest (vv. 11-12). Micah thought this was a smart move to have a Levite as his priest rather than his son. After all, wouldn’t God honor him if this religious Levite was in his home (v. 13). In the process we see both men disregarding the revealed will of God. They were guided by convenience rather than conviction.

Application

I need to be asking myself the question, what controls my decisions? Is it that which seems momentarily helpful or that which glorifies God?