Let the Bible Speak

A failed family; a compromised preacher; and now a wayward tribe. In the Book of Judges, the phrase “every man did what was right in his own eyes” describes the chaotic and morally ambiguous period in Israel’s history when there was no central leadership, leading people to follow their own desires rather than God’s law. This lack of guidance influenced the tribe of Dan as they sought land and encountered Laish, a peaceful and isolated city. Rather than seeking God’s will, the Danites acted out of self-interest, attacking and taking over Laish for themselves. They also adopted idolatrous practices, bringing a graven image from Micah’s house and setting up their own priesthood. In the last part of our series “Strange Times”, we see how disregarding God’s law led to moral compromise and the adoption of false worship, undermining Israel’s covenantal identity.

In the story of Micah and a young Levite in the Book of Judges, the spiritual decay of a family is validated by a compromised and corrupted religious leader. In this broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, we continue our series “Strange Times” by seeing the consequences of spiritual leaders not standing up and speaking out against sin and error.

What happens to a society when there is no universal standard of authority and conduct? It may sound appealing for every person to determine their own “truth”, live by their own morality, and believe and worship according to their own theology, but ancient Israel in the era of the judges illustrates, that this led to chaos. It is no different in our own times. The book of Judges relays some head-scratching stories that played out in the lives of God’s own people during this time when “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” In the story of a man named Micah, we see how this philosophy led to a spiritual breakdown in the home that then reverberated to every other sector of their society.