Judges 17:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest."

NIV: And Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest."

NASB: Then Micah said, 'Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as a priest.'

CSB: Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest."

NLT: I know the Lord will bless me now,' Micah said, 'because I have a Levite serving as my priest.'

KJV: Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

NKJV: Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!”

The verse shows how far knowledge of the Lord and His will had fallen among the people of Israel (Judges 17:6). One reason God commanded Israel to wipe out the idol-worshipping nations of Canaan was to prevent Israel from imitating their moral crimes, such as child sacrifice and sexual depravity (Deuteronomy 12:29–32). Another was to stop Israel from becoming spiritually confused, as Micah seems to be. Results such as what's described in this passage (Judges 17:1–5, 7–12) are exactly why God was so angry when Israel failed to maintain those standards.

At this phase of the era of the judges (Judges 2:16–19), the people have thoroughly mixed their worship of the One True God with the religious practices of the people of Canaan. This makes them, it seems, clueless of the great sins they are committing by violating so many of God's commands (Exodus 20:1–17). One generation has not properly taught the next to follow the ways of the Lord. That generation did even less. Over time, the people have been left to make up their spiritual practices according to whatever suits their desires (Judges 17:6).

Micah is thrilled to have found a genuine man of the tribe of Levi. He seems to think using a priest from that line is like owning another magical totem. He is convinced the Lord will be pleased with this and will make him wealthy, healthy, and wise. That's what gods are for in Micah's culture: Make them happy, and they will give you a good life. This, unfortunately, is still part of false religion today. Many people delude themselves into thinking that worship is a means to prosperity, and plenty of frauds are ready to prey on that weakness (1 Timothy 6:5–6).

It's not explicitly stated as to whether Micah's Levite priest knew better. Had he been trained in the Law of Moses, who is said to be his grandfather (Judges 18:30)? Did he know this house religion of Micah's was violating God's commands about worshiping other gods, making carved images to be objects of worship, and worshiping the Lord outside of a central location approved by God (Numbers 3:5–10)? Whatever he might know, this newly hired priest seems happy to leave those concerns unspoken. Most likely, he fears causing offense to his new employer over inconvenient truths related to the Lord.

A man named Micah overhears his mother speaking a curse on whoever stole a hefty sum of money from her. He confesses that it was him so she attempts to replace her curse with a blessing from God. She has a carved religious object made from the silver for Micah, which he puts in his household shrine full of other idols and relics. A young Levite man comes to Micah's house, and Micah hires him as the personal family priest, convinced God will prosper him because of it. This demonstrates Israel's lack of spiritual commitment during the era of the judges.

Judges 17 marks a new direction for the book. Having completed the stories of the judges themselves, the focus shifts to everyday Israelites. A man confesses to stealing from his mother, and she donates the silver to make an idol. The man puts this in a shrine in his house along with other religious objects. He hires a Levite to be the family priest, which he assumes will guarantee blessings from God. The same priest will willingly leave with a group of raiders from the tribe of Dan (Judges 18). This leads to one the Bible's most disturbing stories, involving an abused woman whose fate sparks a civil war within Israel (Judges 19—20).

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).