Dan’s Destiny
Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim . . . -Judges 17:1 (NLT)
At this point Judges takes a different turn. From here on until the end of the book, there aren’t any more judges who preside over God’s people. Instead, we’re told two stories that highlight how low Israel had sunk spiritually.
The first story is about a man named Micah who had a collection of idols. He took his idol worship very seriously, so much so that he hired a wandering Levite, which was the priestly tribe in Israel, to be a holy man of sorts for his household.
As this was happening, the people from the Tribe of Dan were looking for a place to settle in. They sent some men to scout out an area that caused them to cross paths with Micah’s household, including the “priest.” They went on their mission and decided to take the land they had scouted. They made a return trip to Micah’s home, only this time with a group of armed men. They took Micah’s idols and convinced his “priest” to leave and serve as their spiritual advisor (Judges 18:30-31).
Micah’s idols and this crooked Levite formed the spiritual foundation for the Tribe of Dan. What’s interesting is that Dan doesn’t have a positive impact in Israel’s history from this time forward. In fact, Dan becomes the tribe that introduces idolatry into the rest of the nation before being conquered (1 Kings 12:25-33). It’s no wonder Dan’s destiny would involve idolatry, because that was Dan’s foundation.
Our foundations, the things that our lives are based on, will ultimately dictate our destiny. It’s a simple matter of reaping and sowing. If we’re founded on the things that aren’t of God, then we’re going to experience ungodly consequences. On the other hand, if we’re founded on Him, we’re going to experience a life and destiny that’s wonderful beyond our comprehension.
So that’s my hope for my family. That we would experience of life founded on Christ, not on things that are not of God. I want a life that is about God experiences for my family. I pray that you want the same. God wants us to prosper and have hope…in Him, not in the things of the world. A smart man reminded me once that T.D. Jakes once said, it’s OK to have things, just don’t things have you!
In Christ gratefully,
Keith
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