Chaos and Superstition and Relationship

Synopsis     Judges 17:1-10     07/15/2018

Micah was a man from Ephraim. He apparently had taken a large sum of money from his mother, but then returned it to her. She consecrated a portion of the money. She sent this to a silversmith to make a household idol for the family. Eventually, Micah chose one of his sons to serve as a priest. He ministered before the religious articles he had made, including the idol.

About the same time, a young Levite from Bethlehem had set out to find his fortune. He was traveling in the hills of Ephraim when he met Micah. Micah asked him to stay.

Every Man Did What Was Right in Their Own Eyes

During the time of this story, there was no king in Israel. No power or force had consolidated authority. The tribes regulated themselves.

And during this time, practical religious practice had slipped away from the specific and precise precepts that Moses had given. People had made the transition to idol worship naturally.

Traveling to Shiloh in order to sacrifice was difficult, especially in times of war. But the desire to influence circumstances remained prevalent. So idol worship, like any superstition, was a common effort to make the world more certain and more manageable.

Though Micah and his family enjoyed extraordinary wealth, there behavior was common in this respect. They looked to improve their circumstances through a magical, superstition.

Chaos and Superstition

Even today, confusion and uncertainty drive many people to look for some way to get control over their circumstances. The more chaotic our culture and nation, the more people look for a way to “get the upper hand”.

So I find that the line between faith and superstition is easily blurred. On the one hand, there is the possibility of relationship with God. On the other, there is the desire to use spiritual forces to manipulate my circumstances in my favor.

My superstition is not necessarily tied to physical things or, for that matter, even behaviors. It’s about wanting God to consistently do for me, as long as I consistently do for Him. It’s an attitude of quid pro quo that makes any possibility of relationship with God an unnecessary afterthought.

“Then I said to them: Throw away, each of you, the detestable things^* that held your eyes; do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD, your God.” Ezekiel 20:7