Permanent Fail, Then Find Another Target

Synopsis     Judges 17:11-18:7     7/15/2018  

Micah offered a wandering Levite the full-time opportunity to serve as his personal priest. The Levite became like one of Michah’s family.

The tribe of Dan did not have sufficient land. The portion allotted by Joshua proved to be inadequate. So, the leaders of the Danites sent men out to reconnoiter the land. Their mission was to find a place in the Promised Land where they could expand.

As the Danites scouts went out, they spent the night near Micah’s house. Some of them recognized the Levite. So, they stopped at the house. And as they spoke, they learned how he came to be there. He told them about Micah. They asked for a blessing on their mission. And, the Levite blessed them and prophesied their success.

The Danites Needed Land

The Danites were not able to occupy the land they were given. Most of the tribes were assigned land that included mountains. But the tribe of Dan was assigned land on the central coastal plain. In this place, the Danites were vulnerable to Canaanite and Philistine chariots – so not all of the clans were able to sustain themselves there.

For this reason, the leaders of the tribe of Dan began a search for a different place to settle. Their scouts ended up identifying the area around Laish as a suitable place. The area was to the extreme north of Israel. The city had good resources. And, while the people were somehow related to the Sidonians, they were apparently too remote for Sidon to come and rescue when the Danites attacked. Also, the people there did not intermingle with the Arameans, so they lacked natural allies.

Permanent Fail, Then Find Another Target

Entering into the possibility of your life is not a one and done kind of thing. You can start out by thinking that the goals of your youth are the most important. And, if you achieve your goals, that’s great. But if you don’t, the tendency is to second guess your vision. And maybe, the tendency is to stop trying.

The Danites knew that God had promised them land. After a while, they knew that the coastal plains wasn’t going to work. So they looked for a more opportune situation on the borderlands.

Most really important success in life only comes through the process of trying and failing – and trying again. Water always flows downhill. Love never fails. You’ll get your heart’s desire if you don’t quit.

“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trialss, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” James 1:2-3