Sequels rarely surpass the original, and part 2 of the Levite’s story is no different. As Judges progresses, Israel falls further from its initial glory, highlighting God's unwavering faithfulness despite their consistent unfaithfulness. The book begins with Israel poised for conquest, but the people drift ever deeper into spiritual decay. We saw this in the downward spiral of their leaders and now we are seeing it in the idolatry of the people.

In the last chapter we saw a rerun of the golden calf incident. Israel had fallen back to a low point of wickedness and idolatry, worshiping God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. We are reminded again that salvation is not found in the wisdom of human leaders or in the virtue of the people, but only in God. Our main point is the same as it was last week.

Man-made religion and worship dishonor God and cannot lead to salvation.

Chapter 18 begins with that familiar phrase, "In those days there was no king in Israel." As we saw last week, this is not just a historical observation but a spiritual diagnosis. It is a reminder that what we are seeing is not pleasing to God.

1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. 2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

The people of Dan were searching for a place to live because they failed to take the land God promised to them because of their disobedience and lack of faith. Instead of repenting and following God’s plan they continue to seek an easier path. They want the blessings God provides without trusting God’s plan[1] to provide them. It is always the case when we think following God’s word is too hard and we choose the easy path that we end up far worse off.

Instead of trusting in God’s power they are looking for what they can accomplish in their own strength. They were supposed to take land to the south, but the Philistines were there, so here they are around 100 miles north of where they should be looking for an easier target.

3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” 4 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.”

Remember that this Levite had compromised his calling to serve God and the people of Israel by becoming a priest for hire to a man who had set up his own idols. We are not told how they recognize his voice, but some of the Danites clearly knew who he was. There is no such thing as a coincidence. God’s plans come to pass, and he works all things together for his glory.

This Levite just keeps showing up like a bad penny, but like Micah, the Danites see in him an opportunity to gain an advantage for themselves. Verse 5 says,

5 And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” 6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”

All of this is not an effort to worship God or to follow him, it is an effort to manipulate him. They understand God knows the future and has the power to bless or curse, but what they really want is to use God to pursue their own ends. What better way to manipulate God than to pull one of his ministers in, not so they can hear God’s word and follow, but so they can plan around what God may do as they pursue their own sinful desires.

This is a constant temptation for humans. Even as redeemed sinners, the old nature pulls in this direction like a car that is out of alignment. The old man constantly pulls us aside and we must counteract the pull by obedience to the truth, so we don’t veer off the road. It is easy to convince ourselves that we are seeking God’s wisdom when all we are really doing is justifying our own selfishness in his name. Careers, houses, relationships, even ministries in the church. Our flesh is deceitfully wicked, often blinding us to our true motivations. We must carefully consider what would disappoint us if God asked us to give it up?

Unfortunately, it is not hard to find people to encourage us in our selfishness. There is sadly no shortage of preachers who will tell us we can have faith without repentance, grace without a cross, and a love for God without hating the world.

This Levite, who has no authority or genuine connection to God’s true worship, gives them a hollow assurance: “go in peace.” Do you see how easy it is to claim God’s name and approval without having any basis for it in His Word? This is superficial spirituality. The Danites and the Levite want God's blessing without God. They are using God's name to rubber-stamp their own plans. They are not seeking God’s will; they are seeking God’s endorsement for what they have already decided to do.

Friends, this is what a good portion of what passes for Christianity in America is. Instead of praying, “Lord, your will be done,” we pray, “Lord, please bless what I have decided to do.” On every side is proclaimed a cheap grace designed to comfort sinners in their sin. It is a grace proclaimed as a general idea, that all you need to do is believe that God loves and forgives everyone, and you will be saved and everything can stay the way it was before. Friends, that is not true. That is not what the Bible says. Please be careful, the world is filled with poison packaged as if it were biblical truth.

It is not the grace of God if it leaves us enslaved to sin. A grace without power is not the grace obtained by the suffering, blood, and death of Jesus Christ. That is imitation grace, cheap grace. As one theologian wrote,

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate.”

Jesus did not die to ignore sin, but to destroy it. True faith unites us to both the death and the life of Christ. The salvation God brings is perfect, completely removing the curse that sin brings. The gospel is divine power at work to do what it is impossible for sinners to do for themselves.

True grace comes with a new birth by God’s power that unites us by faith to the risen Christ. In him we have died to sin, having been crucified with him, and are raised with him to a new life. The righteousness he gives us is Christ himself, for we are in him, and he is in us. The penalty of sin is removed because Christ has died and the presence of sin in our life will be defeated because it is God himself who is at work in us to bring us to glory. To believe in Jesus is to love God more than we love the world and this brings comfort, and peace, and joy, because the treasure we receive is not just stuff God gives us but is God himself.

Listen to how the apostle Paul describes hope and life as a believer in Philippians 3:8–11,

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul is expressing the exact opposite of what the Danites seek from the young Levite. Paul trusts in God’s promise, and this motivates him to obey and strive for holiness not to earn anything, but because God is holy, and he wants to know him better. Brothers and sisters, that is how every believer should desire to live. May God have mercy on us and give us shepherds like Paul and not like the Levite.

Having no word from God, and no faith, the young man tells them what they want to hear. Verse 7 continues,

7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. 10 As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”

They come upon an unsuspecting people living in peace with great prosperity. They are not allied with anyone, and it would take a long time for anyone to come to their aid. Seeing they could easily overpower them; the spies urge the men to act quickly.

11 So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, 12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. 14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” 15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare. 16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate.

They set off with 600 warriors and set up a camp as they prepare to ambush these peaceful people. This brings them again near Micah’s home and the spies tell the men that there is a shrine and idols there. They knock on the door and as the young man opens it, there are 600 armed men staring at him.

17 And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. 18 And when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

As these men force their way in and grab the idols the young priest is watching as his gravy train heads off the tracks. There isn’t much he can do against 600 warriors. All he can do is protest and try to convince them to stop.

19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?” 20 And the priest’s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people. 21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them.

They tell him to shut up and stop whining. They have a better deal for him. They appeal to his pride and ambition. Once again, we see the true character of the Levite. He is for sale; he has no loyalty to God and none to Micah. It says “the priests heart was glad.” He is pleased with the robbery because it means he can upgrade from a small-time priest to a position of greater influence. It appears that telling people what they want to hear can be a successful strategy for gaining wealth and power.

Some things never change. One of the major distortions of the truth in our day is the popularity of a distorted gospel that is therapeutic rather than redemptive. It is all about how you can have blessing and favor and how God can help you with all your hurts and difficulties. The gospel is reduced to a secret for raising your kids, improving your marriage, or managing your money or whatever. The emphasis shifts from sacrificial death to psychological or material benefits. The message becomes that Jesus has a wonderful plan for you and if you follow him, you can get all sorts of blessings.

Of course, God does have a plan and does bless his children, but when we neglect the truth about sin, judgment, hell, repentance, and dying to self it is no longer the saving message we proclaim. Such distortions of the gospel appeal primarily to the most vulnerable. It sometimes resonates with those who are new to the faith and to those who are struggling but it has no power.

It cannot pierce and humble the hearts of those who are satisfied and content with themselves. It cannot satisfy and fulfill the deepest needs of our souls. But the true Gospel does have this power. It directly addresses the greatest need every person has, which is to be rescued from God's judgment. No matter how prosperous or well-adjusted we may be, every sinner is under God's curse and must soon stand before him to give an account.

Before we can come to God, we must first come to the end of ourselves. While faith offers many other benefits, the critical issue is that we are all born enemies of God, and if we persist in our wickedness, we will perish along with the world in judgment. If we love people, we will tell them the truth just as we would warn them if their house was on fire or there was a

Before we can come to God, we must first come to the end of ourselves. While faith offers many other benefits, the critical issue is that we are all born enemies of God, and if we persist in our wickedness, we will perish along with the world in judgment. If we love people, we will tell them the truth just as we would warn them if their house was on fire or there was a dangerous storm approaching.

Especially since God has provided a way of escape. And not just escape, but a way for guilty sinners to be adopted and loved and welcomed into the kingdom of the one we previously rejected. Jesus died on the cross not to give us a better life, but to give us a whole new life in his kingdom. He was crucified on a cross in our place to remove our sin. He rose from the dead after three days to prove that the promises of God never fail and that we too will be raised if we put our faith in him. Salvation only comes to those who place Jesus Christ at the center.

The impulse to create a religion for ourselves that puts us at the center and makes God a servant of sinful men is just as great today as it was during the time of the Judges. May God help us to see any such temptation in our hearts as that which overtook the Danites. In the name of God, they created their own religion with them at the center of it. They steal Micah’s idols and his priest.

22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. 23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” 24 And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ” 25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” 26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

Once Micah realizes what has happened, he organizes a posse, chases them down, and confronts them. Micah complains they have taken his gods that he made. The absurdity of such a thing never seems to occur to him. In any case, the men of Dan make it clear if they see him again, they will kill him and his family. Micah had used his money to gain influence, but the Danites are too strong for him, and he is left empty-handed. Since Micah’s god was created to serve him, it had no power to save him or itself.

Brothers and sisters, how different it is to worship the one true God! There is nothing in heaven or earth that can separate us from him. Paul says nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Jesus says there is no power under heaven that can pluck us out of his hand. His last promise as he sent out his disciples into the world is that he is with us always, even until the end of the age.

27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first.

Finally, the Danites attack the unsuspecting and peaceful city of Laish, burn it with fire, and take it for themselves, renaming it Dan. This is not the fulfillment of God’s promise, but an act of self-reliance, cowardice, and disobedience. If they were obedient, God would given them the land he promised. Instead, they choose an easier path, one that avoids faith in God's word, leading them even deeper into sin. These so-called mighty warriors slaughter a peaceful people and claim that God has blessed them. Their wickedness and blindness is astounding and it doesn’t stop there.

30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

The tribe of Dan establishes a false religion that will lead them increasingly further from God and will be a stumbling block to others. The false shrine of Dan competed with and drew people away from the true centers of worship to God. This counterfeit sanctuary remains so long as the ark was at Shiloh and even after. Much later, under the wicked king Jeroboam Dan remains a center of false worship. 1 Kings 12:28–30 says,

28 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.

What really is astounding though in terms of how far Israel is fallen is that we finally learn the identity of the young Levite. The author included these events to show how bad things had become spiritually in the land, how far Israel had fallen from her exalted position among the nations. Nothing in this horrible narrative makes that point more strongly than when we learn who the priest is. Do you remember what it said?

30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

This is a punch in the gut. The Levite is a man named Jonathan who is a descendant of Gershom, the son of Moses. It was Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt, who received the Law from God, and who established the covenant between God and His people. Now, just a few generations later, his own descendant is officiating at a shrine of idols. This is a stark reminder of how quickly and thoroughly true worship can decay into idolatry.

There are several spiritual lessons in all this but I would like to highlight just a few. First, the establishment of this unauthorized shrine by the Danites and the appointment of a Levite priest from such an esteemed lineage highlight the dangers of being impressed with the celebrity or credentials of men. Even those who have been closest to the truth can lead others astray if they themselves are not submitting to God’s word. This is a powerful warning for us to remain vigilant in our commitment to the authority of Scripture alone as we follow Christ alone.

Second, there is danger in complacency. The Danites wanted an easy path, and it led them to sin. How often do we look for shortcuts in our spiritual lives, hoping for a version of Christianity that costs us little and gives us much? Is it in our heart to serve God or are we looking for him to serve us on our terms?

 Third, there is a danger in superficial worship. The Danites were content to have a priest, a shrine, and a religious ritual that bore some resemblance to true worship, but that was empty. Are we on guard against a form of godliness that denies the power of the gospel? We must not be content with only the appearance of a relationship with God.

Fourth, when God’s people abandon His Word and follow their own ways, it always leads to deeper sin and suffering. The story of Judges is a downward spiral and as we near the end what is left is only chaos and confusion. The people have rejected God as their king, and in doing so, they have lost their way and have become indistinguishable from the wicked nations around them. There is nothing in them that deserves God’s love or his favor.

But that is the remarkable thing about God. Through all of this he continues to show grace and keep them from utter destruction because he promised through them to bring a redeemer. His hand sustains them, though they do not deserve it, because he promised to save them. The story continues purely by grace and in doing so their sin magnifies the glory of the grace of God.

The book of Judges shows us what happens when “everyone does what is right in his own eyes,” but it also creates a longing for the One who will come to do what is right in God’s eyes. How can we read this and not cry out for a better priest, a true deliverer, and a righteous King?

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that longing. Where the Levite failed to shepherd the people in truth, Jesus comes as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Where the Danites sought to establish their own kingdom apart from God, Jesus brings the Kingdom of God to us.

The great message of Judges is the same message we find throughout the Bible. God is loving, patient, and forgiving to those who do not deserve it. I said at the beginning it is rare that sequels are better than the original, but there are exceptions. The New Covenant in Christ’s blood is far better than the Old Covenant. If God kept his promises to Israel, he will also keep his promises to us. Let us therefore run to Jesus Christ and praise God, giving him thanks for his mercy and patience.

I would like to finish with the words of the apostle John in 1 John 4:9–10,

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.