BECAUSE YOU CAN DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD

Proclamation

“And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image …”  Judges 18:18 (KJV)

Explanation

These are the words of God which were written by the prophet Samuel under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In the days when there was not king in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6 and 18:1)  The tribe of Dan was seeking a place to settle as they had no place of their own for they had not yet come into their inheritance among the tribes of Israel.  The Danites sent out five of their leading men to spy out the land and explore it.  When the five men entered Ephraim and came upon the house of Micah they recognized the voice of the young Levite priest and went in there. (Judges 18:1-3)  The priest explained his situation and what Micah had done for him.  The five men asked him to inquire of God to learn whether their journey would be successful.  He told them to go in peace for their journey had God’s approval. (Judges 18:4-6)  The five men then left and came to Laish where they found a people living in safety and peace, and land which lacked for nothing.  So they return to their brethren and reported what they saw. (Judges 18:7-10)  Then the Danites sent out six hundred men armed for battle to take the land.  On their way there they stopped at Micah’s house.  The five men who had spied out the land went into Micah’s house.  They took the silver idol and the ephod and the other household gods.  They told the priest to come with them and be their priest where he would serve a tribe and a clan of Israel rather than just one man’s household, and the priest was pleased and went with them. (Judges 18:11-20)  When they had gone some distance away, Micah and some men he had gathered caught up with the Danite army.  He told them that they had taken all that he had.  They told him that if he fought them that he and his family would also lose their life.  Seeing that he was greatly outnumbered, Micah returned to his home. (Judges 18:21-26)  Then the Danites proceeded to Laish and attacked the people there and burned down the city.  Afterwards they rebuilt the city, settled there, and named it Dan.  They set up Micah’s idol and worshiped it. (Judges 18:27-31)

Application

The Bible says, “Thou shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)  The Bible also says, “Thou shall have no other gods before Me” and “Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image …” (Exodus 20:3 and 4)  Taking that which does not belong to you is wrong.  Just because you can does not mean that you should.  “Might does not make right. Right makes right.” (T. H. White)  The people of God should not worship anything other than The Lord God.  Idol worship is sinful.