Stealing and the Glory of God

I'm so glad you are here! I hope during your visit you get a glimpse of God's heart for we become what we are gazing at. I want to be a blessing to you so I've made these Resources available to you and have the Missional blog tab for practical ideas of how to live on mission right where you are. 

Currently I am writing my way through Judges sharing glimpses of God's heart and character for a weekday devotional. To check out the entire series so far head on over the the Judges Devotional. And if you are a blogger, come on over on Friday's for a link up.

I can't believe I am finally at Judges 17, the begining of the end. When I started writing through Judges, I didn't think I would be writing a commentary. lol! I thought I would it take a month or so highlighting a chapter a week or something. But apparently God had something different in mind. So here we are, begining to wrap up (but really who knows how long it will take). Chapters 17-21 are like an appendix. The events in these next chapters actually occured earlier in Judges but are placed here to show how far the people of God had strayed from Him in their home life, ministry and society. "The nation that once marched truimphantly through Canaan to the glory of God now disintregrates morally and politically and brings disgrace to His name... Because Micah and his family didn't submit to the authority of God's Word, their home was a place of reigious and moral confusion." Warren Wiersbe

Have you ever had someone steal from you? If so, how did you feel, how did you react? If not, how do you suppose you would feel and react? I am pretty confident that if the person returned what they stole that you wouldn't praise them and tell them you will make sure you will give it all back to them. That's just wierd right!?
 
Well get this, "Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse--I have that silver with me; I took it." Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!" When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you." So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah's house. Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." Judges 17:1-6

So the son steals money, a lot of money, and the mom responds by praising him and saying she'll give it back to him. How crazy is that! Ok, take the prodigal son story. The son takes his inheritance and sqanders it. Finally after being humbled by eating with pigs he returns home. The father runs to him and slaughters the fattened calf for him because he's returned. The father loves the son and shows his acceptance of him not because of what he does but because of who he is in relation to the father. But he never praises his foolishness. How wierd would it be if the father said, "Oh son, I'm so glad you're back! And you squandered your money on prositutes, awesome! I will give you everything you lost." Gross! The beauty of the prodigal son story is that is reflects God's heart for us. Micah and his mom don't.

The mom's mixed up view of God and righteousness multiplied into her son who distorted what God was like even further, making his own ephod and idos and appointing his own son a priest. All of which were big huge no-no's. What a picture of what happens when we don't have a right view of God. Apart from learning what's true about God from His word, people don't get better. They don't automatically just start pleasing God. Everything about us, what we think and what we do is rooted in what we believe about God. Just as Micah's mom didn't think God would care if she didn't speak truth to her son and correct him for stealing. And just as Micah didn't think God would mind if he set up his own little temple in his house complete with priest.

If we don't teach our kids and the younger generation what's true about God who will? The ramifications are not something we will want to face if we don't. But in order to teach what's true about God, we need to spend time with Him in His Word. So perhaps it's time for a schedule check. Does your schedule reflect your heart priorities? What does your schedule show you that you believe about God? Why not make the adjustments that need to be made right now?

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