February 4, 2024

Most parents try to do what’s best for their children and wouldn’t even think of cursing them. There was a woman whose son Micah had taken her bag of silver, which had 1100 pieces in it. She cursed whoever took it. What’s interesting about this is that Matthew Henry thinks or had information beyond the scriptures that she knew her son was the one who took it. Micah was a grown man, why would he steal from his mother? Why would she curse her son? After he returned it to her, she said she had dedicated it to the Lord and planned to have an idol made with it. She set a bad example because Micah had a shrine and household gods in his home, but he also had a room where he invited a Levite passing through from Bethlehem to stay and become his priest. He offered this priest money, clothing, and a place to live. This priest never admonished Micah for having the shrine and fake gods in his house. 

This chapter was challenging to understand, even after reading the commentary. However, to compare it to today, you might look at it as a new preacher coming into town looking for a job and taking the one he finds that offers the most money, neglecting to call out the parishioners for worshipping other gods. Micah’s mother had a hand in his mixed-up ideas of worship and was never entirely dedicated to the one true God. This story shows how important it is to teach our children by our example. Live your life for God, and your children will follow your good example.

And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. Judges 17:9-10