People think they can study and manipulate God and His plans.

In those days, Israel had no King; everyone did as they saw fit – Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25

They were days of spiritual and moral confusion, similar to our days.

Judges 17:1-13:

v1-2 Micah returns 1,100 shekels he had stolen from his mother after hearing her utter a curse (This was just out of fear and not repentance). It’s interesting to see that his mother blesses him instead of correcting him.

V3-4 The mother consecrates the money to the LORD, and directs 200 shekels to be used to make an idol (image overlaid with silver), for his son. (This was not biblical consecration but idolatry in form of a religion/man made religion/ideologies, and against worship of Idols – Exodus 20:45, 32:4-5).

***By his fallen nature, man wants to make God into an image he can control, carve concepts about God and assume it’s the true God***

v5 Micah’s talks about Micah’s Shrine (a false/counterfeit church/temple/altar).

To make it appear real he had: an ephod, household gods/idols and one of his sons as a priest.

He was trying to imitate the TRUE WORSHIP at the tabernacle by coming up with a PRIESTLY ORDER.

All this was from Micah and his mother and not from God (imitation/counterfeit will never be the original)

V6 There was in fact a king in Israel (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who brought them out of Egypt; but they had failed to recognise him.

Similar to today: Everyone wants to do what is right in their own eyes. People think they can curve God into an image to manipulate.

Micah and his mother were lost through religion and had abandoned the TRUTH handed down to them.

• It seemed right to the eyes of Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit – but God said it was wrong.
• It seemed right to the eyes of David to commit adultery and cover it up with murder – but God said it was wrong.
• It seemed right in the eyes of Nadab and Abihu to offer strange fire before the Lord – but God said it was wrong.
• It seemed right in the eyes of Judas to betray Jesus – but God said it was wrong.

**It may seem right in our eyes today to walk naked, to corrupt, gossip, seek alternative powers/witchcraft, disrespect parents and leaders, to serve God anyhow, pull others down, to rob God, to be dishonest, to sin in darkness – BUT God says all this is wrong.

There is indeed a king reigning in the church, homes, our lives and a kingdom. But many have chosen to ignore him and do what appears right in their own eyes.

Even the Levites (shepherds/priests) had become available for hire:

v7-13 A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah was looking for a place to stay, “Wherever he could find a place”.

Levites had cities to live and not any place.

Eventually he was hired by Micah for 10 shekels of silver per year, clothes and food.

v13 Micah was trying to legitimise his false religion by hiring a Levite to be a priest {Being close to the pastor does not make us right with God}.

***2 Timothy 4:3-4 – Talks of teachers/preachers in the last days who only what people want to hear and not the truth.

Judges 18:4, v19-20 – The priest for hire abandons Micah for a better offer from the Danites. He got an opportunity to go and serve a clan and a tribe “Bigger shrine” and not just one man.

v20 “The priest was very pleased”

***John 10:12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it**