Why Are You in a Place Like This?

“… and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest … 7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there … 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, … 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.” Judges 17:4-11

In Judges, an account is written of an idolatrous man of Ephraim named Micah. The people in those days “… did that which was right” in their own eyes (Jud. 17:6), and Micah did just that.  God’s laws were ignored or forgotten, and certainly not obeyed.  The people decided what was right or wrong.  It was no surprise that Micah felt he could worship God the way the he felt was right.

Instead of worshipping the way and at the place God commanded His people to worship, Micah created his own place. He worshipped many different gods and images.  He worshipped God his own way.

Perhaps Micah knew of some of the right ways to worship the God in Heaven because he remembered some commandments God had for His proper worship. He remembered that a priest was required, and that the man of God had to be of the lineage of Levi.

When Micah heard of a Levite that was in the area, the idol worshipper quickly summoned him. He offered the man a job and an income.  The man accepted.

Here was a Levite, from a family that could most likely trace their lineage back to Aaron. His family had probably served God in the tabernacle.  He must have heard much about what a priest should do, and how important the position was.

However, just because his grandfather, and perhaps even his father had worshipped God the right way, this Levite had no convictions about obeying God’s commandments. If he did, he would never have even considered being a priest in a place where multiple idols were worshipped, “working” for heathens, or in a place that was not the one God had chosen for His worship. He was a man that had known better, and should have never been in a place like that.

Today we have so many like that Levite. Their parents raised them to go to church, and they learned what the right way to worship God was.  They also were taught to obey biblical principles, and taught what God says is right and wrong.  However, a quick look at their lifestyle soon reveals that they are no different that the people of Micah’s day that did what they thought was right in their own eyes.  Their way of worshipping God and living the way He wants are far from what they learned and what the Bible says.  They are in a place and condition that they have no business being in.

No matter what others are doing around us and what is socially acceptable, God’s rights and wrongs have not changed. The excuse “Well, times have changed!” carries no weight or permission from God. Society, in general, is usually not aligned with godly principles.   Even in Old Testament times, God’s people were to be separated from the godless, so that their ungodly philosophies and lifestyles would not rub off on the godly.

Today many have fallen for society’s false teachings and propaganda. They think and live like the unsaved, even though they should have known better.  Those people need to take the advice someone should have given that young Levite, “You have no business being where you are!”  Separate from ungodliness, and live according to the way the Bible says, especially if you were taught better!