Micah Thought He Had Everything

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He had a home and family and silver and nice little idols and a priest for his religion. Now what more could a person want? Yes, he had a little sin in his past life, a little stealing from his mother. However, his mother had forgiven him, and that settled the matter.
Does forgiveness from a man or woman really settle the matter of sin? If you think so, you have never faced the God who made you, and you haven’t read His book, the Bible. Sin is against God, and only God can forgive. Mark 2:77Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? (Mark 2:7) says, “Who can forgive sins but God only?”
Micah had a lot going for him, but somehow way down inside was something called “fear.” Do you think it might have been because of his sins? Do you have fear down inside because of your sins?
Then came a day when some men came to Micah’s house while he was away, and they heard the voice of his priest talking. Good, they said. We recognize that voice  ... it’s Micah’s priest. Let’s make him an offer. It was a good offer, because there were six hundred soldiers waiting at the gate looking for a place to settle. So they offered Micah’s priest a better job than he had—more money and more honor. He agreed, and away they all went, taking Micah’s priest and Micah’s idols and whatever else they wanted.
Micah soon heard about this, and his neighbors shared his concern. Follow them and get your stuff back! they said. So a group got together and followed them. Soon the six hundred soldiers looked back and saw this little group following them.
What’s the trouble? they called.
Trouble? said Micah. You’ve taken my idols and my priest, and what’s left? And now you are asking, What’s the trouble?
Can you imagine how Micah felt? How would you feel if someone took away your idols and your priest? What would you have left?
If you are a true Christian, you should not have idols, because you have the true God. And if your Priest is the Lord Jesus, our great High Priest, no one can take Him from you. If someone were to rob you of everything you own, you are still richer than the thief! We would certainly feel terribly upset and even angry, but our hearts could never say, “What is there left?” Our Jesus is forever! He cares when we are hurting and upset, but He lovingly assures us, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:1010Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)). That’s His promise. If we had our hearts set on riches, perhaps He wants us to see that no one can take away our Saviour. Whatever we lose, we can never lose Jesus, because He can’t lose even one of us!
Maybe, like Micah’s priest, you are looking for the best job, the most pay and the most honor. You will certainly find all this in our Saviour, but not on this earth. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:77(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (2 Corinthians 5:7)), and this means believing what we cannot see.
After His crucifixion, the disciples saw Jesus go up as far as the cloud, but after that they did not see Him anymore. However, they heard the angel’s promise that He would come again. And they had heard the Lord’s own promise, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)). By faith we are absolutely sure that this is true.
What do you have that you can’t lose? Will you have our wonderful Saviour today and the gift of salvation that He is offering you? The debt we owe for our sins is already paid, now and forever!
You may read this story about Micah in Judges 18:1-261In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 2And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 3When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 6And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. 7Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. 8And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? 9And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 10When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth. 11And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. 12And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. 13And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah. 14Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. 15And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. 16And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 17And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. 18And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 19And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 20And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. 22And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. 23And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company? 24And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? 25And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. 26And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house. (Judges 18:1‑26).
ML-04/08/2012