1. Migration of the Danites Judges 17:1-18:31
Lesson 19

2. Other stories in Judges
This story is not connected with leaders of Israel
It is not a part of the story of the judges
This may have occurred shortly after the death of Joshua

3. Micah and his Idol Judges 17:1-13
Micah and his idol sets the stage for the story of the moving of the Danites
This shows how deep Israel was into idolatry
A man lived in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah
He told his mother he had taken money from her

4. Micah and his Idol
The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken that you uttered a curse over, I took it
Blessed be thou of Jehovah my son
Micah returned the money
She dedicated the silver to Jehovah to make a graven image and molten image
She gave 200 pieces of silver to the founder who made graven images and molten images

5. Micah and his Idol The image was placed in Micah’s house for his gods.
Micah also made an ephod and set up one of his sons to be HIS priest.
There was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own opinion
There were not two different idols
More than likely it was one idol and the base for it to sit on

6. Micah and his Idol
Though Jehovah is the name mentioned by Micah and his mother v. 2-3, 13
It is obvious that they would worship him by making a image and bowing down to it
This was a violation of the 2nd of the ten commandments Ex.20:4-6
These were small, household gods, very common in the ancient world.
There was complete disregard for God

7. Baal

8. Baal

9. Asherah

10. Micah and his Idol
There lived a young Levite in Bethlehem-Judah who set out to seek his fortune
While traveling he came to Micah’s house
Micah ask where are you from?
The Levite told where he was from and was seeking a place to live
Micah ask him to stay there and be a father and priest and he would pay him

11. Micah and his Idol
He told him he would give him 10 silver shekels a year, a change of clothes, and food
The term “father” was an honorary one
It referred to being a spiritual leader or adviser
The Levite accepted his offer and became as one of Micah’s sons
Micah consecrated the Levite to be his priest – Now Jehovah will be good to me

12. Micah and his Idol
Micah knew the thing he was doing was not according to the law.
Hiring a Levite to be his priest did not help
A Levite could not be priest unless he was of the lineage of Aaron
Micah thought since he had a Levite to conduct the worship, god would be pleased and better to him
You begin to see how far from God they were in worship.

13. Danites seek a new home Judges 18
There was not a king in Israel
The tribe of Dan sought a place to inherit, because until that day their inheritance had not fallen to them
Joshua 19:40-48 a portion of land had been distributed to them
The census showed that there were soldiers in Num. 26:42-43
This story involves 600 Danites V.11

15. Danites seek a new home
These 600 are a very small part of the tribe of Dan
The border of Dan extended beyond their actual border because they fought Laish and captured it and named it Dan after their father Joshua 19:47
Judges 18 gives the same account
This one is a little more in detail

16. Jos 19:47 And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

17. Laish
Dan

18. Mt. Hermon

19. Danites seek a new home
The Danites could not enjoy all their land allotment because the Amorites forced them into the hill-country and would not allow them to live in the plains Judg. 1:34
This move was made to Laish to alleviate the crowded circumstances Dan was in
The children of Dan sent 5 men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land to find a suitable place to live

20. Danites seek a new home
These men came to the hill-country of Ephraim, and lodged in the house of Micah
They could tell by the young mans speech that he was a Levite
They knew he was not from there originally
They ask “What are you doing in this place? And what is your arrangement?”
He told about the deal with Micah and that he was a priest to him

22. Danites seek a new home
The Danites said, “Ask counsel of God, so that we may know whether our journey will be successful.”
The young priest said, “Go in peace your way is approved before the Lord.”
The 5 men made their way on to Laish
They found the people lived in peace and felt secure
No one exercised control over them.

23. Laish

24. Danites seek a new home
Laish was cut off from the Phoenicians on the coast, an no one else was close enough to control that region
The 5 men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol
Their brethren ask, “What did you find?”
The spies said, “Let’s go right now to take the land, it is a very good land.”
Don’t be lazy about going to take it God hath given it into our hands

25. Danites seek a new home
600 Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol, taking their families with them V.21
They moved just west of Kiriath-jearim and made camp
They called the camp Mahane-dan which means the camp of Dan
They proceeded on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah

26. Danites seek a new home
The 5 spies told the group that in a house near here there was a an ephod, and teraphim, and an idol
The five men went into the house and gathered up all the things they wanted
They took the idol and its pedestal
They took the ephod and teraphim
The priest said, “What are you doing?”

27. Danites seek a new home Just keep quiet he was told
Go with us and be a father and priest to us
Would you rather be a priest to one or to a tribe?
He did not have to think very long
He was filled with joy and took custody of the ephod, the household gods, and the idol Micah made and left with them

28. Danites seek a new home
The Danites left but put all their families and livestock in front and left the warriors behind
They had gone only a short distance when Micah found out what had happened
Micah assembled his neighbors to go after the Danites
They caught up with them
Why have you taken my gods and priest?

29. Danites seek a new home Their reply was, “What is your problem?”
You left me nothing! Micah said
Watch how you talk to us or you will be attacked and slain along with your household
The Danites marched on and Micah could tell he was not strong enough to fight so he went back home

30. The small army attacked Laish
Killed all the people and burned the city
There was no one to come to their aid and save the city
The Danites built a new city and called it Dan
They set up the idol to worship, and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses became their priest, and his sons after him
They used the idol all the time the house of God was at Shiloh, until the captivity of the land

31. Danites seek a new home
Jonathan was more than likely a descendant of Moses possibly a great-grandson of Moses
He was under 40 so it would have been impossible to be a grandson
See Ex. 2:21-22
What captivity is referred to?
There are several possibilities

32. Danites seek a new home Probably not Assyrian captivity
Possibly talking about during the judges when the ark was taken and never returned to Shiloh 1 Sam. 4-7
It is hard to believe that David and Solomon would allow this idolatrous worship to continue during their reign

33. Danites seek a new home Judges 18:1-31
When Jeroboam set up his golden calf it was in Dan
A descendant of Jonathan may have switched over to serve for Jeroboam
No way to be sure what captivity it refers to
The evidence leans toward a time during the judges