Fri.’s Devo - The Beginnings of the Tribe of Dan

Read: Judges 17:1-18:31; John 3:1-21; Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 14:20-21 Micah lived in the hills of Ephraim. He had stolen 1,100 pieces of silver from his own mother. When he heard that she had placed a curse on the person who stole it, he confessed and gave back the silver. She was elated and took 200 pieces of the silver and had a image made and worshipped it. *** The theme of the Judges is “Israel had no king in those days and the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” They didn’t follow the law of Moses but human reasoning which led them to idolatry and error. *** One day a Levite passed through town and happened to stop at Micah’s house. Micah offered him ten pieces of silver a year, room and food if he would stay and be his personal priest. Micah thought he would be blessed by god and his curse would be lifted but he was so wrong. *** The tribe of Dan had yet to secure their land given to them by Joshua. They sent out warriors to spy out the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. When they came to Micah’s house they spent the night. The recognized the Levite’s accent and asked him what brought him to this house. When the Levite explained his set-up there they asked him to ask God if they would prosper in their journey. They were testing his ability to predict the future. *** The Levite told them they would prosper. The spies from Dan came to the town of Laish and noticed the people were living peacefully and secure and the people were prosperous because their land was fertile. They returned home and told their tribe. *** Six hundred warriors of Dan came to attack Laish. They stopped at Micah’s to camp. They were told of the shrine and the priest that Micah had there. *** At night, they began to rob the shrine of Micah. When the priest asked them what they were doing, they offered him a job as the priest of Dan. He was happy to leave Micah’s house and move on to something bigger. *** Micah and his friends came after them to get back the things they had stolen from Micah, but were threatened with their lives. When they realized they were greatly out-numbered they had no recourse but to turn around and go back home. *** The men of Dan came to Laish and attacked it and took the city and named it Dan. They set up their idols and appointed Jonathan as their priest just as they had promised. Johathan was the son of Gershom who was the son of Moses. Gershom means “expulsion”. *** In John, one of the Jewish leaders named Nicodemus came to see Jesus after dark. He told Jesus he knew he was sent by God because of all the signs he had seen Jesus do. Jesus told him he could not see the kingdom of God unless he was born again. When Nicodemus questioned how he could be born again, Jesus told him that unless he was born of the Spirit he could’t have eternal life. *** Nicodemus still didn’t understand. So, Jesus told him that he had come down from heaven and as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. He was speaking of the cross. *** He went on to tell Nicodemus that he came to give his life to save the world, not judge it. Those who believed in him would not be judged but saved. But, they had to come to the light to find him. *** Lord, may we come to your light and learn of your saving merciful grace.