How far has Israel walked from God?
The story of Micah does not point to a wanderer who just takes a wrong turn and gets spiritually lost. It points to those who by habit of character demonstrate a lack of real concern for the ways of God.
Micah’s mother lost eleven hundred shekels of silver – a little over $2000 on today’s exchange but a really hefty amount in the ancient world of the Judges. She not only uttered a curse on the person who took the money, but should it ever be found, she promised to give it to the Lord (the promise may have actually come before the money was returned – not as the New International Version reads). The young man, afraid of the curse (you see his belief in witchcraft), ‘fessed up, hoping that his mother would countermand it – which she did. But then, rather than dedicate all the money to God, she only gave a fifth of it – and that not to the Lord, but for the purpose of making an idol. It wasn’t the only idol in the house – just one among many which also included a priestly garment.
Ignoring the regulations for the priesthood, Micah made his sons priests (essentially founding his own religion). But when he came into contact with a wandering Levite, probably hoping to gain credibility for his religion, he put him on retainer as his head priest. On top of it all, by simply having the priest, Micah thought he had secured for himself the Lord’s blessing.
It’s a classic case of blindly making one’s own way and believing it will be ok. After all, he is a sincere man – though also a thief.
The story is presented as simply an example of faithlessness, letting us know how far afield Israel had gone. But it is not the last one. The final chapters of Judges take us deep into the depravity resultant in the lives of all those who determine to live as they see fit.
Ni kwa kadiri gani Israeli imemwacha Mungu? Simulizi la Mika halimaanishi kwamba mtu anayetembea huku na huku anaenda njia isiyofaa na kupotea kiroho. "Hiyo inawakilisha wale ambao kwa tabia yao ya kawaida huonyesha ukosefu wa ""uhangaiko wa kweli"" kwa njia za Mungu." Mama ya Mika alipoteza shekeli 1,100 za fedha - kiasi cha dola 2,000 hivi kwa bei ya leo, lakini kiasi kikubwa sana katika ulimwengu wa kale wa Waamuzi. "Hata hivyo, hakumlaani mtu aliyemchukua, bali pia aliahidi kumpa Bwana pesa hizo ikiwa zingepatikana, "" (Huenda ahadi hiyo ilitolewa kabla ya pesa hizo kurudishwa, si kama inavyoandikwa katika Biblia ya New International Version)." Kijana huyo, akiogopa laana (unaona imani yake katika uchawi), 'alikiri, akitumaini kwamba mama yake angekataa <unk> ambayo alifanya. Lakini badala ya kumweka wakfu Mungu kwa pesa hizo zote, alitoa sehemu moja tu ya tano ya pesa hizo, na si kwa ajili ya Bwana, bali kwa ajili ya kutengeneza sanamu. Haikuwa sanamu pekee katika nyumba hiyo - ni moja tu kati ya sanamu nyingi ambazo pia zilitia ndani vazi la kifalme. Akipuuza sheria za ukuhani, Mika aliwafanya wanawe kuwa makuhani (kwa kweli akaanzisha dini yake mwenyewe). Lakini alipokutana na Mlawi mmoja aliyetembea huku na huku, labda akitumaini kupata uaminifu kwa ajili ya dini yake, alimweka kuwa kuhani wake mkuu. Kwa kuongezea, kwa kuwa alikuwa na kuhani, Mika alifikiri kwamba alikuwa amepata baraka za Yehova. Ni kesi ya kawaida ya kwa upofu kufanya njia ya mtu mwenyewe na kuamini itakuwa sawa. Baada ya yote, yeye ni mtu mnyoofu <unk> ingawa pia mwizi. Hadithi hiyo inatuonyesha tu kuwa mfano wa ukosefu wa imani, ikituonyesha jinsi Waisraeli walivyoenda mbali sana. Lakini si ya mwisho. Sura za mwisho za Waamuzi zinatuingiza ndani ya uovu unaotokana na maisha ya wale wote wanaojitolea kuishi kama wanavyoona ni vyema.