Stealing God’s Presence?

In response to the favorable report of the men who scouted Laish, some six hundred warriors of Dan prepare to set out to attack it. Based on this number, it appears that only a small portion of the tribe decides to make the move, perhaps only one extended family. However, these warriors take along their families and household goods Judg. 18:21), being well assured of success.

After two days on the road, the Danite army approaches Micah’s home. At that point, the five scouts who stayed with Micah en route to Laish have a brainstorm. “ ‘do you know,’ ” they say to their leaders, “ ‘that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a molded image? Now therefore, consider what you should do.’ ” These men are being opportunistic again. Their implication is that the Danites should seize the objects of Micah’s shrine to bolster their chances of success in Laish, just as an army might commandeer a cache of weapons or a storehouse of food to further its military enterprise. Matthew Henry speculates that the Danites hope to ensure God’s presence with them, but he says they are “wretchedly mistaken when they [take] these images (which were fitter to be used in a puppet-play than in acts of devotion) for tokens of God’s presence.” Still, the idea seems good to the leaders, so the army makes an unscheduled stop at Micah’s house.

When the Danites arrive, it appears that the Levite goes out to greet these intimidating visitors while the five scouts enter the house. When the scouts come out with the image, the ephod, and the household idols, the Levite asks in some alarm, “ ‘What are you doing?’ ” He can see the existence of Micah’s shrine (and thus his livelihood) coming to an end. But that problem is soon resolved. The Danites urge him to come with them, no doubt thinking that having a priest to administer the objects of Micah’s shrine will be an added bonus. With an appeal to the Levite’s vanity—‘ “Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?’ ”—they entice him to join them. Suddenly the Levite has no more objections to the theft, despite the grief it will bring to the man who has treated him well, and he gladly abandons Micah to take his place with the Danites.