The Consequences of Relativism and Personal Autonomy in the Book of Judges
Explore the thematic depth of the Book of Judges as it reveals the repercussions of moral relativism and personal autonomy in ancient Israel. The narrative unfolds a society's descent into chaos and moral decay as each individual does as they see fit without a central authority. Delve into the stories of Micah and the Levite, reflecting on the implications of abandoning moral absolutes and societal order.
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Presentation Transcript
Relativism & Personal Autonomy Ideas Have Consequences!
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him. JUDGES 17
The Book of Judges spans approximately 350 years
Israel becomes its own worse enemy With each story, you ll see how the people's depravity worsens with every new judge, eventually leading to complete chaos.
Key Theme in Judges In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.
There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Micah. 2 He said to his mother, The 1,100 pieces of silver taken from you, and that I heard you place a curse on here s the silver. I took it. Then his mother said, My son, may you be blessed by the Lord! 3 He returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother Judges 17:1-6 said, I personally consecrate the silver to the Lord for my son s benefit to make a carved image and a silver idol. I will give it back to you. 4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took five pounds of silver and gave it to a silversmith. He made it into a carved image and a silver idol, and it was in Micah s house. 5 This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household idols, and installed one of his sons to be his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.
Micah: Name means Who is Like the LORD Breaks 6 of the ten Commandments 1. First Commandment "You shall have no other gods before Me." 2. Second Commandment "You shall not make for yourself a carved image." 5. Fifth Commandment "Honor your father and your mother." 7. Eighth Commandment "You shall not steal." 8. Ninth Commandment "You shall not bear false witness." 9. Tenth Commandment "You shall not covet."
Mom Says, I personally consecrate the silver to the LORD, for my son s benefit, to make a carved image and a silver idol.
7There was a young man, a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who Judges 17:7-18:1a was staying within the clan of Judah. 8The man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. On his way he came to Micah s home in the hill country of Ephraim. 9 Where do you come from? Micah asked him. He answered him, I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I m going to stay wherever I can find a place. 10Micah replied, Stay with me and be my father and priest, and I will give you four ounces of silver a year, along with your clothing and provisions. So the Levite went in 11and agreed to stay with the man, and the young man became like one of his sons. 12Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in Micah s house. 13Then Micah said, Now I know that the Lord will be good to me because a Levite has become my priest. 18 In those days, there was no king in Israel
The Levite What is going on? Why is he roaming around? Why is he seeking a better spot? Why is he looking for a better place to settle down?
Micah Now I know that Yahweh will prosper me because I have a Levite as a priest.
Chapter 18: A Downward Spiral. Micah s idolatry and sin are now going to spread like fire through the entire tribe in Israel. Everyone was doing whatever seemed good to themselves
You took the gods I had made and the priest, and went away. What do I have left? Judges 18:24
The Book of Judges closes with this statement: 25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him. Judges 21:25
Lesson of Judges: There is truth ultimate reality and it is found in a relationship with the One true God, King Jesus!
Lesson of Judges: There is truth ultimate reality found in a relationship with the One true God, King Jesus! We are our own worst enemy! The real issue lies within our hearts.
The Antidote Then and now is the same We need Jesus and his Word
The Bottom Line is This: Micah s lament about being left with nothing will echo the plight of everyone who puts their faith (trust) in false idols. Don t let this be true for you.
Jesus Said: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6-7
Jesus Said: If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. 26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Matt. 16:24-26
Jesus Said: 24 Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash. Matt. 7:24-27
The questions for us are these: What foundation are you building on? Are you placing your hopes in the things of this world or Jesus? Is there anything in your life that, if taken away, would make you feel the same way Micah felt when he lost everything?
