You may be seated.
Good morning.
My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church.
And it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.
Special welcome if you're new or visiting with us.
We're glad that you're here.
And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats,
but because we're following Jesus together as one community.
And as we follow Jesus together, we've become convinced that there's no one so good.
They don't need God's grace.
And no one so bad that they can't have it,
which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word.
We're continuing our series in the book of Judges.
And you'll remember that the book of Judges is about a number of things.
It's about the need for constant renewal and revival among God's people.
It's about the need for a faithful and true king,
a king who can do what no human can do, which is to change the hearts of men.
It's about the power of spirit-filled leadership.
It's about God's mercy to hard-hearted people, people like you and me.
This morning we're picking up in Judges chapter 18.
You may remember, if you've been with us, that as we ended chapter 16,
we actually ended the story of the Judges,
if we think about Judges as the leaders of God's people.
And while we may be finished with the Judges,
we are not finished with the book of Judges.
Since the last five chapters, turn away from Israel's leaders
and instead show us what life was like for normal, everyday people,
Monday through Sunday.
Last week, or two weeks ago now, in chapter 17,
we met the figure of Micah.
And you'll remember that Micah had stolen 1,100 pieces of silver from his mom.
He found out that she had cursed whoever had stolen the silver.
And so to avoid the curse, he quickly gave it back to her.
And both of them used it to set up idols,
violating what we looked at earlier this morning, the second commandment.
In fact, in the first five verses,
they managed to break four of God's Ten Commandments.
And so we talked about the fact that they had lots of religious show,
no religious substance.
They had lots of religious superstition, religious activity
that wasn't tethered at all to any sort of real holiness or real obedience.
And we saw in verse 6 the phrase that we're now going to begin to hear
at the very end of the book,
that in those days there was no king in Israel.
Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
This week in chapter 18,
we're going to pick up on a theme that started last week
that we left to the side
because it comes more to the forefront in this chapter,
which is the great disappointment,
the great futility of idols.
Micah makes these idols in chapter 17
with great hope, great expectation, great trust.
He finds out in chapter 18
just what a terrible decision that was.
And so with that, I invite you to turn with me in God's word.
You can turn in your worship guide.
You can turn in your phone.
You can turn in your Bible.
No matter where you turn,
remember that this is God's word.
And God tells us that his word is more precious than gold,
even the finest gold,
and it is sweeter than honey,
even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.
And so that's why we read now
Judges chapter 18, starting in verse 1.
In those days there was no king in Israel.
And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan
was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in.
For until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel
had fallen to them.
So the people of Dan sent five able men
from the whole number of their tribe,
from Zorah and from Eshtael,
to spy out the land and to explore it.
And they said to them,
Go and explore the land.
And they came to the hill country of Ephraim
to the house of Micah and lodged there.
When they were by the house of Micah,
they recognized the voice of the young Levite.
And they turned aside and said to him,
Who brought you here?
What are you doing in this place?
What is your business here?
And he said to them,
This is how Micah dealt with me.
He has hired me, and I have become his priest.
And they said to him,
Inquire of God, please,
that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.
And the priest said to them,
Go in peace.
The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.
Verse 7.
Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there,
how they lived in security after the manner of the Sidonians,
quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth,
and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.
And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtail,
their brothers said to them,
What do you report?
They said, Arise and let us go up against them,
for we have seen the land,
and behold, it is very good.
And will you do nothing?
Do not be slow to go,
to enter in and possess the land.
As soon as you go,
you will come to an unsuspecting people.
The land is spacious,
for God has given it into your hands,
a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.
Verse 11.
So 600 men of the tribe of Dan,
armed with weapons of war,
set out from Zorah and Eshtail
and went up and camped at Kiriath-Jerim in Judah.
On this account,
that place is called Mahanadan to this day.
Behold, it is west of Kiriath-Jerim.
And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim
and came to the house of Micah.
Verse 14.
Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish
said to their brothers,
Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod,
household gods, a carved image, and a metal image?
Now therefore consider what you will do.
And they turned aside there
and came to the house of the young Levite
at the home of Micah
and asked him about his welfare.
Now the 600 men of the Danites,
armed with their weapons of war,
stood by the entrance of the gate.
And the five men who had gone to scout out the land
went up and entered and took the carved image,
the ephod, the household gods,
and the metal image,
while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate
with 600 men armed with weapons of war.
Verse 18.
And when these went into Micah's house
and took the carved image,
the ephod,
the household gods,
and the metal image,
the priest said to them,
What are you doing?
And they said to him,
Keep quiet.
Put your hand on your mouth
and come with us
and be to us a father and a priest.
Is it better for you to be a priest
to the house of one man
or to be priest to a tribe
and a clan in Israel?
And the priest's heart was glad.
He took the ephod and the household gods
and the carved image
and went along with the people.
So they turned and departed,
putting the little ones
and the livestock and the goods in front of them.
When they had gone a distance
from the home of Micah,
the men who were in the houses
near Micah's house were called out.
And they overtook the people of Dan.
And they shouted to the people of Dan
who turned around and said to Micah,
What is the matter with you
that you come with such a company?
And he said,
You take my gods that I made
and the priest and go away
and what have I left?
How then do you ask me
what is the matter with you?
And the people of Dan said to him,
Do not let your voice be heard among us,
lest angry fellows fall upon you
and you lose your life
with the lives of your household.
Then the people of Dan went their way.
And when Micah saw
that they were too strong for him,
he turned and went back to his home.
Verse 27,
But the people of Dan
took what Micah had made
and the priest who belonged to him.
And they came to Laish
to a people quiet and unsuspecting
and struck them with the edge of the sword
and burned the city with fire.
And there was no deliverer
because it was far from Sidon
and they had no dealings with anyone.
It was in the valley
that belongs to Beth Rehob.
Then they rebuilt the city
and lived in it.
And they named the city Dan
after the name of Dan,
their ancestor,
who was born to Israel.
But the name of the city
was Laish at the first.
And the people of Dan
set up the carved image for themselves.
And Jonathan,
the son of Gershom,
son of Moses,
and his sons
were priests
to the tribe of the Danites
until the day
of the captivity of the land.
So they set up Micah's carved image
that he made
as long as the house of God
was at Shiloh.
I invite you to pray with me
as we come to this portion
of God's word.
Our Father in heaven,
we do thank you again
for your word
that you
create,
nurture,
sustain life
by your word.
You did it
in the creation of the world.
And you do it
through the scriptures
that you've given to us.
And so we ask this morning
that you would give us life.
That you would use
this passage
to encourage
and to challenge us.
You'd use it
to change us
and to grow us.
And most of all,
you'd use it
to show us, Jesus,
that we would see
our great need
and we would also see
his great mercy.
You would use it
to make us
more and more like him.
We ask these things
in his mighty name.
Amen.
As we begin
chapter 18,
we are confronted
immediately
with a major problem.
The tribe of Dan,
which is one of the 12 tribes
of Israel,
it turns out,
actually have no territory.
They do not have
the land
that they need
and that raises
the question of why not.
Well, that,
to understand,
would take us
all the way
back to chapter 1.
You might remember
back in chapter 1,
we heard the story
of how the different tribes
were coming in
and taking the territory
that belonged to them.
And yet,
part of the warning
at the very beginning
of the book of Judges,
part of the foreshadowing
was that we saw
that they were not
actually able
to take the land
that God had given them.
You may also remember
one commentator said this,
that they said
we could not take the land
and God in chapter 1
basically says,
no,
you would not
take the land.
You were not faithful.
You did not believe
the promises
that I gave to you.
And so this failure
that we encounter
right here at the beginning
is this lack
of faith and obedience.
The lack of obedience
from the tribe of Dan
is catching up with them.
In fact,
there's a problem
that's not explicit
in the passage
but that we know
from geography
which is that
they are squeezed in.
The tribe of Dan
does not have
what they need
in terms of land
to grow crops,
to sustain themselves,
and to feed themselves.
And so their disobedience
has really,
in a sense,
put them into a corner.
They don't have the land
they actually need
to survive.
And so that,
rather than obedience
and faith
and trust in God,
is what's pushing them
to finally do
what they should have done
a long time ago.
It makes sense then
that this is the land
that they take.
We're told in verse 10,
it is a place
where there is no lack
of anything
that is in the earth.
So they're living,
not enough land,
not the right land.
Suddenly they find
the spies
that go out
the greatest land.
Now we're getting
ahead of ourselves here though.
This story breaks up
into several parts
and the first couple parts
are these two expeditions.
The first expedition
is the expedition
of five men
who are meant to spy.
And then after that
there's an expedition
of 600 men
who are meant to capture.
And so we find first
the spying expedition
in verse 2.
These five men
are sent out
and what is it
that they discover
very quickly?
Well in verse 4
they run across
our character
that we met
in the last chapter,
Micah.
And you may remember
I told you
Micah was looking
for work.
He had a LinkedIn profile.
He had changed
his profile picture
and it said
open to work
because he wanted
everyone to make sure
that they knew
that he was a Levite
and he was ready
to serve
in whatever way possible.
Of course that's
what he's excited
to tell them.
He shares with them
in verse 4
how good this is.
This is how Micah
dealt with me.
He has hired me
and I have become
a priest.
In other words
wow look at me guys
I got the job
I have the income
I made the deal.
Notice what Micah
doesn't say.
He doesn't say
wow I am so grateful
that God has given me
this position
so I can serve him
and teach people his ways.
Now we already know
from last chapter
Micah is not really
that interested
in teaching people
God's ways.
He's someone
who has figured out
how to use
religious service
simply for
an income.
That's a foreshadowing
in and of itself
of what's going to happen
to Micah next.
If he's interested
in one good job
will he not
of course
be interested
in an even better job?
And that's what's
going to be
offered to him.
Knowing that he's
a Levite
of course they want
a word from the Lord
verses 5 and 6
to know if their journey
is going to be successful.
And this is actually
one of the stranger
parts of this passage.
We don't hear
that Micah actually
inquires of the Lord.
There's no indication
that this is a true word
that he gives them.
Even more than that
it's extremely ambiguous.
Look with me
at verse 6.
He says
the journey
on which you go
is under the eye
of the Lord.
Which means what?
I don't know.
Yeah, God's aware
of your journey.
It's under his eye.
It could be good.
It could be bad.
I don't know.
He's in a sense
a wise false teacher.
He gives them
something that could
go in multiple directions.
These men though
looking for God's favor
hear exactly
what they want
to hear.
So they go out.
They spy out the land.
Verses 7 through 10
they see,
hey, this is a place
that is ripe
for the picking.
It's a good land
and it's an unsuspecting land.
Remember later
it says they took it
because they were
so far away
from the Sidonians.
They had no communication
with anyone.
They didn't have
the allies they needed.
And so the spying expedition
goes extremely well.
We move quickly
to the conquering expedition
verses 11 through 20
but things very quickly
get pretty strange.
Verse 14,
we see the scouts
who have gone ahead
decide to give
the 600 men
sort of this
inside scoop.
They tell them,
hey, we met this guy
named Micah
and they say this.
This is verse 14.
Do you know
that in these houses
there are an ephod,
household gods,
a carved image,
and a metal image?
Now therefore,
consider what you will do.
In other words,
hey guys,
we just want to make sure
you know
there's some great things
in this house.
I'm not going to tell you
what to do with that.
You do what you want.
What do we find out
right away?
The 600 men
make a show of force
outside of the house
and they go ahead,
they steal the idols
and they take Micah
as well.
In fact,
in verses 16 and 17 here,
this is simply that.
It's a show of force.
The 600 men,
they don't have to do
any fighting.
They just stand by
the entrance of the house
so that Micah
and his people know
there is no point
in pushing back.
This battle is over
before it's begun.
With the 600 men outside,
the five men
who are the scouts
go in,
they plunder the house,
they get what they want.
Micah should here
be providing
some sort of protection.
We're moving forward
to verses 18 through 20.
But instead,
they tell him,
hey,
keep your mouth shut.
Verse 4,
he's told them,
wow,
I have a job.
Isn't this great?
Verse 19,
they say,
wow,
you know what?
We'll give you
a better job.
Is it better for you
to be a priest
to the house
of one man
or to be a priest
to a tribe
and a clan
in Israel?
And how does Micah respond?
Does he say,
no,
I have to remain
faithful to God
and his ways.
Don't you realize
you're breaking
the eighth commandment?
You're stealing things
you shouldn't steal.
Don't you realize
God's blessing
may not be with you
because you haven't
obeyed him?
No,
that's not Micah's word.
Verse 20,
and the priest's
heart was glad.
Micah has the promotion
he wants.
His influence,
his power,
perhaps his compensation
are going up.
Then Micah decides
he's going to chase them down.
This is verses 21 through 26.
He quickly realizes
he's outgunned
and overpowered,
so he heads home.
Conquering expedition,
they roll in
to Laish,
they find that
it's unprotected,
they conquer it,
they wreck it.
Very end,
we have this sad note,
verse 31.
They set up
a rival worship site
to God's true
worship site
at Shiloh.
So what do we do?
What does the author
of Judges
want us to understand
from chapter 18
as we think about
Micah's story,
his setting up
of the idols,
his hiring of the Levite,
and then his losing
of him?
Some of it,
we see a similar theme
to last week.
Remember last week,
we talked about the fact
that they were full
of religious show
and they had no
religious substance.
And we see that
all over again
as the story continues here.
They care about
having a Levite,
right?
Just like Micah did.
The men of Dan
want the same thing.
They don't care about
the fact that maybe
they're stealing
a lot of things
and doing some
underhanded business
to get there.
They want to know
that God is with them.
It's important to them
that the Levite
gives them this word
of success
on the one hand.
On the other hand,
they really don't care
about how crazy
the stuff they're doing is.
Right?
Religious show,
no religious substance.
They end up doing
what God says
he hates
in the name
of worshiping God
and honoring God.
Following after God
on the one hand,
supposedly setting up
a rival worship site
on the other hand.
Of course,
sad here,
the Levite
obviously cares
about money
and prestige.
He cares not at all
for God's honor
and his glory.
No,
he's available
to the highest bidder.
Whoever pays him
gets his services.
And so that's
a repetition
in a sense
a continuation
of the theme
from last week.
What's new
about this week
is this,
Micah's idolatry
finally comes
home to roost.
The stupidity
of the creation
of these idols,
the fact that he made
this carved image
and the metal image,
he has the ephod,
the household gods
in the shrine,
the consequences
of that
finally come out
to bear.
He gets to face
the music
of what he's done.
And just for a sake
of review,
we've seen this quote
before,
but I'm going to invite
you to look at page
eight of your worship guide.
As we talk about idolatry,
we're talking about
this larger concept
of what it is
that we worship
and love.
And we're told this
as a definition.
Idolatry is loving
anything more
than Jesus Christ.
Idolatry is treating
anything as more
important than Jesus Christ
for your meaning
in life,
for your happiness,
for your security
and hope,
or for your self-regard.
Idolatry is looking
to good things
as great things.
It's taking
something that's good
and saying,
I want this to give me
something that God alone
can provide.
I want this thing,
in this case,
Micah wants the idols
to give him the security
and success
that only God
can bless him with.
And so we come
to the most perhaps
devastating statement
in this entire chapter.
And this perhaps
is the key
to chapter 18.
And it's in verse 24.
Micah has his idols
stolen from him
and he says this,
You take my gods
that I made
and the priest
and go away
and what have I left?
In other words,
this was what was
most important to me.
This was where
I had placed
all my trust
and confidence.
You take this,
I have nothing left.
And it's his own words
that reveal
how tragic this is
because before he says that,
he already admits,
my gods
that I made.
of course
they're powerless,
right?
Of course
they can't deliver him.
Of course
they can't provide
hope and security.
They didn't make him,
he made them.
So the point
of chapter 18
is very simple
and it's this.
Idols
will always
break
your heart.
Idols
will always
disappoint.
They will
never
deliver
on their promises.
What are
these gods
supposed to do?
They're supposed
to protect Micah.
What ends up
happening?
He is
totally
plundered,
right?
They cannot
do
what they
promise
to do.
Idols
may not
break
your heart
today,
right?
We didn't
see them
breaking Micah's
heart in
chapter 17.
Give it
enough time
and they
will.
Play
the timeline
out
long enough
and your
idols
will
leave you
high
and dry.
Idols
will always
break
your heart.
It's not
just that
Micah has
lost
what's
most
valuable
to him.
It's
that he
finally
realizes
what is
most
valuable
to him
is
completely
weak
and
powerless.
And so
there's a
sense here
in which
the punishment
fits the
crime.
Micah
steals
from his
mom.
Remember
last chapter?
What happens?
Those very
same things
are stolen
from him.
Micah
steals
from mom.
Dan
steals
from Micah
no
honor
among
thieves.
Idolatry
works like
this.
If you
live by
the sword
you'll
die by
the sword.
If you
live
for money
you'll
die by
money.
If you
live
for romance
you will
be
devastated
by romance.
If you
value
power
above
all
else
you will
be
crushed
by
power.
If you
pursue
comfort
more
than
anything
else
you
will
find
yourself
extremely
uncomfortable.
Maybe
not
today
but
eventually
it
will
come
back.
not
saying
that we
shut
ourselves
off
to
those
things
money
and
romance
and
power
have
their
place
and
their
value
in
life
and
we
keep
them
in
the
right
place.
We
maintain
the
right
perspective.
We
know
these
are
not
the
things
that
will
save
us
and
rescue
us.
We
see
in
this
chapter
why
it
is
that
we
flee
away
from
idols.
It's
not
because
God
is
a
kill
joy.
It's
not
because
he
hates
for
his
people
to
have
fun.
It's
not
because
he
doesn't
want
them
to
enjoy
the
good
things
that
he's
brought
into
his
creation.
It
is
this.
We
flee
away
from
idols
because
that
protects
us
from
great
danger.
it
is
God
who
will
not
break
our
hearts.
You'll
see this
on
verse
9
of
your
worship
guide
summarizing
the
warning
and the
danger
of
idols
and it
says
this
ultimately
we
pay
the
cost
of
putting
ultimate
trust
in
what
can
never
deliver
ultimate
security.
Ultimately
it seems
we never
learn
that
false
gods
never
fail
to
fail.
That
is
the
only
thing
about
a
false
god
that
you
can
depend
on.
False
gods
fail
that
is
their
only
truth.
Do you
want
life?
Worship
of the
true
God
is
the
only
safe
worship.
hope
in
the
true
God
is
the
only
hope
that
will
not
disappoint.
Security
in
the
true
God
is
the
only
one
that
will
not
fail.
Idols
will
always
break
your
heart.
I told
you that
there's
a key
verse
here in
verse
24.
there's
another
final
gut
punch
we get
here at
the
very
end.
You
may have
noticed
that
last
chapter,
chapter
17,
we were
told that
Micah had
a name.
It was
Micah.
We were
not told
the name
of the
Levite.
And the
author of
Judges
strategically
saves it
here for
the very
end of
the story.
Verse
30.
Who is
this
unfaithful
Levite?
Who is
this man
who cares
about money
and power
and influence
more than
anything else?
This is
Moses'
grandson.
the
grandson
of one
of the
greatest
leaders
of God's
people.
And so
what the
author is
telling us
is this,
this is
how far
Israel
has fallen.
This is
how bad
things actually
are.
even
Moses'
grandson
has
given
in.
Even
he
has
abandoned
God's
ways.
And the
point of
all of
this is
not to
make us
discouraged
or pushed
down.
No,
it's to
drive us
to what
we saw
in verse
one.
In
those
days,
there
was no
king
in
Israel.
In
case
there
is
any
doubt,
what the
author is
trying to
tell us
is this,
Israel
needs
rescue.
And that
rescue
will not
come from
a man.
It wasn't
going to
come from
Samson.
It will
not come
from the
descendants
of Moses.
No,
Israel
needs
someone
even
greater
and more
powerful.
We might
say that
Israel
needs
a faithful
and true
king.
Israel
needs a
king who
can do
what no
human can
do,
which is
to change
the hearts
of men.
And so
once again,
judges
is pointing
us forward,
right?
This is
something that
Solomon and
David will
not be
able to
do.
What
Israel
needs is
not a
earthly
king,
but a
divine
king.
Micah
has to
look to
something
beyond
idols for
security
and blessing.
And as
we now
know the
end of
the story,
we know
that Jesus
is the
true and
greater
king.
we know
that he
is the
one and
the only
one who
can rescue
a people
that have
fallen
this far.
Last week,
we talked
about Jesus
as the
true king
who rules
by his
spirit,
right?
As he's
ascended to
the right
hand of
God the
Father,
that he's
the one
who's able
to change
the hearts
of his
people in
a way
the judges
never
could.
This
week,
we see
Jesus
is the
true king
who can
provide
what idols
can only
promise.
Jesus
is the
one who
gives his
people the
security
that they
long for.
Idols
can arouse
and entice
they can
never
fulfill.
And why
is it that
we look
to Jesus
as the
one who
gives us
those
ultimate
things?
Jim already
read it for
us this
morning.
It's on
page three
of your
worship guide.
Jesus
makes this
promise in
Matthew
chapter six
as he's
preaching the
sermon on
the mount.
He says,
therefore,
do not be
anxious.
This is
verse 31,
saying,
what shall
we eat
or what
shall we
drink
or what
shall we
wear?
For the
Gentiles,
in other
words,
the idolaters,
those who
worship carved
images and
metal images,
seek after
these things
and your
heavenly
father knows
that you
need them
all.
idols can
arouse and
entice,
they cannot
fulfill.
Jesus says
here,
I will
provide.
Look at the
birds of the
air,
they neither
sow nor
reap nor
gather into
barns,
and yet your
heavenly father
feeds them.
Are you not
of more
value than
they?
My hope
is the
true hope.
My security,
the true
security,
my provision,
the true
provision.
look to
me,
not to
what you've
made with
your hands.
And how do
we know that
Jesus' promise
to us is
true?
How do we
trust his
words here in
Matthew chapter
six?
We trust them
because we have
an even greater
promise that has
been kept.
We trust them
because we look
and we see that
Jesus came and
lived the perfect
life that we
should have
lived.
He came and
died the death
that we should
have died as a
punishment for
our sins.
He kept his
promise to
his people.
And as I've
told you many
times before,
Romans chapter
eight,
verses 31 and
32 tell us,
hey, look,
he who gave
you his own
son, will
he not also
with him give
you all
things?
If he gave
you the great
thing, will
he not give
you the small
things?
You don't need
to look to
idols.
you can look
to him.
He's given
you ultimate
things and
give you all
things.
So we trust
him, we
follow him
above and
beyond everything
else.
Let's pray.
Our Father in
heaven, we do
praise you and
thank you
that by being
anxious, we
can't add a
single hour to
our life.
You care for
us and protect
us.
You give
what idols
can only
promise.
We ask that
you would
remind us of
that this
morning, that
you would
stir it up in
our hearts, that
we would believe
it more and
more, that we
would look to
you and you
alone as our
hope, our
comfort, our
protection, our
provision.
We ask all of
these things in
the mighty name
of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I invite you to
stand for our
closing hymn.