Judges 18:5
And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The Danites, facing a significant journey, ask the Levite to "inquire of God," showing a disturbing willingness to seek divine guidance for their potentially illicit mission. This isn't just seeking direction; it highlights how even during a time of religious decline, people still craved God's blessing, even on paths that might not be right.
A detachment of Danite warriors, seeking a new homeland, has arrived at the home of a man named Micah where they discover a Levite serving as a priest for his private shrine. The Danites, impressed by the Levite's priestly equipment, ask him to inquire of God if their mission to find a settlement will be successful. This encounter takes place within the chaotic period of the Judges, where religious and moral standards were extremely low across Israel, leading individuals and tribes to pursue their own interests without regard for God's law.
When the people of God stray from His commands, even their sincere desires to know His will can become entangled with corrupt practices. How did the Danites twist a sacred act?
The tribe of Dan was on a mission to find new land, and they needed guidance. They approached a Levite named Jonathan, who had set up a private shrine with an ephod and idols. Instead of reproaching him for his irregular and idolatrous practice, they eagerly asked him to 'inquire of God' for them.
This shows a deep spiritual decline. They weren't seeking God through the proper channels established by the Law (like the High Priest at the Tabernacle). Instead, they were using a man who was acting outside his designated role and using questionable religious artifacts. Even though they used the name of God ('Elohim'), their method was flawed and bordering on idolatry, highlighting how easily God's people can compromise and seek Him through means He hasn't ordained.
A Levite, meant to serve God, finds himself in a private shrine surrounded by idols. What does this reveal about his own spiritual state and the times?
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This Levite, Jonathan (a descendant of Moses, ironically), had left his appointed duties and was working for Micah, serving as a priest in a private, idolatrous shrine. The people of Dan didn't question this arrangement; they simply saw him as someone who could inquire of God.
This highlights the 'no king in Israel' problem mentioned in the preceding chapters. When there's a lack of clear spiritual leadership and accountability, individuals can easily stray. The Levite, instead of upholding the purity of worship, participates in a corrupted system for personal gain (lodging, food, and eventually a better position). His willingness to 'inquire of God' through Micah's unauthorized setup shows a profound compromise, where his service to God was secondary to his own comfort and status.
Understand the original words
sha'al elohim · Hebrew Verb
To seek counsel, direction, or revelation from the Lord; it implies a humble dependence upon God for guidance regarding one's future or decisions.
This verse reflects a time of significant religious compromise and a breakdown of proper worship. The Danites, desperate for guidance, turn to a Levite priest serving a private, possibly idolatrous, shrine, highlighting the widespread spiritual disorder in Israel during the period of the Judges.
c. 13th century BC
Israelites Begin Settling Canaan
Following Joshua's conquest, the tribes of Israel began to settle in the land of Canaan, but many areas remained unconquered, leading to ongoing conflict and displacement.
Early period of the Judges
Tribal Disunity and Lack of Central Authority
There was no central governing body or king in Israel, leading to widespread moral and religious decline, where individuals often did what was right in their own eyes.
Early period of the Judges
Micah Establishes a Private Shrine
Micah, from the hill country of Ephraim, created a private shrine with idols, an ephod, and teraphim, appointing a Levite to serve as his priest for a fee.
Early period of the Judges
Levite Priesthood Corrupted
Levites, who should have been devoted to serving God at the tabernacle, often wandered and took jobs in private shrines, even those with idolatrous practices, for a livelihood.
Early period of the Judges— this verse
The Tribe of Dan Seeks New Territory
The tribe of Dan, facing pressure from surrounding peoples and lacking a secure inheritance, sent spies to find new land to settle.
Early period of the Judges
Danites Encounter Micah's Shrine
The spies from Dan, while on their mission, discovered Micah's shrine and the Levite priest, prompting them to inquire about the success of their journey.
This passage shows someone using an ephod to inquire of God, similar to how the Levite in Judges 18 was asked to do, highlighting the practice of seeking divine guidance through specific religious artifacts.
1 Kings 22:5-8Here, King Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the Lord to inquire of Him, but is instead presented with many prophets who all give a similar, misleading answer, contrasting with the direct inquiry made in Judges 18 and showing the unreliability of some prophetic consultations.
Hosea 4:12This verse condemns seeking guidance from 'wood' and 'staffs,' directly criticizing the kind of divination and reliance on objects for divine counsel that the Danites were engaging in with the Levite and his ephod.
Isaiah 30:1-2The prophet here rebukes those who make plans without consulting God and who seek to be covered by the shadow of Egypt for safety, paralleling the Danites' unilateral decision to seek a new land and their reliance on a flawed oracle.
clarkeJudges 18:5: "And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."
Ask counsel - of God - As the Danites use the word אלהים Elohim here for God, we are necessarily led to believe that they meant the true God; especially as the Levite answers, Judges 18:6 , Before the Lord (יהוה Yehovah) is your way. Though the former word may be sometimes applied to idols, whom their votaries clothed with the attributes of God; yet the l…
ellicottJudges 18:5: "And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."
(5) Ask counsel . . . of God. —Doubtless Jonathan showed them the glittering ephod. There were no prophets of whom to inquire, as in 1Kings 22:5 ; but their unauthorised inquiry was liable to the strong censure expressed in Isaiah 30:1 , Hosea 4:12 . They might have at least consulted the high priest Phinehas, or some other national representative.
The Danites, facing a significant journey, ask the Levite to "inquire of God," showing a disturbing willingness to seek divine guidance for their potentially illicit mission. This isn't just seeking direction; it highlights how even during a time of religious decline, people still craved God's blessing, even on paths that might not be right.
A detachment of Danite warriors, seeking a new homeland, has arrived at the home of a man named Micah where they discover a Levite serving as a priest for his private shrine. The Danites, impressed by the Levite's priestly equipment, ask him to inquire of God if their mission to find a settlement will be successful. This encounter takes place within the chaotic period of the Judges, where religious and moral standards were extremely low across Israel, leading individuals and tribes to pursue their own interests without regard for God's law.
A detachment of Danite warriors, seeking a new homeland, has arrived at the home of a man named Micah where they discover a Levite serving as a priest for his private shrine. The Danites, impressed by the Levite's priestly equipment, ask him to inquire of God if their mission to find a settlement will be successful. This encounter takes place within the chaotic period of the Judges, where religious and moral standards were extremely low across Israel, leading individuals and tribes to pursue their own interests without regard for God's law.
"And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.”" — The Danites, facing a significant journey, ask the Levite to "inquire of God," showing a disturbing willingness to seek divine guidance for their potentially illicit mission. This isn't just seeking…
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