God’s “Rubber Stamp” / Did God “Sign Off” on That?

Sept. 28

Read: Judges 17:7-13

God’s “Rubber Stamp” / Did God “Sign Off” on That?

“And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” (v.10)

We do not wield God’s “rubber stamp” of approval. Nothing is more dangerous than doing what is “right in your own eyes” and then convincing yourself it is approved and condoned by God. This propensity to deceive ourselves is deep within us. We see this played out in the life of Micah. Micah and his family are true “God fearers”. We have no reason to believe that they do not have good intentions to pursue the God of Israel. Yet, Micah misses the mark… his motives and thinking are flawed - and displayed in what he says and does. Micah deeply longs for purpose / direction, love and acceptance, and prosperity. (Don’t we all?) This in and by itself is not wrong. The problem is that Micah thinks he can co-opt God to use him to work these things out on Micah’s terms - ignoring the truth and genuine relationship with God that is available to him.

Oftentimes we desperately seek direction, love and acceptance from people who cannot truly give it. Look at how Micah wants this Levite - who is younger than him - to “be to me a FATHER and a priest.” Micah was chasing a “father” and in the process was actually neglecting his HEAVENLY FATHER. When we are desperate for direction, who do we turn to? Both the Levite and Micah ignore the instructions of God in this process. A Levite is not to live the way that Micah describes. A Levite priest is to trust GOD for his provision - not be hired by a man to live in his house and act like his “father and priest”. (cf. Lev. 21) The Levite is taking matters into his own hands as much as Micah is! It is quite interesting to see how Micah embraces this Levite man “and the young man became to him like one of his sons.” (v.11)

Notice how it says that: “Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest…” (v.12) Is Micah in a position to “ordain a Levite” to be a priest? NO. God is the one who “ordained” Levites into priesthood. God is the one who sets apart for ministry and service. Micah wanted things his way, and thought that he could “ordain” someone to do things his way… to do what HE wanted to do… the WAY he wanted to do it… despite it being different from how God had set up and described.

The most dangerous part comes in Micah’s summary. Look at his final response: “Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.” (v.13) Micah had made graven images, set up his own shrine, set up “household gods”, ignored God’s instructions on how to pursue him, and tried to “ordain” two different people (his son, and a Levite) to serve as his personal / in house priests to do what he wanted to do. This is very much in conflict with the ten commandments and how God has instructed his people to worship him.(cf. Exodus 20:2-17, Lev. 21) Yet Micah thinks that God is now signing off and affirming all this. This was motivated - as Micah himself declares - by his desire for prosperity and influence. These things are not wrong to long for when they are rooted in trusting God for their provision and direction.

In the end, Micah was not seeking his direction from God. Micah was doing it his own way. Micah was trying to pretend that God was signing off on his actions. Micah looked good on the outside… like he was doing good and “spiritual” things...but he was misled. This is the danger WE must avoid as well. It is so common for those who are caught up in their OWN plans / taking matters into their own hands to take ANY act of providence as a “sign from God” and deceive themselves into “ordaining” THEIR plans as “God’s”. Micah sees this Levite as a sign that God is condoning his actions. He thinks that having a Levite is like a good luck charm… a talisman… an affirmation from God that Micah’s actions are right. Why is this so dangerous? Because it encourages Micah to keep on going in his own strength… and prolongs this wasted time before the Lord breaks him down and foils his plans.

I read an interesting quote from Abraham Lincoln this week. When asked by a reporter if he thought God was on his side, he responded: “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side…” What a subtle shift and an eloquent response. Instead of making plans and asking God to “join OUR side”, what if we started asking ourselves if we were on God’s side! He is the heavenly father we long for. He is the one who leads us. He is the one who prospers us - in his timing - and he does it because he loves us… not because of our plans (or “shrines, or graven images, or self - ordained ‘priests’). Stop trying to get God to “sign off” on YOUR plans. Ask him to open your eyes to the ways you have been like Micah.Start seeking HIS plans for you. Never underestimate your ability to misunderstand and try to make something like the proverbial “Levite showing up” mean that God has “rubber stamped” what you are doing and now you can just keep on going and doing what you want! Life in Christ is life dependent on the Heavenly Father - a daily asking him of what HE wants you to say and do. Love you guys! - JDP