Today’s reading is from Judges 15 – 1 Samuel 2
Let me just say that I absolutely love the book of Ruth. One of my favorite passages of all time is Ruth 1:16-17.
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
Ruth’s devotion to her vow is no less than awe inspiring!
Now, for today’s SOAP…
Scripture Judges 17:10-13
Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food.” So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man was to him like one of his sons. Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. And Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”
Observation
Micah paid the priest to live with him and tell him what his itching ears wanted to hear. In Judges 17:7, the Levite was described as young and in Judges 17:9 he said he was looking for a place to stay. One has to wonder why a young Levite was out looking for a place to lodge. Had he become bored with his temple duties?
Whatever the reason may be for his wandering, the Levite willingly took Micah’s offer of residence, clothing, and silver shekels. Then he willingly lived in a home with idols. Certainly, he was not communing daily with the Lord. He knew the Law, and yet he broke it. It was the priests and Levites who were supposed to know and teach the law, and exhort Israel to follow it.
And because the Levite readily agreed, Micah foolishly believed that the Lord must be pleased with him. Micah said, “Now I know…” and yet, he knew nothing at all.
What a grave disservice the Levite did to Micah.
Application
How many times do we step into sin because we are bored? We know what is right, but because we have nothing better to do, we push past the line that separates right from wrong. How many people are caused to stumble because of it? Because they say, “So and so does it, and they are a Christian…” As the old saying goes, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”
Prayer
Lord, forgive me if I have caused anyone else to stumble. Help me to be diligent to serve you. Help me to put my hands to work and my heart to You, that I may avoid idleness. In Jesus name, Amen.
When are you most tempted to sin, when you are busy or bored?
