Bigger or Better?

19 They answered him, “Be quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” 20 The priest was very pleased. He took the ephod, the household gods and the idol and went along with the people.
Judges 18:19-20

In 2006, Kyle MacDonald went viral when he documented how, through the game “Bigger or Better”, he was able to he received a two-story farmhouse house starting from a single red paperclip. Although the game is very simple, all you do is trade an object for something that you deem is bigger or better, his story is remarkable by the fact that one single red paperclip resulted in a real two-story home in under 15 trades.

In the book of Judges, we come across a very interesting account of a Levite who is far from Judah and is serving as a personal priest for the house of Micah. This whole section highlights moral defection of God’s people as we read of a Levite who has left his duty in serving God, wandering around “to settle wherever he could find a place” (17:8), as well as the Israelites were creating “high places” within their very own homes. Generally, in the history of Israel we have seen that the high places were set up for the community to engage in idolatry, but in this account, we see just how far the people have turned from God. In vs 6 of chapter 17, we read how “in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted”. The point being made here is that the people of God were not simply following poor leaders into sin (we can even think of Samson), but that they were willingly and freely running to sin on their own.

It is ironic that Micah’s name translates to “Who is Yahweh(God)?”, which is rhetorical in response, “No One”. We would think surely the character Micah would understand this and not turn to idolatry, but we read that he has setup his very own shrine and sanctuary to worship a god of his own making. Worse, he employs a Levite, who should have been employed in the priestly service, to act as his own personal priest, and the Levite agrees! But the place that I want to focus on is a portion of today’s Bible reading (18:19-20). The Levite is working for Micah for 10 shekels and some clothing as his priest and is offered by the tribe of Dan a position to be the priest of an entire “tribe and clan in Israel”. They essentially offer him something that seems to be bigger or better. With all of his ambitions and this great opportunity presented before him, the Levite gladly accepts and pilfers the household idols of Micah.

The Levites were consecrated by God to be obedient to him and to minister before him in the tabernacle. They were to even serve as judges and teachers of Gods law to His people and to maintain purity in their lives. But rather than exhibiting humility, contentedness, and moral uprightness, we find this Levite looking to make a name for himself as opposed to glorifying the name of God. We are witnesses to the lack of spiritual leadership that is in the land. Similarly, we read the people of God acting in rebellion against God showing that they have no understanding of who Yahweh(God) is. In our lives, we face constant temptations and desires that compete for lordship over our lives. My prayer is that we will not fall into those temptations, but resist them, and keep the Lord as lord over our lives. Because truly there is nothing bigger or better than He.

Grace and Peace,

Alex Galvez

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