Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: As Yet

Superstition, Luck, and Idolatry

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2023-11-19

Synopsis: John Weaver examines Judges 17–18 to expose superstition, luck, and idolatry as demonic doctrines that replace trust in God's sovereignty. He shows how Micah's household worship, the Levite's self-serving priesthood, and the Danites' theft mirror modern religious practices that treat God, the Bible, and church as good-luck charms. The sermon calls believers to reject all forms of idolatry and worship God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

[John Weaver] So let's open our Bibles today, if you would, to the book of Judges chapter 17. Judges 17. We're going to read the first six verses, but actually the message is going to be dealing with chapter 17 and 18. The title of the message is Superstition, Luck and Idolatry. Superstition, Luck and Idolatry. So look in Judges 17. beginning there with verse one. And there was a man of Mount Ephraim whose name was Micah, and he said into his mother, the eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursest and spakest also of in mine ears. Behold, the silver is with me. I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou, the Lord, my son. And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, His mother said, I have wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image. Now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money to his mother, and his mother took 200 shekels of silver and gave them to the founder who made thereof a graven image and a molten image.

[John Weaver] And they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a house of gods. and made an ephod and a teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons to become his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." So let me again begin by asking a question. Are you superstitious? Do you believe in luck, chance, fate, or fortune?

[John Weaver] Many professing Christians have not realized that all such It's nothing less than idolatry. Let me show you. I want you to hold Judges 17, but look in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 17. The book of Acts, chapter 17. And look, if you would, at verses 22 and 23. The apostle Paul is on Mars Hill, and look what he says to these Athenians. Acts 17, verse 22. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious.

[John Weaver] For I passed by and beheld your devotions. I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.

[John Weaver] Now, interestingly, the Greek word for superstition is almost impossible to pronounce. It is the word, δεσαιδόμεν νεσταρός. And it literally means a reverencing of the gods. It means to be pious and religious. So, literally, what the Apostle Paul told these Athenians was that they were too religious or too superstitious in a bad sense. They worshipped so many false gods Just in case they may have left one out, ignorantly, they then had an altar to the unknown God. And the truth is, that is the God that the average professing Christian worships today. He worships the unknown God. He worships the God of his own imagination, the God of his own education, instead of the God that has revealed himself in the Bible through the Lord Jesus Christ. So I will hasten to say this, the only God that exists is the God of the Bible. The only God that exists is not only the God of the Bible, He's the God who's revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. All others are false gods. Now, the interesting thing about the Greek word for superstitious is it's made up of two Greek words, and the first word is delos, which actually refers to what you and I would call fearfulness.

[John Weaver] or timidity. It means to be fearful. It means to be timid. The second part of that word is actually daimon, from which you see in the Bible the word demons or devils. So literally, according to Acts chapter 17, a superstitious person is one that is fearful of devils and demons, hence he does uncommon and senseless things. Years ago, I read about one man speaking with another man. He asked him, was he superstitious?

[John Weaver] He said, of course not. Well, the first man asked, well, what would you do if a black cat crossed your path? What? He said, I'd just throw salt over my left shoulder and keep walking. Well, obviously he was superstitious. And the truth of the matter is, a lot of people today are superstitious. I hope there are two passages that have come to your mind when I'm discussing what the word superstitious actually means.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 10 and then 1 Timothy 4. So if you look in 1 Corinthians 10, notice if you would, verses 20 and 21. 1 Corinthians 10, verses 20 and 21. The Apostle Paul says it like this.

[John Weaver] But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, or the unsaved, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should have fellowship with devils or demons. You cannot drink a cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partaker of the Lord's table and of the table of devils. So he's basically saying that those who are ignorant of the one true and the living God are doing nothing but worshiping demons and devils.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would turn right over to First Timothy, chapter four, and look at verse one, you might find another verse that would be very interesting, because here the scripture says this. Now, the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils or doctrines of demons. It may shock you to find out that there is a devilish doctrine.

[John Weaver] In fact, the Greek word is didaskalia, which literally refers to teaching. It refers to that which is taught instruction. It is doctrine. So the scripture is telling us that there is indeed a devilish or demonic doctrine that's contrary to the word of God. With that in mind, before I get to Judges 17, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18, and look what God says to His people. Deuteronomy chapter 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 10. Deuteronomy 18 and verse 10. God says,"...there shall not be found among you anyone that make you this son or daughter to pass through the fire that would be dedicating or offering his child for sacrifice to Moloch.

[John Weaver] So there's not going to be anything like that, he said, or that uses divination. Or that or an observer of times or an enchanter or a witch or charmer. or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. Know what a necromancer is? The Greek word nekros means dead. A necromancer is someone who talks to the dead, or at least says they do. A necrotic tissue is dead tissue. Necrophilia means someone who is in love with the dead or loves the dead. So here's the necromancer. God says they're not to be among you.

[John Weaver] Now look at verse 12. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God, for these nations which thou shalt possess hearken unto observers of times and unto diviners, but as for thee, The Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do." Isn't that amazing? The only reason we're not in idolatry and wickedness like that is God has certainly not allowed it.

[John Weaver] Now, when you think of all of this, I want you to put together the fact horoscopes, charms, the planets, the stars, the animals, all of these things are mere superstitions. They do not define our lives. They do not determine our lives. They do not determine our actions. So let me say this again very plainly. There is no such thing as luck, chance, fate, or fortune in a world that's ruled by God. God is absolutely sovereign, and the only thing that comes to pass in time is God's sovereign decree, which He determined before the world ever began. So when you come along and you say, well, the stars in their courses determine how I act. No, they do not. If you say, well, I'll do like the king of Assyria and I'll kill an animal and I'll look into the liver and see what the liver says. That is all hogwash. That is all idolatry. If there is anything outside of God, if there's anything over which God does not have control, then God is not God.

[John Weaver] That thing outside of God over which he has no control would be God himself. So just put her down. God is absolutely sovereign. And when you start talking about luck, chance, fate, fortune, you're talking about things that really and truly do not exist. By the way, Fortunatus was a Greek goddess. We're not talking about fortune. We're not talking about fate. We're not talking about luck. We're not talking about chance. We're talking about the providence of God.

[John Weaver] Now, when you look in Judges chapter 17 and 18, to me, in one sense of the word, these two chapters. Are exceedingly comical and funny. Another in another sense of the word, these two chapters are exceedingly sad and serious. They are comical and funny because of the stupidity and the senselessness of the actors, and sad and serious because of the consequences of the actors. So, Judges chapter 17 then begins with a theft. It is an unusual theft.

[John Weaver] Here is a son that has stolen 1100 shekels of silver from his own mother. And so he comes to her and confesses. And he says, look, the 1,100 shekels is with me. I took them.

[John Weaver] Now, you have to ask, what made him confess? Hmm, that's an interesting thing. Since this message deals with superstition, luck, and idolatry, if you look in Judges 17 in verse 2, And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursest, and spakest also in mine ears, Behold the silvers with me I took it. So she had placed a curse. upon anyone who had taken that silver. And since we're dealing with idolatry and superstition, which you will find out in this chapter, in all probability, that prompted him to confess and say, I've taken this money. I've taken it. And of course, she says, Blessed be thou the Lord, my son. Now, we should look in verses three and four, because the mother now makes an astounding confession. Look at it in verse three. And when he restored the 1100 shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image.

[John Weaver] Now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money into his mother and his mother took 200 shekels of silver and gave them to the founder and made thereof a graven image and a molten image. And they were in the house of Micah.

[John Weaver] Now, here's the interesting thing. If you look in verse three, she said, I'd wholly dedicated silver unto the Lord. You'll notice the word Lord is in all caps. Anytime you see in our Bibles, the word Lord in all caps, it is the sacred personal name of God, Yahweh, which is translated as Jehovah or Jehovah in our Bibles. So she knew the personal sacred name of God. And then in the same breath, she said, I've taken this silver that was dedicated to him to make a graven image and a molten image, which was absolutely contrary to God and contrary to his word.

[John Weaver] So if you would turn back very quickly, to the book of Exodus chapter 20. You will see this in verses 3 through 6. Look what God said, and it's exceedingly plain in Exodus chapter 20, beginning there with verse 3. Look what God says. God says, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Now watch it. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

[John Weaver] For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. So God says you're not to make any graven image of anything that's in heaven, anything that's in the earth, anything that's in the water. And yet, this is what she dedicated the money for, to do that which is absolutely contrary to God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to notice verse 6. I'm going to come back to verse 6. In those days there was no king in Israel. But every man did that which was right in his own eyes." That's basically the theme of this book. You'll find that same verse occurring again in Judges chapter 21 and verse 25. So here we go. Anytime we do things that are right in our own eyes, especially when it's contrary to Scripture, we are guilty of idolatry. We see this same contradiction in professing Christianity today.

[John Weaver] Look, if you would please, at the politicians. Look how many politicians always confess to be a Christian until they get in office, and then all of their legislation is contrary to Christ, contrary to the Bible, and contrary to Christianity in general. And then when you look around at the church, you see the same thing in the church. You see people who profess to be Christian who live their lives as if God had never spoken, as if God does not exist. And you go into the average church, and you don't really hear the Word of God proclaimed. You might hear some good program, or you might hear good music, or you might be entertained, but you don't really, truly hear the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look at verses 5 and 6, I'm going to hit it again, watch this, verse 5, and the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Now, I want you to note the Bible says that Micah had a house of gods. Well, the phrase may be interpreted in one of two ways. Number one, it could be interpreted so as to mean that Micah was a polytheist. He believed in many gods. Not just the one true in the living God, but many gods. Secondly, I read some scholars who try to say, well, what this verse really means is that he had a house for God. Well, if he did, he's still an idolater because now he has a house that is in contradiction to the tabernacle. In other words, he's got a place where he's going to worship God in opposition to the tabernacle that God ordained.

[John Weaver] Moreover, the Bible tells us that he had an ephod. Now, an ephod was part of a priestly garment. In fact, it was a major part of the priestly garment. If he had an ephod, then probably he had everything necessary for a priest.

[John Weaver] Now, look what else he had. The Bible also says the man had a teraphim. Wow! A teraphim? What is a teraphim? Well, let me give you another scripture. You remember that passage in Genesis chapter 31 in verse 19, the Bible said in Laban went to shear his sheep and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. The word images is terrafim. Terrafim were images of household gods. And these gods were looked to for earthly prosperity and to be his oracles, that is, to tell them how to live and what to do. So we find Micah then had a house of gods. He had an ephod. He had a teraphim. And look in verse five again.

[John Weaver] And he consecrated one of his sons who became his priest. Now, Neither Micah or his son were Levites. And Micah did not have any authority to ordain his son to be a priest. In fact, if you remember, I just finished four messages on the foundations of rebellion. And the whole background was, remember, chapter 16, where Dathan, Abiram, and Korah all rebelled because they wanted the priesthood. And they were jealous of the fact that only Aaron and his family had the priesthood. And when you get to Abiram and on, these were sons of Reuben. They were not even Levites. Korah, at least, was a Levite. And so clearly now, what Micah is doing is an absolute contradiction to the law of God and to the Word of God.

[John Weaver] So, this is why it says, in those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Anytime we do that which we think is right, without consulting the Bible, or especially if it's in contradiction to the Bible, it is idolatry. So here's another thing that we could say. One can do a right thing in a wrong way and still be condemned.

[John Weaver] He may have been attempting to worship the one true of the living God, which I really doubt, although his mother knew the correct name of God. But anytime you try to worship God in a way which God has not ordained, it is idolatry, period.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at something to show you why I title this message Superstition, luck, and idolatry. Watch this. Skip down, if you would, to verse 7. Judges 17, verse 7. Look at this. And there was a young man out of Bethlehem, Judah, the family of Judah, who was a Levite. And he sojourned there. And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem, Judah, to sojourn where he could find a place.

[John Weaver] And he came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem, Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy vittles. So the Levite went in, and the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was made unto him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite, which he had no authority to do so. And the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah. Now, watch this. Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you, do you see anything wrong or anything wicked with this passage? First of all, As I pointed out, Micah did not have any authority to ordain anyone a priest. It is true that God had set the Levites aside. It is true that Moses and Aaron were Levites. But it is also true that God chose Aaron and his family to be priests and God ordained the Levites and God ordained the priesthood.

[John Weaver] Now, secondly, this Levite was a young man. And Micah ordained him, the Bible says, to be a father and a priest unto him. When you read what follows, the young man was in no position to be a father and reality a priest either. He certainly did not have fatherly wisdom. Thirdly, here's the kicker. If you look in verse 13, here's what Micah said. Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest. The Levite was his lucky rabbit's foot. The Levite was his four-leaf clover. The Levite was his charm. It was his good luck trophy. I know God is going to bless me because I've got this Levite. Do you realize modern-day Christians are just as guilty as Micah?

[John Weaver] Many view their Bibles as charms. They view church as charms. They view prayer as charms. What I mean by that is this. The average person, when they really, really want something from God, when they really, really need Him, they'll start reading their Bible. They'll go to church. They'll go to pray. And they'll keep praying, and then God answers, and guess what? When they get what they want, they quit praying, they quit studying their Bible, they quit going to church. What did they do? They just used God. He's just a tool.

[John Weaver] He was a good luck charm. That's all. And when they don't need Him, they can put Him back on the shelf like one of these false gods.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you how idolatrous Israel really was. Because there's another good illustration of this.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to turn in your Bibles, just over a few pages, to 1 Samuel chapter 4. 1 Samuel chapter 4. And watch this, beginning with verse 1. 1 Samuel chapter 4, verse 1. I'm sure that you can pick up on it, but watch this. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

[John Weaver] Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer, And the Philistines pitched an attack. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines. And they slew the army of the field, about 4,000 men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from Thith the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth reckoned again.

[John Weaver] And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! For there hath not been such a thing here before. Woe unto us!

[John Weaver] Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smoke the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not disturbance unto the Hebrews, as they have been unto you. Quit yourselves like men, and fight.' And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot men." Now, here's the thing.

[John Weaver] Look back at verse 4. So the people sent to Shiloh that they might bring from fence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims. What? Why did they? Why did they bring it? Well, look in verse three. Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh, it may save us.

[John Weaver] So what are they looking for? They're looking for the ark to save them. They're not looking for the God of the ark. In other words, the ark to them was a lucky rabbit's foot. It was just something to be used. They wanted, they wanted to have that ark to save them. It would not happen. They trusted in the ark instead of the God of the ark.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make a statement and I want you to listen carefully. Because the Levite that Micah has, turns out to be absolutely perfectly useless and worthless. So I want you to look in chapter 18 of the Book of Judges and let's read the first six verses. Look at this. In those days, there was no king in Israel. And in those days, the tribes of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in. For unto them that day all their heritage had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

[John Weaver] And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coast, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshaw, to spout the land and to go search it. And they said unto them, Go search the land from which they came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah and lodge there. Now watch. And when they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite.

[John Weaver] And they turned in thither and said unto him, Who wrought thee hither? Look at this, and what makest thou in this place? How much money do you make? And what hast thou here? And he said unto them, Thus and thus leaveth Micah with me, and he hath hired me, and I am his priest. 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. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace before the Lord is your way wherein you go.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop right there for a moment. So evidently, the Danites knew of this Levite. They've come to search out a land. In fact, they came to search out Laish because they wanted to conquer it. and have it for their own. And so they realize that here is a Levitical man who is a priest. And so they ask him. Would their mission be successful? I want you to look at verse six of his answer. And the priest said to them, go in peace before the Lord is your way where you go.

[John Weaver] Now, to demonstrate for you the absolute absurdity of the answer the priest gave, let me pose some questions and let's apply his answer. So here's a question. Should I marry this woman or should I marry this man? Here's the answer. Go in peace before the Lord is your way wherein you go. Hmm. How about this question? Should I go to Mexico? Go in peace before the Lord is your way when you go. How about this question?

[John Weaver] Should I never to be rich at the expense of others? Go in peace before the Lord is your way when you go. How about this question? Should I divorce my wife of 61 years and marry a younger woman? Go in peace before the Lord is your way. Where did you go? Do you see how ridiculous that answer is? In other words, once he gave that answer, you're free to place your own interpretation upon it.

[John Weaver] You can say this is what I want and thank God God agrees with me. Just let's go and do it. Wow. I mean, absolutely, totally worthless, because you could make that answer fit just about any question, and you could deduce whatever you wanted to deduce from that answer. Now, in spite of that answer, the Danites did discover that they could conquer the land. So look at verse 7.

[John Weaver] Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that was therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of Zidonians, quiet and secure, and there was no magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in anything. And they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. They were by themselves. And they came unto their brethren, to Zorah, to Eshtal, and to their brethren, and said, What say you?

[John Weaver] And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them. For we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And are you still? Be not slothful to go, and to enter into and possess the land. When you go, you shall come into a people secure, into a large land. For God hath given it into your hands, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth.

[John Weaver] And there went out from fence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtal, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. And they went up and pitched in Kirtut-Jerim, in Judah. Wherefore they called the place Mahanath-Dan unto this day. Behold, it is behind Kirtut-Jerim. And they passed then to the house of Micah, and came to the house of Micah." Now, watch this. They made it as far as Micah's house.

[John Weaver] Now look in verse 14, Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country, Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and a teraphim, and graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do. What does that question imply? Consider now, therefore, what you have to do. Well, it implies what you have to do is steal and to terrorize.

[John Weaver] In other words, we want it. We're going to take it. So look at verses 15 through 21. Watch it now. And they turned thitherward and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, even to the house of Micah and saluted him. And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. And the five men that went up to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, and the priesthood in the entering of the gate, with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war, And these went into Micah's house and fetched the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim, the molten image.

[John Weaver] Then said the priest to them, what do you, what are you doing? And you know, he spoke up right then and they said unto him, watch this, hold my peace, lay thy hand upon my mouth and go with us. And be thou as a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest in the house of one man, or that thou may be a priest in the tribe and a family in Israel? Now, watch this next verse.

[John Weaver] And the priest's heart was glad. He was happy. He was excited. Why? He's getting a promotion.

[John Weaver] Now, you have to remember in the Old Testament, the priest always got a portion of the sacrifice. Well, one man is going to be sacrificing very little. But now you've got a whole tribe and they're going to be sacrificing a lot. So now we're not only talking about a promotion, we're talking about a tremendous increase in pay. Remember, I told you. Remember, I told you this young man, this Levite was totally worthless and useless. Hang on.

[John Weaver] Look back in verse 20 again. Watch this. And the priest's heart was glad and he, the priest, took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image and went in the midst of the people. So they turned and departed and put the middle ones in the cattle and the carriage before them. So the five men started out stealing. But now when they told him, we want you to be a father to us and a priest to us, he took them. He stole them. Wow. Wow.

[John Weaver] It's interesting that this Levite. This young man was a thief. He took the tear of him, he took the ephod, he took the green image, he was happy. So here's the question, what about his commitment to Micah? He never even talked to Micah. He never said one word. He just stole the property of Micah, went in the midst of 600 armed men for protection, and left. Wow. He took it.

[John Weaver] Now, when the Danites began to steal, he finished it. A similar incident happened in Osceola, Missouri in September of 1861. I have a message. In fact, I have several messages dealing with the war in Missouri. Senator Jim Lane, who was a United States Senator and an atrocious individual and jenison, These were leaders of the Kansas Red Legs. And they stole, they burned, they did everything. In fact, those of you who've watched the old movie, The Outlawed Josie Wales, it was the Kansas Red Legs that burned him out, you know. And that's history. But I want to read to you just a little article and just show you what happened. On September 1861, with a smart little army of about 1,500. Senator Jim Lane started forward along the Missouri line. His avowed objective, however, was not to pursue General Price, who was a Confederate general, but to clear out the valley of the Osage and to pitch into the towns of Butler, Harrisonville, Osceola, and Clinton. On September the 12th, he reached Trading Post, Kansas, and from there turned eastward into Missouri.

[John Weaver] As soon as they crossed the border, his men began to loot, burn, murder, and rape. The climax of Lane's march occurred in Osceola on September the 23rd, after exchanging a few shots with some Confederates on the outskirts. And by the way, it was not a military town. There were just a few men that were there that happened to be Confederate soldiers. His men entered into the town and proceeded to ransack it.

[John Weaver] They robbed the bank, pillaged stores and private houses, and looted the courthouse. Captain Thomas Moonlight bombarded the last building with a cannon, and others set fire to the town, almost totally destroying it." In other words, before this rampage, there were 800 buildings in Osceola, Missouri. When the Redlegs left, there were three buildings left standing. Hang on. Many of the Kansans got so drunk that when it came to leave, they were unable to march and had to ride in wagons and carriages.

[John Weaver] They carried off with them a tremendous load of plunder, including Lane's personal share, a piano, and a quantity of silk dresses. The sack of Osceola henceforth was a prime cause of bitter hatred of Lane and Kansans by the people of West Missouri. During the raid, the regimental chaplain, Hugh Fisher, stole altar furnishings from the Osceola church to furnish his own unfinished Kansas church. The murder, rape, robbery and arson did not seem to bother him. He used it as a cover to loot the churches for his own benefit.

[John Weaver] I wonder how he dealt with the Eighth Commandment. As a chaplain, thou shalt not steal. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, skip down, if you would. To verse 22 in Judges 18, because we now have the answer to one of the questions that I posed in the beginning of this message, look at it in verse 22. And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces and said unto Micah, What aileth thee that thou comest with such a company?

[John Weaver] And he said, You've taken away my gods, which I made, and the priests, and you're gone away. And what have I more? And what is this that you say to me? What aileth thee? And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us. This angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household. And the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back into the house.

[John Weaver] Now, first of all, we have our question. Was Micah a polytheist? And the answer is yes. Because he said, you've stolen my gods, which I've made. The only thing you can think about is this poor Micah. I mean, he could not protect his gods. His gods could not protect him. His gods could not even protect themselves. But yet they were his gods. He made them. They were useless and they were worthless, just like the worship that he professed to give to the one true, the living God. But here's a good illustration between A real genuine Christian and one who is an idolater. A real genuine Christian is made by the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, while an idolater is made by and makes his own gods. Wow!

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you what I'm going to consider the two shockers in this passage. When we look at these two passages. One thing that is should have been noticed by you. Is that throughout Chapter 17, throughout Chapter 18, the Levite is referred to as the Levite or a young man. There's no name given to him. Not until you get to Judges 18 and verse 30. And you will find out who this young Levite was. Watch verse 30. And the children of Dan set up the graven image and Jonathan, that was the young Levite, the son of Gershon, the son of Manasseh, He and his sons were priests of the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land."

[John Weaver] Now, first of all, let me say this. You need to remember this passage, because in a few weeks, when I bring another message, this passage is going to answer a very vital question for you. OK? But who's Jonathan? Manasseh was the son of Moses. Gershon was the son of Manasseh. Jonathan was the son of Gershon. Jonathan, the young Levite, was the great-grandson of Moses. You know, the Bible says in Hebrews 3 that Moses was faithful to all of his house. That would be his immediate house over which he had control. But now here is his great-grandson who is an idolater. It's astounding to me. How you can have a godly man like Hezekiah and he can have an ungodly son like Manasseh or, you know, or how you can have an ungodly king and yet you can turn out and have a godly son.

[John Weaver] I'm just simply pointing out the fact that you cannot control your lineage. So it's interesting to me that this young Levite was the great grandson of Moses. So unlike Moses, who is faithful in all of his house. So let me put it to you like this again. Depravity is hereditary. Grace is not. Here's the second shocker. All of this that happened in Judges 17 and 18. did not even need to happen.

[John Weaver] I mean, as far as the idolatry is concerned. Why? Look in verse 31 of Judges 18. And they set up Micah's graven image, which he made. Look at this all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. What? All they had to do was to go to Shiloh and worship. There were truly vibes. There was true sacrifice. That's where the tabernacle of God was. But yet Micah would rather make his own gods. Let me make some applications, I want you to think about this. Whenever you do that, would you think best whenever you do that, which is right in your own eyes, whenever you do that in which you delight in worship, You're an idolater.

[John Weaver] I've had people tell me, well, I go to such and such church because it makes me feel good. You don't go to church to feel good, you go to church to worship the one true and the living God, your feelings really don't count in the matter. Well, I go to this church because they've got a great youth program. Wonderful! But what about the truth? I go to this church because they've got great music. Wonderful! But what about the truth? I go to this church because they've got a great youth program. Wonderful! But what about the truth? It's astounding to me how far men will go to destroy and deny and denigrate the true worship of God.

[John Weaver] You can do a right thing in a wrong way and it still be condemned. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Amos chapter 5. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look at Amos chapter 5. And let's begin reading there verse 21. Look at this. Amos 5 verse 21. Look what God said to Israel. They were worshipping Him, yes, supposedly, but not really, not truly. God says in verse 21, I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Well, did not God appoint the feast days? Did not God appoint the solemn assemblies? Yes. But God said, I hate it. I won't have it.

[John Weaver] Verse 22, though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings or meal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings you have released. God said, I don't want anything that you give me. Verse 23, take away from me the noise of thy songs. It's just noise to him. For I will not hear the melody of thy vows. Why is God Hating and despising the worship of this people he says in verse 24 But let judgment run down like waters and righteousness is a mighty stream the Lord's you're living ungodly disobedient lives I don't want anything that you offer me. I won't take it. I hate it. I despise it and Then he says this look in verse 25 Have you offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness 40 years old house of Israel?

[John Weaver] But you have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch, and she in your images, the star of your God, which you made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts." All superstition is idolatry. All belief in luck, charms, fate, fortune is idolatry. It's only God who directs our paths and orders our steps. And the reason all this other is idolatry is it places merit and power and things that have no merit and things that have no power.

[John Weaver] You say, I've got lucky rabbit's foot. It wasn't lucky for the rabbit. You have it. He does it. I'm just pointing out the fact, when you think about what happened in Judges 17 and 18, in 1 Samuel chapter 4, you can see the same thing today. People have not changed. The psalmist said in Psalm 62 in verse 11, once I've heard this, yes, twice, power belongeth unto God. God alone is sovereign. God alone has providence. And God alone brings things to pass in our times.

[John Weaver] And whenever you attribute anything to luck, chance, fate, or fortune, you're guilty of idolatry. I don't care if you find $100,000. It wasn't luck. It was God's providence. I don't care If the rattlesnake missed you by one thousandth of an inch, it still wasn't luck. It was the providence of God. He deserves all the honor, all the praise and all the glory. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy. We pray, Lord, you would help us not to be superstitious, not to believe in luck, chance, fate or fortune, but Lord to recognize Thou art sovereign, and in Thy divine providence You bring things to pass in our lives for our good and for Thy glory. We may not understand some things that come to pass, and we may not like them, but, Lord, we have to understand they are for our good whether we like them or not. And, Father, we give Thee praise for being the sovereign God of heaven and earth. In the name of Jesus Christ, in whose name we ask all of these blessings, Amen.

Superstition, Luck, and Idolatry

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1121231754402383
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: As Yet
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-11-19
Dictation Name
Book	Book 079: Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover - Volume 2 — Chapter 32
Source Timed Segments	78

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Question of Superstition

Weaver opens by reading Judges 17:1-6 and asking whether listeners are superstitious, asserting that many Christians unknowingly practice idolatry through belief in luck, chance, fate, or fortune.

So let's open our Bibles today, if you would, to the book of Judges chapter 17. Judges 17. We're going to read the first six verses, but actually the message is going to be dealing with chapter 17 and 18. The title of the message is Superstition, Luck and Idolatry. Superstition, Luck and Idolatry. So look in Judges 17, beginning there with verse one.

Scripture Reading — Judges 17:1-6

"And there was a man of Mount Ephraim whose name was Micah, and he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursest and spakest also of in mine ears. Behold, the silver is with me. I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son. And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I have wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image. Now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money to his mother, and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder who made thereof a graven image and a molten image.

And they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and a teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons to become his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." So let me again begin by asking a question. Are you superstitious? Do you believe in luck, chance, fate, or fortune?

The Biblical Definition of Superstition

Using Acts 17:22-23, Weaver explains that the Greek word for 'superstitious' combines fearfulness and demons, meaning a superstitious person is fearful of demons and thus does senseless things.

Many professing Christians have not realized that all such is nothing less than idolatry. Let me show you. I want you to hold Judges 17, but look in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 17. The book of Acts, chapter 17. And look, if you would, at verses 22 and 23. The apostle Paul is on Mars Hill, and look what he says to these Athenians. Acts 17, verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:22-23

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

For I passed by and beheld your devotions. I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you." Now, interestingly, the Greek word for superstition is almost impossible to pronounce. It is the word, δεισιδαιμονεστέρους. And it literally means a reverencing of the gods. It means to be pious and religious. So, literally, what the Apostle Paul told these Athenians was that they were too religious or too superstitious in a bad sense. They worshipped so many false gods just in case they may have left one out, ignorantly, they then had an altar to the unknown God. And the truth is, that is the God that the average professing Christian worships today. He worships the unknown God. He worships the God of his own imagination, the God of his own education, instead of the God that has revealed himself in the Bible through the Lord Jesus Christ. So I will hasten to say this, the only God that exists is the God of the Bible. The only God that exists is not only the God of the Bible, He's the God who's revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. All others are false gods. Now, the interesting thing about the Greek word for superstitious is it's made up of two Greek words, and the first word is δειλός, which actually refers to what you and I would call fearfulness.

or timidity. It means to be fearful. It means to be timid. The second part of that word is actually δαίμων, from which you see in the Bible the word demons or devils. So literally, according to Acts chapter 17, a superstitious person is one that is fearful of devils and demons, hence he does uncommon and senseless things. Years ago, I read about one man speaking with another man. He asked him, was he superstitious?

He said, of course not. Well, the first man asked, well, what would you do if a black cat crossed your path? What? He said, I'd just throw salt over my left shoulder and keep walking. Well, obviously he was superstitious. And the truth of the matter is, a lot of people today are superstitious. I hope there are two passages that have come to your mind when I'm discussing what the word superstitious actually means.

Idolatry as Fellowship with Demons

From 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 and 1 Timothy 4:1, Weaver argues that idolatrous practices are sacrifices to demons and that there are demonic doctrines contrary to God's Word.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 10 and then 1 Timothy 4. So if you look in 1 Corinthians 10, notice if you would, verses 20 and 21. 1 Corinthians 10, verses 20 and 21. The Apostle Paul says it like this.

"But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, or the unsaved, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils or demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. Ye cannot be partaker of the Lord's table and of the table of devils." So he's basically saying that those who are ignorant of the one true and the living God are doing nothing but worshiping demons and devils.

Now, if you would turn right over to First Timothy, chapter four, and look at verse one, you might find another verse that would be very interesting, because here the scripture says this. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils or doctrines of demons." It may shock you to find out that there is a devilish doctrine. In fact, the Greek word is διδασκαλία, which literally refers to teaching. It refers to that which is taught instruction. It is doctrine. So the scripture is telling us that there is indeed a devilish or demonic doctrine that's contrary to the word of God. With that in mind, before I get to Judges 17, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18, and look what God says to His people. Deuteronomy chapter 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 10. Deuteronomy 18 and verse 10. God says, "...there shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire"—that would be dedicating or offering his child for sacrifice to Molech.

God's Prohibition of Occult Practices

Deuteronomy 18:10-14 lists divination, witchcraft, and necromancy as abominations; Weaver emphasizes that God's sovereignty excludes luck, chance, fate, or fortune.

So there's not going to be anything like that, he said, "or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Know what a necromancer is? The Greek word νεκρός means dead. A necromancer is someone who talks to the dead, or at least says they do. A necrotic tissue is dead tissue. Necrophilia means someone who is in love with the dead or loves the dead. So here's the necromancer. God says they're not to be among you.

Now look at verse 12. "For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God, for these nations which thou shalt possess hearken unto observers of times and unto diviners, but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do." Isn't that amazing? The only reason we're not in idolatry and wickedness like that is God has certainly not allowed it.

Now, when you think of all of this, I want you to put together the fact horoscopes, charms, the planets, the stars, the animals, all of these things are mere superstitions. They do not define our lives. They do not determine our lives. They do not determine our actions. So let me say this again very plainly. There is no such thing as luck, chance, fate, or fortune in a world that's ruled by God. God is absolutely sovereign, and the only thing that comes to pass in time is God's sovereign decree, which He determined before the world ever began. So when you come along and you say, well, the stars in their courses determine how I act. No, they do not. If you say, well, I'll do like the king of Assyria and I'll kill an animal and I'll look into the liver and see what the liver says. That is all hogwash. That is all idolatry. If there is anything outside of God, if there's anything over which God does not have control, then God is not God.

Micah's Idolatrous Household

Judges 17:1-6 details Micah's theft, his mother's dedication of silver to make idols, and the establishment of a private shrine with an ephod, teraphim, and a non-Levitical priest, all contrary to God's law.

That thing outside of God over which he has no control would be God himself. So just put her down. God is absolutely sovereign. And when you start talking about luck, chance, fate, fortune, you're talking about things that really and truly do not exist. By the way, Fortuna was a Roman goddess. We're not talking about fortune. We're not talking about fate. We're not talking about luck. We're not talking about chance. We're talking about the providence of God.

Now, when you look in Judges chapter 17 and 18, to me, in one sense of the word, these two chapters are exceedingly comical and funny. Another in another sense of the word, these two chapters are exceedingly sad and serious. They are comical and funny because of the stupidity and the senselessness of the actors, and sad and serious because of the consequences of the actors. So, Judges chapter 17 then begins with a theft. It is an unusual theft. Here is a son that has stolen 1,100 shekels of silver from his own mother. And so he comes to her and confesses. And he says, look, the 1,100 shekels is with me. I took them.

Now, you have to ask, what made him confess? Hmm, that's an interesting thing. Since this message deals with superstition, luck, and idolatry, if you look in Judges 17 in verse 2, "And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursest, and spakest also in mine ears, Behold the silver is with me; I took it." So she had placed a curse upon anyone who had taken that silver. And since we're dealing with idolatry and superstition, which you will find out in this chapter, in all probability, that prompted him to confess and say, I've taken this money. I've taken it. And of course, she says, "Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son." Now, we should look in verses three and four, because the mother now makes an astounding confession. Look at it in verse three. "And when he restored the 1,100 shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image.

Now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money unto his mother and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder and made thereof a graven image and a molten image. And they were in the house of Micah." Now, here's the interesting thing. If you look in verse three, she said, "I had wholly dedicated silver unto the Lord." You'll notice the word Lord is in all caps. Anytime you see in our Bibles, the word Lord in all caps, it is the sacred personal name of God, Yahweh, which is translated as Jehovah or Jehovah in our Bibles. So she knew the personal sacred name of God. And then in the same breath, she said, I've taken this silver that was dedicated to him to make a graven image and a molten image, which was absolutely contrary to God and contrary to his word.

So if you would turn back very quickly, to the book of Exodus chapter 20. You will see this in verses 3 through 6. Look what God said, and it's exceedingly plain in Exodus chapter 20, beginning there with verse 3. Look what God says. God says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:3-6

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Now watch it. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments." So God says you're not to make any graven image of anything that's in heaven, anything that's in the earth, anything that's in the water. And yet, this is what she dedicated the money for, to do that which is absolutely contrary to God. Now, I want you to notice verse 6. I'm going to come back to verse 6. "In those days there was no king in Israel. But every man did that which was right in his own eyes." That's basically the theme of this book. You'll find that same verse occurring again in Judges chapter 21 and verse 25. So here we go. Anytime we do things that are right in our own eyes, especially when it's contrary to Scripture, we are guilty of idolatry. We see this same contradiction in professing Christianity today.

Look, if you would please, at the politicians. Look how many politicians always confess to be a Christian until they get in office, and then all of their legislation is contrary to Christ, contrary to the Bible, and contrary to Christianity in general. And then when you look around at the church, you see the same thing in the church. You see people who profess to be Christian who live their lives as if God had never spoken, as if God does not exist. And you go into the average church, and you don't really hear the Word of God proclaimed. You might hear some good program, or you might hear good music, or you might be entertained, but you don't really, truly hear the Word of God.

The Worthless Levite as a Good-Luck Charm

Micah hires a young Levite as his priest, believing God will bless him because of it (Judges 17:7-13). Weaver compares this to modern Christians treating Bible reading, church, and prayer as charms.

Now, if you look at verses 5 and 6, I'm going to hit it again, watch this, verse 5, "And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Now, I want you to note the Bible says that Micah had a house of gods. Well, the phrase may be interpreted in one of two ways. Number one, it could be interpreted so as to mean that Micah was a polytheist. He believed in many gods. Not just the one true and the living God, but many gods. Secondly, I read some scholars who try to say, well, what this verse really means is that he had a house for God. Well, if he did, he's still an idolater because now he has a house that is in contradiction to the tabernacle. In other words, he's got a place where he's going to worship God in opposition to the tabernacle that God ordained.

Moreover, the Bible tells us that he had an ephod. Now, an ephod was part of a priestly garment. In fact, it was a major part of the priestly garment. If he had an ephod, then probably he had everything necessary for a priest.

Now, look what else he had. The Bible also says the man had a teraphim. Wow! A teraphim? What is a teraphim? Well, let me give you another scripture. You remember that passage in Genesis chapter 31 in verse 19, the Bible said in Laban went to shear his sheep and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. The word images is teraphim. Teraphim were images of household gods. And these gods were looked to for earthly prosperity and to be his oracles, that is, to tell them how to live and what to do. So we find Micah then had a house of gods. He had an ephod. He had a teraphim. And look in verse five again.

And he consecrated one of his sons who became his priest. Now, neither Micah or his son were Levites. And Micah did not have any authority to ordain his son to be a priest. In fact, if you remember, I just finished four messages on the foundations of rebellion. And the whole background was, remember, chapter 16, where Dathan, Abiram, and Korah all rebelled because they wanted the priesthood. And they were jealous of the fact that only Aaron and his family had the priesthood. And when you get to Abiram and on, these were sons of Reuben. They were not even Levites. Korah, at least, was a Levite. And so clearly now, what Micah is doing is an absolute contradiction to the law of God and to the Word of God.

So, this is why it says, in those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Anytime we do that which we think is right, without consulting the Bible, or especially if it's in contradiction to the Bible, it is idolatry. So here's another thing that we could say. One can do a right thing in a wrong way and still be condemned. He may have been attempting to worship the one true and the living God, which I really doubt, although his mother knew the correct name of God. But anytime you try to worship God in a way which God has not ordained, it is idolatry, period.

Now, I want you to look at something to show you why I title this message Superstition, luck, and idolatry. Watch this. Skip down, if you would, to verse 7. Judges 17, verse 7. Look at this. "And there was a young man out of Bethlehem, Judah, the family of Judah, who was a Levite. And he sojourned there. And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem, Judah, to sojourn where he could find a place.

And he came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem, Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in, and the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was made unto him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite, which he had no authority to do so. And the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah. Now, watch this. Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

Now, let me ask you, do you see anything wrong or anything wicked with this passage? First of all, as I pointed out, Micah did not have any authority to ordain anyone a priest. It is true that God had set the Levites aside. It is true that Moses and Aaron were Levites. But it is also true that God chose Aaron and his family to be priests and God ordained the Levites and God ordained the priesthood.

Now, secondly, this Levite was a young man. And Micah ordained him, the Bible says, to be a father and a priest unto him. When you read what follows, the young man was in no position to be a father and reality a priest either. He certainly did not have fatherly wisdom. Thirdly, here's the kicker. If you look in verse 13, here's what Micah said. "Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest." The Levite was his lucky rabbit's foot. The Levite was his four-leaf clover. The Levite was his charm. It was his good luck trophy. I know God is going to bless me because I've got this Levite. Do you realize modern-day Christians are just as guilty as Micah?

Many view their Bibles as charms. They view church as charms. They view prayer as charms. What I mean by that is this. The average person, when they really, really want something from God, when they really, really need Him, they'll start reading their Bible. They'll go to church. They'll go to pray. And they'll keep praying, and then God answers, and guess what? When they get what they want, they quit praying, they quit studying their Bible, they quit going to church. What did they do? They just used God. He's just a tool.

He was a good luck charm. That's all. And when they don't need Him, they can put Him back on the shelf like one of these false gods. Now, I want to show you how idolatrous Israel really was. Because there's another good illustration of this.

The Ark as a Rabbit's Foot in 1 Samuel 4

Israel brings the ark into battle as a talisman, trusting in the object rather than the God of the ark, resulting in defeat and the loss of 30,000 men.

Now I want you to turn in your Bibles, just over a few pages, to 1 Samuel chapter 4. 1 Samuel chapter 4. And watch this, beginning with verse 1. 1 Samuel chapter 4, verse 1. I'm sure that you can pick up on it, but watch this. "And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines. And they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! For there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Quit yourselves like men, and fight.' And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen." Now, here's the thing.

Look back at verse 4. "So the people sent to Shiloh that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims." What? Why did they? Why did they bring it? Well, look in verse three. "Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh, it may save us."

So what are they looking for? They're looking for the ark to save them. They're not looking for the God of the ark. In other words, the ark to them was a lucky rabbit's foot. It was just something to be used. They wanted, they wanted to have that ark to save them. It would not happen. They trusted in the ark instead of the God of the ark.

The Danites' Theft and the Levite's Betrayal

The Danites steal Micah's idols and priest, and the Levite gladly joins them for a promotion (Judges 18:1-21). Weaver illustrates with the historical sack of Osceola, Missouri, where a chaplain looted church furnishings.

Now, let me make a statement and I want you to listen carefully. Because the Levite that Micah has, turns out to be absolutely perfectly useless and worthless. So I want you to look in chapter 18 of the Book of Judges and let's read the first six verses. Look at this. "In those days, there was no king in Israel. And in those days, the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in. For unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coast, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to go search it. And they said unto them, Go search the land. Who when they came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. Now watch. And when they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite. And they turned in thither and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? Look at this, and what makest thou in this place? How much money do you make? And what hast thou here? And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and he hath hired me, and I am his priest. 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. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.

Now, let me just stop right there for a moment. So evidently, the Danites knew of this Levite. They've come to search out a land. In fact, they came to search out Laish because they wanted to conquer it and have it for their own. And so they realize that here is a Levitical man who is a priest. And so they ask him. Would their mission be successful? I want you to look at verse six of his answer. "And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go."

Now, to demonstrate for you the absolute absurdity of the answer the priest gave, let me pose some questions and let's apply his answer. So here's a question. Should I marry this woman or should I marry this man? Here's the answer. Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. Hmm. How about this question? Should I go to Mexico? Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. How about this question?

Should I endeavor to be rich at the expense of others? Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. How about this question? Should I divorce my wife of 61 years and marry a younger woman? Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. Do you see how ridiculous that answer is? In other words, once he gave that answer, you're free to place your own interpretation upon it.

You can say this is what I want and thank God God agrees with me. Just let's go and do it. Wow. I mean, absolutely, totally worthless, because you could make that answer fit just about any question, and you could deduce whatever you wanted to deduce from that answer. Now, in spite of that answer, the Danites did discover that they could conquer the land. So look at verse 7. "Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that was therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure, and there was no magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in anything. And they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. They were by themselves. And they came unto their brethren, to Zorah, to Eshtaol, and to their brethren, and said, What say ye?

And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them. For we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And are ye still? Be not slothful to go, and to enter into and possess the land. When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land. For God hath given it into your hands, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth." "And there went out from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. And they went up and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah. Wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day. Behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. And they passed thence unto the house of Micah, and came to the house of Micah." Now, watch this. They made it as far as Micah's house.

Now look in verse 14, "Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and a teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what ye have to do." What does that question imply? Consider now, therefore, what ye have to do. Well, it implies what you have to do is steal and to terrorize. In other words, we want it. We're going to take it. So look at verses 15 through 21. Watch it now. "And they turned thitherward and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, even to the house of Micah and saluted him. And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. And the five men that went up to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, and the priest stood in the entering of the gate, with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. And these went into Micah's house and fetched the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim, the molten image.

Then said the priest to them, What do ye? What are you doing? And you know, he spoke up right then and they said unto him, watch this, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth and go with us. And be thou as a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest in the house of one man, or that thou mayest be a priest in a tribe and a family in Israel? Now, watch this next verse. And the priest's heart was glad. He was happy. He was excited. Why? He's getting a promotion.

Now, you have to remember in the Old Testament, the priest always got a portion of the sacrifice. Well, one man is going to be sacrificing very little. But now you've got a whole tribe and they're going to be sacrificing a lot. So now we're not only talking about a promotion, we're talking about a tremendous increase in pay. Remember, I told you. Remember, I told you this young man, this Levite was totally worthless and useless. Hang on.

Look back in verse 20 again. Watch this. "And the priest's heart was glad and he, the priest, took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image and went in the midst of the people. So they turned and departed and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them." So the five men started out stealing. But now when they told him, we want you to be a father to us and a priest to us, he took them. He stole them. Wow. Wow.

It's interesting that this Levite, this young man was a thief. He took the teraphim, he took the ephod, he took the graven image, he was happy. So here's the question, what about his commitment to Micah? He never even talked to Micah. He never said one word. He just stole the property of Micah, went in the midst of 600 armed men for protection, and left. Wow. He took it.

Now, when the Danites began to steal, he finished it. A similar incident happened in Osceola, Missouri in September of 1861. I have a message. In fact, I have several messages dealing with the war in Missouri. Senator Jim Lane, who was a United States Senator and an atrocious individual and Jennison, these were leaders of the Kansas Red Legs. And they stole, they burned, they did everything. In fact, those of you who've watched the old movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, it was the Kansas Red Legs that burned him out, you know. And that's history. But I want to read to you just a little article and just show you what happened. On September 1861, with a smart little army of about 1,500, Senator Jim Lane started forward along the Missouri line. His avowed objective, however, was not to pursue General Price, who was a Confederate general, but to clear out the valley of the Osage and to pitch into the towns of Butler, Harrisonville, Osceola, and Clinton. On September the 12th, he reached Trading Post, Kansas, and from there turned eastward into Missouri.

As soon as they crossed the border, his men began to loot, burn, murder, and rape. The climax of Lane's march occurred in Osceola on September the 23rd, after exchanging a few shots with some Confederates on the outskirts. And by the way, it was not a military town. There were just a few men that were there that happened to be Confederate soldiers. His men entered into the town and proceeded to ransack it. They robbed the bank, pillaged stores and private houses, and looted the courthouse. Captain Thomas Moonlight bombarded the last building with a cannon, and others set fire to the town, almost totally destroying it." In other words, before this rampage, there were 800 buildings in Osceola, Missouri. When the Redlegs left, there were three buildings left standing. Hang on. Many of the Kansans got so drunk that when it came to leave, they were unable to march and had to ride in wagons and carriages.

They carried off with them a tremendous load of plunder, including Lane's personal share, a piano, and a quantity of silk dresses. The sack of Osceola henceforth was a prime cause of bitter hatred of Lane and Kansans by the people of West Missouri. During the raid, the regimental chaplain, Hugh Fisher, stole altar furnishings from the Osceola church to furnish his own unfinished Kansas church. The murder, rape, robbery and arson did not seem to bother him. He used it as a cover to loot the churches for his own benefit. I wonder how he dealt with the Eighth Commandment. As a chaplain, thou shalt not steal. Wow.

Micah's Powerless Gods and the Identity of the Levite

Micah's gods cannot protect themselves or him (Judges 18:22-26). The Levite is revealed as Jonathan, great-grandson of Moses (Judges 18:30), showing that depravity is hereditary but grace is not.

Now, skip down, if you would, to verse 22 in Judges 18, because we now have the answer to one of the questions that I posed in the beginning of this message, look at it in verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:22-26

"And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces and said unto Micah, What aileth thee that thou comest with such a company? And he said, Ye have taken away my gods, which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away. And what have I more? And what is this that ye say to me? What aileth thee? And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household. And the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back into the house."

Now, first of all, we have our question. Was Micah a polytheist? And the answer is yes. Because he said, you've stolen my gods, which I've made. The only thing you can think about is this poor Micah. I mean, he could not protect his gods. His gods could not protect him. His gods could not even protect themselves. But yet they were his gods. He made them. They were useless and they were worthless, just like the worship that he professed to give to the one true and the living God. But here's a good illustration between a real genuine Christian and one who is an idolater. A real genuine Christian is made by the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, while an idolater is made by and makes his own gods. Wow!

Now, I want to show you what I'm going to consider the two shockers in this passage. When we look at these two passages. One thing that should have been noticed by you is that throughout Chapter 17, throughout Chapter 18, the Levite is referred to as the Levite or a young man. There's no name given to him. Not until you get to Judges 18 and verse 30. And you will find out who this young Levite was. Watch verse 30. "And the children of Dan set up the graven image and Jonathan, that was the young Levite, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests of the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land."

Now, first of all, let me say this. You need to remember this passage, because in a few weeks, when I bring another message, this passage is going to answer a very vital question for you. OK? But who's Jonathan? Manasseh was the son of Moses. Gershom was the son of Manasseh. Jonathan was the son of Gershom. Jonathan, the young Levite, was the great-grandson of Moses. You know, the Bible says in Hebrews 3 that Moses was faithful in all his house. That would be his immediate house over which he had control. But now here is his great-grandson who is an idolater. It's astounding to me. How you can have a godly man like Hezekiah and he can have an ungodly son like Manasseh or, you know, or how you can have an ungodly king and yet you can turn out and have a godly son.

I'm just simply pointing out the fact that you cannot control your lineage. So it's interesting to me that this young Levite was the great grandson of Moses. So unlike Moses, who is faithful in all of his house. So let me put it to you like this again. Depravity is hereditary. Grace is not. Here's the second shocker. All of this that happened in Judges 17 and 18 did not even need to happen.

The True Worship at Shiloh and Final Applications

All the idolatry occurred while the tabernacle was at Shiloh (Judges 18:31). Weaver applies the lesson: doing what is right in one's own eyes is idolatry; God hates worship from disobedient hearts (Amos 5:21-27).

I mean, as far as the idolatry is concerned. Why? Look in verse 31 of Judges 18.

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:30-31

"And they set up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh."

What? All they had to do was to go to Shiloh and worship. There were truly Levites. There was true sacrifice. That's where the tabernacle of God was. But yet Micah would rather make his own gods. Let me make some applications, I want you to think about this. Whenever you do that which you think best, whenever you do that which is right in your own eyes, whenever you do that in which you delight in worship, you're an idolater.

I've had people tell me, well, I go to such and such church because it makes me feel good. You don't go to church to feel good, you go to church to worship the one true and the living God, your feelings really don't count in the matter. Well, I go to this church because they've got a great youth program. Wonderful! But what about the truth? I go to this church because they've got great music. Wonderful! But what about the truth? I go to this church because they've got a great youth program. Wonderful! But what about the truth? It's astounding to me how far men will go to destroy and deny and denigrate the true worship of God.

You can do a right thing in a wrong way and it still be condemned. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Amos chapter 5. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look at Amos chapter 5. And let's begin reading there verse 21. Look at this. Amos 5 verse 21. Look what God said to Israel. They were worshipping Him, yes, supposedly, but not really, not truly. God says in verse 21,

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:21-27

"I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies."

Well, did not God appoint the feast days? Did not God appoint the solemn assemblies? Yes. But God said, I hate it. I won't have it.

Verse 22, "Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings or meal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts." God said, I don't want anything that you give me. Verse 23, "Take away from me the noise of thy songs. It's just noise to him. For I will not hear the melody of thy viols." Why is God hating and despising the worship of this people? He says in verse 24, "But let judgment run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream." The Lord's saying, you're living ungodly disobedient lives. I don't want anything that you offer me. I won't take it. I hate it. I despise it. And then He says this, look in verse 25. "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch, and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts." All superstition is idolatry. All belief in luck, charms, fate, fortune is idolatry. It's only God who directs our paths and orders our steps. And the reason all this other is idolatry is it places merit and power in things that have no merit and things that have no power. You say, I've got lucky rabbit's foot. It wasn't lucky for the rabbit. You have it. He doesn't. I'm just pointing out the fact, when you think about what happened in Judges 17 and 18, in 1 Samuel chapter 4, you can see the same thing today. People have not changed. The psalmist said in Psalm 62 in verse 11, once I've heard this, yea, twice, power belongeth unto God. God alone is sovereign. God alone has providence. And God alone brings things to pass in our times.

And whenever you attribute anything to luck, chance, fate, or fortune, you're guilty of idolatry. I don't care if you find $100,000. It wasn't luck. It was God's providence. I don't care if the rattlesnake missed you by one thousandth of an inch, it still wasn't luck. It was the providence of God. He deserves all the honor, all the praise and all the glory. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy. We pray, Lord, you would help us not to be superstitious, not to believe in luck, chance, fate or fortune, but Lord to recognize Thou art sovereign, and in Thy divine providence You bring things to pass in our lives for our good and for Thy glory. We may not understand some things that come to pass, and we may not like them, but, Lord, we have to understand they are for our good whether we like them or not. And, Father, we give Thee praise for being the sovereign God of heaven and earth. In the name of Jesus Christ, in whose name we ask all of these blessings, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Superstition as Idolatry

Summary: Superstition, luck, chance, fate, and fortune are forms of idolatry because they attribute power to things other than God.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'There is no such thing as luck, chance, fate, or fortune in a world that's ruled by God.'

The Sovereignty of God

Summary: God's absolute sovereignty means nothing happens outside His decree; all events are governed by His providence.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'God is absolutely sovereign, and the only thing that comes to pass in time is God's sovereign decree.'

Demonic Nature of False Worship

Summary: Idolatrous practices are sacrifices to demons, and there are demonic doctrines that lead people away from the truth.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 and 1 Timothy 4:1 to show that idolatry is fellowship with devils.

Self-Willed Religion

Summary: Doing what is right in one's own eyes, especially in worship, is idolatry because it rejects God's revealed will.

Evidence: Weaver repeats the refrain from Judges 17:6 and 21:25, 'every man did that which was right in his own eyes.'

The Uselessness of Religious Charms

Summary: Treating religious objects, rituals, or people as good-luck charms is futile and dishonoring to God.

Evidence: Weaver compares Micah's Levite to a 'lucky rabbit's foot' and modern Christians who use God as a tool.

Hereditary Depravity vs. Grace

Summary: Depravity is passed down through generations, but grace is not; even the descendants of godly men can be idolaters.

Evidence: Weaver notes that Jonathan, the idolatrous Levite, was the great-grandson of Moses.

Key Arguments

Superstition is rooted in fear of demons

Summary: The Greek word for 'superstitious' combines fearfulness and demons, indicating that superstition is a demonic fear leading to irrational actions.

Evidence: Weaver explains the etymology of δεισιδαιμονεστέρους from Acts 17:22.

Idolatry is worship of demons

Summary: Scripture teaches that sacrifices to idols are actually offered to demons, making all false worship demonic.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 and 1 Timothy 4:1.

God forbids all occult and superstitious practices

Summary: Deuteronomy 18 lists divination, witchcraft, and necromancy as abominations, showing God's total rejection of such practices.

Evidence: Weaver reads Deuteronomy 18:10-14 and emphasizes God's prohibition.

Luck and chance deny God's sovereignty

Summary: If anything exists outside God's control, then God is not God; therefore, luck, chance, fate, and fortune are non-existent concepts.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'If there is anything outside of God, if there's anything over which God does not have control, then God is not God.'

Self-styled worship is condemned

Summary: Micah's establishment of a private shrine with unauthorized priests and idols was doing right in his own eyes, which God calls idolatry.

Evidence: Weaver points to Judges 17:5-6 and the contradiction with Exodus 20:3-6.

Religious objects and people are not charms

Summary: Micah believed the Levite would bring God's blessing, just as Israel trusted the ark instead of God; both were idolatrous.

Evidence: Weaver cites Judges 17:13 and 1 Samuel 4:3-11.

Idolatry leads to moral corruption

Summary: The Levite's willingness to steal and the Danites' violence show that false worship produces theft, betrayal, and destruction.

Evidence: Weaver recounts the Levite's theft and the historical parallel of the sack of Osceola.

True worship must be according to God's Word

Summary: God hates worship offered by those living in disobedience; He desires righteousness, not empty rituals.

Evidence: Weaver reads Amos 5:21-27, where God rejects Israel's feasts and offerings.

Scripture References

Judges 17:1-6

Context: Introduction to Micah's theft, his mother's dedication of silver for idols, and the establishment of a private shrine with an ephod, teraphim, and a non-Levitical priest.

Acts 17:22-23

Context: Paul calls the Athenians 'too superstitious' because they worship many gods, including an unknown god.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21

Context: Paul says that Gentiles sacrifice to devils, not God, and believers cannot partake of both the Lord's table and the table of devils.

1 Timothy 4:1

Context: In latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.

Deuteronomy 18:10-14

Context: God forbids divination, witchcraft, necromancy, and other occult practices as abominations.

Exodus 20:3-6

Context: The second commandment prohibits making graven images or bowing down to them, for God is a jealous God.

Judges 17:7-13

Context: Micah hires a young Levite as his priest, believing God will bless him because of it.

1 Samuel 4:1-11

Context: Israel brings the ark into battle as a talisman, but they are defeated and the ark is captured.

Judges 18:1-6

Context: The Danites seek counsel from Micah's Levite, who gives a vague, worthless answer.

Judges 18:7-21

Context: The Danites steal Micah's idols and priest; the Levite gladly joins them.

Judges 18:22-26

Context: Micah pursues the Danites but is powerless to recover his gods.

Judges 18:30-31

Context: The Levite is identified as Jonathan, grandson of Moses; the idolatry continued while the tabernacle was at Shiloh.

Amos 5:21-27

Context: God hates Israel's feasts and offerings because of their disobedience; they carried idols like Moloch and Chiun.

Psalm 62:11

Context: Power belongs to God; He alone is sovereign.

Genesis 31:19

Context: Rachel stole her father's teraphim (household gods).

Hebrews 3

Context: Moses was faithful in all his house, contrasting with his idolatrous descendant.

Historical References

Sack of Osceola, Missouri (September 1861)

Context: Weaver parallels the Danites' theft with the Kansas Red Legs' raid on Osceola, where a chaplain looted church furnishings, illustrating how idolatry leads to moral corruption.

Senator Jim Lane and the Kansas Red Legs

Context: Weaver mentions these historical figures as perpetrators of the Osceola raid, known for looting, burning, and murder.

The Outlaw Josey Wales (film)

Context: Weaver references the movie to illustrate the historical background of the Kansas Red Legs burning out settlers.

Important Quotes

There is no such thing as luck, chance, fate, or fortune in a world that's ruled by God.

Significance: This quote encapsulates the sermon's central thesis that all superstition denies God's sovereignty and is therefore idolatry.

If there is anything outside of God, if there's anything over which God does not have control, then God is not God.

Significance: Weaver argues that God's absolute sovereignty excludes any rival powers like luck or fate.

Anytime we do that which we think is right, without consulting the Bible, or especially if it's in contradiction to the Bible, it is idolatry.

Significance: This defines self-willed religion as idolatry, a key application from Judges 17:6.

The Levite was his lucky rabbit's foot. The Levite was his four-leaf clover. The Levite was his charm. It was his good luck trophy.

Significance: Weaver uses vivid imagery to show how Micah treated the Levite as a superstitious charm, paralleling modern religious practices.

A real genuine Christian is made by the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, while an idolater is made by and makes his own gods.

Significance: This contrast highlights the fundamental difference between true faith and idolatry.

Depravity is hereditary. Grace is not.

Significance: Weaver summarizes the lesson from Jonathan's lineage: sin passes through generations, but salvation does not.

All they had to do was to go to Shiloh and worship. There were truly Levites. There was true sacrifice. That's where the tabernacle of God was. But yet Micah would rather make his own gods.

Significance: This underscores the willful rejection of God's ordained worship in favor of self-made religion.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

Significance: Quoting Amos 5:21, Weaver shows that God rejects worship from those living in disobedience.

Discussion Questions

In what ways might modern Christians unknowingly practice superstition or treat religious activities as good-luck charms?

Context: Weaver compares Micah's Levite to a lucky rabbit's foot and says many view Bibles, church, and prayer as charms.

How does the etymology of 'superstitious' (fear of demons) change your understanding of common superstitious practices?

Context: Weaver explains the Greek word from Acts 17:22 combines fearfulness and demons.

Why is it idolatrous to attribute events to luck or chance instead of God's providence?

Context: Weaver argues that luck denies God's sovereignty and that Fortuna was a Roman goddess.

What does the story of Micah teach us about the danger of doing what is right in our own eyes in worship?

Context: Weaver repeatedly points to Judges 17:6 and the contradiction with God's commands.

How does the Levite's willingness to abandon Micah for a better position reveal the self-serving nature of false religion?

Context: The Levite's heart was glad when offered a promotion and more pay, showing his lack of genuine commitment.

What does the identity of the Levite as Moses' great-grandson teach us about the limits of godly heritage?

Context: Weaver notes that depravity is hereditary but grace is not, using Jonathan as an example.

According to Amos 5, why does God reject worship that is outwardly correct? How should this affect our approach to church?

Context: Weaver reads Amos 5:21-27, where God hates Israel's feasts because of their unrighteous lives.

How can we ensure that our worship is directed to the God of the Bible and not a god of our own imagination?

Context: Weaver warns against worshiping the 'unknown God' of our own making instead of the God revealed in Christ.

Applications

Reject all forms of superstition and luck

Summary: Believers must consciously reject belief in luck, chance, fate, or fortune, recognizing these as idolatrous denials of God's sovereignty.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'All superstition is idolatry. All belief in luck, charms, fate, fortune is idolatry.'

Worship God only as He has revealed Himself

Summary: Christians must worship the God of the Bible, not a god of their own imagination or cultural preference.

Evidence: Weaver warns against worshiping 'the God of his own imagination, the God of his own education.'

Do not treat religious practices as charms

Summary: Avoid using Bible reading, prayer, or church attendance as tools to manipulate God or as good-luck charms; instead, pursue genuine relationship.

Evidence: Weaver says many 'view their Bibles as charms. They view church as charms. They view prayer as charms.'

Submit all decisions to Scripture, not personal preference

Summary: Doing what is right in one's own eyes, especially in worship, is idolatry; believers must align their practices with God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Anytime we do that which we think is right, without consulting the Bible... it is idolatry.'

Trust in God's providence, not in objects or rituals

Summary: Instead of relying on religious objects or rituals for blessing, trust in the sovereign God who orders all events.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts Israel's trust in the ark with trust in the God of the ark.

Examine motives in worship and service

Summary: God rejects worship offered with disobedient hearts; believers must pursue righteousness, not just religious activity.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Amos 5:21-24, where God hates feasts and offerings from unrighteous people.

Recognize the danger of self-serving religion

Summary: The Levite's betrayal shows that ministry pursued for personal gain is worthless; serve God out of love, not for promotion.

Evidence: Weaver notes the Levite's heart was glad because of the promotion and pay increase.

Acknowledge God's sovereignty in all circumstances

Summary: Attribute all events—whether finding money or escaping danger—to God's providence, not luck, giving Him all glory.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I don't care if you find $100,000. It wasn't luck. It was God's providence.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:08:47Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T04:11:30Z

Clean Transcript

Superstition, Luck, and Idolatry

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

So let's open our Bibles today, if you would, to the book of Judges chapter 17. Judges 17. We're going to read the first six verses, but actually the message is going to be dealing with chapter 17 and 18. The title of the message is Superstition, Luck and Idolatry. Superstition, Luck and Idolatry. So look in Judges 17, beginning there with verse one. "And there was a man of Mount Ephraim whose name was Micah, and he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursest and spakest also of in mine ears. Behold, the silver is with me. I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son. And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I have wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image. Now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money to his mother, and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder who made thereof a graven image and a molten image.
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And they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and a teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons to become his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." So let me again begin by asking a question. Are you superstitious? Do you believe in luck, chance, fate, or fortune?
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Many professing Christians have not realized that all such is nothing less than idolatry. Let me show you. I want you to hold Judges 17, but look in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 17. The book of Acts, chapter 17. And look, if you would, at verses 22 and 23. The apostle Paul is on Mars Hill, and look what he says to these Athenians. Acts 17, verse 22. "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
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For I passed by and beheld your devotions. I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you."
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Now, interestingly, the Greek word for superstition is almost impossible to pronounce. It is the word, δεισιδαιμονεστέρους. And it literally means a reverencing of the gods. It means to be pious and religious. So, literally, what the Apostle Paul told these Athenians was that they were too religious or too superstitious in a bad sense. They worshipped so many false gods just in case they may have left one out, ignorantly, they then had an altar to the unknown God. And the truth is, that is the God that the average professing Christian worships today. He worships the unknown God. He worships the God of his own imagination, the God of his own education, instead of the God that has revealed himself in the Bible through the Lord Jesus Christ. So I will hasten to say this, the only God that exists is the God of the Bible. The only God that exists is not only the God of the Bible, He's the God who's revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. All others are false gods. Now, the interesting thing about the Greek word for superstitious is it's made up of two Greek words, and the first word is δειλός, which actually refers to what you and I would call fearfulness.
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or timidity. It means to be fearful. It means to be timid. The second part of that word is actually δαίμων, from which you see in the Bible the word demons or devils. So literally, according to Acts chapter 17, a superstitious person is one that is fearful of devils and demons, hence he does uncommon and senseless things. Years ago, I read about one man speaking with another man. He asked him, was he superstitious?
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He said, of course not. Well, the first man asked, well, what would you do if a black cat crossed your path? What? He said, I'd just throw salt over my left shoulder and keep walking. Well, obviously he was superstitious. And the truth of the matter is, a lot of people today are superstitious. I hope there are two passages that have come to your mind when I'm discussing what the word superstitious actually means.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 10 and then 1 Timothy 4. So if you look in 1 Corinthians 10, notice if you would, verses 20 and 21. 1 Corinthians 10, verses 20 and 21. The Apostle Paul says it like this.
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"But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, or the unsaved, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils or demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. Ye cannot be partaker of the Lord's table and of the table of devils." So he's basically saying that those who are ignorant of the one true and the living God are doing nothing but worshiping demons and devils.
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Now, if you would turn right over to First Timothy, chapter four, and look at verse one, you might find another verse that would be very interesting, because here the scripture says this. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils or doctrines of demons." It may shock you to find out that there is a devilish doctrine.
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In fact, the Greek word is διδασκαλία, which literally refers to teaching. It refers to that which is taught instruction. It is doctrine. So the scripture is telling us that there is indeed a devilish or demonic doctrine that's contrary to the word of God. With that in mind, before I get to Judges 17, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18, and look what God says to His people. Deuteronomy chapter 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 10. Deuteronomy 18 and verse 10. God says, "...there shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire"—that would be dedicating or offering his child for sacrifice to Molech.
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So there's not going to be anything like that, he said, "or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Know what a necromancer is? The Greek word νεκρός means dead. A necromancer is someone who talks to the dead, or at least says they do. A necrotic tissue is dead tissue. Necrophilia means someone who is in love with the dead or loves the dead. So here's the necromancer. God says they're not to be among you.
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Now look at verse 12. "For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God, for these nations which thou shalt possess hearken unto observers of times and unto diviners, but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do." Isn't that amazing? The only reason we're not in idolatry and wickedness like that is God has certainly not allowed it.
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Now, when you think of all of this, I want you to put together the fact horoscopes, charms, the planets, the stars, the animals, all of these things are mere superstitions. They do not define our lives. They do not determine our lives. They do not determine our actions. So let me say this again very plainly. There is no such thing as luck, chance, fate, or fortune in a world that's ruled by God. God is absolutely sovereign, and the only thing that comes to pass in time is God's sovereign decree, which He determined before the world ever began. So when you come along and you say, well, the stars in their courses determine how I act. No, they do not. If you say, well, I'll do like the king of Assyria and I'll kill an animal and I'll look into the liver and see what the liver says. That is all hogwash. That is all idolatry. If there is anything outside of God, if there's anything over which God does not have control, then God is not God.
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That thing outside of God over which he has no control would be God himself. So just put her down. God is absolutely sovereign. And when you start talking about luck, chance, fate, fortune, you're talking about things that really and truly do not exist. By the way, Fortuna was a Roman goddess. We're not talking about fortune. We're not talking about fate. We're not talking about luck. We're not talking about chance. We're talking about the providence of God.
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Now, when you look in Judges chapter 17 and 18, to me, in one sense of the word, these two chapters are exceedingly comical and funny. Another in another sense of the word, these two chapters are exceedingly sad and serious. They are comical and funny because of the stupidity and the senselessness of the actors, and sad and serious because of the consequences of the actors. So, Judges chapter 17 then begins with a theft. It is an unusual theft.
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Here is a son that has stolen 1,100 shekels of silver from his own mother. And so he comes to her and confesses. And he says, look, the 1,100 shekels is with me. I took them.
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Now, you have to ask, what made him confess? Hmm, that's an interesting thing. Since this message deals with superstition, luck, and idolatry, if you look in Judges 17 in verse 2, "And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursest, and spakest also in mine ears, Behold the silver is with me; I took it." So she had placed a curse upon anyone who had taken that silver. And since we're dealing with idolatry and superstition, which you will find out in this chapter, in all probability, that prompted him to confess and say, I've taken this money. I've taken it. And of course, she says, "Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son." Now, we should look in verses three and four, because the mother now makes an astounding confession. Look at it in verse three. "And when he restored the 1,100 shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image.
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Now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money unto his mother and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder and made thereof a graven image and a molten image. And they were in the house of Micah."
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Now, here's the interesting thing. If you look in verse three, she said, "I had wholly dedicated silver unto the Lord." You'll notice the word Lord is in all caps. Anytime you see in our Bibles, the word Lord in all caps, it is the sacred personal name of God, Yahweh, which is translated as Jehovah or Jehovah in our Bibles. So she knew the personal sacred name of God. And then in the same breath, she said, I've taken this silver that was dedicated to him to make a graven image and a molten image, which was absolutely contrary to God and contrary to his word.
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So if you would turn back very quickly, to the book of Exodus chapter 20. You will see this in verses 3 through 6. Look what God said, and it's exceedingly plain in Exodus chapter 20, beginning there with verse 3. Look what God says. God says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Now watch it. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.
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For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments." So God says you're not to make any graven image of anything that's in heaven, anything that's in the earth, anything that's in the water. And yet, this is what she dedicated the money for, to do that which is absolutely contrary to God.
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Now, I want you to notice verse 6. I'm going to come back to verse 6. "In those days there was no king in Israel. But every man did that which was right in his own eyes." That's basically the theme of this book. You'll find that same verse occurring again in Judges chapter 21 and verse 25. So here we go. Anytime we do things that are right in our own eyes, especially when it's contrary to Scripture, we are guilty of idolatry. We see this same contradiction in professing Christianity today.
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Look, if you would please, at the politicians. Look how many politicians always confess to be a Christian until they get in office, and then all of their legislation is contrary to Christ, contrary to the Bible, and contrary to Christianity in general. And then when you look around at the church, you see the same thing in the church. You see people who profess to be Christian who live their lives as if God had never spoken, as if God does not exist. And you go into the average church, and you don't really hear the Word of God proclaimed. You might hear some good program, or you might hear good music, or you might be entertained, but you don't really, truly hear the Word of God.
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Now, if you look at verses 5 and 6, I'm going to hit it again, watch this, verse 5, "And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Now, I want you to note the Bible says that Micah had a house of gods. Well, the phrase may be interpreted in one of two ways. Number one, it could be interpreted so as to mean that Micah was a polytheist. He believed in many gods. Not just the one true and the living God, but many gods. Secondly, I read some scholars who try to say, well, what this verse really means is that he had a house for God. Well, if he did, he's still an idolater because now he has a house that is in contradiction to the tabernacle. In other words, he's got a place where he's going to worship God in opposition to the tabernacle that God ordained.
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Moreover, the Bible tells us that he had an ephod. Now, an ephod was part of a priestly garment. In fact, it was a major part of the priestly garment. If he had an ephod, then probably he had everything necessary for a priest.
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Now, look what else he had. The Bible also says the man had a teraphim. Wow! A teraphim? What is a teraphim? Well, let me give you another scripture. You remember that passage in Genesis chapter 31 in verse 19, the Bible said in Laban went to shear his sheep and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. The word images is teraphim. Teraphim were images of household gods. And these gods were looked to for earthly prosperity and to be his oracles, that is, to tell them how to live and what to do. So we find Micah then had a house of gods. He had an ephod. He had a teraphim. And look in verse five again.
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And he consecrated one of his sons who became his priest. Now, neither Micah or his son were Levites. And Micah did not have any authority to ordain his son to be a priest. In fact, if you remember, I just finished four messages on the foundations of rebellion. And the whole background was, remember, chapter 16, where Dathan, Abiram, and Korah all rebelled because they wanted the priesthood. And they were jealous of the fact that only Aaron and his family had the priesthood. And when you get to Abiram and on, these were sons of Reuben. They were not even Levites. Korah, at least, was a Levite. And so clearly now, what Micah is doing is an absolute contradiction to the law of God and to the Word of God.
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So, this is why it says, in those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Anytime we do that which we think is right, without consulting the Bible, or especially if it's in contradiction to the Bible, it is idolatry. So here's another thing that we could say. One can do a right thing in a wrong way and still be condemned.
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He may have been attempting to worship the one true and the living God, which I really doubt, although his mother knew the correct name of God. But anytime you try to worship God in a way which God has not ordained, it is idolatry, period.
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Now, I want you to look at something to show you why I title this message Superstition, luck, and idolatry. Watch this. Skip down, if you would, to verse 7. Judges 17, verse 7. Look at this. "And there was a young man out of Bethlehem, Judah, the family of Judah, who was a Levite. And he sojourned there. And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem, Judah, to sojourn where he could find a place.
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And he came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem, Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in, and the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was made unto him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite, which he had no authority to do so. And the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah. Now, watch this. Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."
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Now, let me ask you, do you see anything wrong or anything wicked with this passage? First of all, as I pointed out, Micah did not have any authority to ordain anyone a priest. It is true that God had set the Levites aside. It is true that Moses and Aaron were Levites. But it is also true that God chose Aaron and his family to be priests and God ordained the Levites and God ordained the priesthood.
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Now, secondly, this Levite was a young man. And Micah ordained him, the Bible says, to be a father and a priest unto him. When you read what follows, the young man was in no position to be a father and reality a priest either. He certainly did not have fatherly wisdom. Thirdly, here's the kicker. If you look in verse 13, here's what Micah said. "Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest." The Levite was his lucky rabbit's foot. The Levite was his four-leaf clover. The Levite was his charm. It was his good luck trophy. I know God is going to bless me because I've got this Levite. Do you realize modern-day Christians are just as guilty as Micah?
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Many view their Bibles as charms. They view church as charms. They view prayer as charms. What I mean by that is this. The average person, when they really, really want something from God, when they really, really need Him, they'll start reading their Bible. They'll go to church. They'll go to pray. And they'll keep praying, and then God answers, and guess what? When they get what they want, they quit praying, they quit studying their Bible, they quit going to church. What did they do? They just used God. He's just a tool.
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He was a good luck charm. That's all. And when they don't need Him, they can put Him back on the shelf like one of these false gods.
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Now, I want to show you how idolatrous Israel really was. Because there's another good illustration of this.
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Now I want you to turn in your Bibles, just over a few pages, to 1 Samuel chapter 4. 1 Samuel chapter 4. And watch this, beginning with verse 1. 1 Samuel chapter 4, verse 1. I'm sure that you can pick up on it, but watch this. "And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
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Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines. And they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
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And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! For there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us!
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Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Quit yourselves like men, and fight.' And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen." Now, here's the thing.
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Look back at verse 4. "So the people sent to Shiloh that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims." What? Why did they? Why did they bring it? Well, look in verse three. "Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh, it may save us."
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So what are they looking for? They're looking for the ark to save them. They're not looking for the God of the ark. In other words, the ark to them was a lucky rabbit's foot. It was just something to be used. They wanted, they wanted to have that ark to save them. It would not happen. They trusted in the ark instead of the God of the ark.
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Now, let me make a statement and I want you to listen carefully. Because the Levite that Micah has, turns out to be absolutely perfectly useless and worthless. So I want you to look in chapter 18 of the Book of Judges and let's read the first six verses. Look at this. "In those days, there was no king in Israel. And in those days, the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in. For unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
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And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coast, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to go search it. And they said unto them, Go search the land. Who when they came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. Now watch. And when they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite.
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And they turned in thither and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? Look at this, and what makest thou in this place? How much money do you make? And what hast thou here? And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and he hath hired me, and I am his priest. 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. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.
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Now, let me just stop right there for a moment. So evidently, the Danites knew of this Levite. They've come to search out a land. In fact, they came to search out Laish because they wanted to conquer it and have it for their own. And so they realize that here is a Levitical man who is a priest. And so they ask him. Would their mission be successful? I want you to look at verse six of his answer. "And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go."
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Now, to demonstrate for you the absolute absurdity of the answer the priest gave, let me pose some questions and let's apply his answer. So here's a question. Should I marry this woman or should I marry this man? Here's the answer. Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. Hmm. How about this question? Should I go to Mexico? Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. How about this question?
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Should I endeavor to be rich at the expense of others? Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. How about this question? Should I divorce my wife of 61 years and marry a younger woman? Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. Do you see how ridiculous that answer is? In other words, once he gave that answer, you're free to place your own interpretation upon it.
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You can say this is what I want and thank God God agrees with me. Just let's go and do it. Wow. I mean, absolutely, totally worthless, because you could make that answer fit just about any question, and you could deduce whatever you wanted to deduce from that answer. Now, in spite of that answer, the Danites did discover that they could conquer the land. So look at verse 7.
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"Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people that was therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure, and there was no magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in anything. And they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. They were by themselves. And they came unto their brethren, to Zorah, to Eshtaol, and to their brethren, and said, What say ye?
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And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them. For we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And are ye still? Be not slothful to go, and to enter into and possess the land. When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land. For God hath given it into your hands, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth."
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"And there went out from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. And they went up and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah. Wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day. Behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim. And they passed thence unto the house of Micah, and came to the house of Micah." Now, watch this. They made it as far as Micah's house.
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Now look in verse 14, "Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and a teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what ye have to do." What does that question imply? Consider now, therefore, what ye have to do. Well, it implies what you have to do is steal and to terrorize.
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In other words, we want it. We're going to take it. So look at verses 15 through 21. Watch it now. "And they turned thitherward and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, even to the house of Micah and saluted him. And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. And the five men that went up to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, and the priest stood in the entering of the gate, with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. And these went into Micah's house and fetched the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim, the molten image.
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Then said the priest to them, What do ye? What are you doing? And you know, he spoke up right then and they said unto him, watch this, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth and go with us. And be thou as a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest in the house of one man, or that thou mayest be a priest in a tribe and a family in Israel? Now, watch this next verse.
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And the priest's heart was glad. He was happy. He was excited. Why? He's getting a promotion.
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Now, you have to remember in the Old Testament, the priest always got a portion of the sacrifice. Well, one man is going to be sacrificing very little. But now you've got a whole tribe and they're going to be sacrificing a lot. So now we're not only talking about a promotion, we're talking about a tremendous increase in pay. Remember, I told you. Remember, I told you this young man, this Levite was totally worthless and useless. Hang on.
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Look back in verse 20 again. Watch this. "And the priest's heart was glad and he, the priest, took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image and went in the midst of the people. So they turned and departed and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them." So the five men started out stealing. But now when they told him, we want you to be a father to us and a priest to us, he took them. He stole them. Wow. Wow.
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It's interesting that this Levite, this young man was a thief. He took the teraphim, he took the ephod, he took the graven image, he was happy. So here's the question, what about his commitment to Micah? He never even talked to Micah. He never said one word. He just stole the property of Micah, went in the midst of 600 armed men for protection, and left. Wow. He took it.
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Now, when the Danites began to steal, he finished it. A similar incident happened in Osceola, Missouri in September of 1861. I have a message. In fact, I have several messages dealing with the war in Missouri. Senator Jim Lane, who was a United States Senator and an atrocious individual and Jennison, these were leaders of the Kansas Red Legs. And they stole, they burned, they did everything. In fact, those of you who've watched the old movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, it was the Kansas Red Legs that burned him out, you know. And that's history. But I want to read to you just a little article and just show you what happened. On September 1861, with a smart little army of about 1,500, Senator Jim Lane started forward along the Missouri line. His avowed objective, however, was not to pursue General Price, who was a Confederate general, but to clear out the valley of the Osage and to pitch into the towns of Butler, Harrisonville, Osceola, and Clinton. On September the 12th, he reached Trading Post, Kansas, and from there turned eastward into Missouri.
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As soon as they crossed the border, his men began to loot, burn, murder, and rape. The climax of Lane's march occurred in Osceola on September the 23rd, after exchanging a few shots with some Confederates on the outskirts. And by the way, it was not a military town. There were just a few men that were there that happened to be Confederate soldiers. His men entered into the town and proceeded to ransack it.
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They robbed the bank, pillaged stores and private houses, and looted the courthouse. Captain Thomas Moonlight bombarded the last building with a cannon, and others set fire to the town, almost totally destroying it." In other words, before this rampage, there were 800 buildings in Osceola, Missouri. When the Redlegs left, there were three buildings left standing. Hang on. Many of the Kansans got so drunk that when it came to leave, they were unable to march and had to ride in wagons and carriages.
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They carried off with them a tremendous load of plunder, including Lane's personal share, a piano, and a quantity of silk dresses. The sack of Osceola henceforth was a prime cause of bitter hatred of Lane and Kansans by the people of West Missouri. During the raid, the regimental chaplain, Hugh Fisher, stole altar furnishings from the Osceola church to furnish his own unfinished Kansas church. The murder, rape, robbery and arson did not seem to bother him. He used it as a cover to loot the churches for his own benefit.
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I wonder how he dealt with the Eighth Commandment. As a chaplain, thou shalt not steal. Wow.
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Now, skip down, if you would, to verse 22 in Judges 18, because we now have the answer to one of the questions that I posed in the beginning of this message, look at it in verse 22. "And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces and said unto Micah, What aileth thee that thou comest with such a company?
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And he said, Ye have taken away my gods, which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away. And what have I more? And what is this that ye say to me? What aileth thee? And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household. And the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back into the house."
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Now, first of all, we have our question. Was Micah a polytheist? And the answer is yes. Because he said, you've stolen my gods, which I've made. The only thing you can think about is this poor Micah. I mean, he could not protect his gods. His gods could not protect him. His gods could not even protect themselves. But yet they were his gods. He made them. They were useless and they were worthless, just like the worship that he professed to give to the one true and the living God. But here's a good illustration between a real genuine Christian and one who is an idolater. A real genuine Christian is made by the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, while an idolater is made by and makes his own gods. Wow!
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Now, I want to show you what I'm going to consider the two shockers in this passage. When we look at these two passages. One thing that should have been noticed by you is that throughout Chapter 17, throughout Chapter 18, the Levite is referred to as the Levite or a young man. There's no name given to him. Not until you get to Judges 18 and verse 30. And you will find out who this young Levite was. Watch verse 30. "And the children of Dan set up the graven image and Jonathan, that was the young Levite, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests of the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land."
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Now, first of all, let me say this. You need to remember this passage, because in a few weeks, when I bring another message, this passage is going to answer a very vital question for you. OK? But who's Jonathan? Manasseh was the son of Moses. Gershom was the son of Manasseh. Jonathan was the son of Gershom. Jonathan, the young Levite, was the great-grandson of Moses. You know, the Bible says in Hebrews 3 that Moses was faithful in all his house. That would be his immediate house over which he had control. But now here is his great-grandson who is an idolater. It's astounding to me. How you can have a godly man like Hezekiah and he can have an ungodly son like Manasseh or, you know, or how you can have an ungodly king and yet you can turn out and have a godly son.
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I'm just simply pointing out the fact that you cannot control your lineage. So it's interesting to me that this young Levite was the great grandson of Moses. So unlike Moses, who is faithful in all of his house. So let me put it to you like this again. Depravity is hereditary. Grace is not. Here's the second shocker. All of this that happened in Judges 17 and 18 did not even need to happen.
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I mean, as far as the idolatry is concerned. Why? Look in verse 31 of Judges 18. "And they set up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh." What? All they had to do was to go to Shiloh and worship. There were truly Levites. There was true sacrifice. That's where the tabernacle of God was. But yet Micah would rather make his own gods. Let me make some applications, I want you to think about this. Whenever you do that which you think best, whenever you do that which is right in your own eyes, whenever you do that in which you delight in worship, you're an idolater.
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I've had people tell me, well, I go to such and such church because it makes me feel good. You don't go to church to feel good, you go to church to worship the one true and the living God, your feelings really don't count in the matter. Well, I go to this church because they've got a great youth program. Wonderful! But what about the truth? I go to this church because they've got great music. Wonderful! But what about the truth? I go to this church because they've got a great youth program. Wonderful! But what about the truth? It's astounding to me how far men will go to destroy and deny and denigrate the true worship of God.
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You can do a right thing in a wrong way and it still be condemned. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Amos chapter 5. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look at Amos chapter 5. And let's begin reading there verse 21. Look at this. Amos 5 verse 21. Look what God said to Israel. They were worshipping Him, yes, supposedly, but not really, not truly. God says in verse 21, "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies." Well, did not God appoint the feast days? Did not God appoint the solemn assemblies? Yes. But God said, I hate it. I won't have it.
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Verse 22, "Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings or meal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts." God said, I don't want anything that you give me. Verse 23, "Take away from me the noise of thy songs. It's just noise to him. For I will not hear the melody of thy viols." Why is God hating and despising the worship of this people? He says in verse 24, "But let judgment run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream." The Lord's saying, you're living ungodly disobedient lives. I don't want anything that you offer me. I won't take it. I hate it. I despise it. And then He says this, look in verse 25. "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
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But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch, and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts." All superstition is idolatry. All belief in luck, charms, fate, fortune is idolatry. It's only God who directs our paths and orders our steps. And the reason all this other is idolatry is it places merit and power in things that have no merit and things that have no power.
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You say, I've got lucky rabbit's foot. It wasn't lucky for the rabbit. You have it. He doesn't. I'm just pointing out the fact, when you think about what happened in Judges 17 and 18, in 1 Samuel chapter 4, you can see the same thing today. People have not changed. The psalmist said in Psalm 62 in verse 11, once I've heard this, yea, twice, power belongeth unto God. God alone is sovereign. God alone has providence. And God alone brings things to pass in our times.
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And whenever you attribute anything to luck, chance, fate, or fortune, you're guilty of idolatry. I don't care if you find $100,000. It wasn't luck. It was God's providence. I don't care if the rattlesnake missed you by one thousandth of an inch, it still wasn't luck. It was the providence of God. He deserves all the honor, all the praise and all the glory. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your grace and your mercy. We pray, Lord, you would help us not to be superstitious, not to believe in luck, chance, fate or fortune, but Lord to recognize Thou art sovereign, and in Thy divine providence You bring things to pass in our lives for our good and for Thy glory. We may not understand some things that come to pass, and we may not like them, but, Lord, we have to understand they are for our good whether we like them or not. And, Father, we give Thee praise for being the sovereign God of heaven and earth. In the name of Jesus Christ, in whose name we ask all of these blessings, Amen.
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Superstition, Luck, and Idolatry

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines Judges 17–18 to expose superstition, luck, and idolatry as demonic doctrines that replace trust in God's sovereignty. He shows how Micah's household worship, the Levite's self-serving priesthood, and the Danites' theft mirror modern religious practices that treat God, the Bible, and church as good-luck charms. The sermon calls believers to reject all forms of idolatry and worship God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

Introduction: The Question of Superstition

Weaver opens by reading Judges 17:1-6 and asking whether listeners are superstitious, asserting that many Christians unknowingly practice idolatry through belief in luck, chance, fate, or fortune.

Scripture Reading — Judges 17:1-6

"And there was a man of Mount Ephraim whose name was Micah, and he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursest and spakest also of in mine ears. Behold, the silver is with me. I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son. And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I have wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image. Now, therefore, I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money to his mother, and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder who made thereof a graven image and a molten image.

The Biblical Definition of Superstition

Using Acts 17:22-23, Weaver explains that the Greek word for 'superstitious' combines fearfulness and demons, meaning a superstitious person is fearful of demons and thus does senseless things.

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:22-23

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

Idolatry as Fellowship with Demons

From 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 and 1 Timothy 4:1, Weaver argues that idolatrous practices are sacrifices to demons and that there are demonic doctrines contrary to God's Word.

God's Prohibition of Occult Practices

Deuteronomy 18:10-14 lists divination, witchcraft, and necromancy as abominations; Weaver emphasizes that God's sovereignty excludes luck, chance, fate, or fortune.

Micah's Idolatrous Household

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:3-6

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Now watch it. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

The Worthless Levite as a Good-Luck Charm

Micah hires a young Levite as his priest, believing God will bless him because of it (Judges 17:7-13). Weaver compares this to modern Christians treating Bible reading, church, and prayer as charms.

The Ark as a Rabbit's Foot in 1 Samuel 4

Israel brings the ark into battle as a talisman, trusting in the object rather than the God of the ark, resulting in defeat and the loss of 30,000 men.

The Danites' Theft and the Levite's Betrayal

Micah's Powerless Gods and the Identity of the Levite

Micah's gods cannot protect themselves or him (Judges 18:22-26). The Levite is revealed as Jonathan, great-grandson of Moses (Judges 18:30), showing that depravity is hereditary but grace is not.

Now, skip down, if you would, to verse 22 in Judges 18, because we now have the answer to one of the questions that I posed in the beginning of this message, look at it in verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:22-26

"And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces and said unto Micah, What aileth thee that thou comest with such a company? And he said, Ye have taken away my gods, which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away. And what have I more? And what is this that ye say to me? What aileth thee? And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household. And the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back into the house."

The True Worship at Shiloh and Final Applications

I mean, as far as the idolatry is concerned. Why? Look in verse 31 of Judges 18.

Scripture Reading — Judges 18:30-31

"And they set up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh."

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:21-27

"I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies."

Well, did not God appoint the feast days? Did not God appoint the solemn assemblies? Yes. But God said, I hate it. I won't have it.

Superstition, Luck, and Idolatry

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1121231754402383
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: As Yet
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-11-19
Dictation Name
Book	Book 079: Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover - Volume 2 — Chapter 32
Source Timed Segments	78

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Question of Superstition: Weaver opens by reading Judges 17:1-6 and asking whether listeners are superstitious, asserting that many Christians unknowingly practice idolatry through belief in luck, chance, fate, or fortune.
The Biblical Definition of Superstition: Using Acts 17:22-23, Weaver explains that the Greek word for 'superstitious' combines fearfulness and demons, meaning a superstitious person is fearful of demons and thus does senseless things.
Idolatry as Fellowship with Demons: From 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 and 1 Timothy 4:1, Weaver argues that idolatrous practices are sacrifices to demons and that there are demonic doctrines contrary to God's Word.
God's Prohibition of Occult Practices: Deuteronomy 18:10-14 lists divination, witchcraft, and necromancy as abominations; Weaver emphasizes that God's sovereignty excludes luck, chance, fate, or fortune.
Micah's Idolatrous Household: Judges 17:1-6 details Micah's theft, his mother's dedication of silver to make idols, and the establishment of a private shrine with an ephod, teraphim, and a non-Levitical priest, all contrary to God's law.
The Worthless Levite as a Good-Luck Charm: Micah hires a young Levite as his priest, believing God will bless him because of it (Judges 17:7-13). Weaver compares this to modern Christians treating Bible reading, church, and prayer as charms.
The Ark as a Rabbit's Foot in 1 Samuel 4: Israel brings the ark into battle as a talisman, trusting in the object rather than the God of the ark, resulting in defeat and the loss of 30,000 men.
The Danites' Theft and the Levite's Betrayal: The Danites steal Micah's idols and priest, and the Levite gladly joins them for a promotion (Judges 18:1-21). Weaver illustrates with the historical sack of Osceola, Missouri, where a chaplain looted church furnishings.
Micah's Powerless Gods and the Identity of the Levite: Micah's gods cannot protect themselves or him (Judges 18:22-26). The Levite is revealed as Jonathan, great-grandson of Moses (Judges 18:30), showing that depravity is hereditary but grace is not.
The True Worship at Shiloh and Final Applications: All the idolatry occurred while the tabernacle was at Shiloh (Judges 18:31). Weaver applies the lesson: doing what is right in one's own eyes is idolatry; God hates worship from disobedient hearts (Amos 5:21-27).

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Superstition is rooted in fear of demons

The Greek word for 'superstitious' combines fearfulness and demons, indicating that superstition is a demonic fear leading to irrational actions.

Weaver explains the etymology of δεισιδαιμονεστέρους from Acts 17:22.

Idolatry is worship of demons

Scripture teaches that sacrifices to idols are actually offered to demons, making all false worship demonic.

Weaver quotes 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 and 1 Timothy 4:1.

God forbids all occult and superstitious practices

Deuteronomy 18 lists divination, witchcraft, and necromancy as abominations, showing God's total rejection of such practices.

Weaver reads Deuteronomy 18:10-14 and emphasizes God's prohibition.

Luck and chance deny God's sovereignty

If anything exists outside God's control, then God is not God; therefore, luck, chance, fate, and fortune are non-existent concepts.

Weaver argues, 'If there is anything outside of God, if there's anything over which God does not have control, then God is not God.'

Self-styled worship is condemned

Micah's establishment of a private shrine with unauthorized priests and idols was doing right in his own eyes, which God calls idolatry.

Weaver points to Judges 17:5-6 and the contradiction with Exodus 20:3-6.

Religious objects and people are not charms

Micah believed the Levite would bring God's blessing, just as Israel trusted the ark instead of God; both were idolatrous.

Weaver cites Judges 17:13 and 1 Samuel 4:3-11.

Idolatry leads to moral corruption

The Levite's willingness to steal and the Danites' violence show that false worship produces theft, betrayal, and destruction.

Weaver recounts the Levite's theft and the historical parallel of the sack of Osceola.

True worship must be according to God's Word

God hates worship offered by those living in disobedience; He desires righteousness, not empty rituals.

Weaver reads Amos 5:21-27, where God rejects Israel's feasts and offerings.

Scripture References

Judges 17:1-6: Introduction to Micah's theft, his mother's dedication of silver for idols, and the establishment of a private shrine with an ephod, teraphim, and a non-Levitical priest.
Acts 17:22-23: Paul calls the Athenians 'too superstitious' because they worship many gods, including an unknown god.
1 Corinthians 10:20-21: Paul says that Gentiles sacrifice to devils, not God, and believers cannot partake of both the Lord's table and the table of devils.
1 Timothy 4:1: In latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
Deuteronomy 18:10-14: God forbids divination, witchcraft, necromancy, and other occult practices as abominations.
Exodus 20:3-6: The second commandment prohibits making graven images or bowing down to them, for God is a jealous God.
Judges 17:7-13: Micah hires a young Levite as his priest, believing God will bless him because of it.
1 Samuel 4:1-11: Israel brings the ark into battle as a talisman, but they are defeated and the ark is captured.
Judges 18:1-6: The Danites seek counsel from Micah's Levite, who gives a vague, worthless answer.
Judges 18:7-21: The Danites steal Micah's idols and priest; the Levite gladly joins them.
Judges 18:22-26: Micah pursues the Danites but is powerless to recover his gods.
Judges 18:30-31: The Levite is identified as Jonathan, grandson of Moses; the idolatry continued while the tabernacle was at Shiloh.
Amos 5:21-27: God hates Israel's feasts and offerings because of their disobedience; they carried idols like Moloch and Chiun.
Psalm 62:11: Power belongs to God; He alone is sovereign.
Genesis 31:19: Rachel stole her father's teraphim (household gods).
Hebrews 3: Moses was faithful in all his house, contrasting with his idolatrous descendant.

Historical References

Sack of Osceola, Missouri (September 1861): Weaver parallels the Danites' theft with the Kansas Red Legs' raid on Osceola, where a chaplain looted church furnishings, illustrating how idolatry leads to moral corruption.
Senator Jim Lane and the Kansas Red Legs: Weaver mentions these historical figures as perpetrators of the Osceola raid, known for looting, burning, and murder.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (film): Weaver references the movie to illustrate the historical background of the Kansas Red Legs burning out settlers.

Important Quotes

There is no such thing as luck, chance, fate, or fortune in a world that's ruled by God.

This quote encapsulates the sermon's central thesis that all superstition denies God's sovereignty and is therefore idolatry.

If there is anything outside of God, if there's anything over which God does not have control, then God is not God.

Weaver argues that God's absolute sovereignty excludes any rival powers like luck or fate.

Anytime we do that which we think is right, without consulting the Bible, or especially if it's in contradiction to the Bible, it is idolatry.

This defines self-willed religion as idolatry, a key application from Judges 17:6.

The Levite was his lucky rabbit's foot. The Levite was his four-leaf clover. The Levite was his charm. It was his good luck trophy.

Weaver uses vivid imagery to show how Micah treated the Levite as a superstitious charm, paralleling modern religious practices.

A real genuine Christian is made by the one true and living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, while an idolater is made by and makes his own gods.

This contrast highlights the fundamental difference between true faith and idolatry.

Depravity is hereditary. Grace is not.

Weaver summarizes the lesson from Jonathan's lineage: sin passes through generations, but salvation does not.

All they had to do was to go to Shiloh and worship. There were truly Levites. There was true sacrifice. That's where the tabernacle of God was. But yet Micah would rather make his own gods.

This underscores the willful rejection of God's ordained worship in favor of self-made religion.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

Quoting Amos 5:21, Weaver shows that God rejects worship from those living in disobedience.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways might modern Christians unknowingly practice superstition or treat religious activities as good-luck charms?

[Context]

Weaver compares Micah's Levite to a lucky rabbit's foot and says many view Bibles, church, and prayer as charms.

[Question]

How does the etymology of 'superstitious' (fear of demons) change your understanding of common superstitious practices?

[Context]

Weaver explains the Greek word from Acts 17:22 combines fearfulness and demons.

[Question]

Why is it idolatrous to attribute events to luck or chance instead of God's providence?

[Context]

Weaver argues that luck denies God's sovereignty and that Fortuna was a Roman goddess.

[Question]

What does the story of Micah teach us about the danger of doing what is right in our own eyes in worship?

[Context]

Weaver repeatedly points to Judges 17:6 and the contradiction with God's commands.

[Question]

How does the Levite's willingness to abandon Micah for a better position reveal the self-serving nature of false religion?

[Context]

The Levite's heart was glad when offered a promotion and more pay, showing his lack of genuine commitment.

[Question]

What does the identity of the Levite as Moses' great-grandson teach us about the limits of godly heritage?

[Context]

Weaver notes that depravity is hereditary but grace is not, using Jonathan as an example.

[Question]

According to Amos 5, why does God reject worship that is outwardly correct? How should this affect our approach to church?

[Context]

Weaver reads Amos 5:21-27, where God hates Israel's feasts because of their unrighteous lives.

[Question]

How can we ensure that our worship is directed to the God of the Bible and not a god of our own imagination?

[Context]

Weaver warns against worshiping the 'unknown God' of our own making instead of the God revealed in Christ.

Applications

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