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Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture

plus an explanation with links

2017 August 28

Portrait of a Silversmith in His Workshop (c. 1680)
Unknown Dutch Master (fl., 17^th Century)
Dutch Golden Age Baroque Style
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art

SPECIAL NOTE:

[ I will again be working through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. I will be adding links, resources, images, and the like, upgrading the former work-through which began with the 2013-10-12 posting which can be found, along with the full Genesis to Revelation postings, in the Archive Page. Postings will be at midnight Eastern Time, as I am able. However, no chapters will be skipped, even though a posting may be late. And all postings will be housed in the Archive Page. ]

     Explanation: Judges 17 deals with irregularities in worship, including idolatry. Two incidents are recorded, both involving Micah, a man from the tribe of Ephraim.
     In the first incident, Micah confessed to his mother that he had stolen eleven hundred shekels of silver from her. She was delighted with his confession and dedicated 200 shekels of the silver to the LORD to make an idol. This seemingly was to be used as an image to worship the LORD. When the workman (represented anachronistically in the image above) finished the idol, Micah put it in his house of gods, made an ephod (a garment for the upper body) and a teraphim (an idol, sometimes in human form), and made one of his sons a priest. This idol making (degrading the LORD to a base form) and the inclusion of the idol in a pantheon (making other gods equivalent to the LORD) was ironic considering the fact that Micah's name means "Who is Like Jehovah." And these things were against the LORD's laws (Exodus 20:4; Exodus 20:23; Leviticus 19:4; Deuteronomy 12:3). But, as verse 6 says, "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (1-6).
     In the second incident, a Levite from the tribe of Judah happened to come to Micah's house from the city of Bethlehem in Judah where he had been residing temporarily ("sojourning"). When he came to Micah, Micah persuaded him to stay with him; and he was like a son to Micah. So Micah consecrated him as a priest; and he felt assured that the LORD would do good to him now that he had a Levite as a priest (7-13).
     [ Sermons: Philip Vos. William Still. Various. ]
     [ Illustration: Today's image depicts a silversmith, representing the kind of craftsman who could have made the silver idols mentioned in today's chapter. ]

RESOURCES

PLEASE NOTE: Use the resources on this and other sites thoughtfully, particularly the commentaries and encyclopedias. I have attempted to list conservative, scholarly resources. However, some providers use liberal or liberal-influenced commentaries such as the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (in Bible Hub). Such commentaries are undoubtedly included by the provider for the wealth of useful information and comments which they provide. By consulting several commentaries, it should be fairly easy to sort out the wheat from the chaff. If, however, you would like personal assistance, write to me at AD LIB ARTS EMAIL.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Judges 17:
     [1] Judges 2:9; Deuteronomy 28:27; Judges 2:1-5; Judges 8:27.
     [2] Judges 16:5; Leviticus 5:1.
     [3] Deuteronomy 27:15; Exodus 20:4; Exodus 20:23; Exodus 32:4-5; 1 Kings 7:25.
     [4] Isaiah 46:6-13; Daniel 2:33; Daniel 5:23; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3; Isaiah 40:19; Isaiah 44:10; Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 16:18.
     [5] Judges 8:27; Genesis 31:19; 2 Kings 23:34; Ezekiel 21:26; Hosea 3:4; Zechariah 10:2; Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:24; Leviticus 7:37; 1 Samuel 15:23; Zechariah 10:2; 1 Samuel 19:13-16; Hosea 3:4; Genesis 31:19; Genesis 30:14; Genesis 31:30; Genesis 31:53; Judges 9:37; Judges 17:5; Judges 18:3; 1 Samuel 19:13-16; Ezekiel 21:21; Hosea 3:4; 1 Samuel 15:23; 2 Kings 23:24; Zechariah 10:2; Ezekiel 21:21.
     [6] Judges 18:1; Judges 19:1; Judges 21:25; Deuteronomy 12:8.
     [7] Joshua 19:15; Judges 12:8; Joshua 21:6; Joshua 21:9-42; Genesis 49:7.
     [8] Nehemiah 13:10-11.
     [10] 2 Kings 2:12;2 Kings 5:13; 2 Kings 6:21; Isaiah 22:21; Leviticus 25:29.
     [13] Numbers 16:10; 2 Kings 18:22.
     -- From Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Micha'el Ben David. Sons of Korah. Fernando Ortega. Janet Isaac Morrison. Music of the Bible Revealed - Suzanne Haik-Vantoura. Dr. David Erb. Gregorian Chants. ]

HARMONY OF THE LAW

John Calvin - CCEL | Analytical Chart - BLB

GOSPEL HARMONIES

Gospel Harmony - Summary | The Harmony of the Gospels - Augustine | Gospel Harmony Chart - Online Bible

Greek Harmony of the Gospels - Robertson - (Downloadable PDF) | Gospel Harmony in English - Robertson - (Downloadable PDF)

HEBREW AND GREEK INTERLINEAR BIBLES

Bible Hub Interlinear Hebrew and Greek Bible

Bible Hub Hebrew Interlinear | Scripture 4 All Hebrew Interlinear

Mounce Interlinear | Bible Hub Greek Interlinear | Scripture 4 All Greek Interlinear Bible

Judges Detailed Outline

Judges 17

Note: The Book of Judges teaches Israel's unfaithfulness. (The previous book, The Book of Joshua, teaches the Lord's faithfulness.)

Note: Some of the Judges may overlap each other chronologically and may have served in only part of the country.

1. The Historical Setting (1:1 - 3:6) - (1390 - 1377 B.C. Israel)

A. The Present Setting [in the Time of the Judges - This is the Second Campaign of Judah] (1:1-7)

B. The Past Setting [in Joshua's Time - First Campaigns of 6 Tribes] (1:8 - 3:6)

2. The History of the Judges (3:7 - 16:31) - (1377 - 1055 B.C. Israel)

3. The Historical Retrospective (17:1 - 21:25) - (1387 - 1377 B.C. Israel)

Note: This section is a cyclical return to the beginning of the Judges period.
It gives 2 striking illustrations of the religious and moral decay of the times.

A. Religious Decay: The Danites (17:1 - 18:31)

B. Moral Decay: The Benjamites (19:1 - 21:25)

Map | Time Line

¹ And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. ² And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. ³ And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated [to sanctify I sanctify] 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. ⁴ Yet he restored the money unto 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. ⁵ And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. ⁶ In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

⁷ And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah [Bethlehem Judah] of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. ⁸ And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah [Bethlehem Judah] to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed [making his way]. ⁹ And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah [Bethlehem Judah] , and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. ¹² And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. ¹³ 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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