“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.“ (Judges 17:6, NIV)
It is a refrain that is repeated over and over in the book of Judges. As we study it together in church, several of you are reading ahead and have mentioned how frustrating it is…things keep spiraling downward and getting worse and worse.
One of the lowlights is found in chapter 17 when we see the corruption of the priesthood. A man named Micah makes a silver idol for his home. Meanwhile, a priest traveling through the area meets Micah, who makes the priest this offer:
“Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food.” So the Levite agreed to live with him, and…the young man became his priest and lived in his house. And Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”“ (Judges 17:10-13, NIV)
Trusting God for provision is always challenging. It was for this priest. That’s why he just couldn’t pass up a salary and a clothing allowance – 10 Shekels and a shirt! Seems a cheap price to sell-out the one True God for an idol…
Don’t you appreciate it when you hear stories of folks who won’t sell out?! That’s my friend, Dr. Lan Leavell’s story. In 2007 he was holding together a church that had fallen apart because of the infidelity of the previous pastor. Lan had better offers, but refused to quit. And because he stuck to his guns, the church still exists today and has done incredible things for the Kingdom of God. You may have heard of the little congregation: The Village Denton.
I’m excited that Dr. Leavell will be preaching at New Life this weekend. He’s been a close friend of mine, and discipler of my son, for years. Lan loves the word of God and always has a very practical and humorous message. You won’t want to miss it!
This week, stick to your guns! Don’t set a price on your integrity…it costs too much to get it back!
