A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on the book of Judges · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
JƲdges the Eighteenth declareth how Idolatry was Tranſlated out of this one private Family of Micah's, into the whole publick Tribe of Dan; and this publick Idolatry is deſcribed: Firſt, By its Cauſes: And Secondly, By its Accidents.
Firſt, Its Cauſes be either Efficient, or Material: The External Efficient Cauſe was Threefold. (1.) The Anarchy in Iſrael, ver. 1.31. (2.) The Narrowneſs of Dan's Inheritance, ver. 1. (3.) The Searchers ſent forth for enlargement of their Borders, and in their way, meeting with Micah's Houſe in Mount-Ephraim, and knowing his Prieſt, they conſult him touching their Enterprize upon Laiſh, and he bids them go on and proſper, ver. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. then the Material Cauſe of this publick Idolatry is related; the Army of the Danites thus encourag'd to proceed, ſteal all the Idolatrous Trinkets, while the Solders kept the Prieſt (who was the keeper of them) in Conference with them, the Searchers were ſent to rob Micah's Houſe of thoſe Mawmets. After this they entice away his Prieſt; all this was grievouſly reſented by Micah, who purſues them, but to no purpoſe, being over powered, he returns home Re Infectd from ver. 11. to ver. 27.
Then follows the Accidents hereof, The Danites ſubdues, ſecure Laiſh, Burns it, Rebuilds it, and ſets up thoſe ſtolen Idols, and Idolatry, which eſtabliſh'd a Schiſm of a long continuance, ver. 28. to 31.
The Remarks upon theſe Heads, and firſt upon the Cauſes, are,
Firſt, The Time when theſe things happened, muſt be not long after the Death of Joſhua, though here Related after the Death of Samſon, which was about Two Hundred Years after they were come into Canaan; it cannot be judged at all probable that ſuch a potent Tribe as the Danites were, could be to ſeek for an Inheritance (as they did here, ver. 1.) after ſo long a time. Their Lot had falen to them before this time, Joſh. 19.40. but not the actual poſſeſſion of the whole thereof, for the Amorites had ſtraitned them, ver. 47. and Judg. 1.34. this cauſeth them now to undertake an Inlargement; in order hereunto they ſend out Searchers (before the Six Hundred Men of War, ver. 16.) who in their way take up their Lodging in ſome Neighbouring place to Micah's Houſe in Mount-Ephraim, and ſo near to his Idol-Chappel, that theſe Five Men could over-hear this Prieſt ſaying his Idolatrous Service, they knew his Voice by the manner of his Pronunciation (which was differing and diſtinguiſhable in ſeveral Tribes, Judg. 12.6. Mark 14.70.) or from former Acquaintance with this roving Leap-Land Levite; They ſtep to him after his Service, and asked him what he did there ſo far from the Tabernacle, where the Levite's Work properly lay; (the ſame Queſtions may be asked Non-Reſidents, &c.) He Anſwers, Micah hath made me his Prieſt, and I officiate with an Ephod, Images and Teraphim, which laſt being made like unto a Man (wherewith Michal cheated thoſe that Saul ſent to ſearch for David, putting it into the Bed in David's room to reſemble him, 1 Sam. 19.13.). They uſed them as Oracles to Divine by them, Ezek. 21.21. Hoſ. 3.4. Hereupon thoſe Searchers intreat him to Divine by this Teraphim about their Succeſs, ver. 2, 3, 4, 5.
The Second Remark is, This Priest's Anſwer to their Requeſt of asking Counſel; he ſaith to them [Go in Peace before the Lord is your way, &c.] ver. 6. This Anſwer he either fictitiouſly hammered out of his own Brain, the better to gratifie their itching Humour, that they might ſatisfie him with a greater Reward; or did indeed by inquiring of his Idol receive this Advice from the Devil, who transforms himſelf into an Angel of Light, and in God's Name gave them ſuch Anſwers as ſometimes were true, and came to paſs, this is done by Divine Permiſſion, God ſuffering it both for the proof of his People, and for the patefaction and pudefaction of Hypocrites, Deut. 13.1, 2.3. Thus Jannes and Jambres did turn Water into Blood (at leaſt ſeem'd to do ſo) as well as Moſes, Exod. 7.22, &c. Nor may this Mark be omitted; namely, the Ambiguity of this Prieſt's Anſwer, as the Devil's Oracles uſually were, for thoſe words, [Before the Lord is your way,] bear a doubtful ſenſe, and may be variouſly interpreted.
N. B. For [Nochach Jehovah Derekekem] may be rendered, [Obviat Jehovah viae veſtrae,] the Word is doubtful, and may be taken either in a good, or in an evil ſenſe: God might as well obviate them, and blaſt their Enterprize with his Curſe, as direct and promote it with his Bleſſing: Thus Ambiguous (ſaith Maſius) were all the Devils Oracles; as that was unto Ahab, [The Lord ſhall deliver it into the hands of the King,] 1 Kings 22.12. Yea, but that Lying Spirit doth not tell into which Kings Hands, whether the King of Iſrael, or the King of Syria: And Civil Hiſtory aboundeth with ſuch like Dubious Sentences from the Devil's Oracle at Delphos, as, Craeſus Halyn penetrans Magnam diſperdet opum vim.
May be meant either well or ill to Craeſus; that is, he ſhall by Invading that Countrey deſtroy a vaſt Treaſure; but the Devil tells him not, whether that ſhall be his own or his Enemies Treaſure: And. Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere poſſe.
This Ambiguous Oracle of Apollo to Pyrrhus did delude him, for he took it in this ſenſe, That the King of the Epires might overcome the Romans; and thereupon waged War againſt them, but he found the contrary ſenſe more true; to wit, That the Romans might overcome him, as indeed they did, and at laſt Slew him. The like to theſe was, Ibis, Redibis, nunquam per bella peribis.
Which by the miſplacing of one Comma, converts it into a quite contrary ſence: As thus, Thou ſhalt go, thou ſhalt Return, never ſhalt thou Periſh in Battle; by removing the Comma before [never] only behind it, and then the Senſe is, Thou ſhalt go, thou ſhalt return never, thou ſhalt Die in Battle. Thus the wary Devil will be foreign, equivocating in his Oracles, that however Matters prove, well or ill, he may ſtill ſave his Credit. And ſo he ſaith here [God ſeeth what ye are going about,] which might be meant, for evil as well as for good, though thoſe Danites met with good Succeſs, and not any evil Diſappointment; yet was this no ſure Evidence that they had pleaſed God in conſulting with the Devil; for they being tainted with Idolatry, had not retained the truth in the Love of it; therefore God ſent them thoſe ſtrong Deluſions to believe a Lye, &c. 2 Theſſ. 2.10, 11, 12. And hereupon A Lapide ſaith, Videntur, non minûs leves fuiſſe quàm levita ille.
Thoſe Danites were as Wiſe as this Wandring Levite, who hearing of a Teraphim, muſt needs have an Oracle, and will believe it though it do foreign, (as was ſaid of the Oracle at Delphos, that it declared only what favoured King Philip) ſoothing them up in their way: And though God permitted a Lying Devil to ſpeak truth here in their ſucceſsful Undertakings, yet that old Character of him holds true, Et ſi Satan ſemel videatùr verax, millies est mendax, & ſemper fallax.
Although the Devil ſeem once to ſpeak truth, yet is he found a Lyar a thouſand times for it, and always he is fallacious.
The Third Remark is, The Danites robbing Micah of his Mawmets, and of his Prieſt alſo, wherein he had ſo bleſſed himſelf in his blind Devotion, Judg. 17.13. the proſperity he promiſed to himſelf there, proved no better than an Unbearable Robbery to him here, from ver. 7. unto 26. a brief account whereof is this: Thoſe five Searchers being thus fluſh'd with this flattering Oracle, trudge away to Laiſh, (call'd Leſhhem, Joſh. 19.47. where we have the ſame Story by way of Anticipation) there they find a ſecure People, having no Officer to head them, and ſo far from the Zidonians, that they could not ſave them from any ſudden ſurprize, ver. 7. Upon this they return to their Tribe, tells them the People they had ſearched were fully ripe for Ruine; moreover, God hath given it into your hand by his Oracle we have conſulted (for the Levite had abuſed God's Holy Name the better to countenance his Diabolical Practices.) Hereupon they pick out for the purpoſe, and very well appointed, Six Hundred Men, who march firſt to the Fields of Kiriath-jearim, and from thence to the Town where Micah's Houſe ſtood, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. and here they make an Halt, the Spies taking this opportunity to prompt their Brethren, not to conſult this Oracle again the ſecond time for their own farther ſatisfaction about their ſucceſs, but downright to rob Micah of both the Oracle and the Prieſt that attended it, ſuggeſting to them how uſeful both theſe might be to the whole Tribe in the Land they were going to Conquer. Hereupon they ſtep (a little out of the Road to Laiſh) unto the Lodgings of the Levite, they Salute him, and detain him with Diſcourſe until the five Spies had rob'd his Chappel of all its Traſh and Trumpery, which when the Prieſt ſaw done, he was at firſt ſtartl'd, and probably might have made as great ſtir by calling in the Neighbourhood to a Reſcue, as Demetrius did in the like caſe afterwards at Epheſus, Act. 19.23, 24, &c. But the Danites partly by Flatteries and partly by Frowns, ſoon coax'd this Mercenary Prieſt, or Hireling Levite, to whom they promiſed greater preferment, at which the Prieſt's Heart was glad, for that was his Primum Mobile, &c. ver. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Behold how far this ſordid Levite differed from Heroick Luther, to whom the Pope proffered a Cardinal's Cap, and what preferment beſide he would pray for, provided he would keep quiet and buſtle no more for a Reformation. Luther's Anſwer was this, Contemptus à me Romanus & furor & favor.
I care for neither Rome's Favour nor Fury; which made the Romanists ſay of him, Germana illa beſtia non curat Aurum.
That German Beaſt careth not for Coin: Whereas this Sordid Spirited Prieſt readily Danceth after the Pipe of Preferment, the Danites cajole him with their plauſible Promiſes of preferring him from his Prieſthood in a private Family to an higher Office of being Prieſt to a whole Tribe, where he ſhall have ten times over Ten Shekels, (which poor pittance only he had with Micah) for his more Honourable Means, and Maintenance: This Conquers and Captivates the baſe-ſpirited Hireling, [Inſalutato ſuo Hero protinus decedere,] to leave Micah his Maſter without taking his leave of him, who yet had uſed him not like a Servant, but rather as his own Son: Ingratum ſi Dixeris, omnia: All Vices are wrap'd up in that one Vice of Ingratitude: This wandring Star, which loved not to be fixed in ſo Inferiour an Orb, yet had no need ſo ungratefully to forget Micah's former kindueſſes, ſo as not civilly to thank him for his Favours, and to bid him ſarewel, &c.
The Fourth Remark is, Micah's Reſentment of this Robbery from ver. 20. to 27. where Micah was when this Robbery was committed upon his Houſe, the Scripture is ſilent, that he was from home when this Deed was done is apparent, upon his return home all the Neighbourhood (that uſed to joyn with him in his Idolatrous Chappel, and they, it ſeems, were not a few) were allarm'd with Micah's loſs, it being their own loſs alſo, all armed themſelves to purſue the Thieves.
N. B. The Danites expected a purſuit, therefore they place not the Prieſt and his Trinkets in the Rear, where Micah might recover them by Aſſault, but in the midſt of the Army for their greater ſafety: Micah and his new Muſtered Neighbours purſue and overtake the Danites, and charge them with Thievery: The Thieves thought themſelves very innocent, becauſe they had not plundered him of his Treaſure and Houſehold-ſtuff (neceſſary enough for Planters of new Colonies) but had only taken away the Ephod, Teraphim, &c. which well enough might be ſpared, and the Danites had done well in it, had they done it out of a Deteſtation of Idols, and for the Aboliſhing of Idolatry, Cujus contrarium eſt verum. They therefore cry Knave firſt, and ask Micah what he meant by coming after them with ſo great a Company, though they well knew his Errand. Micah anſwers, [Ye have taken away my All.] reckoning all the reſt of his Goods as nothing in reſpect of his Gods that he had loſt, though he confeſſeth in thoſe words, [My Gods which I made,] they were goodly Gods that were made by the Hands of Man, and could not ſecure themſelves from being ſtoln; yet ſo beſotted was he with Superſtition, that he valued nothing of his Treaſure and Houſhold-ſtuff, of his Sons, &c. in compariſon of thoſe Gods they had ſtoln from him: Inſomuch that he comes forth to fight for them, as pro Aris & focis: How may this Superſtitious Zealot riſe up in Judgment againſt our Lukewarm Laodiceans, our Neuter Paſſive Profeſſors, (as a Learned Interpreter calleth them) that care not what becometh of the Goſpel of Chriſt, and of all the precious Ordinances thereof, Modò ferveat olla, ſo their Pot doth but boil; Modò ventri benè ſit, ac lateri (as that fat-paunch'd Monk ſaid at the Deſtruction of Abbies in Henry VIII. time) he ſtroak'd his own over-grown Paunch, and ſaid, Let them all go, ſo I have but enough for Back and Belly. God hath many ſuch cold Friends now a-days, that Halt 'twixt God and Baal, 1 Kings 18.21. and that value their own worldly Conveniencies more, than the concerns either of God's True Religion, or of their own Souls Salvation: This Micah may ſhame them, &c. But notwithſtanding his great Cry after his Deaf Gods, neither they nor the Danites hear his Out-cry, the noiſe of Arms do drown the voice of Right, they command his ſilence, leaſt he loſe his Life, which was better than his Gods: Micah valuing his Life more than his Idols, and ſeeing Might Armed in them, was too ſtrong for his Right that was feeble in him, he went back to his Houſe, ne'er taking notice of his own Vanity in promiſing to himſelf ſo much Proſperity for his having a ſorry Levite to be his Prieſt, nor how God had puniſhed him for his Idolatry by thoſe Ravenous Danites.
The Fifth Remark is, The Danites Progreſs to Laiſh, and the proof they make there both of their Expedition, and of their Images, from ver. 27. to the end: We may wonder at the Confidence of thoſe 600 Men, who Marched not ſo much like Warriours prepared for a dangerous and dubious War, and ſo do ſtrip themſelves of all Luggage, Lumber, and other clogging Impediments in order thereunto; but thoſe Men march forward with their Little Ones, their Cattel, and Carriages, &c. ver. 22. more like Men removing themſelves and their Families to ſettle themſelves in ſome new Plantation, and therefore they removed (ſaith the Rabbie) Omnia Vaſa & Mobilia, all their Moveable Goods out of their Houſ…s, (they had in the Southern part of Canaan, where their firſt lot fell) into the moſt remote Northern part thereof; and that which made thoſe Men thus bold and daring, was chiefly the Oracle in Micah's Idol-Chappel had aſſured them of Succeſs. No doubt but when they found themſelves ſo ſucceſsful in their Exploit, and found their Conqueſt ſo eaſie, they hugely hugged Micah's Mawmets, and thought they had wrought a Work of Supererogation in ſtealing them from him, and therefore reſolved to make the beſt Improvement of them for the future.
N. B. In order hereunto, when they had taken and burnt Laiſh (in part only, to ſtrike a Terrour into the Inhabitants) and Rebuilt it for themſelves, they ſet up the Graven Image, &c. conſtitute Jonathan (as a True Prophet to them in this Expedition) to be their Prieſt, whoſe Sons ſucceeded him in that Tribe, (ſecretly lurking in private Idolatrous Families, all David and Solomon's time, and ſo ſucceſſively) until the Grand Captivity, as it is called, [the Captivity,] 1 Chron. 5.22. by way of Eminency, whereas Micah's Graven Image was not permitted to be in ſo publick a place and manner for ſo long a time, therefore its continuance is reſtrained to a ſhorter Date; namely, while the Ark continued in Shilo only.
N. B. Here we may learn three great Leſſons.
Firſt, That Men may bleſs themſelves for a long time by the Idols ſet up in their Hearts, Ezek. 14.4. promiſing great happineſs to themſelves by them (as the Danites do here, and as Micah had done before them, Judg. 17.13.) but they little conſider, how there will be Bitterneſs at the latter end, 2 Sam. 2.26. Jer. 2.19.
Secondly, God oft puniſheth the wicked by the wicked; as he did here thoſe wicked Inhabitants of Laiſh, by thoſe Wicked Idolaters the Danites. here [Clodius accuſat Maechos,] Vice Corrected Sin: But when God hath worn this Rod of the Wicked to the Stumps, he then caſts it into the fire.
Thirdly, Security is a ſad Symptome of Approaching Deſtruction; this Character of Security in thoſe Inhabitants of Laiſh, is oft repeated here, ver. 10. and ver. 27. God bleſs us from ſuch a fearleſs, ſtupid, careleſs, ſecure frame of Spirit; If we cry Peace, then comes ſudden Deſtruction, 1 Theſſ. 5.3. Philoſophers ſay, before a cold Snow, the Weather will be warmiſh: When the Wind lies, the great Rain falls, and the Air is moſt quiet, when ſuddenly there will be an Earthquake: The Thief ſurprizeth in the Night, and giveth no warning of his coming, &c.