Judges 18:6 - Prayer Tents

Judges 18

18In those days there was no king in Israel. But also in those days, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to settle down. They hadn't yet occupied their plot among the tribes of Israel.H3117H4428H3478H3117H7626H1839H1245H5159H3427H3117H5159H5307H8432H7626H34782The Danites sent out five robust warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to look over the land and see what was out there suitable for their families. They said, "Go and explore the land." They went into the hill country of Ephraim and got as far as the house of Micah. They camped there for the night.H1121H1835H7971H4940H2568H582H7098H1121H2428H6881H847H7270H776H2713H559H3212H2713H776H935H2022H669H1004H4318H38853As they neared Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They went over and said to him, "How on earth did you get here? What's going on? What are you doing here?"H1004H4318H5234H6963H5288H3881H5493H559H935H1988H62134He said, "One thing led to another: Micah hired me and I'm now his priest."H559H2090H2090H6213H4318H7936H35485They said, "Oh, good—inquire of God for us. Find out whether our mission will be a success."H559H7592H430H3045H1870H1980H67436The priest said, "Go assured. GOD's looking out for you all the way."H3548H559H3212H7965H5227H3068H1870H32127The five men left and headed north to Laish. They saw that the people there were living in safety under the umbrella of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. They had everything going for them. But the people lived a long way from the Sidonians to the west and had no treaty with the Arameans to the east.H2568H582H3212H935H3919H7200H5971H7130H3427H983H4941H6722H8252H982H3423H6114H776H3637H1697H7350H6722H1697H1208When they got back to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked, "So, how did you find things?"H935H251H6881H847H251H5599They said, "Let's go for it! Let's attack. We've seen the land and it is excellent. Are you going to just sit on your hands? Don't dawdle! Invade and conquer!H559H6965H5927H7200H776H3966H2896H2814H6101H3212H935H3423H77610When you get there, you'll find they're sitting ducks, totally unsuspecting. Wide open land—God is handing it over to you, everything you could ever ask for."H935H935H5971H982H7342H776H430H5414H3027H4725H4270H1697H77611So 600 Danite men set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed to the teeth.H5265H4940H1839H6881H847H8337H3967H376H2296H3627H442112Along the way they made camp at Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place is still today called Dan's Camp—it's just west of Kiriath Jearim.H5927H2583H7157H3063H7121H4725H4265H3117H310H715713From there they proceeded into the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.H5674H2022H669H935H1004H431814The five men who earlier had explored the country of Laish told their companions, "Did you know there's an ephod, teraphim-idols, and a cast god-sculpture in these buildings? What do you think? Do you want to do something about it?"H6030H2568H582H1980H7270H776H3919H559H251H3045H3426H1004H646H8655H6459H4541H3045H621315So they turned off the road there, went to the house of the young Levite at Micah's place and asked how things had been with him.H5493H935H1004H5288H3881H1004H4318H7592H796516The 600 Danites, all well-armed, stood guard at the entrance to the gateH8337H3967H376H2296H3627H4421H1121H1835H5324H6607H817917while the five scouts who had gone to explore the land went in and took the carved idol, the ephod, the teraphim-idols, and the god-sculpture. The priest was standing at the gate entrance with the 600 armed men.H2568H582H1980H7270H776H5927H935H3947H6459H646H8655H4541H3548H5324H6607H8179H8337H3967H376H2296H3627H442118When the five went into Micah's house and took the carved idol, the ephod, the teraphim-idols, and the sculpted god, the priest said to them, "What do you think you're doing?"H935H4318H1004H3947H6459H646H8655H4541H559H3548H621319They said to him, "Hush! Don't make a sound. Come with us. Be our father and priest. Which is more important, that you be a priest to one man or that you become priest to a whole tribe and clan in Israel?"H559H2790H7760H3027H6310H3212H1961H1H3548H2896H3548H1004H259H376H3548H7626H4940H347820The priest jumped at the chance. He took the ephod, the teraphim-idols, and the idol and fell in with the troops.H3548H3820H3190H3947H646H8655H6459H935H7130H597121They turned away and set out, putting the children, the cattle, and the gear in the lead.H6437H3212H7760H2945H4735H3520H644022They were well on their way from Micah's house before Micah and his neighbors got organized. But they soon overtook the Danites.H7368H1004H4318H582H1004H4318H1004H2199H1692H1121H183523They shouted at them. The Danites turned around and said, "So what's all the noise about?"H7121H1121H1835H5437H6440H559H4318H219924Micah said, "You took my god, the one I made, and you took my priest. And you marched off! What do I have left? How can you now say, 'What's the matter?'"H559H3947H430H6213H3548H3212H55925But the Danites answered, "Don't yell at us; you just might provoke some fierce, hot-tempered men to attack you, and you'll end up an army of dead men."H1121H1835H559H6963H8085H4751H5315H582H6293H622H5315H5315H100426The Danites went on their way. Micah saw that he didn't stand a chance against their arms. He turned back and went home.H1121H1835H3212H1870H4318H7200H2389H6437H7725H100427So they took the things that Micah had made, along with his priest, and they arrived at Laish, that city of quiet and unsuspecting people. They massacred the people and burned down the city.H3947H4318H6213H3548H935H3919H5971H8252H982H5221H6310H2719H8313H5892H78428There was no one around to help. They were a long way from Sidon and had no treaty with the Arameans. Laish was in the valley of Beth Rehob.H5337H7350H6721H1697H120H6010H1050H1129H5892H342729When they rebuilt the city they renamed it Dan after their ancestor who was a son of Israel, but its original name was Laish.H7121H8034H5892H1835H8034H1835H1H3205H3478H199H8034H5892H3919H722330The Danites set up the god-figure for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his descendants were priests to the tribe of Dan down to the time of the land's captivity.H1121H1835H6965H6459H3083H1121H1647H1121H4519H1121H3548H7626H1839H3117H1540H77631All during the time that there was a sanctuary of God in Shiloh, they kept for their private use the god-figure that Micah had made.H7760H4318H6459H6213H3117H1004H430H7887