In the movie Castaway, a man was stranded on a desert island for 4 years following a plane crash. After his rescue, the authorities told him that their initial efforts following the crash had failed because they had searched in the wrong area—thinking that the plane had gone down 400 miles from where it crashed. Since their starting point was completely wrong, they had little chance of success even though their efforts were admirable.
A man named Micah also wrestled with the proper starting point. He wanted to worship God, but he went about it in the wrong way. When he returned 1,100 pieces of silver he had taken from his mother, she had an idol created out of 200 of the coins. She said that the silver was “dedicated” to God and that the idol was in “honor” of her son (Judges 17:3), but she, and Micah, should have known this was an affront to God (Exodus 20:4).
What’s more, Micah decided to make his own private shrine to God (Judges 17:5). Then he made images to go into his “temple.” This went completely against God’s commands, but perhaps it looked right and reverent to him. Micah even found a real Levite priest and employed him (Judges 17:12-13). God will surely bless me, Micah thought. I can now receive all I want through this convenient way of worshiping Him.
But was it acceptable? Look at Leviticus 10:1-3. Nadab and Abihu offered “the wrong kind of fire” to God with deadly results. What did God truly desire from Micah? Worship that showed that he loved God with all his heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
That’s our starting point: Love the God who loves us. We’re called to worship Him and reflect the love He’s lavished on us. May we do that well today!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 3:1-22
More:
Read John 4:24 and consider what it means to worship God “in Spirit and in truth.”
Next:
What does it mean for you to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength? How will you display the fullness of His grace and love today?
Gary Shultz on February 2, 2016 at 6:12 am
I like what you have drawn out of this horrid time and account. Possibly the impetus was a curse from Micah’s mother, whatever it was, worship was generated for and by self. No leadership availed, so Micah punched out something that fell together. Hey, what a great foundation to spiritual growth. How can we feed our spirit from nothing, what can bring life to it? So your point well taken, we must acknowledge God in His greatness and surrender our “works” to His life to become alive by His Spirit and follow His path not ours. What a reflection of our direction today. Thanks Russell
Russell Fralick on February 2, 2016 at 8:03 am
That’s a good point Gary. It’s also the fact that Micah chose the easy option to do what looked right in man’s eyes, ignoring the law of God. Sometimes it is difficult to obey God. Our abandonment to Him must result in us obeying Him no matter what the cost.
gagirllive on February 2, 2016 at 6:55 am
Such a sad account of a man seeking the worship and blessing of God. This is what happened because Israel failed to walk in the ways of their one true King…”everyone doing what was right in their own eyes”. They tried to connect with God on their own terms…creating their own personal designer -god. This is still where the heart of sinful man is today. God has revealed Himself to us, and the only way to worship Him is in spirit and in truth. What a sobering little story that packs a punch that we need to remember! Thanks, Russell!
Russell Fralick on February 2, 2016 at 8:08 am
It is indeed a sad story. All of us will choose the easy option given a choice, naturally speaking. Serving God is about living and worshipping, as you say, in Spirit and in Truth. He will enable us to make the right choices and do the right thing, no matter how difficult, if we abandon our own ideas, hopes and plans, to His will. Micah still had his own agenda. It looked reverent, it looked worshipful. It was neither, and it is a sobering reminder that God looks on the inside, sees our motives, and knows the truth behind all we do and say. We may fool our fellow man, but not our Creator. Another reason to stay close to Him in prayer and in meditating on His word.
Tom Felten on February 2, 2016 at 10:50 am
Good insights, all! It’s interesting how Jesus restates this “Greatest Commandment” in the New Testament: “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). We reveal our love and worship of God as we love Him . . . and as we love others!
jim spillane on February 2, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Russell – your point about many of us wanting to “choose the easy option” is well stated. Many of us seem to want to accept God on our own terms rather than on His because that way we can “do whatever seems right in our own eyes.” We seem to spend a lot of time trying to get God to accept our way, which is much easier, than accepting His way which is much tougher and is going to involve “trials and tribulations.” Blessings to all at the forum.