Dud gods (Part C)

Is is no respecting for God's if you worship the true godly and respect for God's people. We have to love the people there as well.

Respect will be found without respect. I don't respect what Hinduism respect as long I don't respect what Jehovah's Witnesses believe.

I would love to preach the gospel to them to save them from fiery judgment and eternal judgment. But II don't admire.

I know where it comes from is made up. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Judges.

Please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Judges chapter 18 with the conclusion of his message called God.

God's entering there they took the carved image the fall of the household idols and that moldy image. No fear of consequence for stealing again. No, you know what what could anybody say in the land. What could Mike. Mike couldn't even say thou shall not steal, because thou shall not make these graven images either. So if all this religious gear could not protect Micah from this band of temple raters. What would make the temple raters think that all this religious gear would protect them on the battlefield or anywhere else. This of it all. Spiritual derangement since the days of Cain and it will be that way to the end of the millennial age when God wipes out those who dare to join against his people man without God here seeking damages God's damaged goods to pay for what and why, where, where's the logic in is not an S would send us and steals logic from us and stops us from making sense we begin the fog. Verse 18 when these went into Michael's house and took the carved image, the E Fahd the household holes in the moldy image I'm going to say it that way because that's what it is. The priest said to them, what are you doing will the obvious answer is we're ripping you off sick. Aren't you where's your discernment now nothing noble in his challenge. No rebuke.

He knew what they were doing. That's this you know but anyway he's compromised, and the prophets deal with this throughout Isaiah hammers. This the Psalms to go at it stealing gods that cannot keep themselves from being stolen from idle mappers and and that's what they are. They napped their idols not nap but napped. Verse 19 and they said to him, be quiet, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man or two, or that you be a priest to a tribe in a family in Israel. While there's a lot of it's almost comical. They said to him, be quiet and put your head for your mouth. Then they asked him a question to which he has to go because anybody can scope rather forceful and unfortunate outcome. This is what God how God told the priest Ezekiel to deal with mean people. Ezekiel chapter 3 verse nine behold, I have made your face strong against their faces in your four head strong against. Therefore, it is that they want to but heads would you think a lose like adamant stone hotter than flint and incidentally Ezekiel unit for the art is me like adamant stone hotter than flint.

I have made your four head not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house you see that when he adds that though they are a rebellious house he saying these people on they mean they're nasty people. They can hurt you but I got you here and we get none of that. From this Levi because he's totally sold out long time ago. Had he been a man of God in Israel at this time been like allies. If I'm Amanda got a fire come from heaven in the head, cinched britches all over the place is is and come with us and be a father and a priest to us to shut up and come be a spiritual leader is just madness and now they going to eat.

Now they going to act to reason through this madness better for you to be a priest to the household of one man or that you be priest to a tribe and family in Israel that still logic anyway. Verse 20 priest heart was glad Annie took the E Fahd the household idols the carved images and took his mother left of the moldy thing but anyway and took his place amongst the people. So whoever witnessed this for or preserve its the priest said enough is a good deal and because they have already peeped them out that he was for sale.

The bottom and it's amazing how easily we can do wrong. We have no allegiance were not loyal. He was loyal to God, he took the E Fahd and said the household idols the carved images etc. Yep, he did. He was the one carrying these idols man carrying and protecting their appointed God rather than God carrying them texting them.

Micah many centuries later comes along and he has to deal with the corrupted priest.

He writes this in the second chapter of this book for the lips of a priest should keep knowledge the people should seek law from his mouth, for he is the messenger of Yahweh of host remember where royal priesthood that applies to us should keep knowledge is a messenger for Yahweh of host not this guy. He is an idol tear us like a puppeteer, not a musketeer is an idol tear. He's just see you know into idols as which would waiver one he would go to his roof figurines sad story. Verse 21 Bellamy pause, you know, we see we see the sun today in the garb of holiness. The Rose sashes the hats the necklaces, medallions, and their carrying my God's word. People kiss their hands and send them money and come to them and tell them what their sins are the Bible the word of God is nowhere to be found not seriously verse 21 then they turned and departed and put the little ones and livestock and the goods in front of them. Why did they do that well because Micah finds his idols. Gone is going to rally the village people and then a chaste and so rather than having the you know the people in the rear picked off the they going to be back there waiting for them because they're anticipating this and that is exactly what happened.

So there.

The rearguard did not know they want that large of a force anyway didn't know what Michael would bring Adam so they decided they were going to be enforced in the rear.

Verse 22 and he doesn't tell you I'm positive I envision them on horses. I just can't see walking all over the place almost hills in Israel all the time and camels silly looking as they are. Maybe some of you think camels acute but ideal for hard to ride since watching Abby ever seen Lawrence of Arabia. I mean, I don't want one so I don't I just visit envision them on horses with six guns of verse 22 when they were a good way from the house. Micah of the from the house of Micah the men who were in the houses near Micah's house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan said just can't see them running and catching them had been on horses. I just wish the Bible would tell us more like that.

Not a complaint. So it catches up to those who stole his God. Idle hands are the tools of the devil not idle but idle verse 23 and they called out to the children of Israel party and they called out to the children of Dan so they turned around and said to Micah what else you that you have gathered such a company. This is almost competent, comical, and they called out of the children of Dan is Micah you missed idle robber so they turned around and say what's your problem.

It's nice Bobby in the first few instances realizing this is not going to go favorably for him when he sees their faces. There's no shame their hardening themselves up against in verse 24 so he said you've taken away my God's which I may end the priest and you've gone away now.

What more do I have, how can you say to me what else you is pathetic is the tragedy. I mean how does his AV so here are some simple well they really didn't believe the idols were God, yeah, they did me know how would the semantics at this point, even if they didn't they believed it was directly connected to their spiritual force and they turned around saying what's your problem here.

This is the reverse of Genesis 126 which God made man in his own image here man is making God in his image. Man is carrying God. God is not carrying man. This is a perversion comes from hell, and the priest is the soul is the priest home. I priest. Actually he was glad Mike that I had to double her because Micah thought he was like you know they bonded.

Remember chapter 17. There was that bond between them. Let's gone and he says now what more do I have well I'm sure mom's got more silver you can steel like you did last time. He is not God.

If you have to protect it is not divine man has to protect God is something that other religions. They think they have to kill people to protect the honor of their God, and is not God. That's where we are his witnesses, not his bodyguards.

How can you say to me what else you is trying to reason with these people in the beyond that, lacking fire superiority's going to a course of treatment.

In chapter 17.

The story was of Micah was introduced to us as a corrupted son with a confused mother are compromised.

Mother and certainly a compromise appreciate these three characters/chapter Micah's mom and the Levite. All of them were corrupt, confusing, compromised here in chapter 8 developing that story we find Micah is mortified. He shamed in front of everybody they stole his God, and these were moral. I have an is nothing you can do about it. And this materialistic minister works out the alliteration. The following mortified Micah materialistic minister, murderous marauders, it's just comes out that way does really do have to make much effort to make it work.

Some commentators really push it. They have to make everything alliterative with his first letter. You know if this works because it's mine and that's why works. Verse 25 and the children of then said to him, do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon you and you you lose your life with the lives of your household you have to say. In the Hebrew. Did they really talk have the form before angry men fall upon you with a pretty clumsy enemy while they falling on me anyhow. Too bad they didn't's didn't have this approach of the Philistines. Too bad they couldn't stand up to them know they say the harshness for their brothers, you know there's a lot of Christians that are very nice to people why Christians bring meaning to people who are Christians, I think, is because they fear that the non-Christians beat them up, and the real Christians will just suffer them. Hope that's not ever the case with any of us anyway. You're trying to take away the Levite you might damage to God's worship in the system. This was 26. Then the children of Dan went their way, and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him.

He turned and went back to his house but reads the verse 26 is only discharged to backs on him. Yeah, whatever. This move brought down the line and he just standing there ignored mortified.

The knickknack gods. They weren't worth dying for, so he turns away to verse 27 so they took the things Micah had made, and that's appropriate express will they work the think the jump and the priest who had belonged to him and went to Leah's to a people quiet and secure and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

They took the things Micah had made this just no respecting for God's if you worship the true God. We have no respect for the for God. The people we have to love the people there is where respect me will be found.

We know we don't respect I don't respect what Hinduism believes respect with Islam believes I don't respect with the Jehovah's Witnesses believe. I would love to preach the gospel to them to save them from a fiery judgment and eternal judgment.

But II don't admire that. I know where it comes from is made up and is not even made up on earth. 90 games he made on earth and you know these people and try to have this approach. Well, you know you have to be respectful. Well, how do you mean that I can be polite, I can be a decent civil but another lie to you say I have honor for your God. What he saw impressive anyway. Verse 27 is okay in ourselves. But I don't believe that is not what I believe it all. Verse 27 so they took the things Micah had made in the priest who had belonged to him and went to laser care read that here the northern settlement now they slay the people.

This is what Jacob prophesied about Dan at the very beginning of the tribal rule. When Jacob was going to die and his sons were going to be left as a truss. People, Dan shall be a servant by the way of Viper by the path that bites the horses heels so that is rider shall fall backwards and that's exactly what happened, they were they were not detected. They slithered into the two layers if they learn the people vulnerable. There were no rulers there and then they slithered out and then they came back and the bit they struck and the rider fell backwards, and now verse 28 there was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the Valley that belong to Beth Rial, Rob, so they rebuilt the city and 12, there verse 29 and they call the name of the city. Dan after the name of Dan, their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city, formerly was Lachish will they wanted to remain connected.

It was still part of the still part of the tribes is not part of the God of the tribes and verse 30 in the children of Dan set up for themselves. The carved image, and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, the son and his sons were priest, the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

So this last verses got some controversy and it is some think the Septuagint for example Desmond Moses instead of Manasseh and some other translations. The idea being that they feel a zealous scribe wanted to shield Moses from any association with such idolatry. I don't buy that use no way to do that mean every Jew would've nest that's like you know I don't know I don't want to come up with one right now it just you you you just can't read a revisionist sort of phenomena revise the history II think that this was the Jonathan, if that's the name of the priest who we been reading about his father's one of his father, somewhere in his line because the Jews were strict with that we get that in Matthew's gospel.

The first 17 verses with the lineage of the Kings that it's not strict their distaste they omit some of the names because they understood the Jewish people had the records they could find. They want to make a point and they made their points and hear this, Manasseh was probably I think it's right. I don't I don't think it's wrong and I don't like that. This scholars are so quick to capitulate the surrender life like you come across something they can't get through the surrender any races until the day of the captivity of the land. It would not specify what captivity. Some think it was you know the defeat and loss of the ark in the days of Samuel others think it's the Assyrian who knows, we don't know but anyway that there's a story we don't really need to know those at the time understood it and it was likely a benefit to the righteous at that time in history. Verse 31, so they set up for themselves in Micah's carved images which he made and the time that the house of God, and at that time.

The house got upset Shiloh is such a proud event to establish your religion on stolen goods mean how do you tell your kids, let's go to that school worship in front of these little statues that Micah made no stolen from him will father why couldn't you make your own because we don't, we still think some people someone when we want to really badly just steal them and whether intentional or not, there's a touch of satire in this verse. He made his fake images. But at that time, God's house was in Shiloh.

Contrast. In other words, this was not God's house. No matter that these were people of Israel. God was not there God they had disowned him and he allowed it of what else is he supposed to do. Shiloh was the true center of worship for the Jews at this time. It's where the ark of the covenant would've been an the altar tabernacle itself, and that was a connection to be a connection in their worship with the Lord, the nation's strength was to be connected to their worship at Shiloh and some of the Jews did, because we will move course. Others came along and did worship their in the book of Samuel begins with Elkin going up to Shiloh to worship and so not every body was abandoning Yahweh. This religious thing was deeply embedded in the minds of the people. Micah just had to have an altered shrine of priest. The Denice just had to steal that altar. They had to have one to and man is incurably religious and we are supposed to take advantage of. In other words, man is this a spiritual element inside of him.

Even the atheists is my view again.

There may be those genuine atheists that just have no knowledge of God. Maybe if you were born in the Soviet Union somewhere you just bought it with that of the places of the world, but the practicing atheists say they know there is a God, and they want to thumb their nose at him and their anger, but they are spiritual.

Also, so this is a flagrant rebuke from God to them that Shiloh, which was 85 miles just 85 miles south of this place. In fact, was only 20 to 40 miles from band live there. A lot of territory was closer to Shiloh than Lachish was with new place. They settled, but that that didn't matter.

So I go to close with this a few verses because as we preach Jesus Christ is still comes down to this is one true God, and you know worshiping him willfully doing this once you've been exposed like you.

You gotta pay for that and were trying to help you not do that. You shall not set up a sacred pillar which Yahweh your God hates heed the word of God. Deuteronomy 2715 cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image an abomination to Yahweh work of the hands of craftsmen, sets it up in secret and all the people shall answer and say amen love you.

Gotta love the book of Deuteronomy. It's a REIT he recaptures the law that he's been giving to the people and he does it with a little bit more force than when it was first given to the end.

He says the work of a craftsman.

God is not appreciate creativity when it comes to him is not interested.

If he forbids it. This would came did not get came felt that he could take these liberties and worship God his way not God's way, which is the whole story of the last five chapters touches and will close with this one from Exodus. This is the from the 10 Commandments, you shall not make for yourself a carved image or modern language you not supposed to imagine things about God that he is not revealed go taking these, you know, I think God is this I think will what is God see, and he continues, you should not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in earth beneath that is in the water underneath your, which of course people like the Egyptians were notorious for doing the efficient gods and all the other people gravitate so quickly send move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Judges cross reference radio is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. If you'd like more information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there, and we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast that work just follow the links and cross reference radio.com that's all the time we have for today.

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