Having recorded the death of Samson (16:30), the book now ceases to speak of the judges of Israel. Instead, we see that the lack of Godly leadership leaves everyone in Israel to do “what was right in his own eyes” (17:6) – just as we saw with the last judge (14:3, 7). Chapter 17 tells us the story of Micah the Ephraimite. It is clear that we enter into the story after it has begun, because Micah refers to silver that was stolen from his mother (17:2). He stole it – a violation of the eighth commandment. But he stole it from his mother, a violation of the fifth commandment. His mom is so happy to get the silver back that she calls for YHWH’s blessing on her son (who stole it), and then she dedicates it to God by…using it to make a carved image??? Um…

OK, so she violates the second commandment (I think the book of Judges has made a comment or two about idolatry) and gives the idol to her son, who had stolen her money (v. 4). So Micah continues the sin of idolatry and makes a whole shrine, a priestly ephod, and multiple household gods, and then he ordains his son (also an Ephraimite, obviously, so not descended from Aaron) to be his personal priest (v. 5). It is here that the writer of the book inserts verse 6. This not only indicates that what is recorded is not according to God’s will, but it makes it very likely that the book was written after the start of the monarchy.

Verse 7 tells us of a Levite from Bethlehem of the family of Judah. What we see here is how the Levites scattered among the tribes came to be known by the tribe in whose land they dwelt, though they were still Levites. This Levite winds up with Micah (v. 8), who now ordains him as priest (v. 12). And yet, with all the sin upon sin upon sin, Micah believes God will bless him (v. 13). Don’t judge too harshly. How often do we ignore what Scripture says and yet expect God’s blessings?

Chapter 18 continues the story of Micah and his “priest.” The chapter begins with the revelation that Dan had yet to take it’s inheritance in the land (18:1). We read in 1:34 how Dan had trouble taking the inheritance that fell to them by lot. But by most reckoning, this incident with Micah takes place about 350 years after Joshua died. Think about that. 350 years of disobedience by not taking the land God promised them. Sin upon sin upon sin.

Dan decides to send spies into the land they are supposed to take (v. 2). In this and their question to the Levite about whether or not they would succeed, we see that they have actually lost all faith in God. God had already told them they would succeed if they would obey. They want to succeed their way. The Levite tells them that their journey “is under the eye of the Lord” (v. 6). So as Dan marches to take the land, they stop by old Micah’s house, and they steal the Levite, along with the ephod and the idols (v. 17). And the Levite decides he’d rather be a priest to a whole tribe than to just Micah and his family (v. 20). We see the disunity in Israel has only gotten worse. This is confirmed in the encounter between Micah and the tribe of Dan (vv. 22-26). Note that the tribe makes more priests (of the line of Moses, no less!) and worships the idols “until the day of the captivity of the land” (v. 30). This is a likely reference to the capture of the ark in 1 Samuel 4:11, which would be confirmed by verse 31 where this is also “as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.”

In chapter 19, we read of another Levite. Note that in these stories, the very tribe whose inheritance was YHWH Himself, are right in the middle of the corruption in Israel. In 19:1 we are told of this man’s concubine. In verse 3 he is referred to as her husband. At this time, concubines were considered wives with almost no legal marital rights. The “was unfaithful to him” in verse 2 is literally “hated him” in the Hebrew. This fits more with the narrative than an unfaithful concubine, who would have likely just been put right to death. In the days that the man is with his in-laws, he gets drunk multiple times (vv. 4-7 – we see this is a habit in v. 22). When he finally leaves, he purposely avoids non-Israelite cities (v. 12 – again, that these cities even exist shows that Israel has failed miserably to obey God). So they stay in a city of the tribe of Benjamin (v. 14).

Tell me if this sound familiar: strangers come into a city, need a place to stay, are shown hospitality by a citizen, they insists on staying in the town square, but the citizen insists they stay in his home, so they do. Then, the evil men of the town come to that house with the intent to rape the stranger. So the citizen instead offers the women in the house to those evil men. And we see another (horrifying) pattern established. But this time, we are talking about Israelites. How far they have fallen…

Only this time, God does not rain down fire on the city. Instead, everyone is left to their own sin (which is it’s own punishment – see Romans 1:18-32). The men of the town rape and kill the concubine (vv. 25-26). The Levite shows perhaps the most abhorrently callous behavior we see in the Bible (v. 27). Then he dismembers her and sends parts of her to each of the 12 tribes of Israel (v. 29). How far they have fallen…

Chapter 20 begins by telling us that all of Israel came to Shiloh before God (20:1). The Levite tells them all what transpired, and they decide to go to war against the city of Gibeah (vv. 8-11). But the whole tribe of Benjamin resists them (v. 14). In verse 18, we see again that God assigns Judah the leadership. And we see in the ensuing battles, that God punishes all of Israel for their sin (vv. 19-28). In verses 29-48, we see that Israel employs the same tactic that Joshua used against Ai (Joshua 8). Except this time, it is brother fighting brother. The body count in this chapter is stunning. The division, the sin, the disregard for who they are as the people of God: sin upon sin upon sin.