So far, for much of America, Judges 17 and 18 still tell a cautionary tale. Many of us still try to follow Biblical precepts as we help one another and protect the weakest among us. The outpouring of love, prayers, and gifts for those whose lives were devastated by the recent tornados is just the most recent example of our caring spirit.

But make no mistake – the idea that any society, any culture can long endure apart from true devotion to God is a fantasy, as today’s passage makes clear. For whenever we as individuals or groups turn away from God, this is exactly the sort of thing that we can expect.

For there are no heroes in these two chapters. A woman’s stolen silver is made into a graven image for her and her son to worship. Thinking it will insure their prosperity, the family hires a Levite to be their priest, and he gladly goes along with their idolatry in return for a fat paycheck.

But the priest turns out to be a turncoat, going along with the theft of his master’s idols for the promise of a bigger salary. And the tribe of Dan refuses to take up the land Joshua allotted to them, instead choosing to murder people who weren’t causing them any problems in order to seize their territory. The end result was an entire tribe of Israel turning away from the worship of God, in order to bow down before a stolen statue made of stolen silver.

That’s where a godless society, a culture focused on self ends up: in ignorant superstition, treachery, theft and murder. Is that what we want?

Judges 18:17-28 (NASB)

17 Now the five men who went to spy out the land went up and entered there, and took the graven image and the ephod and household idols and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
18 And when these went into Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod and household idols and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 And they said to him, “Be silent, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”
20 And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and household idols and the graven image, and went among the people.
21 Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the valuables in front of them.
22 When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house assembled and overtook the sons of Dan.
23 And they cried to the sons of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you have assembled together?”
24 And he said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away, and what do I have besides? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?'”
25 And the sons of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest fierce men fall upon you and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”
26 So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27 Then they took what Micah had made and the priest who had belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire.
28 And there was no one to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it.