Judges 17:2
And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
Micah admitted that he had taken his mother's eleven hundred shekels of silver after hearing her curse over the loss, gave the silver back, and received her blessing in the name of the LORD. Part of that restored silver was then formed into images for worship, and a true Levite was secured as priest, as if idolatry would be acceptable to God when joined to the ordinances of religion. The account stands in the closing chapters of Judges, which record awful idolatry and the low condition into which Israel had fallen, though the events belong to the early part of the judges period and are placed out of chronological order after the main story ending with chapter 16. It sets Israel's fearful backsliding, perversity and constant lapsing into idolatry against God's long-suffering, goodness and mercy to restore them, showing that turning away brings disgrace, punishment and servitude while returning brings forgiveness and deliverance, and that such sin is never excusable nor to be committed with impunity.
Narrative and Historical Setting
Micah stole eleven hundred shekels of silver from his mother, and after her curse over the theft was spoken in his hearing he confessed that the silver was with him and that he had taken it. He returned the silver to her, and she answered his confession by blessing him in the name of the LORD. Part of that returned silver was then turned into images for worship. Micah secured a true Levite to serve as priest over them, on the thought that even idolatry would be acceptable to God if attended with the ordinances of religion.
The verse stands in Judges 17-21, which follow Joshua's drawing near to his end, his rehearsal of God's dealings with Israel, his solemn charge to choose whom they would serve, and his assurance that he and his house would serve the LORD. Those chapters record events that occurred in the early part of the history of the judges and are placed out of chronological order. The main story of the book ends with chapter 16, and the events in chapters 17-21 occurred earlier than the material in the preceding chapters.
The verse belongs to one of two stories of awful idolatry placed in the latter part of Judges. Those closing chapters show the low condition into which Israel had fallen before Samuel's time. The book of Judges itself was not written until about the time there was a king in Israel, and was written by Samuel or Nathan. The account is to be understood in light of the awful moral surroundings of Israel and the demoralizing influences of the tribes they permitted to remain in the land of promise.
Judges 17 shows the first apostasy associated with the tribe of Dan. That apostasy is suggested as a possible but not definite reason Dan was omitted from the tribes listed among the 144,000 in Revelation 7.
Backsliding, Mercy, and Warning
The verse belongs to the record of Israel's fearful backsliding, perversity and unbelief, transgressions, and constant lapsing into idolatry. It stands in one of two stories of awful idolatry placed in the latter part of Judges, showing the low condition into which the people had fallen before Samuel's time. It is to be understood in light of the awful moral surroundings of Israel and the demoralizing influences of the tribes they permitted to remain in the land of promise.
The account sets that perversity and unbelief against God's long-suffering, goodness, mercy, and effort to restore His people from their transgressions. Backsliding from God leads to disgrace and punishment, to suffering, oppression, captivity and servitude, while returning to God leads to forgiveness and deliverance.
Sin is never excusable. The backsliding and idolatry recorded here do not mean a person can backslide with impunity. The verse exemplifies the evasive nature of the human heart that refuses to acknowledge its guilt and excuses an actual transgression committed, in thinking that even idolatry with molten images would be acceptable to God if attended with the ordinances of religion by obtaining a true Levite as priest.