Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 86
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IMMERSE
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KINGDOMS
18:21–19:5
sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image. They turned
and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.
When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from
Micah’s house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them.
They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned
around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter? Why have you called these
men together and chased after us like this?”
“What do you mean, ‘What’s the matter?’” Micah replied. “You’ve taken
away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!”
The men of Dan said, “Watch what you say! There are some s hort-
tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your
family.” So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that
there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and
went home.
Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the
town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with
swords and burned the town to the ground. There was no one to rescue
the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies
nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob.
Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there.
They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had
originally been called Laish.
Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of
Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests
for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. So Micah’s carved image was worshiped
by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.
Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe
of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day
he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. But she became angry with him and returned to her father’s home
in Bethlehem.
After about four months, her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak
personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a
servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father’s house, her
father saw him and welcomed him. Her father urged him to stay awhile, so
he stayed three days, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
On the fourth day the man was up early, ready to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have something to eat before you go.”