Judges 18:1-10 – What to do in seeking guidance?

Judges 17 described how Micah, an Ephraimite, and his mother had brought the worship of Jehovah so low. The Immortal, Invisible God had been reduced to an idol made of silver. From chapter 17, we are reminded of how we must stay true in our worship of the Lord. We must never devalue God and portray Him to be one lesser than He truly is. Micah did just that. And sadly, we saw how the worship of God among his people had deteriorated. In Judges 18 another aspect of the life of God’s people had deteriorated. They had become unruly and uncontrollable. The orderliness that God expected of them was no longer there. The couldn't-care-a-damn attitude was so prevalent. The community was certainly spiraling into chaos.

The account in Judges 18 centers around the tribe of Dan. The narration began with the Danites from the tribe of Dan searching for a place to relocate. They did not possess the region between Ephraim and Judah where they were assigned. They decided to find a new ground where they could settle. Five spies went out on a spying mission to search for an area where they could make it their own. These spies came to scout the land and came to where Micah’s house was located. They seemed to recognize the voice of the Levite whom Micah had secured as the priest and was surprised that he was there. They then inquired of him asking how he had landed there. He explained to them that he was in the employment of Micah as the personal priest of the house.  The spies immediately sought his counsel. They requested that he inquired of the Lord for them as they were in need of guidance. The Levite assured them that they were on the right track saying to them, “Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the Lord’s approval.”

Was the counsel from the Levite correct? Apparently, the spies took the counsel at face value and did not take time to weigh on the guidance given. It was natural for them on such a mission to want guidance. And apparently, they took the Levite’s counsel at face value. Did the Danite spies come to the right person to seek guidance? Seeing the questionable ways that the Levite was appointed, could his counsel be trusted? In the first place, did the Levite really inquire of the Lord on their behalf? Did he say something nice just to send them in the wrong direction? These and many other questions would come naturally to mind. It is here that we learn something concerning seeking guidance from God. In seeking divine guidance, going to the right place and the right person is important. We must know who we are seeking counsel from. It is always safer to go to someone godly whom we can trust. God has given to us pastors and leaders whom we have interacted with and whose character we can attest to. Having received counsel from them, we still need to ensure that what’s given can tally with the Word of God. Never act presumptuously. Always go to the right person for counsel. The call to live rightly for God underscores its importance.