Judges 18:11-20 - Do not be conformed to this world...

Being assured by the Levite and having seen Laish, the five spies were confident that they could conquer it. When they returned to their people in Zorah and Eshtaol, they were asked about their spying mission. Their response was, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land. When you enter, you will come to a secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

On hearing the positive report, six hundred armed Danites together with their family then headed for Laish. As they made their way, they came to the hill country of Ephraim. Here they came to the locality of Micah’s house. Being told by the spies about the religious artefacts in Micah’s household, they decided to take those relics with them to Laish. They first came to the house of the Levite. The five spies then went to inquire of the priest’s welfare. The six hundred armed men stood guard at the entrance. The spies enticed the Levite to leave the service of Micah and go with them to serve a larger community. The rationale they gave to persuade him was that he would be better off serving a tribe and a large family rather than a man. Seeing that his ministry would be enlarged he was overjoyed. He decided to leave the service of Micah and go with them. Meanwhile, he even helped with the theft of those relics. So together, the Levite and the Danites left for Laish.    

Evidently, the culture of the Canaanite had seeped into the life of the Israelites. They had adopted their pagan mindset. They seemed to have forgotten entirely what God had specified through Moses before they came into the promised land. They were told not to have any other gods before the Lord. But now, they believed that by possessing those religious artefacts they would be successful in their venture. They failed to see that the victory they had experienced so far was because the Lord had been fighting for them. Now with their new mindset, they were poised for failure and they were oblivious of it.

The Danites and the Levite were all influenced by the culture of the Canaanites, a symbol of the world. For us, followers of Christ, we must be aware that we are called to adhere and live by the standard of the Lord. We must be alert to the influence and enticement of the world. While we may live in the world, our real citizenship is in the Kingdom of God where Christ reigns. Romans 12:2 challenges us not to be influenced by the mandate and value system of the world. We must instead allow God to renew us from within. He wants to transform us by His Spirit and His Word. And we must yield to Him and allow His grace to renew and transform us from within. We must choose to walk in His ways deliberately and faithfully.