Pathways to Purposeਨਮੂਨਾ

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” — Judges 17:6 (NIV)

Oh boy, we’ve thrown you a random passage from Judges. I mean, you’re probably avoiding reading Judges at the best of times, but if you do, you’re likely hitting up the classics—Deborah and Jael, Gideon, Samson. But who on earth is this Micah, and what on earth is going on here?

We’ve just spent the last three days reading Romans 1–3, and even if you’re struggling to piece together what’s happening in this passage (because, let’s be honest, it’s a little odd), some bells should be ringing. This isn’t just a bizarre story about a guy making idols in his living room—it’s a perfect example of what Paul was writing about centuries later:

• “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.” — Romans 1:25

And yet, here we are in Judges. God is still here. He hasn’t given up on Israel.

This key verse—“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”—isn’t a one-off. It’s repeated four times at the end of Judges (17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25). This isn’t just about Micah’s household; it’s about an entire nation doing what seemed right in their eyes rather than what was right in God’s.

Look at Micah’s choices:

• His mother makes an idol.
• Micah himself creates household gods—as if you could make God.
• He appoints his own son as a priest.
• Then, when a Levite turns up, Micah hires him instead.
• And by the end of the passage, he confidently declares, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me!”

Yeah… I don’t think that’s how it works.

But Micah isn’t alone. The silversmith is happy to craft an idol. The Levite is happy to sell out his role for a place to stay. Everyone is doing what benefits them in the moment.

And isn’t that just human nature?

I love that God works through our broken human nature. Some of my lowest moments have been where I’ve seen Him most clearly—growing me, teaching me things I never would have understood otherwise. And with some hindsight, I’ve been able to look back and say, Wow, God, You really were at work.

But there was a season in my life where I was a little too much like Micah.

I thought I understood how Christianity worked. I figured if I learned the lesson quickly enough, God would remove the hardship. I started second-guessing Him:

“Is this what You want, God? Maybe I just need to be more patient? More disciplined? Pray differently? Read my Bible more?”

I was treating God like an idol—trying to manipulate the process, bending my worship into something transactional. If I do this, then You’ll do that.

But God doesn’t work like that.

And in His irony and wisdom, He used even that season to humble me, refine me, and remind me that He isn’t after perfect behavior—He’s after our hearts.

Judges 17 is a warning, but it’s also a setup for where we’re heading. We’re about to dive into Samuel & Chronicles—books that record the rise of the kings of Israel, tracing the Davidic line that will eventually lead to Christ.

Because when we’re lost and wandering without our true King, we all do what seems right in our own eyes. We each become kings of our own worlds. And chaos ensues.

But true worship belongs to Christ.

He takes our mistakes and uses them for good. He takes our self-made idols and reminds us who He really is. And He takes a world full of people doing whatever they see fit… and He calls them back to Himself.

Prayer

Lord and Heavenly Father, You are seated in Heaven. You are the greatest King. You are holy, majestic, all-powerful, and totally loving. You give to us abundantly, and yet so often, we come to You on our own terms.

Forgive us, Lord, for the times we try to hide things from You, for the moments when we come to You not in surrender, but in negotiation. Help us to bring everything before You—our struggles, our fears, our desires—trusting that You can use all things, all circumstances, for Your will, for Your good, and for Your glory.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.