Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Please Open your Bibles to Judges 17.

We will read Judges 17

There is a famous sermon on this text by Pastor Paris Reidhead.

Titled, “ten Shekels And A Shirt.”

I have heard his sermon several times and I would recommend it to you.

I wish every christian would hear Pastor Reidhead’s sermon and take the time to understand it.

Tonight, it is not my intent to reproduce Pastor Reidhead’s sermon though some of the themes will be similar, how could they not be when addressing the same text.

May God Bless the Reading of His Holy and Infallible Word

Lets Pray

Transition

This is the first different story in the book of judges.

Here the book takes a turn from the stories of the judges, single individuals who God used to save the people.

These men and a woman were raised up as examples of redeemers, rescuers.

We will see more on this idea of redemption when we get to Ruth.

However, as we are looking here, the theme of the book changes, we now get stories, of Micah, the Levite’s concubine, the war with Benjamin.

Why are these stories here?

They are here, among other things, to show us the consequences of what happens when the Lord does not drive out the enemies and how their god’s are a snare to the people.

Body

Micah's Greed (1)

Text

“1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.”

And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD.” 3 And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother.

And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image.

Now therefore I will restore it to you.” (Jdg 17:3–4, ESV)

Exposition

“The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you”

Exposition

Large Sum

“about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.”

(Jdg 17:2, ESV)

Exposition

Why Micah would take this sum and why he would give it back we don’t know.

Perhaps he was afraid of this curse that she spoke.

Would be a reasonable guess because he mentioned it.

The emphases in this section is on-how his mother reacted.

“And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD.” 3 And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother.

And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image.”

Exposition

James speak of the tongue

“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” (Jas 3:9, ESV)

Language is unclear abouT when the silver was dedicated to the LORD.

“I dedicate the silver” “I had dedicated”

Gifts Dedicated to the LORD where to be brought into the temple treasury.

Remember in Joshua how all the silver and gold at Jericho where to be dedicated to the LORD.

The point this that God did not leave Isreal instructionless on how to dedicate things to the LORD.

Application

For the New Testament Believer the Apostle Paul in Romans says that our Bodies are dedicated to the LORD at all times.

Not just on the sabbath or on passover, or this sum of money or that land or time, all of ourselves are his all the time.

Of we were to lose a large SUM of money, let our response show our dedication to him.

So that instead of cursing we say Lord you will be done.

Illustration

I often think about the offering on this subject, the New testament teaches us to only give what we can give cheerfully.

It is the attitude in giving.

If I found that a brother a sister were giving out of compulsion I would council them to stop.

Transition

Not only is the dedication to the Lord not with the right heart, its not thankfulness we see displayed here in the action of Micah's Mother.

We also see that though she uses the name of the LORD, she has actually dedicated this offering to a god of her own making.

The LORD has said, “Thou Shalt not Make any Graven Images” but that is what happens.

Lets take a look verses 4 - 6.

Thou Shalt not Make any Graven Images (2)

Text

“So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image.

And it was in the house of Micah.

5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel.

Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

(Jdg 17:4–6, ESV)

Exposition

“So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image.”

(Jdg 17:4-6, ESV)

Exposition

Generational Iniquity displayed.

A carved Image and a Metal Image

Application

How important it is to train the children, what different path might Micah’s life have taken if his Mother followed God’s commandments.

We don’t know but this practice my have been even more generations then his mother.

If you want to see the power of a Godly mother read of the Kings of Judah.

Illustration

My mom is not perfect, but I can person attest to the power of a God fearing mother.

“And it was in the house of Micah.

5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest,” (Jdg 17:4–5, ESV)

Exposition

So it seems as the story goes, perhaps Micah’s Mother has died or is old and Micah is running the household.

We don’t know for sure, but it is clear that the practice is passed from mother to son.

Some might say, Micah was just doing the best he knew.

It was almost impossible to get to Shiloh because of the Amorites.

The snare happening

“I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” (Jdg 2:3, ESV)

Application

Micah has added a little bit of the other ways people worshiped from around him.

He was snared by the God’s of the nations.

Paul said, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

(Ga 5:9, ESV)

Addressing the Gospel

So many addons to the gospel over the years some examples.

Constantine Baptism.

Roman Catholic Penance

In or Day, Liberation Theology, Social justice, and Liberal Ideology.

Remember a little "A little leaven leavens the whole lump”