Hypocrites and Users or Not?

Day two hundred twenty-three

Things have leveled out a bit so I thought that I would try to get a post in.  I don't know if I will be able to post everyday, but I figured something is better than nothing. My prayer is focused on my family and their needs today.  I've been praying for comfort, understanding, wisdom, patience, courage, and love lately.  There is a genetic disposition to depression in my family and when it manifests itself it can be a difficult trial to endure, for all parties involved.  I have learned to turn to the Lord in prayer and to search the scriptures for help.  It is amazing what you can find in the scriptures when you are looking through humble eyes!  Today's uplifting scripture I found in 2 Timothy 4:17: "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me..." 

Judges 17-18
Last I wrote about my scripture study I think it was at the end of Samson's life. Well today we are introduced to some interesting people that made me stop and think about how I look at others.

At the beginning of this story Micah has stolen 1,100 pieces of silver from his mother.  When she finds out that it was stolen she pronounces a curse on the person who stole it.  Micah gets scared because of the curse and returns the money to her.  She pronounces a blessing on him instead of the curse and then decides to commit idolatry in his name.  She has an idol made for Micah to keep in his home.  Micah then has a shrine in his house and consecrates one of his sons to be a priest.  Then worship is to go on in his shrine with the idol, the ephod, the household gods, and the priest.  (Judges 17:1-5)

As I read to this point I was flabergasted at the character of these two people.  A mother who uses the Lord's name to curse and bless her son for stealing money, but turns around and after stating that she had dedicated the money to the Lord, takes some of it and has an idol built for her son.  And a son that would steal from his mother, then create his own little church at his house! 

The story gets worse! A Levite priest who is looking for a place to live comes to Micah's house and is invited by Micah to stay with him and be his priest.  Not a priest to the city, but of Micah's homemade church.  This same priest in chapter 18 will leave Micah's house for a more prestigious position, religious leader for a whole people, and will take all of  Micah's religious artifacts with him!  What is going on here?

Mother, Son, Priest, these are relationships in which you expect trust, not hypocrisy.  They all seem to be people of God, but their actions are totally opposite of what they should be and depict them as users.  It made me think of Luke 6:46 when Jesus asked "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"  How did this happen to the people?

Verse 6 in chapter 17 gives us a clue, "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Every person consulted only his own heart, only his interests, in determining what was right.  This is the tragedy in this story, that these people think that they are doing what is right, even when it really was unrighteous. Is that hypocrisy?

How many times in your life have you done something because you thought it was right, based on what you knew, and it turned out to be wrong?  I think that is a universal situation, everyone experiences it at least once.  I experienced it while reading these chapters!  I was so quick to judge these people and label them hypocrites and users because of their actions.  I never stopped to look at them from their point of view.    How many times have I done this in the world?  I don't know, too many I am sure. 

There are questions raised that I hadn't thought of before. Were their actions motivated by their circumstances?  Did their lack of leadership and guidance affect their choices?  Stealing and idol worship are never right, but do I have a right to condemn them for their actions? How would I behave if left to my own devices?

I got more than I bargained for in this study session, it was a humbling experience.  My eyes are a little more open about judging people. I need to be more careful about how I perceive others.  My job isn't to judge them, but to love them.  I have something to work on today!