The book of Judges covers the period between the conquest of Canaan under Joshua to the time just before the kings. It was a time of wickedness, oppression, and anarchy (cf. Judges 2:11-15; 21:25). Toward the end of the book, we read about a man named Micah whose story typifies the culture as a whole. Notice the text:
“Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. He said to his mother, ‘The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.’ And his mother said, ‘Blessed be my son by the Lord.’ He then returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, ‘I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will return them to you.’
“So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith who made them into a graven image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a shrine and he made an ephod and household idols and consecrated one of his sons, that he might become his priest.
“In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:1-6).
We do not know much about this man, but there are some important lessons from this account. His example serves as an illustration of what happens when “every man [does] what is right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). Since this same attitude is prevalent in our day and age, it will be beneficial to consider some lessons from the text.
So what happens when “every man [does] what is right in his own eyes”?
Family Relationships Mean Nothing
The first thing we read about this man was that he stole from his mother (Judges 17:2). We are not told why he took the eleven hundred pieces of silver or what motivated him to return them, but this shows us that he was willing to sin against a parent. This was a failure on his part to obey the fifth commandment: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Exodus 20:12).
When we do what is right in our own eyes, family relationships will not matter to us. We have been instructed to honor our parents (Ephesians 6:1-2), teach and discipline our children (Ephesians 6:4), and sacrifice for our spouse (Ephesians 5:22, 25). Yet if we are only interested in doing what seems best for us, we will disregard the ones who should be the closest to us in this life.
We need to do what is right in God’s eyes and fulfill familial responsibilities as God has instructed.
Civil Law Means Nothing
As we already noticed, in the first act we see on record for Micah, he stole from his mother (Judges 17:2). In taking what did not belong to him, he disregarded the property rights of someone else. Not only was this a failure to obey the command to honor his father and mother (Exodus 20:12), this was also a failure to obey the eighth commandment: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). The Law of Moses contained more than just moral and ceremonial laws, it also contained civil laws – this is one example. Most societies throughout history have had a civil law like this that sought to protect one’s property from being taken by others.
When we do what is right in our own eyes, civil law will not matter to us. We are to “submit” to civil authorities “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13) unless these authorities try to compel us to do something that is contrary to God’s law, in which case “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Yet if we are only interested in what seems right to us, we will break the law in order to get what we want. Not only this, but we will also be willing to compromise when we must choose to be faithful to God over men.
We need to do what is right in God’s eyes and submit to rulers to the extent that He expects and allows us.
God’s Law Means Nothing
When the money stolen from his mother was returned, it was supposedly dedicated to the Lord; yet it was then taken to a silversmith to be made into an idol (Judges 17:3-4). This was a failure to obey the command to have no “graven image” (Exodus 20:4, KJV). Not only this, but Micah also made an ephod and appointed one of his sons to be his priest. However, the priests were to come from the tribe of Levi (Numbers 3:5-9). Micah and his sons were most likely from Ephraim (Judges 17:1).
When we do what is right in our own eyes, God’s law will not matter to us. Jesus told His apostles, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18) and we are to do all things by His authority (Colossians 3:17). This means we will “observe all that [He] commanded” (Matthew 28:20) and follow the pattern found in His word (2 Timothy 1:13). Yet when our opinions become our authority, we will come up with all sorts of “good” reasons to disobey His teachings or do things in a way that is different from how He has instructed us to do them.
We need to do what is right in God’s eyes and submit to His will that has been revealed in His word.
Loyalty Means Nothing
Micah then hired a Levite to be his own personal priest (Judges 17:7-12). Now his priest was from the right tribe, but in the wrong position – in one man’s house rather than performing his duties “for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting” (Numbers 3:7). Later, this priest was convinced by the sons of Dan to forsake his agreement with Micah and be the priest for their tribe (Judges 18:17-20). The Levite’s decision to go with them was not a sign of repentance, but it was an example of one failing to fulfill a commitment he made to another. The wise man commented on this all-too-common problem when he said, “Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man?” (Proverbs 20:6).
When we do what is right in our own eyes, our commitments to others will not matter to us. In the workplace, we are to “do [our] work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23). In the local church, we are to have a regular habit of assembling in order to encourage our brethren (Hebrews 10:25). In every area of life, we are to be people of our word. As Jesus said, “Let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’” (Matthew 5:37). Yet if we are only interested in satisfying ourselves, we will break our promises whenever something new comes along and fail to live up to our commitments.
We need to do what is right in God’s eyes and be known for being trustworthy and reliable.
You Mean Nothing
Micah confronted the sons of Dan for taking his idols and his household priest, yet he was shown no respect from them and there was nothing he could do to stop them (Judges 18:21-26). Even though Micah was not without fault, this was a failure by the sons of Dan to love others and recognize their inherent value. The law instructed them to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). The wise man would later say that the “common bond” that all men have is that “the Lord is the maker of them all” (Proverbs 22:2). Despite these instructions and principles, they showed contempt for Micah.
When we do what is right in our own eyes, our existence becomes futile. Doing whatever seems best to us may feel like freedom, but in the end it is meaningless. The wise man wrote about this realization in the book of Ecclesiastes. He “did not withhold [his] heart from any pleasure,” but in the end when he “considered all [his] activities” he recognized that “all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). Many want to live as if there is no God, but without Him we are nothing.
We need to do what is right in God’s eyes. He created us in His image (Genesis 1:27), which made us inherently valuable. Yet we must fulfill our purpose in this life – to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Conclusion
The idea that we can do whatever we want seems to be desirable, yet it only ends in trouble. Micah disregarded family, civil law, and God’s commands to do what he wanted to do; but it was of no use in the end.
We also live in a time when “every man [does] what is right in his own eyes.” This is appealing to many; but as it was with Micah, it is of no use in the end. The way that “seems right” to us is the “way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Let us instead do what is right in the eyes of God so that we can have the eternal life that He offers us.
