Judges 17-18; Psalm 65; 2 Corinthians 3

Judges 17
1-13 Micah and the Levite

• Micah is a man of the hill country of Ephraim.
• He has taken 1100 pieces of silver [same amount as was given to Delilah for her betrayal] from his mother.
• When he returns it to her, she blesses him, takes 200 pieces and has it made into an idol for Micah's house.
  
• He establishes his own religion with one of his sons as priest. Because:
• "In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes."
• A Levite comes from Bethlehem in Judah, and Micah persuades him to be his priest with a promise of room and board, wages and clothes.
• And thus Micah is satisfied that God will bless him, because he has a Levite as a priest.

Judges 18
1-26 Migration of the Tribe of Dan

• Danites don't have a territory to claim (See Judges 1:34,35)
• They send out 5 spies to find land to settle in. The spies come and stay at Micah's house, and meet the Levite.
• The Levite assures them their mission will succeed.
• They travel on to Laish (in northern Canaan), where the land is prosperous and the people are "quiet and unsuspecting" and unprotected. Laish becomes their choice.
• They return to their tribe and persuade them to go up against Laish.
• On the way north, with an army of 600, they pick up Micah's priest, who comes willingly and brings Micah's idol, ephod and teraphim (images connected with magical rites).
  
• Micah and his neighbors follow them and challenge them, but the Danites threaten him and his family. Seeing they are too strong for him, Micah gives up and goes back home.

27-31 Danites Settle in Laish

• They go up to Laish, conquer the land, and rename the city "Dan."
• They set up the idol, and appoint Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons as priests "as long as the house of God was at Shiloh."

Psalm 65 - Psalm of David - Thanksgiving for the Earth's Bounty
No requests here -- just praise for God's goodness, power, and providence.
4 - "We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple."
6 - "By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might."
11 - "You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness."

2 Corinthians 3
1-18 Ministers of a New Covenant

• We don't need letters of commendation -- you are our letter.
• God has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, a covenant of the Spirit, who gives life.
• The old covenant (ministry of condemnation) came with much glory, but it is dark compared to the new covenant, the ministry of justification.
• Moses had to veil his face from the people when he came down from the mountain.
• In spite of the glory of the new covanant, there is no veil now -- we can look at the glory of the Lord and, as if we're looking into a mirror, we can be transformed into his image.