Back in Bible times, there was a mother in the land of Israel who had 1,100 pieces of silver. She had them all safely hidden away, and she had a plan in her mind what she would do with the silver. However, when she went to get the silver, it was gone! Stolen! All of it!
Somebody knew her secret hiding place and had taken her silver. Every piece was gone, and she was angry! She said bad words and cursed.
Her son Micah heard her angry words, and finally he told her, I took that silver. I have it. And then he gave it back to his mother.
Now here’s a question for you: Which is more important before God, the boy or the silver?
Micah stole 1,100 pieces of silver, but in God’s sight, the boy is worth far more than the silver. Stealing is a sin against God, and you can’t give back what is stolen as if it had not happened. God says many times in the Bible, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:1515Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15)).
That sin can be removed from Micah’s heart only by the precious blood of Christ. Silver is a big loss, but the loss of your soul is far greater. Only God can clean that sin away forever.
Do you think Micah’s mother had taught him that stealing is sin? I don’t think so, because instead of scolding him for committing that sin, she blessed him: “Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son” (Judges 17:22And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son. (Judges 17:2))! You see, she wanted the silver back, but she did not care about the sin on the soul of her son. If you have stolen something, it is right to confess and return it, but only the death of Jesus can wash that sin from your heart, and that is very important to remember.
Then she told Micah that her plan was to take 200 pieces to the jeweler and have him carve two idols out of it for Micah. It would look really nice in his home, and he could worship it, and it would bring him good luck. He had many idols like this in his house, and this would be two more in his collection.
You wouldn’t be so foolish, would you? But maybe you are. Are there things in your life that are more important to you than the Lord Jesus who died for you? Micah is dead now, and he left all his idols behind when he died. But I have a Saviour who goes with me every step of the way; He will be with me all through life and all through eternity. Would you like to know my Saviour? He is a real man living in heaven and coming again. He has wounds in His hands and feet and side that tell us how much He loves us.
Micah’s mother carried out her plan, and Micah had a house of idols and chose one of his sons to be his priest. It worked very well until another man came along to be his priest. That worked better ... until he lost everything to a crowd of soldiers that was stronger than he was.
But I cannot lose Jesus, and He cannot lose me! He has washed me clean in His blood shed on the cross.
If there are still sins on your heart, come today to Jesus, whose precious blood will wash your sins away and make you “as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)). You will belong to Him forever and someday live in His happy home in heaven where there will never, ever be any sin!
You may read this story for yourself in Judges 17.
ML-11/24/2013