Links for today’s readings:
Read: Judges 18 Listen: (4:39) Read: Hebrews 5 Listen: (1:57)
Scripture Focus: Judges 18.23-25
23 As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?” 24 He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’ ” 25 The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some of the men may get angry and attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
Reflection: Resist Weaponizing Spiritual Things
By John Tillman
In The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington (Eli) carries a Bible he has sworn to protect across a violent, post-apocalyptic United States.
A brutal, book-obsessed warlord named Carnegie (played by Gary Oldman and not-so-subtly named to reference Andrew Carnegie, famous for building libraries) demands Eli give it to him.
After many fighters die trying to take the Bible, Carnegie’s lieutenant questions whether “a book” is worth the spilled blood and spent resources. Carnegie responds, “It’s not a book. It’s a weapon. A weapon aimed right at the hearts and minds of the weak and the desperate.”
The final chapters of Judges share a similar apocalyptic brutality with the film. When everyone did “as they saw fit,” (Judges 21.25) wicked hearts were exposed and chaos and violence reigned.
Levites were intended to live in their own towns and serve all the tribes at the Tabernacle. However, Micah hired a Levite to serve at his private shrine of “household gods.” Seemingly ignorant of all the laws they were violating, Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me…” (Judges 17.13)
When warriors from the tribe of Dan made the Levite a better offer, he left with them. Micah pursued, crying, “You took my gods and my priest! What else do I have?”
Micah’s cry, “What else do I have?” is partially correct. It is good to recognize, “Whom have I in heaven but you?” However, we mustn’t forget the second line: “And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” (Psalm 73.25)
Micah, the Danite warriors, and the fictional Carnegie had mercenary attitudes about God, worship, and his ministers. They valued the things of God as personal weapons and tools to enrich and comfort themselves.
Beware of developing mercenary attitudes toward God, ministers, or the Bible. The Bible isn’t a weapon for winning earthly arguments. Ministers should serve everyone, not one political tribe. God doesn’t owe us blessings in exchange for worship, especially when our worship is often polluted with false “household gods,” like political and cultural ideologies.
God won’t be anyone’s mercenary and he looks unkindly on weaponizing the Bible for earthly purposes. Don’t surrender spiritual things to those who want to weaponize them to obtain earthly things.
No spoilers, however, in the film Carnegie can’t use the Bible even after winning it in battle and Eli still guards it even after it is taken from him. So may it be with us.
Divine Hours Prayer: The Morning Psalm
The Lord is King; let the people tremble; he is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Zion; he is high above all peoples.
Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; he is the Holy One.
O mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. — Psalm 99.1-4
– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle
Read more: Keep Drinking the Milk of the Word
In Hebrews chapter 5, the author wishes to discuss complicated topics…But…the readers are not ready for such theological complexity…
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