Judges 18:18-23: a reflection

18When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” 20The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people. 21So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods before them. 22When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. 23As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”

When a wandering band offers a young priest a bigger role, priest to a whole tribe rather than to one man, his heart is glad and he goes with them, a picture of letting self-advancement rather than faithfulness drive one's service. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel, they ask him; and the priest's heart was glad, and he went with them. The priest had been serving in one man's house; now he was offered a larger position, priest to a whole tribe, more prestige, more scope. And at the offer of advancement his heart was glad, and he readily went, taking the household's idols with him. It was self-advancement, not faithfulness or truth, that moved him; the bigger position gladdened his heart and decided his course. This shows the danger of letting self-advancement, rather than faithfulness, drive our service. Do not let self-advancement, rather than faithfulness, drive your service. A bigger position should not decide your course over faithfulness. Beware a heart gladdened chiefly by prestige and scope. Serve out of faithfulness, not the pull of a larger role.

Notice what moved the young priest. He had been serving as priest in one man's household. A wandering band came and offered him a bigger role: to be priest to a whole tribe and family in Israel, a larger position, more prestige, wider scope. And at this offer, his heart was glad; he readily agreed and went with them, even taking the household's idols along. What moved him was not faithfulness, not concern for truth or for the man he had served, not any question of whether this was right; it was the appeal of advancement, the bigger position that gladdened his heart. Self-advancement decided his course. This holds a warning that reaches into how we serve. It is possible to let self-advancement, rather than faithfulness, drive our service, even our service in religious or good roles. The appeal of a bigger position, more prestige, wider scope, more recognition, can gladden our hearts and decide our course, so that we go where the advancement is, rather than where faithfulness leads. But faithfulness, not self-advancement, should govern our service; the question should be what is right and faithful, not merely what advances us. A heart gladdened chiefly by prestige and scope, ready to go wherever the bigger role is, is not serving out of faithfulness. We do well to let faithfulness, not the pull of self-advancement, drive our service, not letting a bigger position decide our course over what is right and faithful. Let faithfulness, not self-advancement, drive your service. Do not let the pull of a bigger position decide your course over what is right. Beware a heart gladdened chiefly by prestige and scope. Ask what is faithful, not merely what advances you.

That is worth taking to heart, for self-advancement should not drive our service in place of faithfulness, as the priest's heart was gladdened by the bigger position rather than by faithfulness. We can let the appeal of advancement decide our course; but the priest went gladly wherever the bigger role was, moved by self-advancement rather than faithfulness. Serve faithfully. Do not let the pull of a bigger position or more prestige decide your course over faithfulness; let faithfulness and what is right drive your service. Let faithfulness and what is right, not the pull of self-advancement and a bigger position, drive your service, as when a wandering band offered a young priest a bigger role, priest to a whole tribe rather than to one man, his heart was glad and he went with them, a picture of letting self-advancement rather than faithfulness drive one's service; for the priest had been serving in one man's house but was offered a larger position with more prestige and scope, and at the offer of advancement his heart was glad and he readily went, taking the household's idols with him, so that it was self-advancement and not faithfulness or truth that moved him, the bigger position gladdening his heart and deciding his course, which holds a warning that reaches into how we serve, since it is possible to let self-advancement rather than faithfulness drive our service even in religious or good roles, the appeal of a bigger position, more prestige, wider scope, and more recognition gladdening our hearts and deciding our course so that we go where the advancement is rather than where faithfulness leads, but faithfulness and not self-advancement should govern our service and the question should be what is right and faithful rather than merely what advances us, a heart gladdened chiefly by prestige and scope not serving out of faithfulness, so that we do well to let faithfulness drive our service.

Lord, when a wandering band offers a young priest a bigger role, priest to a whole tribe rather than to one man, his heart is glad and he goes with them, a picture of letting self-advancement rather than faithfulness drive one's service. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel, they ask him; and the priest's heart was glad, and he went with them. The priest had been serving in one man's house; now he was offered a larger position, more prestige, more scope. And at the offer of advancement his heart was glad, and he readily went. It was self-advancement, not faithfulness or truth, that moved him; the bigger position gladdened his heart and decided his course. Show me what moved the young priest. He had been serving as priest in one man's household. A band came and offered him a bigger role, more prestige, wider scope. And at this offer, his heart was glad; he readily agreed and went with them. What moved him was not faithfulness, not concern for truth, not any question of whether this was right; it was the appeal of advancement. Self-advancement decided his course. This holds a warning that reaches into how I serve. It is possible to let self-advancement, rather than faithfulness, drive my service, even in religious or good roles. The appeal of a bigger position, more prestige, wider scope, more recognition, can gladden my heart and decide my course, so that I go where the advancement is, rather than where faithfulness leads. But faithfulness, not self-advancement, should govern my service; the question should be what is right and faithful, not merely what advances me. Take that to my heart. Keep me from letting the pull of a bigger position, more prestige, or wider scope decide my course over what is right and faithful; help me let faithfulness drive my service, Lord, asking what is faithful rather than merely what advances me, and not being a heart gladdened chiefly by prestige and scope.