These last chapters show how Israel discovers what’s wrong with doing what’s right in your own eyes.
We’ve seen the rot of the judgeship under Samson, whose two outstanding characteristics were physical strength and moral weakness. We’ve begun to see the Levitical system corrupted, with Micah’s rent-a-priest (it gets much worse). We’ll also observe the collapse of Israel’s all-tribal council, ending in civil war. And we’ll watch in shock as the family structure is left in shreds through the “solutions” proposed by human reasoning. It’s not a pretty picture. But now what about the Danites? We read, “In those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them” (18:1). What does that mean? We’re told “The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan” (Jsh 19:40). What were they given? A small but strategic location: everything between the Yarkon and Sorek Rivers, from the Mediterranean coast (and Israel’s only seaport at Joppa) up into the mountains. They were the buffer to protect their brothers against Philistia. But the territory “had not fallen to them” because they had to fight for it. Instead, rejecting God’s choice, they sent five men to spy out an easy alternative (Jdg 18:2). Now we see the reason for including the story of Micah and his do-it-yourself religion, because his house is their rest stop north, and they were greatly impressed with his stay-at-home-to-worship setup. Eventually, they found Laish under the shadow of Mount Hermon in the extreme north, as far from God’s sanctuary as possible. And good news! The people there were “quiet and secure” with “no rulers…and they had no ties with anyone” (v 7). Why fuss with the Philistines? This will be like taking candy from a baby!