As we consider this incident of Micah, his silver image and the Levite, our understanding is helped greatly by verse 6 and the words, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” We see in this chapter people who were very religious, but also very disobedient to the Lord.

The story begins with Micah owning up to having taken his mother’s silver (v1-2). She gets Micah to use part of the returned silver to make an idol to worship the Lord (v3-5). This woman and Micah were probably very sincere in their religion, but they were also very wrong. True religion and worship have to be in obedience to the Word of the Lord. It was against the Lord’s will to build and idol and to set up your own private place of worship.

Micah then come sin contact with a Levite who was passing through the region and employs him to be his family’s personal priest (v7-10). Again, in all that happens Micah appears to be very sincere, he even goes through a service of ordination with the priest (v11-12). In all this he was seeking the blessing of the Lord on his family (v13).

We live in a world which believes that sincerity is enough when it comes to religion. Sincerity by it self will lead people to hell, people need the truth of God’s word and the Gospel alongside sincerity. Jesus chastised the women at the well for the ignorant worship of the Samaritans and said that the Lord was looking for those who worship “in spirit and truth” John 4 v23).