Everyone worships someone or something; either Scripture’s God or it’s a false religion. Israelites were very religious during the time of the judges, yet it was worship seeming right in their eyes. When Micah decided to worship Jehovah his own way, not the Biblical way. He created his own religion. He believed the practice of his faith was his business. He was free to worship as pleased him. And so it is with many, even in churches, today.

I. Levites and Priests. The Levites were one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Entering Canaan, God gave the Levites no territory of their own, but spread them throughout the whole land in 48 cities to serve the people (Num 35:2-8; Deut 18:1-2; Josh 21).
Male Levites were tasked with serving the priests (Num 3:3-13; 8:17-18; Deut 10:8) by singing (1 Chron 6:31-48; 25:1-7; Ezra 3:10), teaching the Bible (2 Chron 17:8-11; Neh 8:7-9), carrying the ark (Josh 3:2-17); and caring for the physical needs of the priests and the tabernacle/temple (Num 3:5-9; 18:3; 1 Chron 23:2-4). They were God-given gifts to Aaron’s sons (Num 8:6-21).
Priests were the male descendants of Levi through Moses’ brother Aaron (Ex 6:16-20; 28:1; Lev 8:1-36; 25" class="scriptRef">Num 20:23-25). They alone were ordained to make the sacrificial offerings (Lev 4:16, 25, 30; Heb 5:1) and taught the Law to the people (Lev 10:8, 11).

II. Micah’s Priest (Judg 17:7-12). We’re introduced to a Levite from Bethlehem, but Bethlehem was not a Levitical city. Like Elimelech and Naomi (Ruth 1:1), this young man (lit, boy) sought a more promising situation outside God’s direction and ended up in Micah’s town in northern Israel. One of the first signs of spiritual neglect is failure to support God’s work.
Micah ordained his son as priest (Judg 17:5), but he wanted a better priest and the young Levite appeared like an answer from Heaven. Everything for Micah’s worship was falling into place. He was convinced his good fortune was God blessing his sincere religious efforts; he was mistaken. A feeling of peace, or details falling into place, don’t indicate God’s blessing. Sometimes those are evidences of a sin-hardened heart or God’s preparation of judgment.
Micah hired the Levite as a father (authority in life) and priest (mediator between god and man). He became a priest for hire (Jn 10:11-13). A hireling isn’t a shepherd and doesn’t own or care for the sheep. He is a professional servant willing to do anything for a price; his interest is himself. Under the Law, Levites received portions of all tithes and sacrifices and were to live off their flocks (Deut 18:1-8; Josh 21:2).
Micah consecrated or ordained (Judg 17:5, 12) the Levite, meaning he filled his hands with religious authority (and money). But only God ordains to His service. He ordains according to a Biblical standard which man then recognizes.

III. Godly Worship (Judg 17:13). Micah was a pagan idolator who believed he was worshiping God, but he proved otherwise by worshiping in his own way. He was convinced that because he had his own priest, Jehovah would bless him. He thought his sincerity and devotion would gain God’s favor; but God isn’t impressed with man’s sincerity and devotion as a means to His favor. God’s favor is by grace alone. Truth is more important than being devoted to false worship, which is a real problem for every idolator and religionist. Micah was guilty of syncretism, the worship of a god he’d shaped in his own image (Rom 2:22-23).
God is very specific in the Bible as to exactly how He is to be worshiped. We, as a congregation, are committed to this truth. We worship God as He commands rather than by what is popular or right in our own eyes, or our culture, tradition, and society think.