Get links to my best stuff in your inbox
 

Backyard Religion

By
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles

Is it just imagination, or is history repeating itself? (cf. Ecclesiastes 1:9; Ecclesiastes 3:15). There was time in Israel when there was no government or central authority to see that everything was done right, so “every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; Judges 18:1; Judges 19:1; cf. Deuteronomy 12:8) — including even building a church in one’s own backyard just to suit himself (Judges 17-18).

Micah’s church in the backyard seemed like a good idea. It was convenient, and suited his whims to a “T.” Only later did he discover some disconcerting and frustrating consequences. He paid a silversmith to make a graven image (something not allowed by the law of Moses) and set it up in his own house (Judges 17:1-5). Judges 17:5 tells us that he ordained his own son to be his priest (something only Levites were to do according to the Law – 1 Chronicles 23:21-32). Micah even made special garments for his son to wear (like the priests of old). Even Micah realized that not everything was quite right, for when a real Levite came by, Micah offered him a salary to be his priest, and that satisfied the Levite quite well (Judges 17:7-13).

Micah built his own faith by borrowing ideas from others. From Judaism, he would take some ideas, and from the nations round about, he would take their seraphim, “household gods” as a tribute to ancestor worship. The ideas taken from here and there resulted in a pitiful, terrible mixture of things as is often the case in a self-pleasing religion. If you read the whole story, things didn’t end well. Micah wails as his gods are captured, “You take my gods which I made, and the priest, and go away, and what have I left?” (Judges 18:22-24 ESV). It all fizzled out in the end.

I fear for those today who go about establishing religions and building their own churches according to their desires with ideas taken from a dozen religions and philosophies. What will their end be?

It would be well to remember the apostle Paul’s warning:

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8 ESV).

Whatever kind of church you might establish yourself, you will never be able to compete with the one promised by Christ when He said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18).

—John Gipson, via the Montana St. Bulletin

Related Articles:

Related posts: