[오렌지힐교회] "내 눈이 왕이다" I 사사기 17:1-3절 I 백창호 목사 I 2026.10.05

Key Passage

Judges 17:1-3

1. There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2. He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behol…

Speaker

백창호 목사

Date

2026-10-05

Length

44 min

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Summary

Judges 17 in Israel reveals a situation where people do not acknowledge God as their king and act according to their own desires. Through the story of a mother and her son, it shows the reality of faith being distorted into something formal and superstitious. We often do not cherish our personal relationship with God and are satisfied with merely fulfilling religious duties. We should reflect on how, even in today's churches, there are instances where God is not recognized as king and individuals act as if they are the rulers.

Bible Verses

Judges 17:1-3 1. There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2. He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” His mother said, “Blessed be my son of Yahweh.” 3. He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make an engraved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”
Judges 17:6 6. In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Judges 17:1 1. There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
Judges 17:3 3. He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make an engraved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”
Judges 17 1. There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2. He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” His mother said, “Blessed be my son of Yahweh.” 3. He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make an engraved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” 4. When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made of it an engraved image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah. 5. The man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6. In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. 7. There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there. 8. The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he traveled. 9. Micah said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.” 10. Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food.” So the Levite went in. 11. The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons. 12. Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13. Then Micah said, “Now know I that Yahweh will do good to me, since I have a Levite to my priest.”

Sermon Structure

Acknowledge God as King

The Time When Israel Had No King
A Mother's Misguided Love
Micah's Distorted Faith
The Corruption of the Young Levite

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This Week's Devotions

Six days of devotions drawn from this Sunday's sermon — one for each day, Monday through Saturday.

Verse of the WeekJudges 17:6 - 'In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.'

Monday

Acknowledging God as King

Today's PassageJudges 17:1-3

The people of Israel did not acknowledge God as their king and acted according to their own opinions. Today, if we do not acknowledge God as king, we will live by our own standards.

Ask YourselfAm I acknowledging God as king?

Do This TodayLet us pray to God and seek His will.

PrayerGod, please be the king of my life.

2Tuesday · Revealing Spiritual Nakedness🔓 Unlock free 3Wednesday · The Role and Boundaries of Parents🔓 Unlock free 4Thursday · The Purpose and Means of Faith🔓 Unlock free 5Friday · Beware of Selfish Faith🔓 Unlock free 6Saturday · Personal Relationship with God🔓 Unlock free

Check Your Understanding

Five quick questions from this Sunday's message. Tap an answer to see if you're right.

What does it mean that there was no king in Israel in Judges 17?

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Full Transcript

Amen. Today the weather is extremely hot. Yes, we have been following the book of Judges, and just like the sweltering weather, it feels a bit suffocating and stifling as we enter chapter 17 of Judges. Up to chapter 16, we have seen the stories of 12 judges explaining the situation of Israel, but now from chapter 17 to chapter 21, we are reaching the conclusion. In a sense, can we call this a summary? We have already discussed the stories of the 12 judges up to chapter 16, and now chapters 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 serve to add to and emphasize that content, especially chapter 17.

At the beginning of today’s passage, verse 6 states, Judges 17:6, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Interestingly, the last verse of chapter 21, Judges 21:25, ends with the same statement: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The phrase "what was right in his own eyes" indicates that people acted according to their own judgment.

Friends, the statement that there was no king in Israel does not imply a hope for a monarchy or a need for one; rather, it signifies that the theocracy was not realized. God had never ceased to be the king among Israel. There has never been a time when Israel lacked a king. The statement that there was no king in Israel is nonsensical. The king of Israel has always existed, but the people did not acknowledge Him as their king. This means that each individual acted as their own king. The theocratic governance, where God rules as king over each individual, was not realized.

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