CHILDREN STS LESSON 27 DAN DRIFTS INTO IDOLATRY

Text: Judges 17:1-13; 18:1-31

To drift means to move away from an intended direction or path. In spiritual terms, it means to backslide. The children of Israel were God’s special people. They were delivered from slavery in Egypt and given the Promised Land as an inheritance. Through their leader Moses, God gave them commandments or laws to guide them so that they would have a good relationship with Him and with one another.

The first commandment that God gave Israel was:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth”
(Exodus 20:3–4).

This was a very clear instruction from the God of heaven and earth. He expected Israel to obey but they did not. Rather than obey the commandments, Israel forsook God to serve the idols of the nations around them. The people did whatever was right in their eyes.

Dan was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. His descendants are known as the Danites and they are one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Since the time of sharing out the land to all the twelve tribes to settle in the Promised Land, the portion allocated to the Danites was never fully occupied. Now, the Philistines that were still left in the land were increasing. The Danites now decided to find more land which they could occupy. They did not seek God’s counsel; rather they took laws into their hands.

On their journey and quest to possess the land, they came in contact with a man named Micah who had foolishly designed and built some idols. He also engaged a Levite to be the priest of the idols. Instead of the Danites to correct the evil of Micah, they stole both the idols and the priest and went away to pursue their agenda of taking over Laish. This was how idolatry was introduced and it spread from one generation of Israel to another. Their action attracted God’s displeasure and punishment.

God warns us today of the danger of serving idols. The express command from His word is that we should not have other gods beside the Lord. Obedience to this command will bring victory, joy and everlasting peace.

1. DAN’S DOWNWARD JOURNEY TO IDOL WORSHIP

Texts: Judges 17:1-13; 18:1-31; Exodus 20:1-5; Ephesians 5:5

Our Bible passage tells us the story of a man named Micah from the tribe of Ephraim in Israel. He disregarded the commandment of God and introduced idol worship to his family and people. He stole his mother’s money but eventually returned it because he feared the curse from his mother. His mother gave him some of the money and he went ahead to make idols and set it up for worship in his private shrine. He also made his son to become an idolatrous priest and later influenced a young Levite to become priest in his shrine.

In the process of time, the tribe of Dan came in contact with Micah in their quest to possess their full inheritance. One day, the children of Dan, in preparation to possess more lands, sent five men to spy out the land of Laish. The spies observed that the people of Laish were careless (Judges 18:7). They then came back and encouraged the Danites to go forth and possess the land (Judges 18:10). The good report from the spies encouraged the Danites to act promptly. They organised about six hundred armed soldiers to go and possess the land. They soon came to Laish and easily captured it, killing the inhabitants and burning their city with fire.

In their quest to possess the land, the Danites made some costly mistakes:
i. They did not pray or ask God for guidance.
ii. They disregarded God’s commandment by stealing Micah’s idols.
iii. They appointed the idolatrous Levite as priest for their stolen idols (graven images).
iv. These idols were set up in their new land. They built a shrine for the idols where they continued to worship from generation to generation.

They forgot God’s word and turned to the graven images made by man. This action of the Danites became a grievous sin in the sight of God.

The lawless attitude of both Micah and the Danites is very common in our day. Many children want to do whatever they like. The end of such is destruction (Proverbs 14:12).

Idolatry is not just the worship of images, it includes:
i. Love of money and worldly pleasure.
ii. Friendship with sinners and their immoral pleasure.
iii. Covetousness and greed.
iv. Association with false prophets and their false doctrines.
v. Witchcraft/familiar spirit.
vi. Occultism.
vii. Anything that one loves or values more than God.

The Bible commands that:

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…”
(Exodus 20:5).

Be warned, idol worship is a serious sin before God.

2. DANGER AND CONSEQUENCE OF IDOL WORSHIP

Texts: Judges 17:1-6; 18:1-27; Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 28:15; 1 Corinthians 6:9,10; Revelation 21:8

Disobedience to God’s commandments always attracts serious consequences that we may not be able to bear. Through Micah, idolatry was introduced to the Danites through whom it spread to the whole nation. From one generation to another, the children of Israel continued to follow this bad example. Remember that whatever you do can affect the entire family and nation.

The whole world today is in trouble because the people have departed from the true God to serve idols. The Bible says that there is no peace for the wicked.

Idolatry leads to:
a. Loss of fellowship with God.
b. Withdrawal of God’s favour, protection, blessing.
c. Confusion, commotion and chaos.
d. Divine punishment, destruction, captivity and great sorrow.
e. Eternal damnation in hell fire.

Deuteronomy chapter 28 clearly explains the consequences of forsaking God to serve idols. While the first thirteen verses are a pronouncement of blessings for the obedient, fifty-four verses are curses for those who disobey. It is wise to obey God’s word so that you will inherit the blessings.

3. DO NOT WORSHIP IDOLS

Texts: Judges 17:6-11; Leviticus 19:4; 1 Corinthians 10:7,14-21; 1 John 5:21

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth”
(Exodus 20:4).

This is a very clear commandment from God to His children. The Danites forgot this express command and were easily deceived by the presence of a Levite in the house of idols. They had become influenced by the strange religion of the Canaanites.

God is too great to be represented by anything made by human hands. It is impossible for an image or picture of God to truly represent His personal glory and character (Isaiah 40:18). He is so holy and unsearchable that any image designed to represent Him dishonours Him.

This is why the Bible wants us to flee from idols. There should be no representation of God in form of symbols, image, crucifix, “holy water”, “anointing oil”, wristband or any other object.

Friends of Jesus must worship God in truth and in Spirit. Our thoughts and actions should be based on God’s word and on His revelation through the work and life of Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

For a sinner to serve God acceptably, he must repent of all his sins. Ask for forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Jesus. Ask Jesus to be his Saviour, Lord and Master. Then he will do away with any image or property of Satan in his care and abstain from idol worship.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is idolatry? ______

2. ______ introduced idolatry in Ephraim.

3. Identify the role the Danites played in introducing idol worship in Israel.

4. Mention five things that are considered to be the same as worshipping of idols. ______

5. What are the consequences of worshipping idols?

6. How can a sinner be saved from the influence of idol worship? ______

MEMORY VERSE:

“And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.”
(Judges 18:30).

LESSON:

Great judgment awaits all idol worshippers.

THOUGHT:

I will not serve man-made gods.

ACTIVITY:

From the following passages, what does God command us to do to idols or images?
i. Exodus 34:13
ii. Deuteronomy 12:3
iii. Judges 2:2
iv. Acts 15:20

HOMEWORK:

Children are to write in their homework book five things they must do daily to avoid falling into the sin of idol worship.

CONGREGATIONAL SONG:

GHS 47 — JUST OBEY

CHORUSES:

1. I will never let the devil win the battle.

2. I will never worship man-made God.

3. My life time, I will give God my life time.

Find the meaning of these words:

(You can use your dictionary)

1. Descendants

2. Allotted

3. Ascertain

4. Strategy

5. Share