The Diluting Factor

One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. [Judges 16.1] 

Nothing more clearly depicts the condition of dilution that occurs when idolatry is tolerated than the verse above.

Samson, dedicated to God from birth, was patronizing a prostitute.

Then, the story of Samson and Delilah is almost comical in its ridiculousness. But, such can be expected when pure faith in God has been abandoned by dilution. It just gets worse and worse.

And so, we come to the story of Micah and his open idolatry that carried right over into the tribe of Dan.

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. [Judges 17.6]

Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. [Judges 18.1] 

I have never realized this before, but even in the narrative of the story being told in Judges 17.6 and Judges 18.1, idolatry had so diluted and distorted Israel's understanding that they really thought having no king was why things were so bad. They could not see that their problem was not "no king," but that it was instead that they had "no God."

Samson's, Micah's, and Dan's stories in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading are not meant to make sense. They are recorded as a warning to us how the least little bit of idolatry shipwrecks pure unadulterated faith in God.

Such is the condition of God's people today. While we claim "God," "the Bible," "faith," and the "Holy Spirit," we blindly fail to see that we effectively look and act nothing like Jesus Christ Who said:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

"The Church" (myself very much included) has some explaining to do about a directive Jesus was crystal clear about:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

It is pure dilution that reads John 14.12 and thinks the Church today is okay. Instead of realizing the problem today is "no God," the Church has consoled itself that it is merely a matter of proper religious interpretation (more religion)... But in so doing, why is the Church still so divided over the matter? More religion is not going to fix the glaring problem for the Church any more than having a king would solve the glaring problem of ancient Israel. The problem to be fixed is idolatry. Jesus Christ told us exactly how to fix it: you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. Jesus Christ told us exactly what our lives would look like when we do: anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.

Biblical accuracy is not achieved in doing what is right in our own eyes. Biblical accuracy is achieved only when there are no idols in our lives (that blind us, by the way: Psalm 115.2-8 and Psalm 135.15-18) and we are identified as Christians because we actually look and act like Christ! Having religion is no better than having a king, but when idolatry is involved, both seem to make everything alright...

Father in heaven, I have never really seen Samson's, Micah's, and the tribe of Dan's stories in the light I have seen them today. But, in this light, the fact that these stories make no sense, now makes perfect sense when idolatry is seen as the diluting factor. May the light of Your Word today reveal to us how idolatry has us looking and acting nothing like Jesus Christ, but thinking more religion will fix it. As Your Word shines upon our diluted condition, may we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.