The Danites Attack

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, because God has said, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you Hebrews thirteen five. Lord God, you are the giver of every good and perfect gift, the one who holds the universe in your hands and yet sees the depths of every heart. Forgive us for the times we grasp for what isn't ours, for the idols we build out of fear, pride, or discontent. Like wandering sheep, we often stray from the paths You've marked, searching for meaning in places where your voice has not called us. We confess our need for you, for your guidance, your mercy, and your wisdom to walk in the way everlasting. Father, teach us to be content with what you've provided, to trust in your timing, and to rest in the truth of your promises. Stir in us a holy conviction to seek first your kingdom, not for our own comfort or gain. Thank you for being steadfast, unchanging, and full of grace. Lead us into the joy of knowing that you are enough now and forever. Amen, Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the chosen people with y l xteen remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Be sure to follow this podcast so you never miss an. 00:02:05 Speaker 2: Episode previously on the Chosen People. The Judges of Israel grew darker and more twisted with each passing generation. Heroes became villains, and villains left Israel bound in sin. Yet the God of Israel would not leave his people forever. 00:02:29 Speaker 3: An image, a great and shining image, overlaid with silver to honor the Lord. It will stand in a shrine, and people will come from far and wide to worship. You will be the guardian of this altar Micah. You will lead the people in their devotion. 00:02:48 Speaker 2: He had no love for the True God of Israel, no understanding of his ways. That day, the silver was carried to a smith, and by fire and hammer an idol was. The cawing of crows broke the silence as a lone figure emerged from the mist. His staff tapped the earth in a slow, steady rhythm. He was a Levite from Bethlehem, a man who had once been set apart for the service of God, but now wandered the land as a cell sword of the Spirit, offering his priestly skills to the highest bidder. His eyes fell upon Micah's shrine as he traveled, and he paused a. 00:03:29 Speaker 4: True Levite. The Lord has sent you to me. I am certain of it. Stay here, live among us. I will give you silver five shekels a year, along with food and fine clothes. You will oversee my shrine and serve as a priest in my household. 00:03:47 Speaker 5: If the people truly need a priest, then hies and homes I must accept. 00:03:56 Speaker 6: For the Lord. 00:03:58 Speaker 2: Their worship was a far cry from what Moses had commanded. It was a hollow, lewde and self serving practice. 00:04:13 Speaker 7: When we exchange the holy for convenient, who do we become? Shelloh, my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel, I'm l extein with international fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen people. The wilderness reveals what lies hidden in the heart in Judges eighteen. The story of the Danites and the Levite is no exception. A people without rest, a priest without conviction, a house of idols. What happens when those entrusted with leading others to God lose their way? What happens when an entire tribe rejects its inheritance in search of something better. But even in the midst of kaa Sam compromise today's story with the first truths about justice, about devotion, and about what happens when we forget who we are and. 00:05:08 Speaker 5: Whose we are. 00:05:14 Speaker 2: Five figures moved through the mist with a predator's silence. They were not traders or shepherds, but spies. They were men of war, sent from the tribe of Dan. Their people had wandered for generations, restless and landless, seeking a place to call their own. Now they prowled through the hill country, searching for weaknesses, opportunities pray. The levites saw them first. He stood at the shrine, tending to the candles, his breath visible in the morning chill. When the men emerged from the fog, his grip tightened on his staff. One of the spies stepped forward, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of a dagger. 00:05:58 Speaker 6: Hello, there, we heard. This place is where one enquires of the will of God. 00:06:04 Speaker 3: It is I am, the levite of this shrine. 00:06:09 Speaker 5: What is it you seek? 00:06:12 Speaker 6: We are of the tribe of Dan. We seek a place to dwell, land to call our own. Tell us, priest, will our journey be successful, whether Lord grant us favor. 00:06:23 Speaker 2: The Levite's heart sank. He could feel the threat behind their request. He swallowed hard, then raised his hands in a gesture of blessing. 00:06:33 Speaker 5: Go in peace. 00:06:35 Speaker 3: Your journey has. 00:06:36 Speaker 5: The Lord's approval. 00:06:38 Speaker 2: The spies bowed their heads in thanks. As the Levite watched them go, a not of unease tightened in his chest. He didn't know that his words had set events in motion that would bring ruin to MICA's house and judgment upon Layish. Under the cover of night, the spies of Dan came to the city of Layish. Layish was a Sidonian city, prosperous and isolated, its people secure in their wealth and peace. They had no enemies, no defenses, no fear. It was the perfect place for the wayward tribe of Dan to stake its flag. The spies crouched in the shadows, their eyes scanning the city. They saw the fertile fields, the flowing streams, the unguarded homes. 00:07:31 Speaker 5: It's perfect. They have no walls, no warriors. The sland is right for the taking. 00:07:36 Speaker 2: The army of Dan moved like a shadow across the land. Six hundred men armed with spears and shields toward the Sidonian city of Layish. Before the Danites reached their target, they passed through the hill country of Ephraim, where Micah's house and shrine lay nestled by the roadside. The spies paused, exchanging knowing glances. 00:08:00 Speaker 5: Those gates lies, a silver idle, an ephart, a household god. Why should we go to battle without the favor of heaven? 00:08:10 Speaker 2: The men murmured their agreement, and the spies led the way toward Micah's home. The Levite awoke to the sound of their approach. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window, his heart sinking at the sight of so many armed men. Quickly he dressed and hurried to the room where the idle and sacred objects were kept. But it was already too late. The Spies had entered the house. The largest among them stood guard, his hand on the hilt of his sword, while the others seized the silver idol and bundled the ephod and household gods into sachs. The Levite burst into the room. 00:08:48 Speaker 5: What are you doing? 00:08:49 Speaker 3: If these are consecrated to the whitehat? 00:08:52 Speaker 5: The old how simply tates it? 00:08:55 Speaker 2: One of the spies turned to him, his face calm but his blade unsheathed. He stepped forward, the point of his sword glinting in the firelight, and pressed it lightly to the Levite's throat. 00:09:07 Speaker 5: Be silent, priest, unless you wish to join your gods in captivity, you will bring ruin upon yourselves. Is that soon? 00:09:16 Speaker 3: Of course, you have no priest to oversee the rights. 00:09:21 Speaker 7: You have no idea how to consult the Lord. 00:09:25 Speaker 5: Why waste your loyalty on a single man. We've heard whispers that Micah is nothing but a madman. Wouldn't you rather serve an entire tribe of Israel? Come with us. We could pay you more than Micah, ever could. 00:09:39 Speaker 2: The Levite hesitated, his eyes darting between the idol, the spies and the growing crowd of dan Eited soldiers. His fear melted into something colder, sharper ambition. Slowly, a smile crept across his face. He nodded slowly, and a wicked grin spread across the Danite's face. Come on, Together, they carried the silver idol out of the house. The Danite soldiers erupted into cheers when they saw the idol. Their voices loud enough to wake the dead. Micah woke to the sound of their shouts. He saw the idol and the levite being led away. A cry of anguish escaped his lips. 00:10:23 Speaker 4: WHOA, what are you doing? 00:10:25 Speaker 2: The men were already too far for him to stop alone, so he grabbed his horn and blew a loud blast, summoning his neighbors. 00:10:33 Speaker 4: They've stolen the shrine. They've taken or God after them. 00:10:39 Speaker 2: A hundred men gathered quickly, swords at their sides and horses saddled. Though they had little love for Micah, they had grown fond of the shrine and the superstition had fed Together, they rode after the Danites, torches blazing in the darkness. The Danites steadily away from Micah's village, but soon they heard the thunder of hoofs behind them and the wail of a horn. 00:11:07 Speaker 5: We as company, Brace yourselves, men. 00:11:11 Speaker 2: The Danites halted, their six hundred swords glinting in the torchlight as they turned to face the pursuers. Micah and his neighbors arrived moments later. Micah dismounted, his face contorted with rage and desperation. 00:11:27 Speaker 5: You have something that belongs to me. Returned my gods, return my priest. Go home before you get hurt. Old man, No, you took the gods I made and the priest I or deigned. 00:11:44 Speaker 4: What else do I have? 00:11:46 Speaker 5: You're a fool? Do you see the men who stand with me? 00:11:50 Speaker 6: If you continue this madness, will kill you, your family and everyone who follows you. 00:11:55 Speaker 5: Do you understand? 00:11:56 Speaker 2: Micah looked around his neighbors, shifting unease in their saddles. Their courage faltered under the cold glare of the Danite blades. Slowly, Micah lowered his sword, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at the silver idol. Now a prize. 00:12:16 Speaker 5: Of war, That's what I thought out. 00:12:20 Speaker 2: The army marched on the levite, passed Micah without a glance, his face cold and impassive. Micah sank to his knees in the dirt. The neighbors who had ridden with him turned their horses and rode home. He sat there for hours, staring after the Danites until the horizons swallowed their torches. The Danites came upon Layish under cover of darkness. Six hundred men surrounded it at a signal from their leader, the Danites attacked. They poured into the city like a flood, their swords cutting down the Sidonians, who stumbled out of their homes in confusion. The Danides said the city, ablaze by dawn Layish, was no more. Its people were slaughtered, its wealth seized, its fertile lands claimed by the tribe of dan. The Danites rebuilt the city, naming it after their ancestor. In the center of their new home, they erected Micah's silver idol, placing it on a pedestal for all to see. The levied stood before the idol, his expression unreadable as he offered sacrifices. He had found his place among the Danites, but the cost of his service echoed in the hollow chambers of his heart. Micah meanwhile, returned to his empty shrine, his head bowed in shame. The road stretched before him, barren and silent, a reflection of the soul of Israel. For they did what was right in their their own eyes, and the heart of God was far from them. 00:14:08 Speaker 7: Judges is about to venture into some peculiar territory. These stories are going to become less about heroes and villains and more about the slow descent into the madness that comes after decades of compromise. The stories the beginning of the end a Canarian the coal mine for the people of Israel. Let's start with the question what happens to people when they forget their story. The Danites were supposed to be warriors. Their land was marked out, a promise, sealed and covenant. But instead of driving out the inhabitants, they wandered, searching for an easier inheritance. They weren't just looking for land, they were looking for identity and the Levite he was the son of a Levy, called to serve in holiness, to be a bridge between our people and God. Instead, he let himself be bought first by Micah and then by wandering tribe. The irony is crushing. The Levite knew the Torah. He would have known the words found in Deuterotomy, where it says that the Levites have God himself as their inheritance, and yet he exchanged that for a few coins and the approval of men. That is maybe the part of this chapter that bothers me. The most spiritual leadership is calling. It's a calling, It's not merely a job. Do you see it. The story isn't about ancient Israel. It's about every moment, when we trade the eternal for the immediate, when we, like Esau, sell our birthright for a bull of soup. Micah thought the Idols would bring him security. The Danites thought a new city would bring them peace. 00:15:57 Speaker 5: But it's all a. 00:15:58 Speaker 7: Delusion, because without God at the center, everything becomes chaos. There's one more shocking detail that I'd like to share about this story. The Jewish ages identify this priest, whose name was Yontan, as a grandson of Moses himself. First of all, this goes to show just how low the Israelites had fallen spiritually during this relatively short period. But it also shows how temptation for money and status can blind someone to the evil of his deeds, even a holy man, even a grandson of Moses. It shows that each of us must work to resist the temptations that k havoc in our relationships with one another and with God. The story of the Danites and the Levite forces us to see ourselves not as we wish to be, but as we are, imperfect human lost in need of God, a wandering tribe dissatisfied with their inheritance, a priest for sale to the highest bidder house of idols, promising protection but delivering ruine. 00:17:14 Speaker 3: What do we do? 00:17:15 Speaker 7: And the Word of God holds up a mirror and it's not just stories from the past, but we actually see our own messy faces staring back. Here's the truth, my friends. The Levite sin wasn't just a betrayal of his calling. It was deeper, It was subtle. He traded the eternal for the immediate. The Levites traded the sacred for the convenient. And the Danites their failure wasn't just the theft of idols or their violence against an unsuspecting people. It was their rejection of their inheritance, the very land that God himself had given them as a promise. It says it very clearly in Deuterotomy when it warns us, when you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. Be careful that you don't forget the Lord your God. Visavata uverrajta etashem e lookecha is the way you say that verse in Hebrew. And the people in this story they forgot, They forgot to eat, be full and then thank God. And in forgetting, they turned to idols. But idols, whether they're carved from silver or crafted in the human heart, they are always alie. They promise security, but they bring chaos. They promise freedom, but they demand worship. The Levite knew this, yet he chose to serve false gods for comfort and for a steady paycheck. The Danites knew better too. They were warriors of Israel, called to trust God and drive out the canons from their inheritance. But instead of stepping into faith, they stepped away from it. They wanted a shortcut, an easier victory. And don't we do the same. Don't we grasp at what we can see because it feels more certain than believing in the unseen promises of God. Don't we too, cling to idols to our jobs, our relationships, our reputations because trusting him feels a little bit too risky. But here's the tragedy. Idols will never deliver. They can't Mike Gauz. Silver gods couldn't protect him, and the dam Nites stolen sitting, couldn't secure their future, and the Levites compromise left them empty. Only God can satisfy the restless ache of the human soul. But here's the good news. God doesn't abandon us, and he doesn't abandon the Chosen People. The Levite failed yes, the Danites failed to yes, and yet God's grace is bigger than their mistakes. Maybe you've traded your calling for comfort. Maybe you've let fear or ambition lead you away from God's promises. But I want you to know, and to believe, and to feel and to trust. It's not too late. You can always return to God. His arms are wide open. So come back. Trust in God's promises and find the rest that you've been searching for, not in what you can achieve, but in the one who holds you in his hands. 00:20:45 Speaker 2: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Pray dot Com app today. This prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabager, and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yiele Eckstein, Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotten, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.