Compromise

Where has a small compromise quietly crept into your life? In Judges 18, one overlooked shortcut grew into something far more destructive.

“He said to them, ‘This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest’” (Judges 18:4).

Looking for a place to live, five members of the tribe of Dan traveled to the hill country of Ephraim, where they stayed with a man named Micah. They were intrigued to learn that Micah had “hired” his own priest, a Levite.

They seemed unconcerned that this violated God’s command. This priest said they had God’s approval to spy out the land, and they set their sights on a place called Laish.

Back home, they convinced the other Danites to join them. Returning to Ephraim, their first stop was the house of Micah, where they made an offer to Micah’s priest, and he agreed to work for them. They also stole a graven image Micah had made. Angered, Micah went after the Danites but turned back after realizing they were “too strong” (v. 26).

With their own priest, the men of Dan didn’t need to check with God’s Word or with anyone else. Confirmed in their mission, they killed everyone in Laish and “burned the city with fire” (v. 27). In its place, they built a city called Dan, where the Levite and his descendants continued to be their private priests and the people continued to worship “Micah’s carved image” (v. 31), polluting Israel with ungodliness.

This spirit of compromise may even have begun innocently, but it led to many kinds of evil and tragedy. Don’t allow compromise to pollute your life. Know God’s Word and obey it.

Reflection Question: When have you been tempted to compromise or cut corners obeying God?

Frequently Asked Questions

How did a “hired priest” violate God’s law?

God’s law reserved priestly duties for those He appointed through the Levitical line under His specific instructions—not simply whoever a family could afford to employ, which is what Micah had done.

What made this compromise so dangerous if it “began innocently”?

Small, unaddressed compromises tend to compound. Judges 18 shows the Danites building an entire idolatrous city and priesthood on a foundation no one had questioned early on.

What’s a practical way to guard against small compromises becoming big ones?

Regularly test your decisions against Scripture rather than convenience or what others are doing, and address small inconsistencies before they become established patterns.