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Battle of the Godless – Ch. 11 | KT OLLA

MICAH looked dazed. He couldn’t believe his ears, and so the speaker repeated his words again.

‘I am a Levite sir. I’ve come here to find a place where I can serve as priest and lead people in worship to God.’

It was dinner time in Micah’s house. So the family invited their newly arrived guest to dine with them.

But then as soon as dinner was set, that dining table became a roundtable of talk. And both the host and the guest talked a lot.

Now Dinuel spoke up. He’d been quiet since the family settled to eat. But then he couldn’t hold his curiosity anymore.

‘Are you a priest? Can you serve as priest like every other Levite?’

‘Yes I am and I can,’ replied Jonathan. ‘I wish to find a people who needs my service. I wish to find a place where I can serve my God.’

Dinuel wanted to know more. He was Micah’s ordained priest. But now he wanted to hear from those men that the God of Israel Himself appointed to serve as His.

The young son was about to pop another question when his father interposed him.

Micah turned to the guest and spoke. ‘Young man, you’ve found the people you wish to find, I tell you!

‘If you go farther from here, all you’ll see are uninhabited hills and plains. Why don’t you stay with me and serve as my priest?’

Dinuel was shocked. His numerous queries skipped his thought just then. So this one thing that his father asked became his new question now.

He stared at Jonathan with intent eyes. He was desperate for a positive answer.

Jonathan wasn’t expecting that question either. And it wasn’t even what he’d have fancied.

The young man had imagined a royal reception in these greener pastures he was seeking.

He’d imagined being begged by city elders and their nobles to stay with them and serve as their priest.

But definitely not this. Not this kind of poor offer, he reasoned.

I’m definitely turning this down!

It’s somewhat ridiculous to think that I – a whole Levite, grandson of Moses the leader of Israel, will be reduced to lead a small family instead of this whole tribe of Ephraim!

Why will I take this offer, this senseless offer? Why, when I’m not daft?

Now as Jonathan made to speak and turn the offer down, Micah read his eyes and he couldn’t bear to take a no for an answer.

Yes, the Ephramite host told himself that his offer was pretty small. That it was small for a Levite priest descending from Moses.

He told himself that nobody in Israel of that time would take that sort of offer.

And so, he placed a price on it.

A price Jonathan wouldn’t be able to refuse.

He spoke. ‘Who am I to house a proper Levite? Who am to keep a priest of the living God with me? I am only a lowly man whose only desire is to find the God of Israel.

‘Sir, I won’t take you for myself in vain. I shall take care of your daily food and your daily needs.

‘And on top of this I shall pay you 10 pieces of silver every year. Please stay with me and be my household priest!’

Right there, Jonathan swallowed the words he’d planned to say. Then he mused over Micah’s deal again. 

Suddenly he was struck with wonder at that uncommon offer.

Who pays this big sum to a household priest?

There are countless Levites like me in Israel, but who pays this much just to get us serve our calling?

Is this really happening to me?!

The man raised his gaze to Micah’s pleading eyes. And even in those begging eyes he could see a great deal of sincerity and desperateness in them.

And so Jonathan made a stand.

This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. A different kind of priesthood. One where I’m paid really big for my service.

And if this man can fill my pocket, then I should fulfil his wishes too.

I will be his priest.

Thus, the Levite priest agreed to Micah’s offer. And the following day Micah had his son hand over his position to their guest.

 So, Jonathan took over the idol from Dinuel and wore the ephod that the young man used to wear.

From then on, the Levite became a priest for Micah’s idol, consulting the graven image every day for the desperately seeking family.

So Micah said to himself: Now I know that the Lord will draw near me. Since I have a Levite for a priest.

But then the man didn’t know. That his idol and her priests weren’t a bridge to God like he thought.

But instead, they were the walls parting them.

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