DINUEL was relieved of his duty as priest of his father’s idol. So, as he handed over the burden to their guest, he became free again to pick up his regular life.
Particularly his habit of feeding the poor and providing shelter to strangers.
Yes, the young man was relieved of the weight of that ephod. But when he sat idle at the gate of his father’s estate, it was with a new burden weighing down his heart.
Yet this burden didn’t demand more than he could give. Like the former did with the young gentleman.
This burden. It was his heart seeking to know.
Dinuel sat outside the gate in the free days following his handing-over. There, he contemplated his encounter with the priest of God who took over the idol from him.
And that thought itself was the burden in his heart.
Indeed, when Jonathan agreed to serve as a priest to Micah’s household, the young son had high hopes.
He didn’t merely anticipate his priestly office taken away. But also, he looked forward to knowing the God of the Levite priest.
The God that Moses and Aaron knew—Dinuel wanted Him, too.
Truly, the young Ephramite had heard many things about the God of Israel. He’d heard about His righteous ways and about His mighty power.
And somehow, he knew the idol that his family kept wasn’t Him at all. He knew it wasn’t anything close to the God he hoped to find.
Thus, when Dinuel was asked to hand over the idol to the priest of this holy God, he expected Jonathan to denounce the image and its shrine completely.
He expected the priest to show them the true path to reaching God. But no, Jonathan didn’t bat an eye when Dinuel handed over his father’s idol. Along with a substantial advance from the silver mints promised him.
Now, young Dinuel was astonished that the priest wasn’t surprised their family was worshipping idols. A family of God’s chosen people as they were.
Yet this young son trusted everyone that called himself God’s priest. And so he was quick to excuse the Levite.
He heaved a burdened sigh right there where he sat. Then he muttered to himself:
‘It is probably because he’s still new in the house. He must be trying his best not to step on Father’s toes.’
Then, along with that excuse, the seeking boy resolved to wait it out.
He decided to pause and see where things would lead.
◙ ◙ ◙
That same moment that a seeker was burdened with thoughts about their priestly guest, Jonathan nestled within Micah’s shrine offloading loads of worry.
But this Levite man was no stranger to the God of Israel, to begin with. For truly, he knew how he should have lived as God’s chosen priest – like the fathers lived.
Yes, the young man had learnt from the lives of Moses and Aaron – his grandfather and granduncle – that God shows no partiality or prejudice.
And that He will judge everyone based on their personal standing.
But here was Jonathan within Micah’s shrine, as the God of his fathers mattered no longer to him.
For what the young man saw was the 10 pieces of silver. Like it could buy him all that God’s own do own.
Now, the Levite sat up where he lay on the floor within the shrine. He was jolted up by the thought of that sum.
Immediately, he dipped his hand inside the leather pouch hanging down from his neck. He turned the bag out from the inside; and there on the hard floor poured six hefty mints.
Jonathan was thrilled as the coins poured out to the ground, chinking harmoniously. They weren’t copper coins or just a few silvers.
They were six shekels paid upfront from his pay for the year.
The young priest hadn’t ever earned that kind of money at once.
Yes, he’d always received supplies to his fill when he led the Bethlehem congregation. But this pay in hefty silver coins. It made him want to be anything his payer wanted.
Jonathan sighed at the thought of this. And then he muttered to himself:
‘If this is what I’ve got to do to earn a keep here, then let it be. What big deal does an idol mean when it’s a big amount we’re talking here?’
But Jonathan would never find out. That Micah paid him that whopping sum with just one hope.
And it is that the priest might lead them to God.
Even though Micah felt that God could be found in idols.
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