So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. – Judges 17:11

Today's Scripture Reading (April 16, 2025): Judges 17

I recently read an article about the things that we get wrong in the things that we say. Most of the article spent time on what were essentially English spelling mistakes. For instance, "Wet your appetite" should be "Whet your appetite." The word "whet" has a different meaning than "wet." Making your appetite damp and mushy doesn't make you want to eat more unless you like to dunk your Oreos in milk before you eat them. "Whet" means "to sharpen or stimulate." If you "wet" your appetite, it means you will somehow make your appetite soggy, but if you "whet" your appetite, it means you will sharpen or stimulate your appetite.  

One of my favorite mis-sayings was not included in the list. The saying I love to hate is, "You want to have your cake and eat it too." Have you ever used the phrase? The problem is that nothing is complicated about doing it how we say it. In fact, it is necessary. I have to have a McDonalds Quarter Pounder before I can eat it. Have you tried recently to eat something that you don't possess? Even if it is purchased through Skip the Dishes, I must possess something before eating it. To eat my cake, I have to have it. We do have our cake and eat it too all the time. The trick is not to have your cake and eat it too. The trick is to eat your cake and have it too. It is the dream of every kid at Halloween. Consider what it would be like to eat your Halloween Candy and still have it to eat the next day. What if you still had every piece of candy that you ate? The candy would never run out if you could eat it and still have it. With food prices on the rise, it is an attractive dream.

A Levite is looking for a job. The Levites were intended to care for the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple. But as the number of Levites grew, their time at the Tabernacle shortened. The Levites spent some time at the Tabernacle but often would spend extended periods away from the Tabernacle. Usually, they would take care of farms and food production on the land surrounding their homes. But this Levite leaves where he is and goes out searching for a place to stay. During his travels, he runs into Micah. Micah was probably not the best person for this Levite. The Levite had already started down the wrong path, and now he found himself in Micah's company, who was also heading in the wrong direction. 

Micah offers him a job as his priest. It was an opportunity. All he had to do was serve the God of Micah. Micah had gotten it wrong, but now he hoped that hiring a Levite to act as a priest would give his religion some legitimacy. But this Levite couldn't make anything right. Ultimately, he just broadened the group of those who had been deceived. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Judges 18