Episode 68: Desperate to Fill the God-Shaped Hole

<p class="p1">In Podcast Episode 68, “Desperate to Fill the God-Shaped Hole,” Kim discusses the desperation of Micah and his generation to fill their God-shaped hole with anything or anyone.</p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1">The primary scripture text for this episode is Judges 17:1-13 with the focal scripture of 3-6, 12-13:</p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1"> 3 He returned the money to her, and she said, “I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast.”</p> <p class="p1">4 So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah’s house. 5 Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.</p> <p class="p1">6 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.</p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1">12 So Micah installed the Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. 13 “I know the Lord will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.”</p> <p class="p2"></p> <p class="p1">Supplemental Texts:</p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1">3 “You must not have any other god but me.</p> <p class="p1">4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. (Exodus 20:3-4)</p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1">21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as