“The Price of Infidelity”

Judges 18: 20, 21a: “And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the household idols and the graven image, and went among the people, then they turned and departed.” Micah had deserted the God of his fathers, made a graven image, and hired himself a rogue priest to help him and his family worship it. With such infidelity sown in the situation, who could be surprised that the hireling priest would snatch the first available opportunity for advancement, and leave Micah with an empty altar? Selfishness begats selfishness, and those who think only of themselves end up with only themselves for company.