Judges 18:7

Judges 18:7 says, Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.  The spies found the people of Laish to be ill governed and ill prepared to defend themselves.  There was no one to put them to shame for the way they lived.  They lived as though they were as secure as the Zidonians, who Matthew Henry says were surrounded by water.  We cannot afford to live life as though we have all the security in the world because of the power of the government, and we cannot laze around simply doing what pleases us as Christians.  We must put our faith in God and live in obedience to His will.  Of course, these people of Laish were not a part of God's chosen people, and a majority of the people of the world today are not Christians, and we cannot afford to emulate them.  Verse eight adds, And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?  When the spies returned, the people of Zorah and Eshtaol asked them for their report.  Still, other than consulting the paid Levite of Micah, we are not told of anyone consulting God, and this should be our first step in everything we do as followers of Christ.  Verse nine continues, And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.  The spies told them that the land was good and to be not slothful and go up and possess it.  Of course, if this was indeed a part of the Promised Land it would have been good and should have already been possessed.  Verse ten states, When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.  The spies then told them that they would encounter people who felt that they were secure and that it was a large land, but that God had given them the land.  Again, there was no evidence of God having promised this at this time, thoughthis had beenHis promise5hat they had yet to follow through on.  We should never promise victory over evil as long as we are in the world by claiming God has promised it if we have not consulted Him.  Of course, we know we have everlasting victory if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, but we are not promised a material or physical victory in every situation in the world.  Verse eleven adds, And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.  The people of Zorah and Eshtaol sent six hundred men of war to claim the land.  They felt confident in themselves.  Though God could have brought victory with even fewer people, they had to be seeking his guidance in order to assure this happening. We should never act out of self-confidence as followers of Christ, but should always rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Verse twelve continues, And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.  Verse thirteen concludes, And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.  The men got to the house of Micah on their way to claim the land. They were back where the paid Levite lived, and they had followed his prophesy that they would be successful.  We need to beware of anyone who is supposedly serving God, but is doing so only for material gain.