The people of Laish were isolated from others. Possibly they assumed they had found the ideal place to settle. They were a distance away from others and they felt quite secure. We read that they dwelt careless. They seemed oblivious to the dangers that were around them. It also says there was no magistrate to put them to shame in any thing. They had no moral compass. They had obviously seared their consciences and were ignoring the work of God in their hearts.
The Danites were looking to expand and they came upon these people and noted the easy pickings there. The Danites reported back to the rest of their tribe and went and took Laish for themselves.
The Danites were no better than the people of Laish. They were idolaters. They were content to steal a false priest from another household and pay him to be their priest. Everything seemed good to them. They came to Laish and they were able to take over the place and they could settle in there. What more could they ask for?
We see a very familiar mentality here. Circumstantial evidence rules the day. The Danites had asked the false priest to pray to God for guidance. The false priest consulted his false god and gave them guidance. They came to Laish and were successful in taking the city and so obviously it must have been with the blessing of God, right? They were able to rename the place and to move in and rebuild and things went well. It must have been the blessing of the Lord, right? They set up their idols and everything was in place.
What is man? Why is God mindful of man? The Psalmist did not end this Psalm with this verse. God directed David to write about His goodness in creating man and that the end result of this should cause man to praise the LORD.
That is why God made man. That is why He is mindful of man. That is why He visits man. That is why He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to die on the cross of Calvary and shed His blood there for us. Jesus Christ did not stay on that cross. He was taken off that cross and buried and He rose again the third day proving victory over sin and death.
As our world lives in this vacuum of self-love and self-worth, it is necessary for those of us who are saved to remind ourselves and them of the purpose of man. We have value, but that value is only found in knowing the true God. Parades may make those involved feel good about themselves for a short time. Often that day ends in a drunken or drug influenced party in someone’s backyard. Then those brainwashed young adults will likely go to a college or university where they will be further trained not to listen to their conscience but to accept the corrupt philosophies of their instructors.
Amazingly, in the midst of all that, God is still able to override all the negatives and a few of those young adults will be brought to see their need of a Saviour. A few will become preachers and godly doctors and nurses or farmers or janitors. A few, but not many. Why does God take an interest in man? For His glory! Every time a sinner is saved, it is an amazing work of God. The Bible tells us there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. The fact that He can take someone who is trained to live carelessly and He can cause that person to see his need to repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, is certainly an amazing work.
Those who are saved have a small part in helping others to see their need of salvation. We are saved to exalt the true God. There really is nothing to cheer about the graduation certificates handed out in the secular world. There is a need to pray and humbly submit to God’s will and be willing to help those young people and often their parents as well to see the need to know the true God and serve Him.
Passtor Bartel