Good day, let us examine Judges chapter 17. I find this chapter quite baffling. What exactly is happening here? What is the reason for these individuals behaving and speaking in such a discordant manner? It strikes me that ignorance, stemming from a lack of learning, can be truly detrimental. What ignorance, you ask? Ignorance of blessings and the spiritual realm can be terrifying. Therefore, the theme of this chapter is Ignorance of Curses and Blessings.

Why do people worship idols? It is to avoid effort, hoping to pass exams with good grades or to prosper in business with minimal exertion. Some find studying Chinese Mingding Destiny, doing homework, and taking notes too troublesome. They claim to lack the time, being preoccupied with daily labour.

However, it is crucial to understand that Chinese Mingding Destiny is a theology of learning. How can you manage in ignorance? A hasty decision for blessings, another for curses, and yet another leading to undesirable outcomes. One's life then unfolds as a tragedy.

Many issues arise from a single cause: people's aversion to learning. I visited an elderly lady today, over ninety years old. Her husband passed away last year, and she is currently hospitalised, experiencing considerable discomfort. Despite lacking formal education, this woman has been successful in business and amassed a considerable fortune. Even in her old age, she remains illiterate but trades stocks—an oddity, wouldn't you say? Preaching the gospel to such individuals poses a challenge. Why? Because her standards for evaluating matters are all based on her assumptions.

Nearly ninety, she arrived in Singapore and, while residing with her granddaughter, scouted locations to open a business. She is undeniably a born entrepreneur, now bedridden and suffering. The situation is quite interesting.

I. People Naturally Prefer Blessings Over Curses

Businessmen know they are blessed when their businesses thrive. When business falters, they attribute it to bad luck. Similarly, labourers consider themselves blessed when their work progresses smoothly and cursed when it faces setbacks. People generally understand this dynamic.

A pastor once asked me why Abel was cursed. I was taken aback. He explained that Abel's murder by Cain constituted a curse. After hearing this, I wondered how to preach effectively. Would this pastor become like Micah, producing a Micah app? Do you presume to be Micah? It seems that this is how people tend to think.

In my youth, I was quite intrigued by fortune-telling. A good friend of my father's, a fortune teller and our neighbour, was remarkably accurate, earning my utmost respect from a young age. At the time, I estimated their ages to be in their thirties, maybe approaching forty. Laborers desire promotions, while businessmen seek wealth. The fortune teller would predict promotions for the coming month, even before the individual knew of the possibility.

People are drawn to this, which explains why Chinese New Year greetings include wishes for promotions, wealth, and prosperity. They perceive these things as good. Is this truly the case? What do blessings truly look like? What do curses truly look like? When asked, they are at a loss. They are ignorant of the nature of blessings and curses but still desire them.

When I was young, my family was poor but superstitious. During Chinese New Year's Eve, we were very serious. Even before the eve arrived, my mother would caution us to be careful with our words. Another tradition was to relieve ourselves before nightfall to avoid 拉饥荒 (lā jī huāng, a term signifying poverty). Superstitions are uncontrollable forces, but people still believed in them.

If asked why going to the toilet on the eve of the new year might lead to debt, she couldn't explain it. Eating and excretion were intertwined with making money, which was quite amusing.

Such days were still quite lively, with some interest. It made me feel that I had to be very careful on New Year's Eve, which was hard work. If a plate fell and broke, which was inevitable, we would quickly proclaim 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān, peace year after year).

II. Ignorance of Blessings and Curses as the Root of Idolatry

Now there was a man from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse and even spoke it in my hearing—see, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” (Judges 17:1-2)

These things are unrelated, just like our 岁岁平安. On the eve of the new year, one must not speak carelessly. Micah's mother immediately said, Wow, I cursed my son, and he took this money. Blessed be my son by the Lord. She somehow knew the name of the Lord.

Micah returned the eleven hundred shekels to his mother, which was remarkable. His mother was upset, thinking about how to give two hundred of the eleven hundred shekels as an offering. Why two hundred? One hundred and ten is one-tenth. Two hundred exceeds one-tenth, roughly eighteen percent of eleven hundred shekels.

We must remember that tithing is mandatory for Christians, and there are other offerings besides, totaling about fifteen to seventeen percent. Micah's mother was quite sensitive to these numbers and wanted to offer it to the Lord but didn't know how. She asked her neighbours if they knew, but they didn't.

A silversmith suggested an idea to Micah's mother. Some say Micah's mother should have offered eighteen percent. People from Guangdong like the sound 发 (fā, meaning to get rich), which used to trouble us Northeasterners until we learned from the Cantonese that it meant getting rich.

Micah's mother calculated eighteen point one eight percent and likely had Cantonese ancestry. She calculated well and gave it to the silversmith to make an idol, saying, This is the Lord. It seems Micah's mother was quite something. She already had an idol in her home and really wanted the idol to bring curses to her home. Few people do this. Few people invite idols into their homes, consecrate them, and set them up, hoping to have a bad life. She felt it was great.

Micah's mother had someone make an image of the Lord, and where should it be placed? In Micah's bedroom. She would definitely have to hire a carpenter to build something and burn some frankincense and myrrh. If she didn't understand, she would go to the silversmith, who would give her ideas on what to do. I thought this was quite interesting.

Micah was even more remarkable and made one of his sons a priest. I think Micah not only had this idol in his own home but also encouraged his neighbours to worship it, saying, The Lord is in my home, in my bedroom, and I walk with God every day. Asked where it came from, she replied, Eighteen point one eight percent.

There's also a story about Micah. When my mother used to curse me, I wanted to dedicate myself to God. But the eleven hundred shekels were taken by me; it was all about money. It was similar to what my family went through at that time. Ask him what blessings are? He doesn't know. What are curses? He doesn't know. But if you ask him if he wants curses, he will say no. Ask him if he wants blessings, and he will say yes.

I find that if people don't learn, they love to mess around blindly, which is deadly. For example, if you build a bridge blindly, the bridge will collapse; if you build a building blindly, the building will collapse; if you prescribe medicine blindly, people will die. Even if it doesn't kill them, it won't cure them. If you don't understand something clearly, it will definitely be deadly.

I think it's quite dangerous for those among us who don't like to learn. When you ask them to learn, everything hurts except their hair. Why not learn? If you don't study, you won't know anything. How can you receive blessings? I think the best comfort is to also set aside two hundred of the eleven hundred shekels. Eighteen point one eight percent, take it and make an idol to put in your house, and the Lord will bless you. Play with it, play with it to the death. Is that okay?
Actually, learning is not difficult. Look at the old lady now lying in the hospital. She can learn to trade stocks. Why can't she learn to read? It's just troublesome. The purpose of letting you learn these things is so that you don't mess around blindly in the future.

What will happen after Micah finishes preparing everything? There will be many coincidences. He does business and makes a fortune. He becomes even more convinced that the Lord has blessed him. Is that really the case? He does business so well and attracts all the neighbours. Micah says, We have an idol in our house, and we also have an ephod. Do you know what an ephod is? We also have the Urim and Thummim. We are very powerful, and we have many testimonials. I tell you, their stuff is very effective and spreads very far. It is very effective, with many testimonies.

III. Many Coincidences Become Testimonies

Let me tell you, if there is a spirit attached to an idol, it is a real spirit. Take my neighbor, for example, I even wanted to learn fortune-telling from him. My mathematics is good, but can good mathematics help in fortune-telling? Good mathematics cannot determine fate. Alas, I lament that in this generation, what can you achieve? Without spiritual manipulation, it is somewhat difficult to become a star.

Micah had many coincidences that served as testimonies. Let me tell you, many people in temples are healed of their illnesses, and many become stars. Do you know about the Four-Faced Buddha, White Dragon King, and shamans in Thailand? Their testimonies are more numerous than ours, and they are very powerful. That is not ordinary, it is truly powerful. My neighbor also has many testimonies. I can tell you a heap of stories that work, why? Because they all worship something at home, there are spirits.

Why didn't he teach me? Later, he revealed the truth to me: This thing cannot be taught. I said: Why can't it be taught? He said: It's not me, it's the spirit on me. If you want to inherit its patronage, you have to be chosen to do that, you can't do it if you're not chosen.

As a result, the testimony of this Micah spread throughout that land, and everyone in their village knew about it. Even now, many of our brothers and sisters are still prophets from their village. I tell you, it's quite accurate, why? He must have something in the spiritual realm, some spirit that he got from somewhere, and it works, it's quite powerful.

One day, someone knocked on Micah's door. When he asked, oh my goodness, it was incredible, this person was the grandson of Moses. Hearing the Levite accent, the man said: I am the grandson of Moses. Micah said: Where do you come from? The man said: I come from Bethlehem in Judah. Micah said: Are you a Levite? The man said: Of course, I am a Levite. Micah said: Do you know how to worship God? How could a Levite not know? The man thought: I am the professional, I am the grandson of Moses, how could I not know? My father and others are still there, don't you know my grandfather Moses?

As a result, Micah was overjoyed because he had prayed before this idol the night before and had a dream. The next day, it really happened. Do you think it's accurate? It's very accurate. As a result, Micah was very certain that Jehovah would bless him.

Then what? I tell you, can you do any business? You can do any business, because Micah was probably a businessman. He took two hundred shekels from his eleven hundred shekels to make an idol, but he paid the priest only ten shekels a year, less than one shekel a month. He calculated very well. Micah said: You live in my house, eat in my house, and save ten shekels a year, which is not bad. He was very calculating because he was a businessman.

He hired a pastor, who led with a cross and set up something. From then on, he asked outsiders to pray. Then someone came looking for a pastor's job. Micah asked: Where is the pastor from? The pastor said: I am from a certain large church. Micah said: Why did you come out? The pastor said: I was fired. Micah said: Oh, fired, great, come and be a pastor here.

Oh my goodness! Moses' grandson was in their house. Just imagine, he was famous in that village. Micah said: I prayed to Jehovah, and Moses' grandson came. Oh my goodness, the whole village was buzzing. Do you think there are many testimonies? Yes, there are many. But what can testimonies prove? They prove nothing.

I must tell you, if you are an ignorant person, unwilling to study the word of God, and you just want to do business like this, then aren't you a Micah? You are a Micah. Therefore, there are many Micahs, big and small. When I say: Can I arrange some courses for you?

Some people say: No, no, no. Teacher, when I study, everything hurts except my hair. It's easier for me to pray more than the devil for one minute. Oh, babala, babala, babala, three hours, five hours are easy. If you ask me to read for three hours, five hours, do homework, read the Bible, and take your theological courses and pastoral courses, oh my goodness, forget it.

I was wondering, why is studying so difficult? I tell you, if they serve like that, aren't they poking a tiger's butt? Our church must know that Chinese Mingding Destiny is a theology of learning, not Micah's theology. Can Micah's stuff work? Thinking that God will surely bless him, although there are many testimonies, what can they prove? They prove nothing.

IV. Micah Thought God Would Surely Bless Him

Why? Micah said: I have idols, I have shrines, I have an ephod, I made them. Our family is just missing the Ark of the Covenant. Moses' grandson has come to our house, what more do you want me to do? If that's not Jehovah blessing me, what is it? It must be Jehovah blessing me. Then he made many testimonies, how much money I made doing this business, how much money I made doing that business, I took eighteen percent from my eleven hundred shekels. Oh my goodness, I have now earned several times, several times the eleven hundred shekels. Is that the standard for measuring God's blessing?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be careful. Can this thing last? One day, God will sit on His throne, and He will surely know this matter, and He will surely bring disaster to those who worship idols. Isn't it inevitable to bring disaster to those who worship idols? It's just that you are slowly sowing curses. You sow for a long time, it grows, and then you eat it. Originally it was a rat dropping, it grows as big as cow dung and then you eat it, wouldn't that kill you?

Is doing business the standard for measuring God's blessing? Is buying a big house the standard for measuring God's blessing? Is getting promoted and becoming rich the standard for measuring God's blessing? No. What is the standard for measuring God's blessing? Surely there are some things related to money. But the key is that you must carefully observe and follow the words of Jehovah your God. Man lives not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. If a man wants to build a temple for God, he must build it according to God's will.

If a man wants to build for God, even Moses' grandson, he must know that his grandfather Moses built the tabernacle of Jehovah God, he must build it according to God's will. That design was given by God. What is this thing? This thing is called fornication.

Let's talk about the apocryphal stories. Why did Moses' grandson come here? Do you know? Moses' grandson is from a good family, so why did he come here from Bethlehem? I tell you, what kind of people leave home? To go out and earn a living. As a Levite, he doesn't need to go out and earn a living. I tell you, he had very bad interpersonal relationships in Bethlehem. Why? The reason is simple, I guess he was very picky, had many faults, and had a serious discernment of good and evil.

Moses' grandson had not a single resemblance to Moses. Feeling wronged and uncomfortable, he took a walk. He prayed on the way, God, protect me, protect me, let me find a bowl of rice to eat. As a result, Micah gave him ten shekels of silver a year, which was pretty good. Micah thought: In Bethlehem of Judah, you don't get ten shekels a year. I find it very strange.

It is a very sad thing for a person to not know the word of God in this life. Don't think these things, idols, priests, and Moses' grandson, happened after Jephthah and Samson. When the Bible was written, it was impossible to write everything together at once. It actually happened not long after. It happened not long after the Israelites entered Canaan. Why? Moses' grandson was still a young man, how old could he be? It wasn't a long time later. Later, a sentence confirmed this. The Ark of God was in Shiloh for as long as Micah's idol was in Dan. After entering the Promised Land, they started making idols.

I think it is really sad that people are ignorant. Some time ago, I saw an interesting piece of news. In a village, a farmer ascended the throne and became emperor, and started to enshrine ministers and other officials. Some people even went there and took concubines, and the man even crowned an empress. In the end, they didn't even need to send troops, just a police station was enough. The police station went and wiped out their base. I think the things in this world are just bizarre.

Is it easy to worship the true God? Someone said: How do you know you are worshiping the true God? That's a good question. Why do we need to study? I don't want you to blindly believe in me. There's no use in blindly believing in me. It's best to believe in God, believe in Jehovah God, believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, strive to pursue Him on the path of knowing Him. Don't be half-baked. On the path of knowing Him, constantly strive to pursue Him. Amen!

May God bless everyone!