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The Idolatry of Dan

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The Idolatry of Dan

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The Idolatry of Dan

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What are the implications of making God into our own image? People have done so for thousands of years, and there are many recorded Biblical accounts of the Israelite nation following the practices of their pagan neighbors and worshipping idols. In fact, idol worship was such a recurring problem, it appeared to be ingrained in the Israelite nation’s character. In particular, the tribe of Dan was drawn into idolatry early on, and it changed the course of the nation. Let’s look at this obscure story in the book of Judges and see what implications this story holds for us today.

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  • mary irwin
    I have a 2 question for you? In Rev 7 there are two tribes that are not list. Dan and Ephraim. I know why Dan was out but why Ephhraim? 2. In Judges from Chaper 11? Did The Daughter by a Burnt Offering?
  • Andy Diemer
    Hi Mary, the Bible is silent on the reasons for the omissions of Ephraim and Dan from the list in Revelation 7. We can infer that the reason for Dan's omission is due to the tribe's idolatrous practices which began early after Joshua's conquest. It is possible that the writer omitted Ephraim's name and represented him on the list by the name of his father, Joseph. Regarding the passage in Judges 11 about Jephthah's daughter, God would not have condoned or accepted a human sacrifice. The Scripture shows that her sacrifice was her virginity. She gave this up for service to God. As it says, for "two months...she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. (Judges 11:38). When she returned to her father, Jephthah, he carried out his vow. But, he did not burn his daughter as a sacrifice. That would have been in violation of God's law. As the Scripture reads, "And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man. " (Judges 11:39). She remained a virgin. This was her sacrifice and also Jephthah's because he had no other offspring to carry on his name.
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