Micah wasn’t afraid of God. He was a Jew, and he knew the 10 Commandments were God’s law, but he ignored them anyway. The 10 Commandments were not going to keep him from taking what he wanted in life. When he stole 1100 shekels from his mother, he got away with it and she did not know who had stolen from her. In her anger she cursed the person who had stolen from her. The word that is translated curse is rarely used in Hebrew writings and indicates an invocation of some horrendous fate upon someone who has committed a crime. Micah did not fear God as long as God remained uninvolved. However he did fear God when his mother called upon God to punish the thief. Micah apparently believed God was too high and mighty and uninvolved to notice his sin, but he was afraid that his mother’s curse would put God under an obligation to become involved. Therefore, he returned the money.

His mother, asked “the Lord” to bless her son because he had returned her silver and also because she wanted to cancel the horrible fate that was coming his way because of her curse. The name she used for “the Lord” is sometimes translated “Yahweh,” and is the name of the God of Israel. Even though she believed in him, she also disobeyed his commandments by asking her son to use some of the silver to make an idol. Idolatry is the belief that we can use a physical object to manipulate a spiritual god.

Micah and most of Israel at the time of the judges had a really messed up understanding of the personality and nature of God. They believe they could live in total disregard of his laws and he would take no notice unless his attention was called to their sin. They were wrong; God does not have a light switch that we can turn on and off. Contrary to what Mike and his mother believed, God is never in the dark.