A number of things point to Dan’s apostasy. They say, Inquire of God,
using the generic God
(Elohim) instead of the personal, covenant name Lord
(Yahweh). This is the standard way to speak of an oracular inquiry. There is ambiguity in their words, since the word God
can also be rendered as gods.
This simply does not give us any confidence that they have any connection at this point with the Lord. Indeed, the total lack thereof seems clear enough, supported further by the very fact that rather than going to nearby Shiloh where the tabernacle and the high priest were located, they ask this priest to get an oracle from the deity. They are looking for a minister who, instead of telling them to go and conquer the land the Lord already gave you
(see Joshua 19:40–46), will tickle their ears with what they want to hear. Their apostasy is clear.1
5 And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.”