Leaders and Prophets Rebuked
Then I said,
“Listen, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel.
Should you not know justice,
you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
and the flesh from their bones;
who eat my people’s flesh,
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;
who chop them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?”
Then they will cry out to the LORD,
but he will not answer them.
At that time he will hide his face from them
because of the evil they have done.
This is what the LORD says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,
if one feeds them,
they proclaim ‘peace’;
if he does not,
they prepare to wage war against him.
Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.
The sun will set for the prophets,
and the day will go dark for them.
The seers will be ashamed
and the diviners disgraced.
They will all cover their faces
because there is no answer from God.”
But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.
Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;
who build Zion with bloodshed,
and Jerusalem with wickedness.
Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they lean upon the LORD and say,
“Is not the LORD among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”
Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
My Understanding: In chapters 1-2 of the book of Micah, Micah declared the guilt of Israel and the subsequent judgments of God that were to follow. The people of God, in general, were idolatrous, practiced spiritual unfaithfulness, planned iniquity, plotted evil on their beds, defrauded the poor, stole from the less fortunate, betrayed their own people, and mocked and tried to discourage the true prophets of God from prophesying the truth of God’s words. The people of God were liars and deceivers. The kind of prophets they desired were those who prophesied plenty of “wine and beer,” i.e. those who prophesied fun and gaiety, loss of self-control (restraint), and a carefree attitude toward their faith in God.
Their leaders and prophets (false) were just as bad, and probably help explain why the people were as they were. Their leaders hated good and loved evil. They treated the people with cruelty. They despised justice and distorted all that is right. They built Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with wickedness. They judged for a bribe, and the priests taught for a price. They had a corrupt system of government. Yet, they felt confident that God was among them blessing and protecting them, but this was a false confidence. Their religion was primarily external in form, but their hearts were far from God. Their trust in God was not sincere (true) because it was devoid of obedience. Their empty religion would perish.
Their prophets led the people astray. They gave the people a false hope of security, contrary to the words of God. If the people “fed” the prophets, either with money, encouragement or agreement of some kind, the false prophets would proclaim peace to them, yet if the people challenged the teaching of the false prophets based upon the truths of God’s words, then the false prophets were ready to wage war against anyone who opposed them. So, God declared judgment against the people, against the rulers and against their prophets. The leaders and false prophets would cry out to God, but God would hide his face from them, and he would not answer them, because of all the evil they had done.
In contrast to these false prophets, who prophesied lies, was Micah, a true servant of the Lord. He was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and with the power of the Spirit of God. He was empowered with God’s justice and might (strength) to declare to Israel his transgression (sin), and that he did. He told the leaders that, because of them and their wickedness, selfishness and pride, judgment would come upon the people of God, i.e. upon the nation of Israel and upon the temple (their place of religious activity).
2012
True Israel today is comprised of true followers of Jesus Christ. We are the people of God. We are the heavenly Jerusalem, i.e. we are Zion, the city of God, the kingdom of God. And, times have not really changed all that much. The sins that existed at the time of this writing are still prevalent in our society, in the government, and in the church today.
The description of the rulers of the people reminded me so much of the description God has often given me (and has confirmed many times over) of our own government leaders here in the USA. I believe very much that our government, in concert with their UN and NATO allies, are building a global kingdom based upon bloodshed, human cruelty, despising true justice and distorting what is right, trying to make good look like evil, and evil appear as good. Yet, they deceive the minds of the innocent and naïve into thinking this is a Christian nation, built upon godly principles, and that we are a nation blessed by God and protected from harm. They deceive the innocent and naïve into believing that we are the good guys going throughout the world protecting the innocent, yet what if we are the bad guys and we are doing to people all around the globe what Micah accused Israel’s leaders of doing? Wouldn’t you want to know that? We should pray for much wisdom and understanding.
The description of the false prophets reminded me of many of our leaders in the church in America today. They give the people a false hope and a false sense of security when they tell them they do not have to repent of their sins and they don’t have to obey the commands of Christ in order to be saved, and that God is pleased with them no matter what they do. Some do not do this overtly, while others do. Some just leave the true meaning of the cross out of the message of the gospel so that it is only presenting half the truth and thus a lie. Thus, they leave people still in their sins with no hope of salvation.
And, they take it a step further by trying to discourage true servants of the Lord and ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ from confronting people with their sin. They say to true ministers of the gospel, “Don’t speak to us about our sin,” and/or they try to convince the people of God that it is wrong to address sin within the church for fear that we might lose people from the church, or we might offend them, so they come up with unbiblical teaching on how to avoid ever having to confront sin within the body of Christ. And, the people of God continue in their sin because we were afraid to offend them or that they might leave the church.
Yet, the word of God teaches us that if a brother or sister in Christ is caught in a sin, those of us who are spiritual (in a right relationship with God and not giving into willful sin) should restore the person gently (see Gal. 6:1-3). We are to do this in all humility and with much guardedness so that we don’t get caught in sin ourselves. As well, we are to do this with a caring attitude which desires to help the person to victory (spiritual restoration), and never with the purpose of just being critical or judgmental (condemning). Our goal should always be one of love, nurturing and restoration, i.e. helping the person turn from his or her sin and teaching him or her how to follow Christ Jesus in surrender and obedience.
The word of God also teaches that we are to “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:22-24). As well, it teaches us this: “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). And, this: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present” (1 Co. 5:1-3).
God takes sin seriously. And, he wants us to take sin seriously, too, and to grieve over our own sins, as well as over the sins of our fellow believers in Jesus Christ (2 Co. 12:21; Jms. 4:9; Ezek. 9:3-5; Amos 6:6).
Your Servant Witness / An Original Work / March 13, 2012
Humbly I bow, Lord, before You,
Bringing my requests to You.
May I listen; hear You speaking.
May I follow You in truth.
Gently lead me in Your service.
Guide my steps and strengthen me.
Fill me with Your love and mercy.
May I live for Thee!
Let me be Your servant witness,
Telling others of Your grace.
May I always share the gospel
With those I meet face to face.
May I show the love of Jesus,
Caring for the needs of men;
Be Your servant witness always
For my Lord, Amen!
My desire to be like Jesus,
Living for Him ev’ry day.
May I obey all His teachings
Given me, so I’ll not stray.
Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master.
You are the King of my heart;
Follow You where’er You lead me;
Not from You depart!
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1476/Your-Servant-Witness
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