#1155 Micah 3 Is It Not For You

 

And I said:

Hear, you heads of Jacob

and rulers of the house of Israel!

Is it not for you to know justice?—

2 you who hate the good and love the evil,

who tear the skin from off my people

and their flesh from off their bones,

3 who eat the flesh of my people,

and flay their skin from off them,

and break their bones in pieces

and chop them up like meat in a pot,

like flesh in a cauldron.

4 Then they will cry to the Lord,

but he will not answer them;

he will hide his face from them at that time,

because they have made their deeds evil.

5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets

who lead my people astray,

who cry “Peace”

when they have something to eat,

but declare war against him

who puts nothing into their mouths.

6 Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,

and darkness to you, without divination.

The sun shall go down on the prophets,

and the day shall be black over them;

7 the seers shall be disgraced,

and the diviners put to shame;

they shall all cover their lips,

for there is no answer from God.

8 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

and to Israel his sin.

9 Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob

and rulers of the house of Israel,

who detest justice

and make crooked all that is straight,

10 who build Zion with blood

and Jerusalem with iniquity.

11 Its heads give judgment for a bribe;

its priests teach for a price;

its prophets practice divination for money;

yet they lean on the Lord and say,

“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?

No disaster shall come upon us.”

12 Therefore because of you

Zion shall be plowed as a field;

Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,

and the mountain of the house a wooded height. Micah 3 ESV

Micah 3 ESV

13 ‘Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.’

14 “You answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have said to do is good.’

15 “So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and appointed them heads over you, leaders of thousands and of hundreds, of fifties and of tens, and officers for your tribes.

16 “Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him.

17 ‘You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’ Deuteronomy 1: 13-17

Hear, you heads of Jacob - Micah has addressed the wealthy, which would include some of these influential as well, but these are those that sit in the offices of government, those that are judges over the people. It is an interesting pattern, that kings do not consider themselves so approachable, nor did many of the ruling class see themselves as under the laws that they were supposed to oversee, yet here is a prophet. Like Spurgeon once said, "if God calls you to be a minister, don't stoop to becoming a king", if Micah was sent by God then the king needs to hear the messenger of the King of kings. 

1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!” 2Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah: 3“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.… 1 kings 17: 1-3

Is it not for you to know justice - A rhetorical question, and they know that the answer should be yes, but the reality is that there is a prophet here, so you have not done justly. I watch politicians all the time, promise a lot, just like the false prophets and tv evangelists, but they have corrupted the very idea of justice, so how can they do true justice? God has distinguished right from wrong, and saying you don't believe in Him will not make the reality of the Creator go away. Saying you do believe in Him, but govern in a way that He rejects, your belief is shallow, the demons believe that way, and they will be judged accordingly. God is above you, you cannot be a great leader or consistently just if you do not fear the Sovereign of the Universe.  

5 He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.

6 He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you when you render judgment.

7 “Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.”

8 In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

9 Then he charged them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly.

10 “Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the Lord, and wrath may not come on you and your brethren. Thus you shall do and you will not be guilty. 2 Chronicles 19: 5-10

You, who hate the good and love the evil - God even went so far as to call the rulers of Jerusalem, "you rulers of Sodom", those whom he kicked out of the land long before them. We always flatter ourselves that it is going to be different for us, and we accuse God of unfairness when He is just. Most kings and politicians will not take responsibility for their actions, only for things that go well, and often when that was by no effort of their own. Blame the messenger.

10Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.… Isaiah 1: 10-11

16So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.… 1 Kings 18: 16-18

Who eat the flesh of my people - When leadership fails the people suffer, and as figurative as this may seem here, yet when they come under siege, at that time they ate their own children, and then it was too late, the king could do nothing but rent his clothes.

…3All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. 4Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD. 5There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is in the company of the righteous.… Psalm 14: 3-5

…12The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. 13The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,… John 10: 12-14

Then they will cry to the Lord - God has been speaking to them for centuries, through His prophets, through the law, the story of Sodom, the story of Benjamin, the Flood, and as the tension builds, the cup fills, and the Lord of all the earth must do justice, yet as the cup tips they tell the watchmen to be silent and or be silenced. Now His wrath comes, He avenges the blood of the prophets, He takes up the cause of the poor, God answers the outcry against them, and now they cry out to God, but it is in vain, it is only about their discomfort. It is better to receive injustice in this life than give it.

…30A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land. 31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end? Jeremiah 5: 30-31

…40You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me. 41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer. 42I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in the streets.… Psalm 18: 40-42

…12They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts. 13And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts. 14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known, and the land was left desolate behind them so that no one could come or go. Thus they turned the pleasant land into a desolation.”… Zechariah 7: 12-14

Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets - He moves from the leaders who were supposed to govern according to the Law of God, to the prophets who were supposed to counsel the people and leaders according to the Word of God. 

More on False prophets

Who cry "Peace" - They claimed to be prophets and then told people what they wanted to hear, everyone likes peace and prosperity, no one wants the whole counsel of God.

…26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God. 28Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.… Acts 20: 26-28

When they have something to eat - They are motivated by their stomachs and their eyes, they love power, money and bling.

When they have something to bite with their teeth - I.e., something to eat. These greedy prophets are motivated by what they can gain (cf Mic 3:11). Paul warned about these genre of men

For many (NB: "many" not "few"!) walk (speaks of the general conduct of their life), of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose end is destruction (apoleia = not loss of existence but much worse loss of purpose for their existence!), whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. (Php 3:18-19-note) - Precept Austin

Davis - As long as the prophets are feeding on the ‘perks’ people give them, they promise those folk prosperity and success (‘peace’). (Ed: This sounds like the modern day "prosperity gospel!" "Snakes" always seem to slither into the sanctuary!)

Declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths - A "holy war", against their enemies, it is no different than the mafia or bad government, only worse because they claim to speak on behalf of God, but it is really only the voice of their greed. Separate yourselves from these, call them out.

Davis - There is nothing wrong with a prophet receiving a ‘clergy fee’. As Achtemeier points out, it was customary for prophets in Israel to be given gifts or fees in return for services (1Sa 9:7–8; 1Kings 14:3; 2Kings 4:42; 8:7–9). The sin of Micah’s opponents, however, is that ‘they are letting the size of the fee determine the content of their prophecy’. If you were to butter them up and stump up the shekels from your money-market account, there was a ‘prosperity gospel’ for you. The prophet’s eyes would light up and he would exclaim, ‘Something good is going to happen to you!’ - Precept Austin

The seers shall be disgraced - The politicians promise and don't deliver, the prophets speak about peace when destruction is what is actually coming.

…2And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through. 4And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive.… Zechariah 13: 2-4

With the Spirit - The one actually filled with God's spirit was bringing a message of sin and judgment, meant to convict, but the false prophets continued to do their best to detract from it.

Make crooked all that is straight - He is back to the leaders, he has addressed both the leaders and the prophets, so don't say you didn't know or you trusted them, Micah has spoken to the prophets who lie to you, who say peace when it's really destruction. He has tried to bring reform back to what God has said of prophets from of old. You just prefer what they say over what God says. 

…27Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich. 28They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy. 29Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?… Jeremiah 5: 27-29

1If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” 3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.… Deuteronomy 13: 1-3

Who build Zion with bloodshed - This is a disappointment, men will often invert justice, like the BLM lady who said that stealing was retribution, and the people who were stealing that did not know the name of the man they were "peacefully protesting" for. We murder infant humans that can't speak for themselves and say it is just and compassionate; we are a twisted people, justice is unknown to us, we have called good evil and evil good.

25 “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.

26 “Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

27 “Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain.

28 “Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. Ezekiel 22: 25-28

Judgment for a bribe - The scales are no longer blind; they see dollar signs. The poor cannot afford justice and the prophets don't call it out.

…10Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber. 11Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain: 12“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”… Isaiah 56: 10-12

Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins - We treat those that are our own flesh in a manner that would cause us to scream out for justice for ourselves, but not for them. Look at the words of Christ after he speaks about the widow who gave her last penny, a sight that was only moving and objectionable to Him, and so His words were taken into the walls.

…2and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”…

5As some of the disciples were remarking how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts, Jesus said, 6“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 7“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”… Luke 21: 2-7