MICAH

Micah Chapter 3

• Micah 3:1 And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment? 
• 2 Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones; 
• 3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. 

What is meant here is the leaders were robbing people of their substance. Taking advantage of them and not giving them the true word of God. Its sort of like rich legislators that vote for high taxes while they themselves get richer and build themselves mansions. This has been going on for centuries.

• Micah 3:4 Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings. 
• 5 Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. 
• 6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. 
• 7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. 

We've heard of many famines in the history of the world that has resulted in starvation of thousands of people. We can read about this in the book of Genesis. These famines would come and cause Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at one time to go down to Egypt for relief.

Here is seems that there is a famine of the word from the Lord. Prophets see nothing and hear nothing. It is dead as far as the word is concerned. If we do not seek God and do not study His word, we will become dry and barren spiritually. I can't think of a more horrible fate for any group of believers than to have a famine of the word of God. This surely is not God's will. If we find ourselves in that place, it's time to pray and seek God with all our strength so that His spirit can be poured out among us again. He will not give His spirit to dead, lukewarm or apathetic people.

If the word of God is not within us, the leaders and even corrupt spiritual leaders can easily lead us astray. Only people who hold onto the truth of God's word have the strength to stay true to God and not stray. Israel backslid against God many times because the leaders strayed first whether it was a king, a priest or false prophet. The people had no strength in themselves to resist evil since they followed the leader except for a small remnant that wholly followed the Lord. God always has a people somewhere that will follow Him. I hope to always be one of those people.

Much of Old Testament warnings and prophetic utterances were directed toward the leaders of the people because it was the leaders which caused the people to err from the right way.

We see here a warning against the religious leaders of the people who are devouring the people and are not telling them truth. A godly leader will point out sin and correct error. He will not be a people pleaser that is just after their money and support. 

• Micah 3:8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. 

The first step to renewing ourselves to God is to discover what is wrong. Have we sinned? When God sends a prophet, preacher or someone to point out our sins, it is a gift, not a curse. If God loves us enough to address our sins and tell us what is separating us from His presence, we need to realize, it is a gift, not a condemnation.

He sent Micah, Isaiah and other prophets to Israel to correct them and bring them to repentance. They could have repented and returned to fellowship with God at any time. The only reason judgment came was because they refused. God will not force His spirit upon any of us. We are what we want to be. If we desire to walk in the spirit, we can. If we desire to stay in our sins, we will reap bad consequences. The choice is ours to make.

Israel and Judah didn't have to be taken over by Assyria and Babylon. They chose that fate by rejecting God and following instead the gods of the Assyrians and Babylonians. 

• Micah 3:9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. 

Again we find God's word spoken against leaders and heads of both religious systems and nations rather than the common people. The reason is that the kings and religious leaders were the main influence upon all the rest of the people. When they had a bad king the whole nation followed his evil. For this reason we can be thankful that God has provided us with the written word and a different type of church system so that we are free to read the word ourselves and seek God ourselves with or without a spiritual leader. God left us a way to find Him even if we live some place where there is no bible believing church. Thank God for in many places now there are wonderful bible believing ministers of the word of God but alas, there is also false shepherds who teach the to gain is godliness and fleece the flock.

Before Jesus came to show us the way to God, men had to rely on priests, prophets and others to go to God on their behalf. If they happened to get a bad one, that fleeced them for all they had in the name of the Lord, it was very unfortunate. Through Jesus, intervening priests are not necessary.

We now are called to preach the gospel and bring people to God so they can start to preach the gospel and bring others to God. We need no other mediator except Jesus Christ. Once we repent of sins and believe in Jesus Christ, we now have access to the throne of God. This is the gift that Jesus brings to all who will receive it. God provided us with the written word so that we no longer have to be deceived. 

• Micah 3:10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. 
• 11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. 

Jesus came to free us from religious bondage as well as sin. There are some today who preach for hire and some that do so for money. They do not really care for the souls of those they lord over. To be a true preacher, one has to be called of God and do so because they are obeying God and not for filthy money.

A true minister of the Lord will weep in his prayer closet for the souls of his congregation. He will not be obsessed with obtaining the riches of this life. We are to give and support them from the depths of love in our hearts, not because we fear any curse upon our finances or because we expect to gain from our giving. Give because the love of God constrains us and God will take care of our needs. Not everyone that gives is going to get rich. That is a false doctrine. However, God will take care of those that give for the right reasons. They will be ok.

• Micah 3:12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. 

Jerusalem was taken over and destroyed many times because God's hand of protection was removed because of their sin that went on without repentance. This will happen to any nation that forsakes God and for any church body that goes into apostasy. Their candlestick is removed from its place. Read Revelation chapter 2 and 3 for reference. 

God always gives us a chance to repent and restore our place with Him. We should never become satisfied with hum drum religion. God wants to be among us. He wants us to be filled with His spirit and walk in love. If we lack this, it is our fault not His. DC