Lesson 11 - Micah 3:1-12 - IS IT NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW JUSTICE?
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in Amos 8:1-14, we concluded our study of that prophet with his final vision depicting a basket of summer fruit. Like ripe fruit in a basket, this metaphor implied that the Northern Kingdom of Israel was living on borrowed time: That God's 'end' for this nation was close at hand, when God would bring judgment for their religious hypocrisy and greed. We discussed the parallel between ancient Israel and present-day America, where, according to public statistics, church-going Christians have shrunk to less than half of the population. Are we headed down the same road? We also heard this prophet warn the Israelites of a 'famine for hearing the words of the LORD.' In those ancient times, God's Word was proclaimed by prophets like Amos, and when God sent no prophets (like the 400 years of silence between the OT and NT), the people were unable to 'hear' God's word. In our time, we 'hear' God's Word by reading the Bible and hearing it preached and taught in our churches. Again, recent statistics in the U.S. reveal that only one in four people actually believe that the Bible is the literal and inerrant Word of God. This means that 75% of the American population are 'not hearing' the Word of God. As God's church, it's our job to tell them.
This week, in Micah 3:1-3, we move to the prophet Micah, who came from the town of Moresheth in the Southern Kingdom of Judah and delivered his prophecies from about 735 to 700 B.C., a very turbulent time of history that encompassed the reigns of three kings of Judah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and also made him a contemporary of the prophets Hosea and Isaiah. In the first and second chapters of his Book (which we skip), Micah warned of the coming judgments against both Judah and the Northern Kingdom for the social evils prevalent in both of those nations. From our previous study of Amos, we know that the Northern Kingdom ceased to exist as a nation and people after it was conquered by the Assyrian Empire in 721 B.C., and it never arose again.
Read Micah 3:1-4 - YOU WHO LOVE EVIL AND HATE GOOD
1 And I said "Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice? 2 "You who hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones, 3 Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle." 4 Then they will cry out to the LORD, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds.
v. 1: "And I said 'Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice?'" - Most commentators agree that the expression, "heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel," is a synonym for the Southern Kingdom of Judah, so that Micah's warning is primarily addressed to it rather than the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It is specifically directed to "heads" and "rulers"-government officials responsible for administering "justice," and to "know justice" not only meant knowing how to act with fairness and impartiality, but also knowing that it must be equally applied to all walks of people, especially the poor, the weak, and the powerless.
v. 2: "You who hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones," - But these heads and rulers had made a mockery of justice. Instead of acting as shepherds of their flocks, they behaved as butchers. Tearing off their skin and their flesh from their bones is a graphic overstatement of the manner by which they were stripping the poor and underprivileged people of their money and property and oppressing them without any mercy.
v. 3: "Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle." -This is another graphic analogy depicting people who are literally being eaten alive by the ruling elite. They treated the common people like livestock.
v. 4: "Then they will cry out to the LORD, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds." - Because these heads and rulers had turned deaf ears to the pleas of the poor, the widows, and the orphans, for whom God made specific provision under Torah Law (Ex. 22; Lev. 19; and Deut. 10), the LORD would not answer them later on, when they cried out for help. God hears all prayers because He's omniscient, but will "hide His face"-and choose not to respond to the self-serving prayers of heartless people.
Application 1: God helps those who willingly help others. First of all, we should help people in our own church that due to age or infirmity cannot help themselves. Most of the widespread economic evils prevalent in the ancient world have been overcome by developed nations like the U.S. But in many third world countries in Africa, Asia, and South America there are great disparities-injustices-between the power elite and the common people. Modern Christians can and should help these people by supporting mission programs within SBC (national and state) and Christian relief programs like Operation Christmas Child and Compassion International. There are many, many others.
Read Micah 3:5-7 - CONCERNING THE PROPHETS WHO LEAD PEOPLE ASTRAY
5 Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They cry, "Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war. 6 Therefore it will be night for you-without vision, And darkness for you-without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them. 7 The seers will be ashamed And the diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God.
v. 5a: "Thus says the LORD" - Here, before Micah launches his indictment of "the prophets," he cites the authority that underlies all of his words: He does not speak his own words but only speaks the words the LORD gives him. And this is the essential role of a prophet-to serve as an intermediary between God and humankind.
v. 5b; "concerning the prophets who lead my people astray;" - Micah's words, coming directly from the LORD (YHWH), completely contradict the words of the false prophets, who, instead of leading the people closer to God had lead them further astray.
v. 5c: "When they have something to bite with their teeth, They cry, "Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war." - Micah identifies these false prophets as messengers for hire: Most commentators agree that these prophets had at one time been men who possessed genuine prophetic vision, with inspired insight as to the will of purposes of God; however, their powers had been corrupted by the sin of greed. In this scenario, their patrons paid them money and they gave them the prophecy they wanted to hear-a message of peace and prosperity. Any who refused to pay them, could expect curses and proclamations of disaster and calamity. I imagine they were well-paid by the ruling elite, who would have enjoyed hearing that their country was safe and sound from outside attack and that their all their wealth was secure. By pretending to act in the name of the Lord God, these prophets were, in effect, using God's name in vain to enrich themselves.
v. 6: "Therefore it will be night for you-without vision, And darkness for you-without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them." - This verse has been interpreted to include both the corrupt false prophets and the ruling elite who supported and listened to them-a vicious circle. These prophets would not only have their spiritual vision impaired, but would be blinded and confused, too, like a TV screen that goes haywire with a bad signal. Some of us will remember the effect of static electricity on TV picture during thunderstorms. "Divination" is a term for seeing the future. In this context, their ability to see the future will turn to darkness, and the "sun" going "down" has a double meaning: The false prophets will not only lose their capacity to forecast the future; they will also lose the source of their income. God will make them poor and their patrons -the rulers-will be deprived of their "fake news." Does that ring a bell? Tailoring the news to influence the outcome of political races-to discredit certain public figures?
v. 7: "The seers will be ashamed And the diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God." - In Hebrew,"seers" can also mean prophets in a positive way, whereas "diviners" is usually negative because they aren't true men of God but clever fortune tellers. Like the false prophets in verse 6, the seers and diviners would fall into disgrace. God would send them only darkness and confusion. That they would "cover their mouths" indicated a sign of mourning and despair. They had nothing to say and because if it, they were out of business.
Application 2: Christian believers should beware of false Christian prophets who promise peace and prosperity in return for financial contributions. Like the false prophets, seers, and diviners who promised peace and prosperity to the riling elite in Micah, there have been many Christian scams that have bilked millions of dollars out of honest Christians over the years. So, the watchword before you give money to any person or organization that is not an established Christian charity (e.g., Salvation Army, World Vision, Christian Children's Fund, etc.) is to be very, very careful. Check them out.
Read Micah 3:8 - I AM FILLED WITH POWER
8 On the other hand I am filled with power-With the Spirit of the LORD-And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.
v. 8a1: "On the other hand' -Having discredited the false prophets, the seers, and the diviners, Micah now proceeds to present his credentials as a true prophet of the LORD (YHWH). From this point, Micah draws a sharp contrast between his status as an authentic prophet versus that of the false prophets discussed in vv.5-7.
v. 8a2: "I am filled with power" - The "power" he describes is not his but that of the Almighty God.
v. 8b: "With the Spirit of the LORD" - The source of his power is "the Spirit of the LORD," imparted to him by Almighty God. (In the OT, God only selectively indwelled people with the Holy Spirit).
v. 8c: "And with justice" - Micah is filled with "justice" that imparts to him specific guidance to act with the honestly and impartially needed to bring people into a right relationship with God; and God's justice also involves bringing people into a right relationship with each other, with special consideration for the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the other vulnerable people in that society (Judah and Israel). Micah and other prophets will keep reminding the rulers and the powerful people that justice is a basic duty in the faith community.
v. 8d: "and courage" - Again, this is God's "courage," not Micah's. He was taking on the entire establishment-both the civil and religious authorities. Such prophets are not only unpopular but often killed for such presumption. Nevertheless, Micah is endowed with "courage" to speak boldly.
v. 8e: "To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin." - This is Micah's mission statement. Scholars believe the reference to "Jacob" means that Micah's message was directed primarily to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The false prophets there have been preaching peace and prosperity to paying customers and heaping abuse on those who fail to support them, financially and otherwise. We know that Judah had been paying tribute to the Assyrians (to keep them from attacking) since the reign of King Ahaz in about 740 B.C., and the threat of attack was ever present.
APPLICATION 3: True prophets of God are primarily concerned with bringing people into a right relationship with God and people. God endows true prophets like Micah with His Holy Spirit to act with the honestly and impartially needed to bring people into a right relationship with God, and by doing so, also bring them into a right relationship with other people, especially those in need who are powerless to help themselves. This is true social justice. In the modern context, we can achieve this justice by applying Biblical truth to the way we live and treat all the other people around us. Biblical justice is a basic duty of the faith community.
Read Micah 3:9-12 - NOW HEAR THIS!
9 Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight, 10 Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice. 11 Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us." 12 Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.
v. 9a: "Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel," - Micah again clarifies that his message is directed to the same "heads" and "rulers" of Judah specified earlier in vv. 1-4. This would include the king and all the government officials below him-those with power.
v. 9b: "Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight," - Micah doesn't mince words: These heads and rulers disapprove of what is right and good-justice and equity-and prefer what is evil and wrong. Why would supposedly 'religious Jews' choose evil over good? The answer is that that it gave them power-the power to impose their wills on ordinary people who are powerless to resist them. In a perfect world where justice prevails, these rulers would be constrained by just rules, 'checks and balances' (e.g., constitutional rights) that limit their power. We have heads and rulers in our governments today who don't believe in the God of the Bible-people who don't' hear God's Word. The recent Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights showed how divided our government and people are on the issue of 'Right to Life.' Their liberal agenda and its concept of justice are twisted.
v. 10: "Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice." - "Zion" specifically identifies the heads and rulers in Judah as Micah's target audience and names "Jerusalem" as the epicenter from which Judah's "violent justice" flows. The inference here is that the rulers in Jerusalem are building up and maintaining their magnificent city with its walls, fortifications, palaces, and gardens, plus all the trappings needed for its great Temple, by taking advantage of vulnerable people. To do all of this, the common people of the city were being literally worked and taxed to death, i.e., subjected to "violent justice." Moreover, these rulers were actively ignoring both the spirit and the letter of the Torah Laws that God Himself had designed to protect the poor and underprivileged people of the nation from corrupt government. They knew better but did it anyway.
v. 11a: "Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money." - One of the primary duties of the priests was to teach Torah Law to the common people of the nation. They also had the responsibility to act for them as judges in disputes in order to make sure that their decisions were equally applied to the rulers and the wealthy elite. While Torah Law specifically forbade officials from showing partiality or accepting bribes, it had become the accepted 'normal' for making official decisions-rotten to the core. To make matters worse, the false prophets and the corrupt priests were acting in concert with them-a religious mafia, if you will.
v. 11b: "Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us." - These corrupt rulers and religious officials allowed themselves to feel secure simply because they were representatives of Judah, the people of God. They unwittingly believed they were safe because they operated within the Temple precincts. But what they had really done was turn the LORD's house into a den of thieves; and God purposed to bring it all crashing down on their heads.
v. 12: "Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins," - This is Micah's (on behalf of God) bottom line: Because of its corruption and unfaithfulness to the Word of God, the great city of Jerusalem, with its massive walls, glorious Temple, rich palaces, stately homes, and beautiful parks would be completely dismantled and razed to the ground, reduced to a mere "heap of ruins."
v. 12b: "And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest." - Even the Temple Mount, the most holy place in all of Israel, would become like a hilltop in the forest, just another overgrown and neglected place. The prophet Jeremiah, who lived a century later, quoted this portion of Micah's prophecy to assure the inhabitants of Jerusalem that their doom was certain (Jer. 26:18). And Micah's words were remembered for their shocking severity when king Nebuchadnezzar marched his Babylonian armies up to the gates of Jerusalem and utterly destroyed the city in 597 B.C. and took its inhabitants into captivity.
Application 4: Like the kingdom of Judah in the lesson, the LORD GOD will ultimately reduce all nations to ruin. This is an End-Time prophecy. Only the redeemed in Christ will survive the Great Tribulation at the end of time to live in the Millennial Kingdom (Matt. 24:31; Rev. 20:2-7).
Postscript: Micah's predictions in v.12 were fulfilled in part by the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C., where God ultimately intervened and saved them (2 Kings 18 and 19). Then the city was completely destroyed by the Babylonians in 586-587 B.C. (2 Kings 25) and subsequently rebuilt afterward by the returned remnant (see Ezra and Nehemiah generally). Finally, the rebuilt Jerusalem and its Temple were utterly destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., never to be rebuilt.
