Morality in Freefall (Micah 5: 10-15)

We read Scripture and there's a kind of "God said it, then it happened" feel, as if the people do not even have time to repent and return back to the Lord and His ways. Like a Hollywood movie, where someone's life is compressed into a two hour film, the events in the prophetic books seem to allow for little reflection by the people the prophet is railing at. 

We are, in effect, listening to a conversation, way back in the past, and only from one side. We don't hear the responses of the king and the people to the warnings of the prophet. We hear only what the prophet says the king and people are saying, and we may feel it's a biased account. 

God appears in the narrative as an irate parent, acting in anger after a searing array of accusations. He acts quickly with very little tolerance for human frailty.  

Is this an accurate assessment of God, His prophets and His people?

When you start looking, you see that many of the prophets had long careers and their voices were heard for many decades. Some of the prophets had short careers, but many were in it for the long haul.

Here is a quick chart that outlines what drives prophesy:

"Outline/Major Themes. These books employed two forms of prophecy: 1) informing the audience of their current spiritual condition in the eyes of God ("forth-telling") and 2) making predictions for their future ("fore-telling"). These two forms were used to communicate five reoccurring themes found throughout many of the books:

Sin - Spiritual adultery in the form of idolatry and wickedness
Call to Repent - God's vengeance and pending judgment
God's Forgiveness - God's love and willingness to restore a relationship tainted by sin
Encouragement - to remain faithful and enjoy God's blessings
The coming Messiah - the promised King" [1]

In other words, there is a clear pattern to how God deals with His people, and why He acts the way He does. In our culture, we don't take rules seriously--they are for everyone else. 

I was a teacher for many years.  Many of the parents or my adult students thought that they should have exceptions to what the syllabus said.  Yes, life happens, but when it is very clear that if you do not do A, then B will result, parents and students would try to negotiate with me to work around the rule. Thankfully, my community college students were much better at accepting the consequences from what they failed to do.

Some of the parents of my high school students expected I would accommodate their requests regarding their son or daughter. They grew tense with me when I would not budge. They went to the administrators, who then undermined what I had said. 

Following rules isn't about blind obedience.  It is about building character: You know what is expected of you and you do it because it is the right thing to do. I was very clear in my expectations and the department's expectations. I spent time making sure students understood. But I also had administrators come in my classroom and ask me to be lenient, in so many words, with a student whose parents were upset. (I was told by other teachers that these parents would make it very unpleasant for the school.)    

And yes, I had to accommodate such parents and students. No character building there for all concerned.   

It is no surprise then that in one particular school, where I had battled the whole year with upholding standards, the seniors for their senior prank effectively vandalized the school.  It was so bad that when the first employees arrived, they called the police thinking someone had broken in.  When the parents and students later arrived for the start of school, I heard grumbling from parents that the school should not have called the police. 

The school had been trashed but, hey, that's OK!  They are just kids, right?  

(We teachers had been cleaning up for about an hour before they arrived. So, what the parents saw was not as bad as it had been. To this day, I believe we should have left it alone for the parents to see, and then have had the students clean it up.) I even had one teacher mad at me because I said I was disgusted by what happened.  I had been cleaning wet toilet paper off the carpet and was not in a very jovial mood. 

This is a kind of microcosm for the people of God.

The prophets made it very clear that the behavior and words of the people, their kings and prophets were not in line with the law given by Moses. 

So, looking again at our chart, the people knew what sin was, because they were told what it was.

They were told to stop and turn away from what they were doing. 

God was willing to forgive, but the people had to first admit they were in the wrong, and then stop their behavior. Anyone can say they are sorry.  That's the easy part.  The hard part is really changing.  

The consequences of turning and following Yahweh's ways would bring blessings. Not just a pat on the  head, but visible reminders of how God loved them and wanted the best for them: prosperity in the land, protection from enemies and shalom in the nation and in the home.  

A glorious future awaited when God would reign on earth and shalom would prevail as the Messiah would come and deliver His people from all that oppressed them!   

God is clear what He is angry against, by specifically listing what He will destroy: 

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will destroy your horses from among you
   and demolish your chariots.
I will destroy the cities of your land
  and tear down all your strongholds.
I will destroy your witchcraft
  and you will no longer cast spells.
  I will destroy your idols
  and your sacred stones from among you;
  you will no longer bow down
  to the work of your hands.

I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[e]
   when I demolish your cities.
I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
   on the nations that have not obeyed me.” (5:10-15)

This fits both Israel and the Assyrians.  All nations who engage in evil come under His wrath.  But equally true is that all nations who come to His Messiah and seek forgiveness for sin will be welcome in and will sit down at the table of fellowship. 

One final observation. I have noticed a shift in morality from the time I was a young person to now, some fifty years later.  When I was growing up, there was a right and wrong derived from the Bible and my parents upheld it, even though they were not professing Christians.  I think they saw themselves as such, however, because they obeyed basic biblical morality. 

Trust me:  This is not a "good old days" reminiscence. The 60's and 70's were full of problems and sin.  But if you broke the 11th Commandment--you got caught--then your transgression was weighed against biblical morality.  Yes, there were hypocrites a-plenty, but at least the culture could agree that some things were wrong and there had to be some kind of consequence for breaking the rules. 

So, in order to be called "immoral," you broke a law from this transcendent code. Not my code.  Not your code.  But a code that the culture agreed was important to uphold, even if you didn't personally have a relationship with Jesus. 

Lying. Stealing. Adultery. Cheating. Violence. Murder.

The society had little tolerance for such immoral behavior.

But, over time, "follow your bliss" became more important than following fusty dusty irrelevant rules.  Do your own thing.  Papa's got a brand new bag. Different strokes for different folks. 

So, the whole notion of a transcendent moral code, derived from the Bible was losing ground--eroded over time by a kind of "Let's break free of such antiquated notions!" Freedom over faithfulness.  Self over salvation.  Relevance over reverence.  

Today, I am seeing a harvest from those seeds sown long ago.  Something is no longer immoral--it's amoral.  

Consider this:  If you are being immoral, we point to the code.  But if there is no transcendent code, then you haven't really done anything wrong. It's only my opinion that you did. You agree to disagree and carry on. 

So, schools come up with their own codes to try to hold students responsible, but parents don't necessarily buy that and because it's a locally determined code, they locally decide to ignore it. There aren't really any consequences to ignoring it. If the school presses too hard, parents lawyer up. 

"Morality" is now determined by screeching on social media, whose definitions are fluid and unpredictable. Who is and who isn't in violation changes with the next post. 

I wonder if, in the time of the prophets, this same kind of transformation occurred, going from the Mosaic code to the pagan code, to resisting any kind of code.  

A nation, a people, without obeying a code given by their Creator and to Whom they are answerable, presage a future where anything goes.

Scary then.

Scary now.

[1] "Survey of the Prophets--Introduction," Bible Questions, https://www.biblequestions.org/bqar410.html 

Logic From the Pit of Hell: Micah 5:5-9

I have been reading Isaiah and I found a fascinating passage.  

Micah and Isaiah were contemporaries. Both speak to the upcoming judgement upon Israel.  

Look at what Micah is telling the people:

• God is going to judge the people for their evil ways and idol worship.
• The rich scheme and exploit the poor.
• The "prophets" say God will not punish the people because He doesn't "do such things." (2:5)
• God will deliver His people and He will lead them like a shepherd.
• The people do not practice justice.
• The prophets do not practice honesty.
• God will deliver Israel and one day all nations will gather at the mountain of the Lord and His peace will prevail.
• God will gather His exiles and give them victory over all the nations.
• God's Deliverer, the One who has always been, will come and rule over Israel as a shepherd and be their peace.
• Israel will be abandoned (for now) but one day will be restored under the Deliverer. 

This list covers chapter 1-5, up to verse 5.  

In Isaiah, we hear the king of Assyria's army commander make an argument that preys on the fears of the Hebrews; he has come with a mighty army under the aegis of a very powerful king. Who wouldn't be scared? That commander, as he is arrogantly shouting out his threats, he is a kind of Goliath, who dishonored the God of the Hebrews with his arrogance and defiance.  

Before you read this, I want you to consider what Ephesians 6:10-13 says about the true origin of threats made against God's people: 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Be strong.  Stand, knowing the true origin of the evil coming at you and how you are arrayed in God's armor  You will be standing when it hits and you will be standing when it's over.  

The words shouted at the Hebrews by this commander are coming from the very pit of hell. Evil is very clever; it hits you where you are vulnerable and makes you question what God has told you. Satan told our first parents, "Did God really say?" and he has never stopped that line of "reasoning."   

So, I am sure that Satan reminds them, in their hearts and in the shouts of the commander, of the impending judgement, but not why it is coming (judgment for their reprobate behavior).  

He reminds them of the God's harshness (but not His gentleness).  

He reminds them that destruction is coming (but not the restoration that is coming as well). 

He reminds them that this army is big and scary, and how God is abandoning them (but not about the Deliverer who would one day lead them and be their peace).

Nope.  Evil says: 

God fails you.  Every time. He shows up late.  Every time. He has no compassion. He abandons you.  He cannot be trusted.  His word? His prophets?  Unreliable and stupid.  

I want to contrast what the Assyrian army commander says with our next verses in Micah.

First, Mr. Bombast:  

This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: "On what are you basing this confidence of yours?  You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. But if you say to me, 'We are depending on the Lord our God'—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship before this altar'?

Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it. (Is. 36:4-10)

Wow.  The commander wants Hezekiah to surrender. God is giving Jerusalem to the king of Assyria anyway, so why not surrender? Yahweh was displeased with what Hezekiah did, because Hezekiah tore down Yahweh's altars, didn't he? 

Wow. This logic is from the pit of hell:

• Your allies are a joke.  Weak as water.
• Your king tore down your god's own alters. (Are you going to argue with the commander, telling him those altars weren't Yahweh's but they belonged to other gods?) 
• Depending on God? Don't think so. Your king blew it with your god, so he's not a fit king. 
• The Lord is on my side. Not yours. Can't blame him.
• Got an army?  Your weak ally won't be supplying you and even if he did, you can't find enough men to repulse our advances.
• So, who are you going to listen to?  Your idiot king or me, who has the power of life and death in my hands. 

Satan's logic is alluring, has "evidence" behind it and you can't argue without descending further and further into confusion.  Chaos and confusion are Satan's best weapons. Then when he lays that "Did God really say?" line on you, you are vulnerable enough to consider it. 

Paul tells us to stand.  Not argue. 

You stand and use the sword of His word.  Not arguments.  Not rebuttals.  His word alone is enough. Listen to Micah: 

And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,
who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders. (5:5-6) 

Who is the "he"? The One whose "origins are from old," who has always been and who will deliver His people. He will be our peace--not because of an army with commanders and chariots--but a Ruler whose reign will restore His people.  The "seven shepherds and even eight commanders" is a Middle Eastern way of saying "many." [1]

The power of our Deliverer will vanquish the "Assyrians" of this world: those very powers and dominions that seek to steal, kill and destroy God's people, in every age, with the same, brutal logic:  Why bother to rely on God? He judges and destroys you, and abandons you when you need Him the most.  

But wait, there's more! 

The remnant of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles as it goes,
and no one can rescue.
Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed. (7-9) 

God preserves a remnant to go out and proclaim that God judges but does not annihilate; He is just but merciful; He remembers His covenant and the fragility of His people: 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:22-26)

It is good to wait for the salvation of the Lord.

True then.

True now. 

[1] Kenneth Barker, ed. NIV Study Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985). 1376. 

The Healing Kingdom: Micah 5:1-4

It's funny how now every time I look at Micah, I see Jesus.  

Jesus makes the illusive...real.  

The painful... healed.  

The chaos...shalom.  

The despair...hope.

Let's look at the first couple of verses in chapter 5:1-5:

Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod. (5:1)

Micah makes it perfectly plain that God's judgment on their sin is coming in the form of the Assyrians.  Isn't it ironic that the people of Israel wanted a pagan way of life?  They compromised their covenant with Yahweh, thinking that they could live with both the pagan gods and the one true God. But the very people they emulated would be the very ones who would come and crush them.  

How often do we think we can balance compromise with truth and falsity with faith?  

Often.

We make excuses such as:

• God understands how weak I am.
• He wants truth but we must be practical, too.
• His Word is uncompromising about that, but it also looks exceedingly intolerant, so I am going to smooth off the rough edges.
• The culture makes some good points. I don't think we need to be so unbending.

These statements have some merit to them. Far too long we have gotten into the mode of not even considering another way of looking at something, only later to find out we were advocating dogma, not what the Bible actually teaches. 

In other words, we allow the culture to define the debate, and then we react to it. We aren't prepared biblically to defend our position; instead we allow Christian culture to speak out against secular culture.

But is Christian culture based on the Bible?  Or is it based on cherry-picked verses?  Or worse, is it based on the teachings of particular teachers, who effectively think for us? He or she says this or that, and we get a free pass to not explore it for ourselves.

In my lifetime, I have seen lots of accommodation to the secular culture and its values. In the 70's,  divorced pastors could not pastor a church. Christians worried about remarrying.  Divorce was not OK.  Period.  People worried that their witness for Jesus was compromised by their personal life. 

How could a spouse/pastor/teacher/leader who is a Christian do bad or immoral things? 

Then secular culture started winning.  Many kids saw their parents profess Christ, and then descend into the ugliness of divorce.  Many parents no longer demonstrated forgiveness when it came to their former spouse. 

I watched this happen many times. 

But Christian culture also said that Christian people could not be addicts, abusers, liars, manipulators, gay, battle with mental health issues or have problems with their families. 

Over and over, the proof-text people used was that we are all new creations in Christ.  

Christian culture was adamant about this instant new life and that there was no room for failure or sin. If you failed or engaged in sin, well, were you really a Christian?  Truly born again?

The failure of Christians was not allowing people to grow (at the Holy Spirit's pace) in the knowledge of the Lord, and to be transformed by Christ.  Christians were not always merciful with human frailty.  

Then secular culture started winning.  Many Christians saw more mercy in secular culture than in their churches.  They were tired living in the shadows. They came out into the "light" of a tolerant culture which greeted them with no standards or restraints, but a new identity. 

The church did, in the 80's, start to acknowledge that our mental, emotional health and our past did affect our lives. So did child abuse. So did addiction.  So did divorce and family disruption. So did family trauma. 

The church reacted, at least in my experience, with a doubling down on asserting we were new creations.  Christians should not have these battles. If they do, they need to get right with God.  Now.  Anyone claiming to be as Christian is just that.  No wolves in sheep's clothing; just sheep who need to get it together. 

So, domestic violence continued in Christian families; lying and manipulative pastors kept preaching and exploiting their followers and the Christ's table was only open to those who were living according to Christian culture's definition. 

The church failed to see that discipleship is a process and that process can take years.  Decades. A deep brokenness in people takes a deep healing.  

The allure of the secular culture, with its welcoming arms, inviting you to be whatever you want to be, was hard for many to ignore.  Secular culture said: Do what you think is right; we won't judge. Anyone who judges is to be ignored and excoriated. 

So, at the end of the day, Christian culture was too demanding, and expected people to act morally from the very start. Secular culture was too inviting, and expected people to act freely from the very start.

In Micah's day, was this happening?  Was following Yahweh too demanding, without any mercy extended to the weak, the broken, and the struggling?

Was following the secular culture too easy, without any restraint exerted on human nature, and everyone could do what they wanted to do? 

We come to God as we are, but God wants to heal, transform and free us to be who He created us to be. 

Micah sees that, for we need to be welcomed into a kingdom where our King, our Shepherd, welcomes us and we live in His power, His provision, His mercy.  In other words, we live in Jesus.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”

Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.(5:2-5)

He will be our peace.  Gently leading us.  Admonishing us. Guiding us.

Yes, our churches need to hold standards, but do so by preaching the Word in its fullness.  We can't be other people's Holy Spirit.  God's word goes out and it doesn't return void, but we must let Him work. 

Our Christian culture must reflect the love of Christ. 

This love set the early church apart from the Roman empire.

It needs to be no different today. 

Restoration, Not Rejection (Micah 4:6-13)

God is in the business of restoration.  The enemy of humanity's soul would have us believe He's all about judgement and condemnation. But as you read through His prophets' and His Son's words, you find a balance presentation of both justice and mercy, judgment and restoration, discipline and obedience.  

His justice is motivated by His love.  If people are killing, exploiting, lying and destroying one another, who wouldn't intervene in something like that?  Love is not indifference; it is hands-on, making sure that evil doesn't continue to control people--those who are perpetrators and those who are victims.  

His mercy is motivated by His love.  He wants restoration, shalom and joy to be His children's place--all of us sitting under our "own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid" (4:4).

His judgment is motivated by love.  If He shows His people what is right, merciful and loving, and then people disdain His words and His ways, why wouldn't He then judge such rebellion?  If those standards did not have love behind them, people would descend deeper and deeper into sin, knowing that God will not act, that law has no meaning and that sin wins.

His restoration is motivated by His love. The Fall is not our permanent habitation--living in the debris of our first parents' fateful and endlessly damaging decision to not listen to God and follow His ways. He had hovered over the waters of chaos, and brought forth light. He seeks above all else to bring light to the darkness.  His Son called Himself "the Light of the World." Why? Darkness was never what His Father wanted.  

His discipline is motivated by His love. What kind of parents would allow their child to run in front of a car?  What kind of parents would never tell their child that moving cars are dangerous? What kind of parents would, after grabbing that child out of harm's way, act like it was no big deal?  The parents' disciplining that child would reinforce the serious nature of the child's disobedience, to prevent another incident. The parents might not be around the next time.  God is always there, but He wants us to obey Him and not be shattered by disobedient thoughts and actions. 

His demand for obedience is motivated by His love.  How often do we live with regret about something we knew we shouldn't do, but we did it anyway?  How often do our decisions mar and scar us, and even though we are forgiven, we still bear the consequences of what we did?  God wants a richness and peace in our lives and knows that what we do, outside of His ways, can steal our joy, rob us of peace and make us even despair of this life. 

So, let's look at the Lord's plan for His people--not judgement, destruction and chaos, but reconciliation, restoration and shalom: 

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

I will gather the lame;
I will assemble the exiles
and those I have brought to grief.
I will make the lame my remnant,
those driven away a strong nation.
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion
from that day and forever.
As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem. (6-8)

Do you see Jesus in this?  God's restoration is given to those who need it most: life has lamed them, in body, soul and spirit and God reaches deeply into their lives to heal them. Jesus came to those who needed God the most:  the hurting, the marginalized, the angry, the weary and those who knew God but somehow didn't know God. 

Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king?
Has your ruler perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?
Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem you
out of the hand of your enemies. (4:9-10)

Babylon/chaos/suffering/exile are never our permanent homes.  The enemy tells us that our brokenness is who we are and to take our identity from that. By joining with other similarly broken people, we feel we are not alone, because there are others who see themselves as we do. We couldn't all be wrong.  

But Babylon with cheers, beach tents, fancy hotels and lots of parties doesn't make it any less Babylon; it's still, underneath all that glamour, a place of lies, alienation and separation from the One who dearly loves us.

But the Lord redeems us. Rescues us. Hears our cries. Steps into our Egypt and leads us out. Goes into our Babylon and brings us back. Reaches into our brokenness and reminds us our true and unassailable identity is that we are His children, made in His image. He speaks over our chaos and says, "Let there be Light!  And it's My Son!" 

But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat over Zion!”
But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,
for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
and you will break to pieces many nations.”
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. (4:11-13)

Wow. In the darkest night of these children's soul God promises a glorious return to peace, prosperity and assurance that His time of judgment will end.  It will end, not leaving them alone and without knowing where they are going, but it will end with them gloriously returned to their beloved Jerusalem.  The very City of David will be restored, for God will not allow His children to live among the ruins. 

Do you see Jesus in this? 

For us, what stands between our sin and our Jerusalem is the cross.

The Message takes John 1:5 and makes it our clarion call:

Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.

Amen!

Micah 4:1-5: The Mountain of the Lord

It's easy for us to focus on the negative in absolutely everything!  A funny quote I remember hearing as a kid was, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you like the play?"  That's taking optimism to a whole new level!

Sometimes putting a positive spin on something seems inappropriate or insensitive.  But on the other hand, seeing the good in a world of chaos is what sustains us.

Think of the early church.  Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God, with its "constitution" found in Matthew 5-8, where blessings come from humility; where loving your enemies is not an option; where saying, "just looking" doesn't cut it; where being reviled elevates you to the status of the prophets of old and where anger is tantamount to murder...but if you walk out on a sunny day in Jesus' day, you do not see any of this going on. 

You hear the cries of the victims in the arenas with the roars of the blood-thirsty crowds; you hear the come-ons from the temple prostitutes or see them in action; you see Romans guards ready to confront you if they feel you are out of line and you see the tax booths where the tax collectors--Jews, no less--are bleeding the people dry, all to support reprobate emperors and brutal armies. 

Wow. 

The contrast could not be greater between the kingdom of this world and the one Jesus says has arrived. 

Jesus ends His Declaration of Interdependence with this wonderful analogy:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matt. 7:24-27 NIV). 

The Rock:  Solid. Sure. Formidable.  

Jesus' teachings qualify.  But so does the Savior Himself. 

Interesting to note:  After Jesus is done preaching, He goes down the mountainside and heals a leper.  Boom!  The Kingdom of God in action!  Jesus shows the incurable can be cured!  But even more important: He restores dignity to one of the lowest of the low in His society. A person plagued with disease is viewed as someone who is under punishment from God.  Jesus shows that no: disease, chaos, sin, alienation, shame and hopelessness are part of the old kingdom that His Kingdom will overcome.

When Jesus?

Where Jesus?

One person at a time. 

You. 

Me. 

Those who love and follow the Savior as workers in His fields that are bursting with a bounty of broken souls, ready for a compassionate harvesting.  

Micah has the much the same issue.  Micah is talking about the power and the beauty of a holy God, whose righteousness is never-ending nor never-failing. But everywhere you look in Micah's society, you find: idolatry, corruption, exploitation and compromise.  Micah constantly calls out what is going horribly wrong in the northern kingdom. Micah mourns that justice and righteousness are in short supply, and he doesn't let up on why.

But then we come to chapter 4.  

Listen: 

In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it (4:1)

He is talking abou the restored temple. But he is also alluding to not just the physical one, where heaven and earth meet as you enter the Holy of Holies, but the One where Heaven and earth meet: Jesus Christ. John 1:51 says: “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ [Gen. 28:12] the Son of Man.”

The Son Man and the Son of God.  

But until that glorious day, the people have hope that they will gather once again at the restored temple.  Exile will not last forever.   

Listen: 

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever (4:2-5). 

There is is!  Justice!  Righteousness!  Shalom!  Wisdom!  Taught by God Himself!  "Many nations!"  The words to Abraham of His people being a blessings to the nations will be acted out every day, in and out of the restored temple!

But also we hear echoes of the One to come. 

But the hope for the people of Micah's time will be that one day, they will gather at the temple once more to learn of God and know who He is. 

Did you catch the last part? 

The ultimate restoration of the people then and now will be: 

All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever (4:5) 

No "golden age" brought about by human-ordained wisdom, however well-intentioned it may be.  The Kingdom of God is only made possible by the Son of God and the new hearts of those who choose to love and follow Him.

So, when we walk outside, and see the nations walking after their own "gods," (i.e., made up by us) and hear the cries of the oppressors and the oppressed, we will continue to walk "in His name." 

Our hope?  The mountain of the Lord has a name:  Golgotha. 

In whose name do we walk in?  

Choose and know that either the kingdom of this world or the Kingdom of God will prevail because of our choices.

One person at a time. 

"For What's It's Worth": Looking At Micah's Time and Our Own

I want you to stop a moment, and reflect how Micah's day is really no different from our own. 

The world is in a mess: We are experiencing political chaos; wars and rumors of wars; deep societal divisions on how to fix the problems that beset us; thinking everyone else is wrong, and me/my friends/family/denomination/social group has it all together and everyone else is wrong/stupid/a victim of a conspiracy that they deny exists/ misled/misguided or just plain ignorant of the real issues. 

In summary: We are not moving towards resolution because our common ground is laden with land mines. 

We don't seek it because it blows up in our face every time.  

The '60's rock group, Buffalo Springfield, nailed it in (yes, it was in the Viet Nam era, but a good song escapes its time and keeps ringing true) their song, "For What It's Worth":

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
A-telling me I got to beware.

I think it's time we stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Are getting so much resistance from behind. 

Time we stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down.

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and a-carrying signs
Mostly say hooray for our side. 

It's time we stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down. 

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step out of line, the man come and take you away...

Yes. That song says it all.  

So, back to Micah and his day.  Let's ask some important questions. 

Is every priest corrupt?  Are there some that are horrified at what their fellow priest are doing and saying, but are too afraid to say anything, lest they lose their livelihood?  Do they see "results" (the people look more and more to them for guidance, and the land remains productive and fertile) so they can't completely dismiss the claims made about the pagan gods? Do they wonder if Yahweh can co-exist with the other gods, just that everyone needs to give Him more praise?  Do they wonder if Yahweh is as angry as Micah claims He is, why hasn't His judgement rained down? 

Are the corrupt priests that the only ones that matter, for they wield the most power and have the most influence? 

What about the leaders?

Are they all out for personal gain?  Are there some that are trying to honor Yahweh with what they say and do, but are overridden time and time again by the corrupt leaders?  Are all of them unjust, or are there some who do try to alleviate the plight of the poor, but secretly, so they won't be disdained by their colleagues?  Are there some who try to slip in more compassionate suggestions but find they are out voted time and time again?

Are all the leaders endlessly planning evil, or is just a few but because they are powerful, their few drops of poison are morally debilitating the people?

Are all of the people on board with the ways things are?  Are there people who privately question how their leaders and priests can so brazenly ignore the ways of Yahweh, and are waiting for Him to respond, as Micah is saying He will?  Are some of the people praying for a return to the faith of their fathers and are disgusted/saddened/angry/fearful that those who call themselves the "chosen people" are acting no differently than the pagans?

Are the young people disgusted with the hypocrisy of the leaders/priests/parents/teachers/prophets who say anything goes, despite their scriptures saying otherwise?  Do the young even know their scriptures, or has it been a long time since they sat under a Torah-centered teacher?  Or have they ever? Or do they take a pragmatic approach and decide if it ain't broke, don't fix it?  Are there some who hear the words of Micah and wonder if there is any validity to them? 

Sound familiar? 

What will be people say about our time 50 years from now?  Will they ask: 

Why didn't the people believe His word?  Follow His ways?  Honor Him by honoring each other?  Praise Him with all of their heart, mind and soul? Trusted His Son to transform their hearts and so uphold a society based on principle, not pragmatism?

Or will they ask:

What Word?

What Scriptures?

What are you talking about? 

Jesus?  Who's that?

Or will there be a remnant who will teach/preach/live/adore His word, His ways and His Son?

Pray for that remnant.

Pray to be that remnant. 

The Power of the Judge and the High Priest (Micah 3:8-12)

In Micah's day and in all of the prophets' day, Jesus stands waiting for the day when He will come and  usher in His Father's kingdom.  As Paul puts it, 

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship (Gal. 4:4-5).

Then He came and fulfilled the promise made to the Jewish people:   

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins... Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:1-4; 11-14) [emphasis mine] 

He came to fulfill the promise by God to Abraham:  "And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me." (Gen. 22:18)

The church in Corinth was an example of what the nations so desperately needed: reconciliation to God by the cleansing (once and for all) blood of Jesus:

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) 

I was recently reading Isaiah, whose words are contemporaneous with Micah's: 

The oppressor will come to an end,
and destruction will cease;
the aggressor will vanish from the land.
In love a throne will be established;
in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
one from the house of David—
one who in judging seeks justice
and speeds the cause of righteousness. (Is. 16:4b-5) [emphasis mine] 

Sound familiar? 

The Judge becomes the High Priest to sacrificially create the new heart necessary for human beings to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8)

The Judge could have stayed the Judge and simply expected the people to listen and obey. But without a changed heart, eventually the people would grow weary, cynical and give up or engage in compromise...why?  It's just easier for fallen flesh. 

Or He could have come just as a High Priest, cleansing our hearts and now we just wait for Him to return.

He came as both:  He wants mercy flowing from a new heart and now goes into the world with truth and justice, fashioned and sustained by Him.

Love. Justice. Righteousness. Jesus embodies those qualities and by His blood, imparts them to us:  

But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. (1 Cor. 1:30)

It is in Jesus and upon Him alone that we have the basis for true change: "In fact, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that has been laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:11)

Micah cannot look the other way when justice is perverted and paraded as truth.  He cannot look the other way when those who know better cast restraint away to keep their power and status as leaders.  He cannot look the other way when people are complacent at what is going on, and retreat into a kind of moral inertia:  

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. (3:8) 

Truth hurts. But truth sets us free.  

Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers 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 look for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.” (3:9-11) 

Those who lead must do so as God leads: in righteousness and in truth. If not, the results are catastrophic: 

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. (3:12) 

Jerusalem was soon devastated.  

Should we expect anything less? No, we are not Israel, but God's demands for His justice and righteousness to be implemented through changed hearts still stands. Do we say, "Hey, we are a Christian nation!  God will not let anything bad happen to us."

Really?  

Refiner's Fire

Thank you, dear readers, for your patience.  I like to be consistent in my postings, but having moved cross country from Idaho to Tennessee, it's been a challenge!  

It's interesting to move to a place where the evidence of Christianity is everywhere. Just like in Idaho, there are numerous churches.  In Idaho, it was the LDS church that made its presence greatly felt; here in Tennessee, you find a plethora of Baptist churches.  

People are polite here.  They smile, call you "honey" and have a friendliness that is very endearing.  Idaho used to be like that.  When we first moved there 25 years ago from northern California, it was refreshingly nice.  People looked you in the eye, smiled and said, "hello." I felt we had died and gone to heaven.

Change is inevitable, to be sure, but it's the kind of change that can be discouraging.  Idaho experienced a boom in population that I have never seen before.  After Covid, our state was flooded by people who were disgusted with how their governments handled the epidemic. For some, it was the final straw.  

We came to Idaho after 9/11 caused my husband to lose his job in telecommunications. HP in Boise offered him a job and we are forever grateful to God for opening up that door to us. 

Around 2020, we saw a shift. People no longer looked you in the eye or smiled; they didn't say, "hello" and seemed almost offended if you did. The drivers became more aggressive, bullying you by tailgating and some used the interstate to race other like-minded individuals.

My son-in-law calls the problem a "scarcity of resources."  If we cannot get what we want or need, a certain kind of desperation sets in, and we justify becoming meaner, more aggressive and less caring about other people. I experienced this trying to go to the head of the line at a restaurant, where my husband was waiting, having dropped him off to go and find a parking spot.  The people in front of me would not move, and I had to inch my way around them, despite telling them my husband was up at the front.  They assumed that I was (a) pulling a fast one (b) trying to take their spot, and because the restaurant was crowded, and they'd have to wait even longer, or (c) didn't want to be bothered by me or my request. 

People from states where "dog eat dog" is the norm, politeness is seen as weakness.  Everybody's just trying to survive in those states where taxes are high, everywhere is crowded, housing is expensive and crime is rife. Trust no one and just get it done

Idaho is different.  It is largely faith-based, and people believe that other people matter.  But there is a significant number of people who bring a different value system with them, and it contrasts greatly with what Idaho is all about. 

Tennessee has that same Idaho vibe, but it is much stronger.  

Resources here are not scarce.  Housing is still somewhat affordable, but some of that is changing due to people coming in from out of state with money to spare and that has had some affect on housing prices.  But people are still able to do what they need to, and you don't sense an overwhelming competitive spirit here. 

So.  What does have to do with our focus on God's justice and His prophets, specifically, Micah?

It's easy to be a believer when the larger society agrees with the values you hold.  

When people are polite. 

When they stop for you at the side of the road when you have car trouble.

When they hold the door for you when you are juggling several bags of groceries. 

In other words, it is easy to walk in faith when those around you share a common ground. But what happens when a society shifts into a more self-focused attitude, and people see you as an impediment, not a fellow human being?

That's when you lean into Jesus. More and more.  Longer and longer. In other, words, you can't draw water from society's well, and because it is no longer heathy for your soul, you seek the Living Water.  Often.  Every hour. 

Think of our persecuted brothers and sisters across the world for whom their faith in Christ can cost them their jobs, family and even their lives.

How do they endure?  

They lean into Jesus with all their heart, soul and and spirit. Maybe that is why God in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus' reiteration in the New Testament focuses on the whole person--mind, soul spirit--being totally dependent on God.

Society in Micah's day was careening towards judgement because the people had decided that pagan values were far more advantageous that following Yahweh.  But I suspect there were people in Micah's day who had not walked away and who leaned into Yahweh with everything they had, especially as things deteriorated morally. 

Persecution has the curious habit of separating those who are moral because they are surrounded by like-minded individuals from those who, no matter what is going on around them, depend on God for everything they are, say and do. 

Maybe that is why God allows persecution of His church, for it refines His children's faith into something more precious than gold. His children value Him above all else, and as a result, they radiate His love, kindness and wisdom as they walk in a hostile society. 

People see their joy.  Their hope.  Their willingness to speak the truth in love.  

The Refiner's fire would one day burn as Micah continued to preach. 

The Refiner's fire will burn in our future.

In the meantime, lean into Jesus.  Longer.  Every day, every hour. 

Keep preaching the Gospel, not with fiery speeches, but by radiating Jesus in everything you are, say and do.  

 

Without Vision, The People Perish (Micah 3:3-8)

I have returned!  My family and I have just relocated to Tennessee from Idaho.  We drove five days with two dogs and crossed five states.  Whew.  We are here safe and sound, awaiting for our stuff to arrive to our new house so we can enjoy unpacking billions of boxes (how did we get so much stuff?) and settling in.  I am excited to rejoin you in our discussion of Micah. 

Let's look at Micah 3:3-8:

This is what the Lord says:

“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,
they proclaim ‘peace’
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.

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.

These are not only powerful words, but powerful accusations against those who should know better.  Just as Jesus had kind words for the people, who He saw as sheep without a shepherd, He saw the leaders as rapacious wolves.  

Why?  They knew better--they had His Father's words and knew the Law. 

The nation of Israel has stopped following God's truth, having been seduced to follow their own. Who failed them?  First, their prophets.  

Proverbs 29:18 diagnoses the problem facing the nation of Israel:  "When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. / But whoever obeys the law is joyful."

Why "joyful"?  God's words are meant to give us purpose, identity and hope.

Purpose:  To partner with Him, to bring His light, love and joy to a world drowning in darkness, hatred and hopelessness.

Identity:  We are His children.  We are not accidents, just merely existing until life is over. Or orphans, wandering through this life trying to work it out on our own.

Hope:  Life can be a bait and switch at times.  Life promises you the sun, moon and stars and you find out that they are made of paper maché and are hanging by twine.

But notice what Solomon says that when people do not "accept divine guidance," they "run wild."  Why?  Their flesh, infiltrated with the Fall, leads them to accept lies as truth, because this "truth" justifies what they are already doing.  The people have appropriated pagan values and live under the idea that this is the best way to live. 

But God's law, which does not allow dehumanizing each other; protects the stranger in the land; provides for the poor and the widow; protects slaves; and teaches that dependence on Yahweh is based on His covenant relationship with His people. He honors His commitment to it even when the people fail to honor theirs. 

How does God keep His people on the right path, reminding them of what He expects and how He sees the world? His prophets.

Jesus is the ultimate prophet, for His words are the fulfillment of every utterance the prophets spoke in the Hebrew scriptures.  But until the "fulness of time" when He came to us, the people needed the prophets to keep close to what God revealed through each of them.

So, these prophets in Micah's day come under scrutiny, for their utterances are not honoring God but saying what the people want to hear.  The people are satisfied and the prophets live well.  Their prophetic utterances keep them living large, for they say, "Peace!" in complete contradiction to what God's prophets are saying that judgement is coming to Israel due to their spiritual adultery.  These prophets deceive the people so that they can continue to live well. But woe unto anyone who fails to support their message, threatening their way of life.  

Hey Micah, who do you think you are?  We are doing well.  Doesn't God honor His prophets with blessings?  We are blessed.  We prophesy, the people carry on, life goes on and no one is buying what you are selling about judgment this, and judgment that.  But let us remind you, you upstart, that we have the people's ear, not you.  If you cause any of them to turn away and listen to the likes of you, watch yourself, big boy.  We will go to war and we know who will win.  We have God on our side.  How do we know?  We live well, and all those doomy and gloomy things have not happened.  There is nothing even on the horizon that supports your careless words.  

If you know what's good for you, you will take your marbles and go home. This is not a suggestion.

But God will not be mocked.  Because "His" prophets have deceived the people so they can profit from their words, God will allow the darkness to fall over them. The armies of the enemy will sweep over them as well as the people.  

God would no longer speak through them.  

He sought to inspire them.

But they conspired against Him. 

God did not abandon these prophets.

They abandoned Him.

Micah asserts where his power comes from:  Not the flesh, not the culture, not popularity amongst the people, but from God Himself.  He accepts wherever that may lead, because God's truth is more important than anything else.

Jesus carried on the same prophetic tradition of holding fast to truth, despite consequences, when he confronted Pilate:

Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” (John 18:37)

LIke Micah, who spoke with "justice and might," Jesus was Himself Justice and Might, come in the flesh, to set us back on the right path and show us what it means to walk in His Father's ways. And like Micah, we are empowered by His Spirit.

Paul's words to Timothy still ring true:

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. (2 Tim. 4:2-4)

Three Strikes (Kings) and You're Out: Micah in Context

Context is everything when you study the Word. Let's put Micah in his context:

Micah prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham (750–735 B.C.), Ahaz (735–715), and Hezekiah (715–687). This was about the same time as Hosea and Isaiah, though Micah may have served somewhat later. The length of Micah’s public activity may have been about 20 to 25 years. [1]

I find it fascinating that God is speaking through Micah to both Samaria (northern kingdom) and Jerusalem (in the southern kingdom of Judah), extorting His people to turn away from sin and live. 

Funny how, when we read Scripture, we read the words of a prophet and think, BAM! the words come true very quickly, with chaos and destruction raining down in a mighty and inexorable way. We think,

Wow, God didn't give them a chance, did He?  His prophets speak and down comes judgment. God seems to be more into judgment than mercy and grace.  But that's the Old Testament for you. God is angry and ready to let destruction happen, but in the New Testament, God is filled with love and mercy for all of us.

Not true.  

First of all, the God of the OT is God the Father of Jesus in the NT.  Would Jesus have taken this position of God being of a different mindset than the One He called, "Father"? 

The NT wasn't even written until many years after He ascended to heaven; He read and used Scripture to illuminate all things He taught about God, mercy, judgement, compassion, justice and righteousness. The OT was the only scripture Jesus read; the God He read about was His Father and the One who sent Him to seek and save those who were lost. 

Consider that Micah speaks for 20-25 years.  

That is a long time to warn and invite repentance. 

That is not God warning His people and then judging them in a heartbeat when they don't respond. 

Let's look at the kings that Micah is engaged with, and maybe that will give us some context. Let's briefly look at Jotham. 

According to 2 Chronicles 27:2:

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the Lord. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices.

OK.  We have a good king of Judah, and one who remains loyal to God.  But his people continue to engage in idolatry. Sadly, the king's example was not enough to remind the people that following and being obedient to Yahweh is what the covenant is all about and leads to a just society.  

But 2 Kings 15:35 tells us why his example was not sufficient:  

The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.

Justice is compromised here when we read these two simple but telling sentences.  

If the leader is moral, sets a positive example and leads with justice and mercy that is born out of a character molded by a transcendent code of right and wrong, the people under him or her will benefit personally and societally. 

If a leader fails to reform the society in which the people are spiraling down, by allowing them to access the very things that are destroying themselves and the nation, then that leader is being unjust. 

You can be personally good but if you are watching others destroy themselves by engaging in dehumanizing and enslaving actions, you have perverted justice. 

So, King Jotham fails the Just Leader Profile.  Building a gate is not enough.  

Next up, Ahaz: 

Despite Jotham’s godly example, his son Ahaz proved to be a wicked king. [2]

2 Kings 16:3 tells us the repugnant story:

He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

Did Ahaz crave the popular support of his people? Did he want them to see him as part of their world,  not standing aloof in some self-righteous-Yahweh-supporting way? Did he feel the same pull towards the gods and their demands, desiring the "power" they could give him, and considered the ways of the covenant outdated and ineffective?

Who knows?  But he gave his people's actions respectability because he joined in: 

Look at the King!  He gets it!  We like this guy!  Yeah, he is picked by Yahweh, but we know where he gets his power from!

King Ahaz enters the Hall of  Shame with flying colors. 

Finally, let's consider one more king who tried to turn back the tide: Hezekiah. 

2 Chronicles 29:2 says, 

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.

Was Samaria watching this sad parade of the pendulum swing of the good/bad/good kings of Judah?  More to the point, did they think,

Hey, despite all this, even to the point of hucking your kid into the fire--we do that too, you know--Yahweh didn't do anything!  You'd think He would have rained fire and brimstone on Ahaz's head, but nope.  Nothing. Oh well. Let's not worry about it.  Let's not listen to that dope Micah. 

Yahweh doesn't either care, or that prophet is making a bigger deal about what we do than even Yahweh does.  He's letting Judah carry on, even to the point where Ahaz won a battle against his enemies! C'mon!

Micah keeps speaking.

The people keep sinning.

The kings keep going back and forth.

But, at the core of it all, Judah and Samaria perverted justice by not holding fast to the covenant. They may have seen God's "inaction" (but He was acting through His prophets) as a kind of rubber stamp of either approval or He was simply being indifferent. 

Either way, the God of the OT was just in that He reminded them of what His covenant meant: by honoring Him, they honored each other. 

The clock was ticking, and Micah, along with Isaiah and Amos [3], reminded the people: 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The opposite is equally true: 

  

If my people, who are called by my name, do not humble themselves and do not pray and do not seek my face and refuse to turn from their wicked ways, then I will judge from heaven, and I will repudiate their their sin and will take away their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14--modified version)

Those words still ring true. 

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/when-was-Micah-written.html

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/King-Ahaz.html

[3] https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/3-things-micah

 

Should You Not Know Justice (Micah 3:1-4)

We just read how the Lord will deliver His people--"the remnant of Israel"--and how He will lead them.  He will "bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture."  

The shepherd lovingly cares for his sheep, by providing them with safety, guidance and protection. This metaphor for the people of Israel is very comforting to them, when they hear Micah proclaim it. It silences, for a moment, the dire predictions of what's to come, due to their disobedience and idolatry. 

It reminds them, though they will be exiled abroad, He is faithful and will allow a remnant to return to the land. 

But the prophet cannot just speak of that day. Why not focus on the Hollywood ending of restoration, returning and rejoicing?

Because injustice is going on right now, and needs to be addressed. The people must address it, not to  get them out of what's to come (it will have that effect, but it should not be the people's only motivation) but because it's the right thing to do. It honors Yahweh, the covenant and the mission of Israel to be a blessing to all nations, just as the Lord had proclaimed to Abraham.

Here is the injustice that inflames the ire of the prophet, and the One he speaks for:

Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders of Jacob,
   you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace 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?” (3:1-3)

The shepherds have become ravenous wolves.  Instead of honoring the one true Shepherd, they prey upon the very people they are to keep safe, guide and protect. They fail to embrace justice, which means they exploit the weak, care not a wit for the poor, ignore the marginalized and see society as one big banquet table, set solely for the purpose of satiating their appetite for power and wealth.  

They hate good, because it gets in the way of their self-centered ways and demands that they see other people not only as fellow human beings, but must treat them accordingly.

They love evil because it gives full rein to the flesh, because controlling the flesh implies there is a  right and wrong. 

By tearing away their flesh metaphorically, the leaders dehumanized the people.  The people are no longer seen as individuals but as a nameless, faceless mass whose only purpose is to make the rich richer. 

Then once they have torn them apart, the leaders throw the people into a pot. The people slowly simmer away, unrecognizable as people of the covenant. 

The leaders have become an exclusive group, who laugh and mock the very covenant of Yahweh by their actions.   

But as the leaders sit down and feast, the doors will fly open and an invading army will pull them from their chairs and treat them with brutality and contempt. Micah sets the scene:

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. (3:4)

Where does the abuse of justice begin?  From a study of history, it begins at the top, where power is plentiful to perpetrate the injustice.  Think of it this way: Hitler was either an antisemite before coming to Vienna, or he became one.  Either way, at most, he could have terrorized only a small number of Jewish people in the streets of Vienna.  Antisemitism was rife there.  He could have even enlisted some friends or followers to help him.

But he worked his way into the German government, and armed with a large number of followers, and with all of the power he needed at his disposal, he was able to wage war on Europe and on the Jewish people. He used his power to convince his nation that the Jews and other "undesirables" had to go.  The people allowed him to carry out his reconstructing of German society, based on the idea of the Master Race.  Justice was solely what the Nazis said it was.    

Leaders have power because the people have, in some way, consented to give it to them. In our modern era, elections provide the consent. Think of our Declaration of Independence and how it states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

This is a radical approach to how people rule others. The power to rule is given by the people to other people; the people's rights are not dependent on the leaders giving them out. The people's rights are given to them by God, not by a government, who can capriciously take them away.

Our founding fathers knew how accountability for those in power was essential.   

Yahweh gave His people their "rights": to be blessed by Him; to multiply and become like the grains of sand; to have the land; to become a great nation; to have Him as their God and they would be His people and to see these blessings poured out on succeeding generations. But, He could also take these rights away if they disobeyed.  

Clearly, when you listen to the prophets, you see that the one thing He demanded of His people was justice, and when the leaders dishonored Him by being unjust with the people, He acted. 

The leaders not only set the tone for the nation, but gave idolatrous behavior a respectable patina, so the people feel they can do likewise, with no consequences

Looking again at our example of Hitler:  If a few people follow an unjust leader, only those few would be affected.  But if that leader joined others and they have a great amount of power and influence, they can bring a whole nation into error and disobedience.

Justice becomes then a kind of litmus test of how the leaders are doing. 

The northern kingdom of Israel is failing the test. 

It's Not About Breaking a Rule; It's About Restoring a Relationship (Micah 2:12-13)

We have been studying the ominous words of Micah to the northern kingdom of Samaria.

Let's review what they have done to warrant the prophet to speak out against them and admonish them unapologetically for their behavior. 

The transgression of Samaria is idolatry.  The people have erected temples where idols are worshipped. Why is this so abhorrent to God?  Because false gods lead to false worship and false worship leads to wrong action. And not just wrong in a morally abstract way; it is allowing the flesh full rein, to the point where the flesh decides what is right and wrong. 

How can broken determine brokenness?

How can evil fully assess the true nature of evil?

How can the lost read the moral road map and find a way home?

How can chaos conquer chaos? 

Idolatry is really placing gods on a pedestal that fully reflect what humanity thinks is the truth. The idols are lies and the value system they promote is as well.   

Micah goes on to accuse the wealthy of stealing from the poor and listening to false prophets.

Why not steal? Who cares about the poor? Who cares what people preach?  

Human nature is on full display when the human heart is untethered to God's value system. Paul gives us an unflattering laundry list of the flesh in all its wretched glory: 

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God (5:19-21). 

He also describes how people behave when a society has abandoned all pretense of following God, that will characterize the end times, but also repeats through history: 

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

This is a brilliant description of idolatry. 

The society that results from the worship of the self is destructive and cruel.

But God is not standing there, wagging His finger because people have broken the rules.  He is standing there wanting us to repent, because the sin of worshipping the self ultimately breaks the relationship between His children and Himself. 

Think of the father of the prodigal son.  He could have lectured his son, upon the son's return, about all of the rules he broke and why each one was wrong.  Yes, there were consequences from the young man's sin (the older brother is the saddest casualty) but the father celebrated his son's return and repentance, because the relationship between them was restored.

Return.

Repentance. 

Restoration.  

That is why God had His prophets preach. 

Look what God says to His people after He has been very specific about their behavior and how it deeply offends Him: 

Someday, O Israel, I will gather you;
I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again
be filled with noisy crowds!
Your leader will break out
and lead you out of exile,
out through the gates of the enemy cities,
back to your own land.
Your king will lead you;
the Lord himself will guide you. (2:12-13)

God has Micah describe the people's sin, but then He has him speak about a day of coming home: 

Return, not exile.

Repentance, not rejection.  

Restoration, not rebuke. 

Relationship, not rules.

Why?  Because when you love God and I mean truly love Him, you want to obey Him.  You humble yourself and He raises you up and wraps that robe around you and puts sandals on your feet.

The self enslaves and leaves you ragged and empty. 

Thus, the words of the prophets.

Thus, the words of the Prophet to come who will undergird His words with a willingness to die a horrible death, all for our restoration. 

 

 

   

It's All About the Sin (Micah 2:8-13)

We are listening to Micah speak for God about the false prophets that come and seduce the people into thinking that sin has no real consequences.  

But what if we knew that the sin we were about to embark upon did have consequences?  

If the man who is drinking at the bar, knew that in 30 minutes after leaving, he would hit and kill two teenagers with his car, would he stop, order no more drinks and wait in his car until he felt sober?

If a man, who is screaming at his wife, knew that in 30 minutes after chasing her into the kitchen, he would grab a knife off the counter and plunge it into her back, would he stop, go outside for a long walk and wait until his anger abated?  

Does knowing something for sure the only way we can grasp the consequence of sin? 

Or would we, with this startling revelation of assured consequences, still deny its truth and say, 

But I wouldn't do that!  I am not the kind of person!  I might think about it, but I wouldn't do it!  

Or someone, dismissive of the weight of the sin might say,

Oh, c'mon!  You are making too big a deal out of this!  It's not that bad.  The vast number of people are doing it, so are you saying they're all wrong?

Whatever the reaction, people will not admit that they are breaking God's moral code. They are either too "good" to do that, or what they are doing does not constitute a big sin.  A little one, maybe, but not the big ones out there.  

But James zeroes in on the heart of the matter:  

You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy. (4:4)

Micah says that the people, unwilling to believe that God will bring judgment, keep acting in sinful ways. If we do not listen to what God tells us, we become an enemy to Him. The word "enemy" in Hebrew means, "one who hates." [1]

Lately my people have risen up
like an enemy. (v.8) 

Sounds harsh? 

Think about it.  If you are an enemy of God, you hate His people, His ways, His prophets and His truth.  In the Israelites' effort to be friends to the pagan world around them, they have become enemies of God.  They wouldn't see it that way, because they would justify their sin, but their actions would speak volumes:  

You strip off the rich robe
from those who pass by without a care,
like men returning from battle.
You drive the women of my people
from their pleasant homes.
You take away my blessing
from their children forever.(8-9) 

You are acting like a conquering army, who takes whatever it wants from people.  You don't care that, because of your greed, you steal from your fellow Israelites.  Worst of all, you fail to teach your children the richness and blessings of the covenant.  They live and die not knowing who they truly are. 

God tells them, in no uncertain terms, what state Israel is in:  

10 Get up, go away!
For this is not your resting place,
because it is defiled,
it is ruined, beyond all remedy. (10)

Why?  Because the people do not want the truth.  

Truth is not condemnation.  It is liberation.  Deception drives people deeper and deeper into more deception, and soon people have utterly lost their way.  They are then vulnerable to suggestion and become even more willing to listen to falsehood. 

Then false prophets says exactly what the people want to hear, and thus the people go deeper into deception:   

If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’
that would be just the prophet for this people! (11) 

Paul will address this in his day and warns Timothy what a false teacher does and why people gather around him: 

There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will collect teachers who say what they want to hear because they are self-centered. (2 Tim. 4:3) 

Self-centered.

Greedy.

Unwilling to admit a departure from God's moral code.

Teachers who tell lie after lie, and have no trouble attracting followers.

Sounds like the northern kingdom of Israel. 

Sounds like us.  

[1] https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/enemy/

 

It's All About the Spin (Micah 2:6-7)

I was on vacation!  Glad to be back and looking forward to diving into the book of Micah!

Paul, a man completely immersed in the river of the Hebrew Scriptures, may have been echoing what Micah (and many of the prophets, such as Jeremiah) had said of the people of Samaria when he wrote to Pastor Timothy about the people in his day: 

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim. 4:3 NIV).  

The Message says it this way: 

You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.

Micah takes direct aim at the utter nonsense the "prophets" are saying. He knows that this nonsense has a deadly sting:  The people will justify their actions by what these "prophets" are saying and not look any deeper.  Why?  The message fits with what they already believe.

They can now point and say, 

See!  God is totally fine with what we are doing. His prophets are saying so!  Why should we then listen to that naysayer, Micah?  He's the odd man out--he's the false prophet.  Those men of God all agree.  Majority rules, huh?

So what are these men saying that is so seductive to their hearts?  Micah tells us:

“Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.

“Do not prophesy about these things;
disgrace will not overtake us.” (2:6)

Well, that sounds comforting.  The people are boasting: 

Nothing bad will happen, and we will continue to walk tall as God's people.

What?  You are God's people and yet you act no differently than those around you who could care less about Yahweh?  It's "God's people" when it suits you and is easy, but when that siren call of sin beckons, then away you go, and your part of the covenant--obedience and devotion--goes by the wayside. 

Now, the argument against Micah's kind of prophetic utterances heats up:

You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
“Does the Lord become impatient?
Does he do such things?” (v.7) 

The people are knee-deep in the "we're the chosen!" pride, even though their actions are quite the opposite from what that "chosen" label looks like. 

The people are probably thinking: 

C'mon, Micah.  God doesn't do the kind of things you say He does.  He's, well, God, and He doesn't lose His temper and come down in judgement, striding across the hills like you say He will.  We know God better than you do. You know why?  Yeah, this pagan thing has been going on for a while, and guess what?  Nothing's happened!  So if Yahweh is as torqued sith us as you say He is, then we'd all be like goats in a landslide--buried ten feet under His wrath, with no way out. So there.  

But if you are still willing to listen to the words of the prophets--those who are called by God, to speak for God--then His words will cut you to the quick and repentance, not pride, will be your reaction.  In other words, the messages of the prophets are meant to redirect the people's attention back to a holy God.  

God's words are balm to the soul that has lost its way.  Micah says, 

“Do not my words do good

to the one whose ways are upright?" (v.7)

Micah echoes Isaiah's words:

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (55:6-11)

God's words are the truth.  That is one of many reasons Jesus is the Word of God.  He is the Truth. What He said is both the words of God and He embodies those very words, giving us life in His name. 

No spin. Straight up truth.

Refreshing to those who are thirsty.

Disgusting to those who are disobedient.