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.