Micah. Who Has Failed? Chapter 3:1-12

Transcription

1 Micah Who Has Failed? Chapter 3:1-12 I was doing some channel surfing Wednesday and stopped at Odyssey. They are rerunning the old Moonlighting series. The episode was the 3-D one so whipping out an old pair of glasses I had handy, I had to watch. What I found very intriguing was one of the arguments between David and Maddie. He was amazed that she didn t believe in God. This discussion went on for a couple of minutes. At the end of the program he told her that he had prayed for her and she expressed that she wasn t totally closed to the possibility God existed. This show was popular a number of years ago. Can you imagine a popular comedy today where the lead is concerned that someone doesn t believe in God? How far we have fallen in such a short time. The question is Where does the problem start? Why does a nation go down the tubes? Throughout history we find nations, once having been great civilizations, disappearing from the stage. Babylon, Greece, Rome, etc. have gone and some feel we too are headed in this same direction. Is the problem simply one of time and the certainty that no position of power can last forever? Is the predicament due to environmental conditions that cause economies to shift and therefore collapse? Or, is the dilemma one of a social change which causes a nation that was focused outwardly to become overly self-confident and narcissistic? Then again maybe it has something to do with the relationship between a nation and God. Many feel this nation has been blessed in part because it had a commitment to at least a Judaic-Christian ethic and to the support of the nation Israel. These same individuals would say that as we move away from these positions, we as a nation will be destined to extinction. True or false, our concern has to focus on how are we to stand for the Lord in this nation, strong or weak; standing or falling. Where does the problem start? Why does a nation go down the tubes? Who has failed? Micah s first message made it clear God was placing the major responsibility for the fall of both Israel and Judah in the hands of the government. Keep in mind the governments of these nations were unique in that there was no distinction between their civil and the religious components. God s will was directly tied to all aspects of government and this is why He could lay the spiritual failure directly at the feet of those in power. I LEADERSHIP & JUSTICE Verses 1 4 II PROPHETS & BLINDNESS Verses 5 7 III MICAH & VISION Verses 8 12 In his second message, which continues through chapter 5, Micah expanded on the responsibilities of those who claimed to speak for God and the results of their revolt against Him. In

2 chapter 3 the focus in on the failures of and charges against the judges, the prophets and the leadership in general. In the next section Micah spells out what the proper characteristics of the kingdom should and will be. In the last part of the message he reveals what the true leader, the coming Messiah, will be like. The second message then is a study in contrasts. First is the failed kingdom and its leaders. Second is God s coming kingdom and His leader; The Millennium and the Messiah! This second message also needs to serve as an example in contrasts for us. We will see the call of Micah, to speak out for God and against the wisdom of the day, is the same call for us. We have to decide if we are willing to speak out the truth in love to a world and to individuals who don t want to hear it anymore than Israel or Judah wanted to hear it from Micah. The message, then and now is for mankind to repent and there will be restoration continue with the status quo and all that will come is judgment. Micah needs to be an example for us of a courageous individual who was willing to give out God s message. Verses 1-4: While the first part of this message is a description of the sins of the false leaders and prophets and their coming judgment, it should also be a source of comfort to the believer. As we see so much failure and sin in Christendom, we must remember the Lord is in control and He will not allow His name to be abused with impunity. The day is coming when those who claim His name, but actually take it in vain, will reap the results of their choices. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7: 21-23). Ralph Smith notes: The addresses of this oracle are the heads and leaders of Israel. These heads and leaders were not kings or priests but officials who functioned as judges in the city gates. They were most likely professional judges or rulers who served to decide legal matters on a local level. 1 The message begins with the rhetorical question: Shouldn t those who sin against the Lord expect Him to give justice? Using some extreme imagery Micah makes it clear that as far a God is concerned the leaders instead of caring for their charges are living off them. They are pictured as cannibals. The language is extremely violent here. Martin notes: Micah likened the unjust leaders to hunters who killed and ate God s people, who were supposed to be under their care. The leaders were so harsh that they were not satisfied with tearing off the skin and eating the flesh. They even chopped up their bones as if they were preparing a stew. 2 When the judgment comes these judges may cry out but they can expect no help from God. Those who should have exercised justice in the name of a just God had become the unjust. As they have abused the people so they will be abused. 1 Smith, Ralph L., Word Biblical Commentary, "Micah-Malachi, Word Books, 1984, pg.31 2 Martin, John A., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Volume 1, Micah, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL., 1986, p ) 14 (

3 They cried for help, but there was none to save, Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them (Psalm 18:41). Verses 5-7: Micah, having done with the judges, moves on to the prophets, probably his personal frustration area. Remember Micah feels for the people and his responsibility. His charges include the idea that these sins are carried out against his people. It seems, while his prophecies are from God, they are clearly given in his own words. Again the message is: God is especially concerned about those who claim to speak for Him, while teaching that which is in direct contradiction to His will. It seems of great import for men to have God s approval for their sin. This is why we find a tendency among certain theologians to hold a position that scripture isn t against homosexuality. If this was true it would then allow them to practice their lifestyle with impunity, with a clear conscience. It appears from Micah s charges the prophets had apparently become quite commercial. They decimated whatever message was desired if the price was right. And these men apparently were really prophets, but had sold out. So Micah declared God would remove their gift. No longer would they see visions, nor would they hear the word of the Lord. Somehow their loss would become generally known by the populace at large, and where they were once renowned for their words, now they will be rejected and cast out. Verses 8-12: Micah also contrasts himself with the false prophets. While they will no longer hear from God and therefore can t prophecy, he continues to speak forth. His words aren t for sale. Instead he persisted in speaking out against the sins of Israel and Judah. He warned of God s coming judgment. He noted he spoke by the power of the Holy Spirit and with God s justice and might. The prophet who served was the one who could say with Paul: Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). Open warfare has now been declared between Micah and the other prophets. Finally, Micah didn t want anyone to feel left out, so he spoke again to the leaders of Israel at large. He again spelt out the charges. First the leaders abused their positions, dispensing trouble and suffering instead of justice. Their power, their capital was built on bloodshed and sin. Everything was for sale. The leaders sold justice, the priests teaching and the prophets, "fortunes. All those who should have been sold on God had simply sold out. The worst thing of all though was the continued claim of dependency on the Lord and his presence amongst them. The leadership constantly reassured the nation God would never allow a disaster. They probably counted on the promises of occupancy of the land, but ignored the fact that while the land would always belong to Israel, its occupancy was conditional upon obedience to the Lord. ) 15 (

4 Micah warned them they couldn t depend on God to prevent disaster. In fact because of their sin it was the Lord who was sending destruction. Disaster was coming and Jerusalem would soon be totally devastated, leveled and overgrow with weeds. Not a popular message, right? And so under Nebuchadnezzar and later under Rome the city and the temple were destroyed. God was no longer going to be patient with His people. The only way restoration could come is if the nation understood it couldn t sin without having to face the consequences. The situation for God was essentially the same as for any parent. Children ask two questions: Am I loved? and Can I get away with it? It is the job of parents to teach them that yes, they are loved and no, they can t get away with it. These most important things a parent must teach and this is what God was preparing to teach Israel. They could no longer get away with sin. There are always consequences to one s actions! But God was also saying I love you, for if you repent I will restore you! With the warning came the promise and it is the promise we will examine over the next two weeks. Conclusion: There are two things that we can take from the first part of this second message. First Christendom needs to wake up to the need to repent and return to the call God has given! Much too frequently the church has sold out God to its own agenda. Christ gave primarily one command to those who claimed to follow His name. Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20). Now this command gives the church tremendous freedom to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, try to stop abortion and bring the world s attention to abuses, but while all of these things are appropriate, none are to overshadow the primary purpose of the church, to lead men to the Lord and help them grow and mature spiritually. And, when the agenda of the church becomes primarily political, or power focused, or oriented on material prosperity, then the call is to repentance or God will judge. The reason the church is so powerless is with the loss of a Biblical focus comes the loss of its strength, the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray Christendom will repent and return to the Lord and that where we have the opportunity that we will speak out to its sin. And it is this that brings us to the second lesson of the passage and that is the distinction between those who claim the name of God and those who actually have it. As believers we are commanded to be fearless before men, willing to speak out as God leads depending on Him for the strength. Just as was the case with Micah, the call is to speak for the Lord, not to be concerned with the results. Paul s words to Timothy are applicable to both Micah and us: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will ) 16 (

5 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:1-4). Micah was willing to go before his colleagues and accuse them of being disobedient to the very God they were claiming to represent. As a prophet, he accused the other prophets of selling out. This certainly wouldn t endear him to his co-workers. But his main concern wasn t for them, but for the people that they were leading astray. Many of us may not have the opportunity to speak out to the leaders of Christendom that are leading men astray, but as with Micah, we must learn to love and care for the people of God. We must be willing to speak out, in love, and to endeavor to assist in the sinner s restoration to the path that God has chosen. This is not always easy or comfortable. There is frequently a cost. I had a best friend once! This young woman claimed to be a believer, and who knows she very well might be. Anyway, she married an unbeliever and over time there were major problems with the marriage. I recognized that her pain and her problems were real, but I tried to help her understand divorce wasn t an option available to her. I did what ever I could to give her options for helping the marriage. She wanted out. She got out. As a result, because she knew I wouldn t approve, she stopped our friendship. I cared enough about her to not want to see her pay the price her sin would demand and so I spoke out. The cost was our friendship. Micah s message to us is, Just how serious are you about your faith. It seems to me the Lord is preparing all of us for a work that will entail us taking stands that could be costly for us. But He is here, just as He was for Micah, to carry us through whatever is to come. The hardest thing we have to do as Christians is to trust God daily for our lives, whether it is for our needs or for our ministry. It was a struggle for me to make the decision to leave the medical field for the ministry, not so much because I was afraid of the ministry, but because the move didn t seem reasonable. We had a good financial situation, because I could make good money, and to quit necessitated depending on God for our needs. This may sound theologically sound but when you have to live it out it doesn t always seem so reasonable. But trust is what is demanded, if we are to be willing to stand for God no matter what the cost. We each need to examine our lives and see where God is calling us to stand firm for Him, even if it is in opposition to those around us. We need to live in the practice of dependency on Him so when the time comes we will be able to stand firm. We are more blessed than Micah, for while he spoke through the power of the Holy Spirit, he did not have the opportunity for same the kind of close relationship that comes to us as God s children and joint heirs with Christ through His completed work on the cross. Through the resurrection power available to us and the support and accountability we can provide each other, we can stand firm for the Lord no matter what the circumstances. Let us pray we will go to Him and come to each other when we need the strength and support to be ) 17 (

6 obedient. Praise the Lord that unlike Micah we don t have to feel we are standing all alone before an hostile world. Praise the Lord we have a personal relationship with the Lord and each other It is important that we, just as Micah, recognize we are called to a specific task, to speak of God s judgment and restoration. God has clearly called out the local body to a ministry of restoration, of carrying out the great command, reaching others with the message of salvation and then providing an environment in which true spiritual growth can occur. We each have the responsibility to pray for our body and to work with the Lord to grow in our own relationship with Him so we will be willing and prepared to serve Him in whatever He requires. These are times of challenge and maybe even some trepidation, but also times of joy and comfort. I pray we can bring the truth of a relationship with God to all whom God places in our path! The message of God isn t always given as He intends! Who has failed? This isn t our concern. Our concern is the joy of being dependent on the Lord and the success such faith and trust will bring. ) 18 (

7 Micah Who Has Failed? Chapter 3:1-12 I LEADERSHIP & JUSTICE Verses 1 4 II PROPHETS & BLINDNESS Verses 5 7 III MICAH & VISION Verses 8 12 A. False Judges: (Matthew 7: 21-23; Psalm 18:41) B. False Prophets: C. A True Prophet: (Galatians 1:10)

8 D. The Call to Repent: (Matthew 28:18-20) E. Professor versus Possessor: (2 Timothy 4:1-4) F. Walking in Faith Personal Application: How can I see myself in context of the local body as a minister of God s message of salvation or His judgment? Do I see myself as blessed by being part of the work of advancing God s kingdom? Prayer for the Week: Father, help me to live the truth of my blessings in being part of the local community called out by You to advance Your kingdom. In the King s name, amen.