MPC 6th June 2004.Micah 2, 3 - "True or False"
Maurie Cropper MPC 6th June 2004.
Traveling through India in the early seventies brought me in touch with people who were very interested in buying my Australian passport. I was flabbergasted. I guess I was pretty naive.
Apart from watching James Bond movies as a kid I'd never considered the possibility that someone would actually want to take my identity, and pretend to be me.
It didn't take me long to realise that there was a market for bought or stolen passports. A fact rammed home to me when we came across an Italian guy in Delhi who was totally out of it from taking drugs. He was in the market place, sitting at a table with his head hanging and rolling from side to side, with his eyes only partially open. Surviving on cups of sweet tea he got through begging. He had no money, and his sole possessions were the clothes he was wearing and a book. He'd sold his passport long ago.
So someone else was getting around on a false passport pretending to be an Italian.
In today's bible reading the prophet Micah accuses certain people with being pretenders. Namely, false prophets and false leaders. And the primary reason for Micah's charges against the prophets and leaders was because of their disobedience against God for not upholding God's standards.
Micah points the finger at those who have benefited most from the wealth that had flowed into the land. Wealth that was concentrated in the hands of a few, and they were using it for their own selfish ends. These people were in positions of power and influence. And they went to great lengths to make sure that no-one got in their way.
The newly rich had more money than they knew what to do with. And their new found wealth had come on the backs of those with less power and less means. They were unscrupulous in achieving their aims, even to the extent of seizing property and defrauding people of their inheritances.
Have a look at the opening verses.
Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.
Micah doesn't name them. He rather describes them. Bit like, if the cap fits, wear it! Yet his description makes this point clear. That divine punishment will come upon them.
God is very deliberate in his intervention to punish those who've wronged others. And Micah's not simply concerned about the gap between rich and poor, or about the cruelty and injustice that's happening.
For Micah, it's a spiritual problem.
Those who should have known better, the prophets and leaders, have alienated themselves from God and are leading the people astray!
Their outward actions reflect their total disregard for God's commandments given to their forefathers.
And this is how it was for their forefathers who diligently passed on the baton to them. Listen to how clear it was for them.
I'm reading from Deuteronomy 26:16:
The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.
So what Micah is facing is a generation of prophets and leaders that have turned their back on God.
AND HE HAD A MESSAGE FOR THEM!
He begins by listing off their wrongs.
Then he spells out what's going to happen to them.
In the original Hebrew language, Micah begins with the word 'Alas'. It's a word full of irony. The "Woe" that's printed in the NIV bible has more of a sense of cursing, like 'woe betide you'.
Whereas the cry "Alas" was originally a funeral lament! A lament at the time of the burial.
So in essence, Micah is saying: 'Like a coffin, your fate is sealed! This is your obituary you're listening to. You'd better get serious about what God is saying.'
Listen to what Micah says as he lists off the wrongs.
1 Woe [Alas] to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.
And here's God's response:
Therefore, the LORD says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity. In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: 'We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.' "
And if it wasn't already obvious, I reckon that Micah's use of the word traitor is a clear reference to people from within God's community. They've violated God's requirements. They've coveted and seized land, and defrauded people within their own community.
Talking of fraud, have you heard about the scientists who've recently patented a way of preventing certain fraud from happening? They've developed a document that you lick, then seal in an envelope. As I understand it, you place one in your will, and you give one to your benefactor. And after you die, both envelopes are opened and it's confirmation that the benefactor is who they claim to be. It's claimed to be DNA tamper-proof.
Well, DNA technology wasn't around in Micah's time. A person belonging to God's community, especially someone in leadership, was simply meant to be trusted.
But Micah shows that rich oppressors weren't the only ones defrauding people. They had their supporters. Namely those who claimed to be prophets speaking in the name of the Lord, but in fact they spoke a very different message.
The false prophets wanted to silence Micah. He was too critical of the influential people and groups that the false prophets depended on to maintain them in a life they were accustomed to. Whereas the false prophets wanted to reinforce the prevailing optimism that the present prosperity would never end. But not Micah.
Being prosperous is so attractive. It was in Micah's time and it still is today. And as in Micah's day, even God's people are sucked into wanting it. And unfortunately, for some preachers it's the main thing they focus on.
At times it's difficult to distinguish whether Micah's words are a personal comment, or part of his prophecy from God. Either way, they express their mutual disgust and contempt for the false prophets.
Pick it up in chapter 2, verse 8. Micah's referring to the false prophets when he says:
Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. 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. Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
And Micah has this to say to those who are being sucked in by the false prophets:
11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people!
Then there's a change of tack.
But before we look at these couple of verses jump down to chapter 3.
Because just in case they didn't hear it the first time, Micah once again rebukes the leaders and the prophets who are dishing up false hope.
In verses 1 to 3 Micah compares the leaders with the shepherd of chapter 2:12 & 13. In fact Micah's making the point that the leaders are meant to be like the shepherd. It's a very vivid picture. Micah sees the people as sheep and the leaders as their shepherd. But unlike the true shepherd who would even lay his life on the line for his sheep, these leaders have perverted the Lord's justice. To the point where they, as it says in verse 2, "hate good and love evil". And as a consequence, their sheep have become their dinner!
Pick it up at verse 1.
Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know 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?
Leaders who have no sense of justice or compassion, and don't put the needs of their flock before their own, are not the sort of leaders that God wants to lead his people.
And when leaders of God's people take advantage of the people in such a callous manner, they can't expect to receive help from God when they get into trouble. Verse 4... "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."
So Micah's saying, when the invasion comes, you leaders won't get any help from God, and neither will you prophets who've preached so much about prosperity and peace that they reckon will go on forever!
Verse 5. This is what the Lord says:
As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, then they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not [get fed], they prepare to wage war against him. 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.
This is a big wake-up call for everyone! For the leaders and false prophets to change their ways. And for the people to change their leaders and prophets. Don't follow them or listen to them, says Micah.
In 3:11 the leaders are saying: "No disaster will come upon us."
What's Micah's response? 3:12 "...Zion will be plowed like a field. Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble and the temple hill [will become] a mound overgrown with thickets."
To follow leaders like that, to listen to prophets like that is disastrous!
So how were the people to tell the difference between these false leaders and prophets, and a real one?
Well, Micah tells us. And while it's a description of himself, he's not being conceited, he's simply declaring the credentials of a true leader of prophet. And what are they? The text tells us.
Follow along with me in 3:8. "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." Along with his power and strength that comes from the "Spirit of the Lord", he practices doing "justice", and he's willing to declare when people do wrong, and in doing so, rebel against God.
The true leader of God's people mightn't like confronting anyone who's are doing the wrong thing, but they won't shirk from their responsibility as shepherds... to address the situation.
It's one of the tough things of being a leader, and I could say that no-one knew that better than Micah.
But don't get too hooked on focusing on Micah the person.
Let's turn back to chapter two verse 12 & 13.
In verse 12 there's a shift in Micah's message from doom and destruction, to the promise of deliverance. His previous message of judgment was for those who have turned away from God.
Now he has a message of hope for those who remain faithful to God.
It might be only a remnant, but Micah wants them to hear that hope is coming their way.
And while God is speaking through Micah, telling his listeners that as a remnant they'll be saved, he's prophecy is also referring to a time yet to come. A time when another shepherd will come, and I quote from verse 13, "and [will] go before them". And if you haven't made the connection yet, God says it is He Himself who'll be that shepherd. Verse 12, "I will surely gather you... I will bring the remnant together... I will bring my sheep together".
And in fact in a later time period, there is someone else who describes himself as a shepherd. A shepherd who, like any true shepherd, will even give up his life to protect his sheep.
And if you haven't already guessed... it's of course, Jesus.
Turn with me to John 10:1-16. It's quite long, but it's link with Micah is just too strong and too important not to get a mention.
These are Jesus' words.
1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."
And note back at Micah 2:13.
In verse 13... the "one who breaks open the way" and secures a path, is no longer portrayed as a shepherd. He's now a King. The liberator, the one who breaks through the barriers and obstacles for them, is also their king who will pass before them.
And more than that, check out the last line of verse 13. It says: "...the LORD at their head."
Micah's prophecy is this. The one who's leading the people out is... yes, their true shepherd, and he's their true king, But He's also their only true God.
Just a little aside, but it's a very important point.
When Moses was told by God to go to God's people and tell them that God was going to save them from Egyptian slavery, Moses said to God: "What if they ask: 'What's the name of the God who sent you?' What should I say?" And God's reply was simply this: "Tell the Israelites: 'I am'".
God's people knew God's name as "I AM".
Can you see the important point that Jesus is making in this passage?
His use of the words "I AM", verses 7, 9, 11, 14, identifies him as God.
Jesus is fulfilling the prophecy of Micah, by being... not only our true shepherd... but he's also our King and our God. As with God before Moses, he's the only One who can save us.
Therefore like Micah, we're to be on the ball when it comes to steering people away from teachings about false prosperity and a hope in false peace.
And like Micah, we're also to rely on God's Spirit to strengthen us, as we direct people to Jesus, ...our Shepherd, King, and Saviour Lord.