MICAH CHAPTER 3: Beastly Boys

Micah chapter 3 begins by addressing those folks who are at the tip-top of society in Israel.  He has not one good thing to say about them whose deeds are evil, verse 4.  Such deeds we hope are poetic or symbolic since in verses 1-3 such deeds include flaying people, eating flesh, and chopping people up for soup.  Micah is telling the leaders that they are acting like savage beasts (if this is metaphorical) and deeply inhuman butchers (if actual).  We believe this language to be symbolic and meant to paint a picture for the listeners to jar them from their actions!  Wake up you who should be good shepherds! 

We should take note that on an emotional level that this is what the people were experiencing.  This is on a spiritual level as well.  This is hyperbole and symbolic of what was being done to the common people by the leaders.  The stark wording is meant to grab their attention.  The leaders are not good people and their false prophets are not exposing this behavior (see the next section).  Think… “we feel like you all are sending us through a meat grinder!”  People are in living hell because the leaders mistreat them and send them in the wrong direction. 

Micah then addresses false prophets in verses 5-8 where Micah distinguishes himself from these folks of darkness and divination (verse 6) as one who is filled with the Holy Spirit (verse 8).  It seems that these diviners and seers did not point out sin and this was something God could not approve.  They are filled with earthly passions and manipulation for human will rather than God’s will.  The people detested justice, verse 9, and such qualities needed to be pointed out and corrected by the godly. 

The leaders of Israel mistakenly thought that God was among them and that no disaster would befall them, verse 11.  Such thoughts were not true.  What was straight is being made crooked.  Zion/Jerusalem was filled with blood and iniquity in shameful ways.  God promises that Jerusalem would be a heap of ruins in verse 12.  It would be a heap of ruins because of their treatment of each other in the sight of God which is ghastly in the sight of God. 

Micah chapter 3 leaves no hope… except for chapters 4-5 which promise the Messiah and redemption. 

THE POINT 

Our lesson from Micah 3 is that we who believe in God should be filled with the Holy Spirit and have a strong commitment to justice (Hebrew: mishpat).  God’s will is that there be justice in the rule of law.  Justice is what God wants in human societies.  We must put away our passions and earthly passions and seek rightness among all relationships and seek good for our neighbor. 

Leaders… be aware that this heavily falls upon you as you show direction. 

Followers… make sure you test leaders that they are from the Lord.   

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