For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Micah 2:1-5
1 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.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them.
They defraud people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.
3 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.
4 In that day people 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.’”
5 Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord
to divide the land by lot.
A. Find Out
- Who does he now speak against? v.1
- What also do they do? v.2
- What does he say God is going to do about this? v.3
- How will others view them? v.4
- How will that leave them? v.5
B. Think:
- How has this changed from a national to an individual challenge?
- How, in some ways, is this a sin being exercised by those who have power over those who don’t?
- How does this word convey, ‘There is no escape for you!’?
C. Comment:
Moving from chapter 1 where the warnings we national, focusing on cities and nations, this chapter turns very clearly to warnings against individual behaviour, against specific individuals who have been committing a particular sin that, we will see, is particularly offensive to the Lord.
The sin? To very purposefully – for they plan it (v.1a) – use their power (v.1c) to first of all desire (covet v.2a) the land of others, and then somehow defraud them of their land, i.e. to steal it from them, and thus rob them of their inheritance. Now reading through the laws of the Old Testament we see that the Land was very important to the Lord, as His gift to His people, and that passing it from one generation to the next was His way of ensuring that it would remain in the specific tribes and families. The sin here, therefore, is double. First it was the sin of coveting, specifically spoken against in the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:17), and then the sin of both theft and breaking the chain of inheritance that should have ensured the wellbeing of Israel, and thus undermining the very fabric of the nation’s existence.
It is for these reasons that the prophet warns them that God will act against them to bring a disaster upon them from which there is no escape, that will result in their downfall and end in them being mocked by others.
D. Application:
- Sin can be national or individual but both are answerable to God.
- Our behaviour therefore comes under the searchlight of God.
Micah 2:6-13
6 “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
“Do not prophesy about these things;
disgrace will not overtake us.”
7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
“Does the Lord become impatient?
Does he do such things?”
“Do not my words do good
to the one whose ways are upright?
8 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.
9 You drive the women of my people
from their pleasant homes.
You take away my blessing
from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
For this is not your resting place,
because it is defiled,
it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 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!
12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture;
the place will throng with people.
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before them;
they will break through the gate and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
the Lord at their head.”
A. Find Out
- Who had been saying what? v.6,7
- But of what was the Lord accusing them? v.8
- And even what more? v.9
- Why should they leave? v.10
- What reputation had the prophets got v.11
- Yet what will the Lord do with Israel, with whom? v.12,13
B. Think:
- How had the prophets become self-centred liars?
- How did the Lord say He would deal with them?
- Yet what would He do with His people generally?
C. Comment:
It is difficult to discern which words are spoken by whom. Initially Micah speaks against the false prophets in the land (v.6a) who tell him not to prophesy judgement (v.6b). The following words would seem to be the false prophets who challenge whether God’s patience ever runs out in respect of His people (v.7a) and certainly not with us (v.7b).
To this Micah replies with a stinging denunciation of their behaviour: they oppress women and their families as their steal their homes (v.9 & v.2). Even as they have made people homeless, now the Lord will make them homeless as He casts them away (v.10) from this holy land that they have defiled with their false speaking and unrighteous behaviour.
The reputation of these prophets is totally disreputable for they are known to prophesy whatever people want of them – just for the price of a beer! (v.11)
But then something remarkable comes from the mouth of Micah: the Lord with gather the faithful (implied) remnant of Israel (v.12a) and as a shepherd with his sheep He will lead them out into a good place, away from this place of lies, deceit and corruption (v.12,13), yes, He Himself will lead them. But note this is a word of reassurance to the remnant and whenever that word it used it is always in respect of those who remain faithful or who return to the Lord. This is not a word of encouragement for those deceiver who remain in rebellion against God!
D. Application:
- Be aware, God always looks for a remnant who will remain faithful.
- Realise that this remnant does not include the rebellious disobedient.