October 13, Micah 3
Therefore because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height. - Micah 3:12
A nation is doomed when its leaders lose their moral compass. In Micah 3, the prophet called out to the heads of Jacob and the rulers of the house of Israel. He began this second division of the book the same way he started the first, with a call to "Hear." In Chapter 1 the call went out to all the people of the earth. But in Chapter 3, Micah called the failed leadership of Judah and Israel to hear the judgment of the Spirit of God against them.
Micah said the leaders of all Israel no longer knew justice. They hated what was good and loved evil. Micah did not accuse these leaders of literal cannibalism, but used the vivid image of eating the flesh of the people to describe how the leaders had preyed on their own people. They enriched themselves at the expense of the people they were supposed to lead. They were peaceful enough as long as they had plenty to eat. But they declared war on their own people when the people no longer had resources to support their selfish appetites.
Both the political leaders and the spiritual leaders led the people to ruin instead of blessing them. The rulers accepted bribes to pervert justice. The priests and prophets were no better. They grew wealthy by charging the people for spiritual guidance. Their so-called guidance was worthless because it did not come from God. They were like manufacturers of junk food, who charge high prices for food that may taste good, but is void of any nutritional value.
These evil leaders misled themselves and their followers by claiming that God was with them and for them, and therefore no disaster could come to them. When Micah or another prophet challenged their lies and injustice and warned them of the ruin that was coming because of their ungodliness, they rejected and persecuted the faithful messengers from God.
Micah told them about the coming consequences of their unjust and ungodly leadership. The day would come when they would cry out to God in distress, but he would not answer because they had made their deeds evil. Because they had rejected counsel from God, the day was coming when they would no longer hear from the Lord. There would be no revelation, no prophetic vision. They had despised the light; therefore they would be in the dark with no enlightening words from God to guide them.
Micah told them that he, in contrast to the worthless leaders, was filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD and with justice and might. Instead of telling them what they wanted to hear, God's Spirit through Micah declared to both Judah and Israel their transgressions and sins.
Micah showed these people what was really going to happen to them. They denied that any disaster could possible come to them because God was with them. But Micah told them that Mount Zion (Jerusalem) would be plowed like a field and become a heap of ruins. The great city would become a wilderness when God sent the enemy nations against them and gave the enemies victory over them.
Leadership is a privilege and a sacred responsibility. When leaders lead in righteousness, when they set a good example and make godly decisions, they bless the people they lead. But when the leaders are self-serving and unjust, they still lead their followers. But they lead them to destruction instead of blessing. These principles were true in ancient Israel and Judah. They are still true today. From local churches to big nations, godly leadership is a blessing to any group of people. And selfish, self-serving leaders who do not honor God will lead their people to ruin.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—October 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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