Micah 3 Micah 3:1-4 Say, “And I Said, Hear Now, Heads of Jacob And

Micah 3

Micah 3:1-4 say, “And I said, Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice? “You who hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones, Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle.” Then they will cry out to the Lord, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds.” There is no way to get around the very ______truth of this entire chapter that pronounces our Lord’s judgment for continual, evil practices. The ______language used here to describe the leaders wicked treatment of their people is truly terrifying. But, even the people, when they would cry out to the Lord, they would not be heard as well because of their evil deeds! While the beginning focus of Micah focused on Samaria and Israel and God’s coming judgment upon them, the focus of this chapter is upon Jerusalem and Judah—even though Jacob and Israel are named. The key to knowing which group is being referenced comes from Micah 3:9-10, where Jacob and Israel are referenced, but the bloodshed and injustice is being committed in ______and ______(synonymous for each other). This judgment would occur in 586 B.C. under Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. Micah 3:5-7 say, “Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They cry “Peace,” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war. Therefore it will be night for you—without vision, And darkness for you—without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them. The seers will be ashamed And the diviners will be embarrassed, Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God.” The false prophets loved to prophesy “peace” when it was ______for them to do so. This should bring back our understanding of the Apostle Paul’s conflict with the false prophets in 2 Corinthians who also loved to prophesy the “comfortable” for an exorbitant profit for those easily deceived. In Micah, these same false prophets cried “holy war” whenever they did not get what they wanted from the leaders or the people. But truly, these “prophets” would have no ______word from God, because they were committed to practice evil. Micah, in sharp contrast, prophesied the judgment which would surely come at the appointed time of our Lord’s choosing. Micah 3:8 says, “On the other hand I am filled with power—With the Spirit of the Lord—And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act. Even to Israel his sin.” This is the only verse in this entire chapter that speaks God’s ______to the believer with faith in the Lord! Micah is ______with God’s power, just as Ephesians 5:18 admonishes us to continually “be filled with the Spirit…” It is amazing and quite sobering to know that the most spiritual ______is required and needed to call people to repentance from their evil deeds. This can only be done by those servants of God who are filled up with God’s power in the Holy Spirit! Micah 3:9-10 say, “Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight, Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice.” Micah prophesied his ______of judgment from the Lord to Jerusalem in Judah. Again, even though Jacob and Israel are named from the northern kingdom, it is foreboding that Jerusalem and Zion from the southern kingdom are the recipients. It is as if the northern kingdom was already not even there (Judged in history 135 earlier than Jerusalem and Judah. Micah 3:11-12 say, “Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord saying, “Is not the Lord in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.” Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.” Notice the implied financial words “bribe,” “price” and “money” as it concerned the totality of ______among the leaders, priests and prophets of Jerusalem and Judah. They were so deceived to even consider that God would not bring about this calamity of His judgement. Jerusalem and our Lord’s ______would not be spared in 586 B.C., or again on 69-70 A.D., a generation after the largely Jewish ______of Jesus Christ of Nazareth as their promised Messiah.