Micah 3
COMMENTARY:
: 1 And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and you princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment? (4941 “judgment” [mishpat] means know right from wrong, decision, dispute, the quality of being free from favoritism, free of self-interest, not bias, not deceptive, or especially conforming to the established standards or rules.)
DEVOTION: Our goal in life should be to be a leader in whatever field the LORD gives us the ability to serve HIM in. HE wants us to be leaders. HE wants us to be faithful to HIM. Our occupation is minister of the LORD in whatever field we earn our money in. People should be able to look at us and see the LORD.
The children of Israel should have been able to look up to their leaders. Their leaders were to know the difference between right and wrong. They were to make sure the people knew the difference too. Leaders are first teachers by example and then by their vocal teaching.
This is not true in our society. There are many individuals who claim to be leaders who cheat people every chance they get. There are individuals who hold one standard for themselves and another standard for those who are around them. They want it all to be in their favor.
We find today that many our leaders in politics, sports and church are going to jail because they are not doing things right. If they don’t do things right what we expect of those who are looking up to them?
All leaders fail at times but the majority of their life should be looked at with the idea that they were trying to be faithful to the LORD. All of us need to pray for our leaders.
CHALLENGE: Are you learning and teaching the difference between right and wrong?
: 4 Then shall they cry to the LORD, but HE will not hear them: HE will even hide HIS face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings. (5641 “hide” [cathar] means conceal, prevent from being seen or discovered, or conceal oneself carefully.)
DEVOTION: There is a false belief out in our world that says that God hears all the prayers that are ever prayed and answers them. This is not what the Bible teaches. God doesn’t hear all prayers. God does not answer all prayers. God sometimes even hides HIS face from HIS servants who are not living their lives that are pleasing to HIM.
In this verse we read that there are people who are crying out to the LORD for deliverance from a problem. It is stated that HE will not hear them.
Why doesn’t HE hear their prayers? Is HE sleeping? Is HE not able to hear them? Is HE limited in the number of prayers that HE can hear at one time? The answer to all these questions is NO!!!
HE only hears the prayers of HIS servants if they are living in accordance to HIS Word. If they are not living in accordance to HIS Word they need to confess their sins and then HE can hear their prayers. In the New Testament we find that a husband’s prayers are not heard if he is not treating his wife well (I Peter 3: 7). There are other passages that deal with the prayers the LORD hears and doesn’t hear. We need to study them, so that, we can give a proper answer to those who want to learn how to pray and receive answers.
CHALLENGE: Is God hiding HIS face from each of us because of our actions?
: 8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. (3581 “power” [koach] means strength, might, force, or ability.)
DEVOTION: The filling of the Holy Spirit happened even in the Old Testament. Certain people were filled with the Holy Spirit to serve the LORD. All of those who were filled with the Holy Spirit lost the filling because of disobedience. We lose the filling of the Spirit through disobedience. We don’t lose the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as those in the Old Testament did. Once we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit is the sealing of our salvation. Praise the name of the LORD. We can regain our filling of the Holy Spirit through confession. King David prayed for fresh oil from the LORD. Oil again was used to represent the filling of the Holy Spirit. Our source of strength to serve the LORD daily is the Holy Spirit.
Micah prophesied against the people of Israel. They told him that they didn’t want to hear him because he was telling them the truth. He didn’t care what they thought as he had to answer to the LORD. The LORD was the one giving him strength to face them with the truth.
He included the leaders, priests, prophets, and common man. They were all doing what they wanted. They thought the LORD protected them. They thought they could pray to the LORD for help and HE would give it.
Micah told them that they were not protected. Micah informed them that he was the one with strength from the Holy Spirit to pronounce judgment. He was going to preach concerning the transgressions or sins of Jacob or Israel. They loved to do evil. They hated good. They were the ones who took full advantage of their position in society to hurt those who were poor and needy.
Their false prophets would not have any visions from the LORD. They had NO ANSWER from the LORD!!! They had to fake having answers to prayer and visions from the LORD.
We can have the fullness of strength in the LORD in our lives to spread the Good News of the gospel. We have the ANSWER from the LORD. Micah was being obedience to the LORD.
When we are obedience to the LORD HE can use us to reach others with HIS message. We have to be willing and obedient servants of the LORD. What has the LORD shared with each of us lately? Are we sharing it with others???
CHALLENGE: Remember that we receive our strength from the LORD alone. With HIS strength we can do all things that the LORD gives us to do. We can even face those who claim to be followers but lie to those around them about what the BIBLE states as truth.
: 11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? None evil can come upon us. (3701 “money” [keceph] means silver, price, shekel, or talents.)
DEVOTION: Corruption was true in the early days of the children of Israel. Here we find that the corruption of the use of silver was going on in Micah’s day. Money is not the root of all evil; it is the love of money that is the root of evil.
Each group of leaders is only thinking of themselves in relationship to the people and their silver. The judges were taking bribes to give those with the most silver a judgment in their favor. The priests were just teaching those who could pay them for their services. Even the prophets were going to give the people what they wanted to hear for silver.
Today we seem to have the same problem. When I returned to seminary in the ‘90’s there were students there who said they wouldn’t go to a church unless they were paid so much money. They would not even go to a small church to preach if it didn’t paid them enough to make their effort worthwhile. It was sad. I asked them who they were serving. They said the LORD but thought that their time and effort was worth the price they wanted to receive.
One thing we find throughout Scripture is that the LORD is the one who provides all we need. It is not the church that provides the pastor with the finances he needs. It is the LORD.
If a leader thinks that he has to please the people who are paying him, he is in the wrong occupation. Ministry is provided for by the LORD alone. If the church pays too little they will answer to the LORD but the LORD will provide enough for the pastor to live on. If the pastor takes too much money from the church, he will answer to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Money should NEVER be the goal of anyone serving the LORD. The LORD has promised to supply all we need. We can hold HIM to HIS promise.
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.