God Shows Mercy

                                                         Sunday School Lesson                                          

Lesson: Micah 7:14-20
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18).

I.  INTRODUCTION.  Many of the Old Testament prophetic messages centered around Israel’s falling away from honoring God in their daily lives.  Their sins covered a range of categories, but they were mainly guilty of disregarding the Lord’s will in both their business dealings and work.  Everyone in Israel was not in sin, but the leadership was usually at the heart of Israel’s problems.  We have a lot in common with the people of Israel in Old Testament times.  We may not see it clearly, but God dealt with them as a nation as well as individually.  He used other nations to discipline them and worked major miracles on their behalf.  But through it all, the Lord always demonstrated mercy to His people.  Sometimes it’s hard to show mercy to a person who has intimidated, humiliated, or angered us.  When those times happen, we have choices to make: do I have mercy or not?  In this week’s lesson, we will see that like God, we must show mercy to everyone, even those who hurt us.

II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Micah chapter 7 begins with gloom (see verses 1-6) and ends with hope (see verses 8-20).  Micah watched as society rotted all around him.  Rulers demanded gifts, judges accepted bribes, corruption was everywhere, and Micah couldn’t even find an upright person anywhere in the land (see Micah 1- 4).  Sin had affected the government leaders and society in general, and deceit and dishonesty had even ruined the family, the core of society (see Micah 7:5-6).  But Micah showed great faith in God both personally (see Micah 7:7) and on Israel’s behalf (see Micah 7:8-10) as he proclaimed that he would wait on God, who would bring His people through tough times, and then punish their enemies.  Micah also declared that even though God would have mercy on His people and Israel would be re-gathered, the land would still become desolate as a result of the people’s sin (see Micah 7:11-13).  This is where our lesson begins.     
III. MICAH PRAYS THAT GOD WILL SHEPHERD HIS PEOPLE (Micah 7:14-17) 
A. Micah’s request that God feed His people as in the days of old (Micah 7:14).  In this verse, Micah prays to God saying “Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.”  The word “feed” speaks of tending a flock by making sure that it has pasture where the sheep can graze.  Micah asks God to feed His people “with thy rod.”  The word “rod” is better understood to be a staff which pictures God guiding His people to their feeding places.  God’s staff is used to produce blessings instead of punishment normally represented by a “rod” (see Psalms 2:9; 23:4; 89:32; Proverbs 22:15; II Samuel 7:14).  In Scripture, both words “rod” and “staff” are often used interchangeably (see Isaiah 10:5).  Micah refers to God’s people not only as “thy people” but also as “the flock of thine heritage.”  The fact that Israel was God’s “heritage” means that He owned them, they were His own possession.  Israel was God’s people who because of their sins they “dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel.”  Israel’s sins had caused them to be isolated from God, their Shepherd, which is the meaning of “dwell solitarily in the wood.”  But even in this condition of isolation from God, He still allowed His people access to “Carmel” which means “a fruitful place.”  Micah uses it as a reference to Mount Carmel, one of the lush places in Israel.  Since Israel was seen as isolated from God, Micah prayed that the Lord would “let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.”  The Babylonian Captivity was inevitable, because Judah had her chances to repent but wouldn’t.   Therefore Micah prayed that God would restore his lost wandering people to the prosperity they once enjoyed “in the days of old” or in the past, when these two territories “Bashan and Gilead” were occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan River (see Deuteronomy 2:26-3:11-17).  Of course, Micah was looking beyond the Captivity to a time when God would restore His people to their land.
B. God’s example of the Exodus (Micah 7:15).  God begins His reply to Micah in this verse saying “According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.”  The phrase “According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt” can be translated as God saying “Yes, Micah, I will do mighty miracles, like those when I brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt.”  The Lord went even further by saying He would “shew unto him marvellous things.”  The word “him” refers to the nation of Israel.  God told Micah that He would do miracles for Israel that were just as “marvelous” or wonderful as those He performed when He delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage (see Exodus 3:20).  Note:  Right after Israel left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, they sang a song unto the Lord saying “Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (see Exodus 15:11).  The wonders God performed included passing over their homes when He destroyed the first born in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, providing manna for many years while they wandered in the wilderness, providing water, even out of a rock, keeping their shoes from wearing out, giving them the ability to conquer the land east of the Jordan River and then crossing over the Jordan on dry ground.  Now God declared that He would eventually do miracles for His people that were equal to those miracles.  What a God we serve!
C. The reactions of the pagan nations to God’s miracles done for Israel (Micah 7:16-17).
1. (vs. 16).  God continues His reply to Micah’s prayer in this verse saying “The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.”  What God is describing here is the millennium or kingdom reign of Christ.  The term “nations” refers to the pagan Gentile nations that will exist during the millennial reign of Christ on earth.  God said that they “shall see and be confounded at all their might.”  The word translated “confounded” has the idea of turning pale, implying shame and embarrassment.  When the pagan world sees the wonders God has done for Israel by making them the dominant nation of the world during Christ’s kingdom reign, they will become ashamed of “all their might” referring to the pagan nations’ own might.  The Lord continued to say that the pagan world will be so ashamed at their own lack of power that “they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.”  This means that their embarrassment would be so great that the pagan nations won’t want to speak or hear anymore about what God will be doing for Israel.  A more modern translation of this verse would be “All the world will stand amazed at what I will do for you and be embarrassed at their puny might.  They will stand in silent awe, deaf to all around them.”  Note:  When the other nations heard about Israel’s departure from Egypt, they became afraid (see Exodus 15:14-16; Joshua 2:8-11).  However, the miracles and wonders that the Lord will perform for Israel in the last days will frighten the nations even more.  The pagan Gentile nations will see God’s power displayed through Israel and will become ashamed and unable to do anything about it.  They will come out of their hiding places and submit to the Lord.  This will mean a total victory for Israel.
2. (vs. 17).  Still talking about the plight of the pagan nations during Christ’s reign, God here says “They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee.”  This entire verse speaks of the condition of the pagan nations once Christ rules on earth and Israel is finally the dominant nation.  The word “They” refers to the Gentile nations.  To show their submission to God “They shall lick the dust like a serpent.”  They shall be so mortified, that they will act as if they were sentenced to the same curse as the serpent in Genesis 3:14.  Those pagan nations who have been Israel’s enemy over the years shall be brought to the lowest abasements imaginable, and shall be so dispirited that they shall tamely submit to Israel (see Psalms 72:9; Isaiah 49:23).  The once proud oppressors of Israel and the Lord shall now be made humble.  How small they will be before the great God.  In addition, they shall with trembling and the lowest submission “move out of the holes” into which they have hidden from the Lord (see Isaiah 2:9-12, 17-21), “like worms of the earth” being ashamed and afraid to show their heads.  So, God promises Israel here that “they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee.”   The pagan nations will be “afraid of the Lord” and will also “fear” or reverence Him as a result of what He does for Israel.  Yes, the pagan world will be forced to submit to God, but He will still be glorified through His people.  Note:  As we read the prophecies of all the prophets concerning God’s final dealings with mankind and particularly Israel, we may find ourselves wondering why God is taking so long.  At least two answers are clear from His Word.  First, God isn’t concerned with time in the same way we are.  He exists outside time and space and is not bound by either.  In His words to Habakkuk, the Lord said “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (see Habakkuk 2:3).  But, there appears to be something contradictory about those words “though it tarry…it will not tarry.”  Since God’s point of view is outside of time, everything happens exactly as He has planned it.  What He has promised will definitely occur.  However, from our point of view, bound by time as we are, God seems to take forever to fulfill His promises.  What we need to remember is that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (see II Peter 3:8).  Second, God will fulfill His promises at exactly the right time.  Just think about it, it took at least four thousand years for the Redeemer promised in Genesis 3:15 to come into the world.  However, the Apostle Paul declared that the timing of His coming was exact according to God’s purpose.  Paul wrote “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman…” (see Galatians 4:4).  Jesus promised to come again (see John 14:3; Acts 1:11) and how long has it been?  It’s been about two thousand years, but the pieces are being placed in orderly fashion, and the Redeemer will come exactly as He promised.  So, when you are going through difficult times, remember that God’s timing is not like ours.  He has purposes to accomplish in your life and in the world.  Each day is a moment closer.  God always keeps His promises.
IV. GOD WILL FORGIVE HIS PEOPLE (Micah 7:18-20)
A.  The God who pardons and extends mercy (Micah 7:18).  In this verse, Micah answers the Lord saying “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”  After receiving God’s answer to his prayer, Micah was moved to worship.  He begins by praising God for the mercy He has shown to Israel.  Micah asked the rhetorical question, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?  The question “Who is a God like unto thee,” reveals that Micah was struck with holy wonder.  Of course the answer to this question is: there is no God like Him (see Exodus 8:10; 9:14; I Samuel 2:2; II Samuel 7:22; I Chronicles 17:20; Psalms 86:8; Isaiah 46:9; Jeremiah 10:6-7).  Micah described God’s people here as the “remnant of his heritage,” but they were guilty of many transgressions.  Unfortunately, God’s children have their blemishes, and often offend our Father.  However, there’s no god like our God who “pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?   For there is no magistrate, nor common person who forgives as God does.  Note:  Our gracious God is One who pardons or forgives the iniquity and transgression of His people, when they repent and return to him (see Psalms 103:12; Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:34; 50:20).  As God’s people today, Christians are a pardoned people, and for this we owe everything to Jesus Christ and His finished work (see Romans 5:8).  When God pardons sin, he passes it by, does not punish it as justly as he could, nor does He deal with the sinner according to what he or she deserves (see Psalms 103:10).  Micah also declared that there was no God like our God because unlike man “he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”  It’s true that the Lord gets angry with believers because of our disobedience, but He will not retain, or hold on to His anger for ever (see Psalms 30:5; 103:9).  The reason why God does not keep his anger forever is “because he delights in mercy.”   Showing us mercy is a sign of God’s love. When He shows us mercy, He’s withholding from us what we deserve---judgment.  Every believer should be very grateful that our God has pleasure in the salvation of sinners, not in their death and damnation (see Ezekiel 33:11).  
B. The God who is compassionate (Micah 7:19).  In this verse, Micah goes on to say about the Lord “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”  Since God is merciful to His people, Micah declared that “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us,” that is, he will again have compassion upon Israel as he formerly had.  Indeed the Lord’s compassions never fail, but are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22-23).  This is true for Christians today.  When it seems that God is departing from us in anger, He will turn again and pity us.  The prophet also said that God “will subdue our (Israel’s) iniquities.”  The word “subdue” here is normally used when speaking of one’s enemies.  It has the meaning of treading one’s enemies under foot (see I Chronicles 17:10; Psalms 47:13).  Our “iniquities” and “sins” are our enemies (see Romans 7:23; 8:7; Galatians 5:17; I Peter 2:11), so for repentant Israel, like He does for us, God will break the power of sin, that it may not have dominion over His people, and they won’t fear sin, nor be led captive by it.  Note:  Sin is an enemy that fights against us, a tyrant that oppresses us and nothing less than almighty grace can subdue it.  Great is sin’s power over fallen man and it has kept possession of man since the beginning.  But, when God forgives the sin that we have committed, He will subdue the sin that dwells in us, trampling it under foot as an enemy.  If we are left to ourselves, our iniquities will be too hard for us; but God’s grace is sufficient for us to subdue our sins and iniquities, so that they can’t rule us, or ruin us.  In the last part of this verse, Micah says to God “and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”  This description of what God will do to Israel’s sin as well as ours brings to mind the Exodus when God brought His people out of Egypt.  He subdued Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and cast them into the depths of the sea.  This implies that when God forgives sin he remembers it no more, and takes care that it shall never be remembered or held against the repentant sinner (see Jeremiah 31:34; Ezekiel 18:21-22).  Because there is no god like our God who alone pardons sin and delights in showing mercy, the repentant sinners’ transgressions shall never be mentioned unto him.  The Lord “will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea,” not just near the shore-side where they may appear again, but into “the depths (deepest parts) of the sea” never to rise again.  “All their sins” shall be cast there without exception, for when God forgives sin, he forgives all.
D. The God of gracious giving (Micah 7:20).  In the final verse of our lesson which is also the final verse in the book of Micah, the prophet concludes his worship of God by saying “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”  Because God is faithful (see Deuteronomy 7:9), Israel can rest assured that He will “perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham.”  The word “perform” refers to the covenant God made with Abraham (see Genesis 12:1-3) and confirmed to “Jacob” (see Genesis 28:10-15) Abraham’s grandson.  However, both of these names here refer to the people of Israel, the descendents of both Abraham and Jacob.  Micah is declaring by faith that the God of Israel will surely keep all the promises He has made to Israel beginning with Abraham and continuing through each generation.  The prophet stated that the Lord “hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old” meaning that God swore by Himself (for there is no one greater to swear by) that everything He has sworn to do for Israel will be fulfilled one day.  For sure, it has been many years since God made His covenant promises to Israel’s forefathers, but they will be accomplished.  Note:  Micah’s prophecy assures us that God is not finished with His plans for Israel, so we can be confident of a glorious future for believers, when Christ will establish righteousness and godliness as the norm in His kingdom here on earth.  God’s purpose for Israel and all mankind is going to be fulfilled.  There is increasing evidence that Jesus Christ could return soon and set the day of the Lord in motion.  However, only those who have received Him as personal Saviour will be ready to meet Him and qualified to reign with Him in His millennial kingdom (see II Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:9-10).
                                       
V. Conclusion.  The book of Micah ends where Israel’s story began---with the promises to Abraham.  There was a thousand years between Abraham and Micah, but God still remembered His promise and kept it.  Israel was living in the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  However, Israel’s present situation was dark because of their sins and iniquities which would bring on divine judgment.  Almost a thousand years after Micah, God came in the person of His Son Jesus Christ to prove once and for all that He is faithful to His covenant promises, given first in Genesis 3:15 and continued through the prophets (see Isaiah 7:14) and the Gospels (see Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:1-7).  Since our God shows mercy, those of us who have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior and live in obedience to Him are recipients of His mercy and therefore will not face the final judgment at God’s great white throne (see Revelation 20:11-15).

Justice, Love, and Humility

                                                                      Sunday School lesson

                                            

Lesson: Micah 6:3-8                                                                                                  
Golden Text: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).

I.  INTRODUCTION.  From childhood to grandparent-hood, we face daily challenges to do what God requires: to be just to others, to be merciful to others, and to walk humbly with the Lord.  Too many of us find it easier and think it’s more beneficial to line our pockets with wickedness, wealth, property, and self-recognition.  The words on which this week’s lesson are based---“justice,” “love,” and “humility---bring to mind the sound of the Lord’s gavel as He pounded out the charges He brought against those who had betrayed Him.  Micah’s burden, or ministry, was to call God’s people to repent and return to God’s standard of righteousness.  He had done many good things for His people, but they only responded to His goodness with evil.  Although they offered Him superficial religiosity, their hearts were far from Him.  Their actions demonstrated that they were in clear opposition to God’s character and covenant.  This week’s lesson discusses how Micah reminded the people of God’s controversy with them and of what God required from them.

II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Micah’s hometown was Moresheth-Gath (see Micah 1:14), located in Judah about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem, near the Philistine city of Gath.  Although Micah primarily preached to the people in Judah, he also had some words for Israel.  He preached during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah 1:1).  The nation of Judah had maintained its political stability under the Davidic rulers, but spiritual and moral conditions varied with individual kings.  King Uzziah was an essentially godly man but gave in to pride when he Lord prospered him (see II Chronicles 26:1-15).  King Jotham, too, was upright but was a weak spiritual leader and didn’t remove Judah’s high places which were used for idol worship (see II Kings 15:34-35).  Ahaz adopted and actively promoted heathen practices and sacrificed his own son in worship to the pagan god Molech (see II Kings 161-4).  Micah received his messages via visions from the Lord (see Micah 1:1) and in Micah 1:3-7, the prophet spoke of the judgment God would bring upon both Israel and Judah referring to them as Samaria and Jerusalem, the capital cities of Israel and Judah respectively.  In the remaining portion of chapter 1, Micah describes the weeping and mourning that will take place (see Micah 1:8-16).  Then in chapter 2:1-2, he spoke out against those who laid awake at night, plotting wickedness and then getting up at dawn to carry out their schemes simply because they could.  Micah declared that when these wicked people wanted a certain piece of land or someone else’s house (though it was all they had), they would take it by fraud and threats of violence (see Micah 2:3).  Then in verse 3, the prophet declared that the Lord God said that He would reward their evil with evil; nothing could stop Him; never again will His people be proud and haughty after He’s finished with them.  Micah continued to say that when Judah’s day of judgment arrived, they would be ridiculed by their enemies, and no one would be left in the land to divide it into tribal territories (see Micah 2:4-5).  Micah went on to accuse the people of trying to stop him from preaching God’s message of doom, but he continued declaring that God’s Word is good to anyone who lived uprightly (see Micah 2:6-7).  To make matters words, God called His people His enemies because they were stealing from the poor, driving widows from their homes and leaving the children without an inheritance (see Micah 2:8-9).  Then in verse 10, God, through Micah gave the people a way to avoid the oncoming judgment in the form of an enemy invasion.  He told them to get out of the land for it was not their resting place since they had defiled the land.  Then in Micah 2:11, God declared that the only prophet Israel wanted was one that would tell them what they wanted to hear; one that was a liar and a deceiver.  But God in His mercy also prophesied that He would cause a remnant to return after the Babylonian Captivity and He even prophesied the great gathering of all believers when the Lord returns (see Micah 2:12-13).  Note:  God gave his prophets visions of various future events, but not necessarily the ability to discern when these events would happen.  For instance, the prophets could not see the long period of time between the Babylonian Captivity and the first coming of the Messiah, but they could clearly see that the Messiah was coming.  God’s purpose for allowing Micah to see this prophecy concerning Judah’s destruction was not to predict exactly how this would happen, but that it would happen.  In Micah chapter 3:1-4, the prophet denounced the sins of the leaders, including the priests and prophets.  They were the ones responsible for teaching the people right from wrong, but they had set the law aside and become the worst of sinners.  They hated good and loved evil. They were taking advantage of the very people they were supposed to serve.  For sure all sin is bad, but the sin that leads others astray is the worst of all.  Micah accused the leaders of treating the people miserably in order to satisfy their own desires.  And to make matters worse, they had the gall to ask for God’s help when they found themselves in trouble, but God wouldn’t hear them (see vs. 4).  In Micah 3:5-7, he prophesied against the false prophets and seers warning them that since they caused His people to err, the time was coming when they would not receive visions nor be able to divine because of the darkness God would bring over them.  This would cause them to be ashamed, and embarrassed because their prophesies of only good for Judah didn’t come to pass.  Then in verse 8, Micah makes it plain that his message was different from the false prophets because he prophesied by the “spirit of the Lord.”  In verses 9-12, the prophet declared that because of the sins of the leaders in Judah, the nation would be destroyed.  Chapter 4 takes on a different character.  In verses 1-5, God gives Micah a vision of the kingdom age or the millennium.  In verses 6-8, the Lord declared that during the kingdom age, He would re-gather His people again to her land.  But before that would happen, God predicted the Babylonian invasion of the land in verses11-13.  Now in chapter 5:1-2, the prophet prophesies both the rejection of the Messiah at His first coming as well as His birth.  In the remaining verses 3-15 in chapter 5, the Lord through Micah predicts the judgment of the Gentile nations when the Lord’s return.  
III. GOD STATES HIS CASE AGAINST JUDAH (Micah 6:3-5).  Verses 1-2 are not part of our printed text, but those verses set the scene for the remainder of the lesson.  In these two verses, the prophet presented his message to Judah in the language of a courtroom.  The Lord is seen as calling the court to order with His words “Arise” meaning that it was now time for the nation to stand up and take the witness stand (see Micah 6:1).  God then invited His people to “contend” or explain why divine judgment should not fall upon them (see vs. 1).  In essence, the Lord was saying to Judah in verse 1, “Hear now what the Lord is saying, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice.”  Then in verse 2, the Lord called on creation to act as the jury as He declared “Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.”  In other words, speaking to creation, the Lord said “Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, because the Lord has a case against His people; Even with Israel He has a dispute.”  God’s people voluntarily entered into a covenant, or agreement with Him (se Exodus 19:8; 24:7-8) so He could really sue them for breach of contract.  This is where our lesson begins.
A. God’s challenge to Judah to find fault with Him (Micah 6:3).  In this verse, the Lord says through Micah “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.”  The words “O my people” are not the words of a Judge, but of a Father who is grieved that His own no longer love Him as He loves them.  It’s important to see that God referred to Judah as “my people.”  This speaks volumes about God’s grace.  Even though God had a case to present against Judah for her sins, they were still His people.  God had not cast aside His covenant people whom He had chosen (see Deuteronomy 7:6-11).  Note:  Being referred to as God’s people, should’ve pricked the nation’s conscience.  Of all the people the Lord might have to contend with, one would not expect them to be His own.  Israel had a high calling; they had privileges that no other nation had.  The Lord had revealed His Person and His will to them.  They had the law, the priesthood, the sanctuary, the covenants, and the prophets.  Indeed they were His people.  We, too as believers who are God’s people, have a high calling (see I Peter 2:9), and we also enjoy privileges that unbelievers don’t (see John 14:13-14; Hebrews 4:16).  God has also revealed Himself to us in the Person of Jesus Christ (see John 14:9; Hebrews 1:1-3) who is also our High Priest (see Hebrews 2:9, 17; 3:2; 4:14).  Like Israel, as God’s people we are in covenant with Him (see Hebrews 8:6-13; 9:15) and have spiritual leaders to teach us (see Ephesians 4:7, 11-16).  But we as believers in Jesus Christ now have something that Israel didn’t have, the complete written Word of God (see II Timothy 3:15-16; Hebrews 4:11).  Yet having privileges, does not guarantee immunity from judgment.  Instead, with great privileges come great responsibility, which in turn increases guilt when that responsibility is neglected or ignored (see John 15:22; Romans 2:17-24; I Corinthians 10:1-12).  Judah had been given great privileges and now carried great guilt.  The same principle applies to Christians today who bear Christ’s name unworthily (see II Timothy 2:19).  With the words “testify against me,” the Lord was inviting His people to give their testimony against Him.  He asked “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee?”  The Lord demanded that His people show how He had wronged them and caused them to be so disobedient and rebellious against Him.  Note:  No doubt all of us have been in a situation when someone was obviously very upset with us and we had no idea why.  Then, we would sincerely plead with them saying “Please tell me what I’ve done to hurt you.”  We really wanted to get things right.  The Lord was posing the same question to Judah, but His answer was rhetorical and should have quickly prompted a negative reply, because God had done more good for His people than they deserved (see Isaiah 5:1-4; Ezekiel 16:1-15).  Today, occasionally many professing Christians find their religious experience unsatisfying and begin to seek fulfillment elsewhere.  However, many of them have false expectations based on selfish desires rather than on the teaching of Scripture.  If they would examine God’s Word with a humble spirit, they will discover a God who is loving and faithful and deserving of sincere worship.  Only a faulty human perspective sees Him otherwise.  The Lord continued to ask His people “and wherein have I wearied thee?”  It’s hard to believe, but Israel had become weary or tired of God (see Isaiah 43:21-22; Malachi 1:11-13), but it was God who had reason to be weary and tired of Israel, because of their constant sinning (see Isaiah 1:14; 43:24; Malachi 2:17).  Note:  Worship had become a burden to the people, making them weary.  Too many people think that following God is supposed to make life easy and more comfortable.  They are looking for a God of convenience.  The truth is that it often takes hard work to live by God’s high standards.  Sometimes we get weary in God’s service.  We get tired of going to church and tired of prayer.  When that happens, it’s a warning sign to us.  Don’t be like Israel.  Take time to consider your spiritual life.  If you are weary or tired, ask yourself why.  Have you forsaken bible reading, meditation, and prayer?  Are you trying to do too many things for God at one time?  Trust me, you’ll know the answers!
B.  God’s goodness shown to Judah (Micah 6:4-5).  Since the people of Judah could not show any thing that God had done against them, in these verses He shows a great deal that he had done for them, which should have engaged them forever to his service.

1. (vs. 4).  In this verse the Lord said “For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”  The word “For” introduces the historical evidence of the kind, gracious care God had given His people from their earliest existence.  A glance at Israel’s history proved that far from doing things to cause His people to be disobedient, God had done only good to them.  The Lord said “For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”  The Exodus stood at the head of any Israelite’s list of important historical events.  God had graciously delivered His people from Egyptian bondage marking Israel’s birth as a free nation.  But the Lord reminded them that this was no chance happening as He said “I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”  At the time of the Exodus, Egypt was a superpower and the ruling pharaoh was a god-king.  Israel had been in Egypt a little more than four centuries (see Genesis 15:13; Exodus 12:40; Acts 7:6).  Note:  As Christians, we can look at Jesus’ death and resurrection as historical events that are the basis of all the spiritual benefits we enjoy.  When a Christian’s life begins to lose its luster, he needs a fresh reminder of Christ’s redeeming work.  This is one reason Jesus commanded the observance of the Lord’s Supper (see I Corinthians 11:23-26).  God said that when He delivered Israel from Egypt, He “redeemed thee out of the house of servants.”   The term “redeemed” here is the Hebrew word “padah” and can mean “to cut ties” or “to ransom in order to gain a release.”  Whenever the word “redeemed” or redemption is used in Scripture, it has the idea of human beings being held captive by power or forces they cannot overcome themselves.  Only by the intervention of a third party can bondage be broken and the person freed (see Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 4:6; I Peter 1:18-19).  In the case of Israel, God was the third party that intervened, cut their ties with Egypt and gained their freedom “out of the house of servants.”  They would no longer serve pharaoh, but Jehovah who now owned them.  The Lord also reminded His people that He “sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”  Having redeemed His people from Egypt, the Lord didn’t leave them to flounder in the wilderness.  He used “Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” who were siblings, to lead in this Exodus from Egypt.  “Moses,” Israel’s great lawgiver, was unique among Israel’s prophets in that God spoke to him “face to face” (see Deuteronomy 34.10) and “mouth to mouth” (see Numbers 12:8).  “Aaron,” Moses’ brother, was Israel’s first high priest.  In Egypt he acted as Moses’ spokesman (see Exodus 4:14-16), and even shared some of Moses’ authority while in the desert (see Numbers 14:5, 26).  Aaron and his descendents represented the nation before God as priests (see Numbers 18:1).  “Miriam” too, was a divinely given leader, for she was a prophetess (see Exodus 15:20).  We don’t know the full extent of her ministry, but she demonstrated her musical praises on the occasion of Israel’s deliverance at the Red Sea (see Exodus 15:20).  By naming these three servants, the Lord reminded His people that they had never been without spiritual leadership.  Note:  When we are calling to mind God’s former mercies to us, we must not forget the good teachers and leaders God gave us when we were young.  May we always remember those who went before us to the glory of God.  It was the Lord who sent them before us, to prepare the way for Him, and to prepare a people for Him.        2. (vs. 5). 

In this verse God continued to say “O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.”   Again, God used the words “O my people”

to emphasize the earnestness of His plea to them.  Here, the Lord appealed to Israel to remember how He confounded the evil plans of their enemies.  God said “remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal.”  The incident the Lord spoke of here was the plot of Balak, a Moabite king, to use Balaam, a heathen diviner to curse Israel during their journey to Canaan (see Numbers 22:2-6).  Balak and the elders of Midian offered Balaam a reward and great honor if he would cast an evil spell upon Israel (see Numbers 22:7, 14-16, 37).  The Lord thwarted the plot by causing Balaam to bless His people instead of cursing them (see Numbers 23:7-10, 18-24; 24:2-9; Psalms 105:11-15).  The phrase “what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal” seems to indicate that Balaam answered or replied to Balak’s request from “Shittim,” but this place does not appear in Scripture until after the incident concerning Balak and Balaam.  To make this phrase clear to an English reader, a period should be placed after the word “him” to mark where the Balaam incident ends.  A clearer translation of this verse would be “My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered.  Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord” (NIV).  The words “from Shittim unto Gilgal” should introduce the second episode of God’s care that Israel was to remember.  In other words, the Israelites were to remember what God did for them when they travelled “from Shittim unto Gilgal.”  The last place Israel camped on the east side of the Jordan before entering Canaan was “Shittim” (see Joshua 2:1).  “Gilgal” was the first place they camped after crossing the Jordan River (see Joshua 4:19).  By mentioning “Shittim” and “Gilgal” the Lord was calling His people to remember the successful conclusion to their long journey from Egypt to Canaan.  In particular, God was reminding them of the miracle that enabled them to cross the Jordan River on dry ground (see Joshua 3:13-17; 4:1, 15-18).  With this, the Lord ended His brief review of His care for Israel, but He also stated the purpose of why He did this: “that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.”  The word “righteousness” here refers to righteous acts or acts of vindication.  All of God’s acts in bringing Israel from Egypt to Canaan vindicated both Israel as innocent sufferers in Egypt, and God Himself in His dealings with His people.  At this point God rested His case against Israel.  Note:  God continued to be kind to His forgetful people, but their short memory and lack of gratitude condemned them.  When people refuse to see how fortunate they are and begin to take God’s gifts for granted, they become self-centered.  We should regularly remember God’s goodness and thank Him.  “Remembering God’s past protection will help us see His present provision.”

IV. GOD’S REQUIREMENTS DECLARED (Micah 6:6-8)

A.  Questions about what to offer God (Micah 6:6).  Having rested His case against Judah, the Lord now waited for the defendant’s reply.  Micah phrased the peoples’ response in the form of questions as if a would-be worshipper was the questioner.  In this verse he said “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?”  Israel’s first question was “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God?”  This question implies that Israel recognized that they had sinned and broken their fellowship with God.  The word “Wherewith” means “With what?”  So their first question “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God?” implied that a worshipper must be able to do something to gain God’s favor.  “The high God” is from a Hebrew expression meaning the God of height, which is a reference to His dwelling place in heaven (see Isaiah 33:5; 57:15).  In essence, the people were asking “how can we restore our standing with this high and holy God?” which led to the second question: “shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?”  The Old Testament method for approaching God was to bring a sacrifice.  The Levitical sacrificial system was designed by God to give His people a way of making atonement for their sins.  “Burnt offerings” were the first type of offerings described in Leviticus (see Leviticus chapter 1).  When presenting a “burnt offering” the entire animal was consumed on the altar and nothing was left to be eaten by the worshipper.  This type of offering symbolized complete dedication to the Lord.  Calves could be used for this purpose from the age of eight days old (see Leviticus 22:27), but yearling calves without blemish were considered the choicest (see Leviticus 9:3).  Therefore, the people were asking if an offering of the highest quality would cause them to be accepted by the Lord.  The fact was, God was offended by the actions of His people, so what could they really do to heal that?
B. Questions about what would please God (Micah 6:7).  In this verse, still wanting to know what would please God, the would-be worshipper also asked “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”  The third question concerned the quantity of their offerings.  The would-be worshipper might think that the number of animals offered to the Lord would please Him.  Therefore, they would ask “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?”  One ram normally would be enough for a sacrifice, although kings on special occasions would offer thousands of animals (see I Kings 3:4; 8:63; II Chronicles 30:24; 35:7).  Many offerings from Israelite families were determined by their economic ability (see Leviticus 12:8; Luke 2:24).  The fourth question was would the Lord be pleased with “ten thousands of rivers of oil?”  Oil was used in varying quantities in connection with other sacrifices.  However, such a vast amount had never been offered.  But Micah declared that Israel’s would-be worshipper who was trying to appease God wondered if the quantity of oil offered would make a difference with God.  Note:  The Lord isn’t interested in the choicest animals, nor the number offered.  These are factors that belong to a religion based on works and external actions.  Even great amounts of oil will not bring the worshipper into fellowship with God.  The value God puts on one’s offerings was, and still is based on the giver’s attitude, not on the quantity of his offerings.  Jesus commended a poor widow who gave two mites (see Mark 12:41-44), but not the rich who gave much more.  If large amounts of sacrificed animals or vast amounts of oil won’t please God, then the would-be worshipper might ask “shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”  This last question concerned human sacrifices, which the Mosaic Law condemned as a pagan practice (see Leviticus 18:21; 20:2-5).  By even suggesting such an abomination, the Israelites showed their ignorance of the law.  Micah was saying that an Israelite worshipper who wanted to be accepted by God might ask the question, would He be pleased if I sacrificed “for the sin of my soul” my firstborn child who came from my own body?  Note:  Child sacrifice was brought into Jewish life from surrounding peoples and was practiced by some kings of Judah (see II Kings 16:1-3; Jeremiah 32:32-35).  But nothing could have been farther from God’s will.  He had clearly stated that children should be redeemed by a substitute (see Exodus 13:11-15).  Micah was not advocating child sacrifice but was using this extreme example to prove his point.  Even the greatest of all sacrifices could never pay for the sins of Judah, for no amount of human payment could be adequate.  For sure, there are those today who try to play the same game with God that Israel was playing.  They try to substitute things---even good things---for what God wants most.  Such things as attending church more often and giving more to charitable causes are no substitute for obedience (see I Samuel 15:22).

C. What God really requires of His people (Micah 6:8).  After giving examples of what a would-be worshipper in Israel thought God required of them, in our final verse, Micah gives the real answer.  He said “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”  The phrase “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good” means that God had repeatedly declared His requirements through the prophets.  Those requirements were not only for the Jews.  The generic term “man”  may refer to the entire human race as they walked before their Creator, but more likely it only refers God’s people as seen in the words “thy (your) God.”  The Lord God, Jehovah is God only to those who He has claimed as His own by faith in Christ.  So, exactly what then did God require of His people?  He demanded first that they must “do justly” or do right.  This was a reminder that the law required equitable dealings with everyone (see Leviticus 19:35-37; Deuteronomy 25:13-16).  Instead of showing respect for the rights of others, God’s people had turned to defrauding, cheating, and other sins.  Note:  In Micah’s day, Judah was riddled with injustice (see Micah 3:9-11; 6:11-12; 7:2-3) and the people too often tried to cover it up with religious observances (see Amos 5:21-26).  But God wouldn’t have any of that!  Their worship would remain sinful until they cleaned up their politics, business dealings, and family life (see Jeremiah 22:3-4).  This same basic command to do right is for us today as well (see Proverbs 3:27-31; Romans 12:10-11; Galatians 6:10).  God’s second requirement of man is “to love mercy.”  This means that God requires us to demonstrate an inner attitude of loving kindness that replaces selfishness.  “Mercy” is giving others what they don’t deserve.  It is demonstrated by a forgiving spirit.  God had been merciful to His people time and time again, so mercy reflects the character of the true God (see Psalms 136:1-16).  If He had given Israel what they deserved, they would have been destroyed ages ago.  But instead, He constantly gave them what they didn’t deserve---“mercy.”  He expects no less from us (see Luke 10:30-37).   Finally, Micah said that God requires His people to “walk humbly with thy God.”  This means to be constantly fellowshipping intimately with Him.  Walking with God implies having a personal working relationship with Him as we stay in step with, and conforming to His will, not ours.  When God’s people “walk humbly” with Him there’s no room for arrogance and pride.  Since the Israelites regularly attended the temple and went through the motions of worship, the false prophets assured them that God would not judge them.  Solomon was correct: Pride does go before destruction and it would lead Israel into Captivity.  The person who pursues such fellowship with God will learn what pleases Him in specific instances in life, and will choose that course.  More specifically, when we “walk humbly with thy God” we will learn to see things as God sees them and not react to situations according to our own limited perspective.  Note:  God kept it simple for everyone to understand.  He required justice, mercy and humility.  He didn’t give them a complicated list of mandates as people tend to do.  Micah, as God’s messenger, only spoke about the three responses God would require of His people.  He didn’t add any man-made commandments or restrictions.  He kept it simple for all to understand and obey.  In addition, so there aren’t any misunderstandings, we should be aware that these actions of doing justly, practicing mercy and kindness, and walking humbly with God do not lay out the way to receive salvation.  Instead, doing these things demonstrate the results of salvation.  God is speaking here of what He expects of those who already know Him (note that Micah says “thy (your) God”).  The person who comes into a relationship with Him by faith will practice these things in a greater and more consistent manner as he or she grows in the Lord.  How much easier life would have been for God’s people if they had fallen into His arms of love and humbly followed His desires instead of their own.  Christians today can learn from Micah’s message.  Being active in church and being visibly religious are no substitutes for doing what’s right and walking humbly with God.

                                    

V. Conclusion.  As mentioned in the introduction, the words on which this week’s lesson are based, “justice,” “love,” and “humility” bring to mind the sound of the Lord’s gavel as He pounded out the charges He brought against  His people, Israel who had betrayed Him.  They had not responded to God in a positive way even though He had graciously delivered the nation from Egypt and had provided the people with numerous blessings.  External religion, as good as it may seem, is no substitute for what the Lord requires.  God’s people must behave justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.  These requirements have not changed.  Christians today must apply Micah’s message to everyday living.  Don’t be fooled, being active in church and being visibly religious are not substitutes for walking humbly with God and doing what is right.

 

 

Condemnation of Corruption

                                                             Sunday School Lesson

                                      

Lesson: Micah 3:5-12
                                                                                              
Golden Text: “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” (Micah 3:8).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  We don’t have to look far to find a country that’s full of corruption.  Everyday newspapers are full of corruption in many arenas including political, economic, entertainment, sports, financial and yes, even churches.  Sleaze is everywhere!  Here in America we’ve seen politicians run for office on a fight corruption platform and then be arrested months later and prosecuted for all kinds of corruption.  But this is not new.  Our lesson this week describes the corrupt world in which Micah ministered.  He was called to preach in a land where the leaders, both religious and political, and the courts were filled with corruption, like many places in the world today.  Micah accused the leaders of not caring for those whom they should have protected.  History has proved that when any nation has selfish, greedy, corrupt people in leadership roles, that nation deteriorates rapidly and is soon destroyed.  Micah confronted such corruption in this week’s lesson.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Micah was a contemporary of Hosea in the northern kingdom of Israel and Isaiah in the southern kingdom of Judah.  Micah’s hometown was Moresheth-Gath (see Micah 1:14), located in Judah about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem, near the Philistine city of Gath.  Although Micah primarily preached to the people in Judah, he also had some words for Israel (see Micah 1:1).  Micah received his messages via visions from the Lord (see Micah 1:1) and in Micah 1:3-7, the prophet spoke of the judgment God would bring upon both Israel and Judah referring to them as Samaria and Jerusalem, the capital cities of Israel and Judah respectively.  In the remaining portion of chapter 1, Micah describes the weeping and mourning that will take place (see Micah 1:8-16).  Then in chapter 2:1-2, he spoke out against those who laid awake at night, plotting wickedness and then getting up at dawn to carry out their schemes simply because they could.  Micah declared that when these wicked people wanted a certain piece of land or someone else’s house (though it was all they had), they would take it by fraud and threats of violence (see Micah 2:3).  Then in verse 3, the prophet declared that the Lord God said that He would reward their evil with evil; nothing could stop Him; never again will His people be proud and haughty after He’s finished with them.  Micah continued to say that when Judah’s day of judgment arrived, they would be ridiculed by their enemies, and no one would be left in the land to divide it into tribal territories (see Micah 2:4-5).  Micah went on to accuse the people of trying to stop him from preaching God’s message of doom, but he continued declaring that God’s Word is good to anyone who lived uprightly (see Micah 2:6-7).  To make matters words, God called His people His enemies because they were stealing from the poor, driving widows from their homes and leaving the children without an inheritance (see Micah 2:8-9).  Then in verse 10, God through Micah gave the people a way to avoid the oncoming judgment in the form of the Assyrian invasion.  He told them to get out of the land for it was not their resting place since they had defiled the land.  Then in Micah 2:11, God declared that the only prophet Israel wanted was one that would tell them what they wanted to hear; one that was a liar and a deceiver.  But God in His mercy also prophesied that He would cause a remnant to return after the Babylonian Captivity and He even prophesied the great gathering of all believers when the Lord returns (see Micah 2:12-13).  Note:  God gave his prophets visions of various future events, but not necessarily the ability to discern when these events would happen.  For instance, the prophets could not see the long period of time between the Babylonian Captivity and the first coming of the Messiah, but they could clearly see that the Messiah was coming.  God’s purpose for allowing Micah to see this prophecy concerning Judah’s destruction was not to predict exactly how this would happen, but that it would happen. 
III. THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF THE FALSE PROPHETS (Micah 3:5-7).   Micah 3:1-4 is not part of our lesson text, but leads us into our text.  In verse 1, the prophet denounced the sins of the leaders, including the priests and prophets.  They were the ones responsible for teaching the people right from wrong, but they had set the law aside and become the worst of sinners.  They hated good and loved evil. They were taking advantage of the very people they were supposed to serve.  For sure all sin is bad, but the sin that leads others astray is the worst of all.  In verse 2-4, Micah accused the leaders of treating the people miserably in order to satisfy their own desires.  And to make matters worse, they had the gall to ask for God’s help when they found themselves in trouble, but God wouldn’t hear them.  This is where our lesson text begins.  
A. Prophets leading people astray (Micah 3:5).  In our first verse, Micah said “Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.”  The Living Bible translates this verse like this: “You false prophets! You who lead his people astray! You who cry “Peace” to those who give you food and threaten those who will not pay!”  God charged the prophets with prophesying falsely.  He said that the prophets “make my people err.”  They made it their business to flatter and deceive the people leading them into mistakes, both concerning what they should do as well as what God was going to do with them.  God’s people suffer when their leaders cause them to error and draw them out of the right way when they should be leading them in the right way.  The phrase “that bite with their teeth” seems to mean that these false prophets, who may have known the truth and should’ve known it lied to those who provided for them to the fullest.  It’s similar to our phrase “to hold one’s tongue.”  The prophets would lie to those people causing them to “err” by “crying peace,” telling them that they do well, and that all shall be well with them, while they were really in the paths of sin, and just a step away from ruin.  They gave encouraging messages to those who fed them well and lined their pockets only because they were well cared for.  Note:  Many pastors today preach only what the majority of the congregation wants to hear.  Things like “God is good” and “God is love.”  Yes, our God is such a God, but He is also a God of wrath.  In many churches, if that wrath message is given some in the pews would take it as a personal attack and stop attending.  Soon there would be a drop in attendance, a major cut in offerings, and most likely the firing of the pastor.  But on the other hand, these false prophets wanted to “war against him” that “putteth not into their mouths.”  In other words, the false prophets would only want to wage war on those who wouldn’t feed them or line their pockets.  We should be wary of ministries that overemphasize financial support.  Of course all ministries need help from God’s people.  However, when the emphasis on money becomes dominant, we should think about putting our support somewhere else, where God’s Word is dominant and taught faithfully.  The Lord is more pleased with our giving to the poor and destitute than building great cathedrals or buying private airplanes.  The Bible instructs leaders in particular not to be lovers of money (see I Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7).
B. Prophets without a vision (Micah 3:6).  In this verse God through Micah says “Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.”  God declared that the sentence for their wickedness was two-fold.  First He said “night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision.”  It’s interesting that the Lord would use this language because “visions” usually occurred during the day when a person was awake (see Daniel 10:7), while dreams normally occurred when one was asleep at night.  God was saying that those false prophets who had visions were going to be in the dark without any visions.  The word “night” refers to the darkness or the time when these prophets won’t be able to get any revelation from God.  Likewise, those prophets who used divination in order to receive revelation from God would also be in the dark so that they “shall not divine” or receive any word from the Lord.  Although God often revealed His will through visions, He specifically forbade the practice of divination which was considered to be witchcraft (see Deuteronomy 18:10-11).  Therefore, those prophets who engaged in divination were already in sin.  When God finally brought His judgment over the false prophets, He described it as “the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.”  The word “sun” is used here to symbolize God’s light or guidance that He gives to His people as a result of His grace or favor.  Note:  It’s really senseless to think that we can make it on our own through this world without divine guidance.  Just think how much more difficult it would be if our spiritual leaders couldn’t help us.  We need to pray for our spiritual leaders so they can stay close to God and be directed by His Spirit in order to be effective.
C. Prophets with no word from God (Micah 3:7).  Micah continues to say in this verse “Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.”  Once the Lord brings darkness or judgment upon the false prophets, He declared that “the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded.”  The word “seers” refer to those who claimed to have visions of future events.  It is an old term describing a prophet (see II Samuel 9:9).  God said that they would be “ashamed” or embarrassed.  The word “ashamed” in Hebrew means to turn pale.  Likewise, the Lord said that “the diviners” would be “confounded.”  The term “diviners” refers to those who claimed they could determine things through magic and they were outlawed in Israel (see Deuteronomy 18:10).  God said that they would be “confounded” or disgraced as shown when they “cover their lips.”  They will all show signs of complete embarrassment because everything they predicted was not going to happen.  Both the “seers” and the “diviners” would experience shame and disgrace because they will get “no answer of God.”  When these prophets tried to get information from God all they will be able to do is cover their faces with their hands while admitting they had no answers for the people.    
IV. MICAH’S STRENGHT OF MINISTRY (Micah 3:8-12)
A.  Micah full of power (Micah 3:8).  Whereas the false prophets would be embarrassed because their messages would prove to be lies, in this verse Micah said “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.”  Micah declared that the major difference between him and the false prophets was that “truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might.”  Unlike the false prophets, Micah was not motivated by financial gain, nor was he concerned about saying only what people wanted to hear.  Neither was Micah fearful of reprisal for what he said to them.  The word “might” refers to force and strength.  His message was one of great force and strength unlike the messages of the false prophets who would soon proved to be completely wrong.  Their assurances of peace and safety would soon prove to be meaningless and empty.  But Micah’s message was strong and forceful and mighty and would soon be proved to be true and accurate.  Micah attributed the power of his ministry to the “Spirit of the Lord.”  This is why he could “declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.”  In other words, the presence of God’s Spirit in his life gave him the power to declare to “Jacob” or the nation of Israel, her sinfulness and continued disobedience to God.  Micah could also confidently warn the people that God’s judgment was coming upon them if they didn’t repent and return to Him.  Note:  Our power comes from the same source, God’s Spirit.  Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power to witness for Him when the Holy Spirit came upon them (see Acts 1:8).  We can’t witness effectively by relying on our own strength because fear will keep us from speaking out for God.  Only by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit can we live and witness for Him.  The Bible has that same power.  In the written Word of God there is the same force of truth, and we would be insane to think that we should not obey it.  Sometimes we may feel too weak to be used by God’s Spirit. Yet weakness is the number one qualification needed for God to begin to work in us. When speaking of the Lord, the apostle Paul declared in II Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” It’s most important that we allow the Spirit of God to work through the Word of God to use us powerfully to proclaim His truth.               
B. Perversion of justice (Micah 3:9-10).  
1. (vs. 9).  In this verse, Micah said “Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.”  The prophet specifically addressed the same group of people that he spoke to in verse1.  With the words “Hear this, I pray you” Micah was begging the leaders described as “ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel” to pay close attention to what he was about to say.  First Micah declared that the leaders (which included the prophets) “abhor judgment.”  The word “judgment” means “justice.”  The word “abhor” means to hate or despise.  Micah accused the leaders in Judah of despising justice.  The leaders were the ones who should’ve been enforcing justice but instead they hated it.  They were covetous and prostituted their offices for their love of money.  They would not be governed by any of laws, and wouldn’t grant justice to those who were oppressed.  Second, Micah declared that the leaders “pervert all equity.”  In other words they distorted, or twisted everything that was right.  Wrong to them became right!
2. (vs. 10).  Micah continues to say in this verse “They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.”  To show the depth of their sinfulness, Micah said that the leaders “build up Zion with blood.”  This means that instead of building Jerusalem upon justice and equity, the leaders allowed murder to run rampant throughout the land (see Jeremiah 22:13).  They also allowed all other forms of “iniquity” or sin to run rampant throughout the capital city of “Jerusalem.”  The term “Zion” was another name for Jerusalem, but was also used to refer to the land of Judah and the people of Israel as a whole (see Isaiah 40:9; Jeremiah 31:12).   Note:  Micah passes judgment not only on the religious leaders, but on the political leaders as well.  That same judgment could apply to many in political leadership today.  They profess to believe in the Lord but don’t promote Him in their lives.  They often run for office for personal gain, for increase in wealth, and for exemption from the same laws they approve for others.  Certainly, God is not pleased with this behavior.  Regardless of our lot in life, if we have confessed Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we must live accordingly (see Galatians 2:20).
C. A division of thoughts (Micah 3:11).  Still talking about the leaders, in this verse Micah says “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.”  Micah condemned three groups here.  First, he said “The heads thereof judge for reward.”  The “heads” were the political leaders.  They would only render favorable decisions to those who could pay a bribe.  This is the meaning of the phrase “judge for reward.”  Second, Micah said “the priests thereof teach for hire.”  Of course the “priests” were the religious leaders who were supposed to act stand before the Lord for the people.  They were indicted for teaching only those who could pay them which is the meaning of the words “teach for hire.”  Thirdly, Micah said that “the prophets thereof divine for money.”  The “prophets” were those who gave God’s messages to the people.  However, they only spoke to those who offered them money.  The phrase “divine for money” literally means to tell fortunes or the future for money.  The problem with all of these leaders was that they performed their duties only for money not because they held divinely appointed positions.  In essence, the heads or political leaders wanted rewards, the priests wanted to be hired to do their divinely appointed duties, and the prophets wanted to be paid for their services of sharing God’s messages.  Note:  Micah warned the leaders, priests, and prophets of his day to avoid bribes.  Pastors today accept bribes when they allow those who contribute much to control the church.  When fear of losing money or members influences pastors to remain silent when they should speak up for what is right, their churches are in danger.  We must remember that Judah was finally destroyed because of the behavior of its religious leaders.  The same warning must be given to those who have money.  Never use your resources to influence or manipulate God’s ministers, because that is bribery.  But in spite of all of the wrong the people were doing, Micah said “yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.”  In other words, many in Judah thought that they could live anyway they wanted without heeding God’s law and still be able to expect His protection and presence among them.  How wrong they were in thinking “none evil can come upon us.”  God is sovereign and can have mercy on whom He wants to show mercy and also judge whom He wants to judge.  When the Babylonians would invade Judah, the people would soon find out that just being God’s people does not guarantee His blessings.  Note:  Because they were, in profession, His people, they thought there was no harm or danger in their wicked practices.  It was true that the Lord was among them by his laws, and this puffed them up with pride; but if they thought for one minute that God was among them with his favor and love, they were sorely mistaken (Proverbs 15:29; Isaiah 1:15).  Too often we too, think that we have God with us, when we have by our sin provoked him to depart from us (see Psalms 66:18).
 D.The ruin of Jerusalem (Micah 3:12).   In our final verse Micah says “Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.”  The phrase “for your sake” refers to the leaders in Judah.  It would be because of them and their sins that Judah would suffer the consequences of those sins.  Micah said that first “Zion (or Jerusalem)” would “be plowed as a field.”  In other words, after the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem and Judah, the land would look as if it had been plowed or turned upside down (see Jeremiah 26:18).  Second, “Jerusalem shall become heaps.”  Micah was prophesying that the Babylonian Captivity would end with Jerusalem becoming “heaps” or rubble.  This was confirmed by the book of Nehemiah.  When Nehemiah returned to the Jerusalem after the Captivity, he made a trip around the city to inspect the damage and found so much rubble that he had to get off his animal and walk through it (see Nehemiah 2:12-14).   The third consequence of the leaders’ sins Micah said was that “the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.”  In other words, the Temple Mount, here referred to as “high places” would become so barren that it would be overgrown with weeds and thickets just like those found in a forest.  Note:  Jerusalem would be destroyed just as Samaria; the capital of the northern kingdom was (see Micah 1:6).  This happened in 586 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army attacked the city (see II Kings chapter 25).  Although Micah blamed the corrupt leaders, the people were at fault as well.  They allowed the corruption to continue without turning to God or calling for justice.    
                             
V. Conclusion.  As Christians, we have had our sins forgiven through the blood of Christ.  Still, if we continue in sin, there may be temporal consequences.  Our judgment at the judgment seat of Christ may be for rewards, but in this life it is possible and even probable to feel the corrective hand of the Lord because of our sin.  It is better for us to be standing for the Lord alone than to be listening to the wrong voice and putting ourselves in the way of judgment and correction.  Unfortunately, some don’t care, but God does.  This week’s lesson has reminded us that the southern kingdom of Judah was doomed because of their corruption.  The same thing will happen to any person or nation under God’s watching eye.


























 

No Rest for the Wicked

                                                                   Sunday School Lesson

                                            

Lesson: Micah 2:4-11
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?” (Micah 2:7).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  Even though Micah and Amos spoke to different audiences (Micah to Judah and Amos to Israel), their messages were the same.  Since the people had failed to obey God’s covenant, they would experience extreme judgment in the form of deportation from the land that God had given them.  Like the people in Amos’ audience, those to whom Micah preached thought that because they were God’s people in God’s land, they would be exempt from divine judgment no matter how they behaved.  They were going through all the right motions in worship, but their hearts were not in it.  Our lesson this week will examine the areas of Judah’s life that were repulsive to the Lord.  The message of the people in Micah’s time is the same for us: there is no rest for the wicked.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Micah was a contemporary of Hosea in the northern kingdom of Israel and Isaiah in the southern kingdom of Judah.  Micah’s hometown was Moresheth-Gath (see Micah 1:14), located in Judah about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem, near the Philistine city of Gath.  Although Micah primarily preached to the people in Judah, he also had some words for Israel (see Micah 1:1).  Micah received his messages via visions from the Lord (see Micah 1:1) and in Micah 1:3-7, the prophet spoke of the judgment God would bring upon both Israel and Judah referring to them as Samaria and Jerusalem, the capital cities of Israel and Judah respectively.  In the remaining portion of chapter 1, Micah describes the weeping and mourning that will take place (see Micah 1:8-16).  Then in chapter 2:1-2, he spoke out against those who laid awake at night, plotting wickedness and then getting up at dawn to carry out their schemes simply because they could.  Micah declared that when these wicked people wanted a certain piece of land or someone else’s house (though it was all they had), they would take it by fraud and threats of violence (see Micah 2:3).  Then in verse 3, the prophet declared that the Lord God said that He would reward their evil with evil; nothing could stop Him; never again will His people be proud and haughty after He’s finished with them.  This is where our lesson begins.
III. NO REST FOR THE WICKED LANDOWNERS (Micah 2:4-7) 
A.  Loss of land and its use (Micah 2:4-5).
1. (vs. 4).  In this verse Micah said “In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.”  The phrase “In that day” refers to the time when God would bring judgment upon Judah, particularly the Babylonian invasion.  When that happened, the prophet said their enemies will “take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation.”  In other words, those outside the land would taunt or ridicule the people of Judah using their own words as a “doleful lamentation” meaning a mournful wailing.  These outsiders, who would include Judah’s conquerors, would make fun of Judah’s predicament by using God’s people’s own words saying “We (Judah) be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.”  The phrase “he hath changed the portion of my people” means that God’s people will no longer have any part or allotment left for themselves in the land.  The reason is because God has “removed it (the land)” from His people.  In addition, when God turns away from His people they will also say that He “hath divided our fields.”  The time was coming when the people of Judah would be saying “we are finished, ruined.  God has taken our land and sent us far away; he has given what is ours to others.”  Enemies will take all their land and force the people into captivity in Assyria for Israel and Babylon for Judah.  The land that they loved so much, given to them by God Himself, was about to be taken away and turned over to others.  Their wickedness shown in pride and self-confidence will result in total destruction.
2. (vs. 5).  In this verse God through Micah declared “Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord.”  When the Israelites entered Canaan, they were to divide the land by tribes by casting lots (see Numbers 26:55; 33:54; 34:13).  Now God said that there won’t be anyone left “in the congregation of the Lord” or among God’s people, who will be able to “cast a cord by lot” meaning able to determine land boundaries.  The remnant of Israel that would be left in the land wouldn’t have any authority for dividing the land anymore because they would be ruled by others.  Any division of the land would be done by the conquering Babylonians.     B. Loss of a word from the Lord (Micah 2:6-7).
1. (vs. 6).  Micah continues to say in this verse “Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.”  False prophets, as well as the people were saying to true prophets like Micah “Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy.”  This was a forceful demand for Micah to stop prophesying God’s message of destruction.  The phrase “they shall not prophesy to them” means that the false prophets were calling on Micah and other true prophets to stop preaching about the coming judgment.  The words “that they shall not take shame” mean that the false prophets were saying that Judah wouldn’t be destroyed and become an embarrassment or disgrace to her neighbors.  In their minds they believed that the Lord would never bring disaster or “shame” on His land.  A clearer translation of this verse would be “The people and the false prophets say, don’t prophesy to us.  Don’t say those bad things about us.  Nothing bad will happen to us.”  Note:  We still have some of these false preachers today who preach a prosperity gospel and a God who loves us so much that He will bless us no matter what.  But God is sovereign.  He may not want you to be prosperous, and no one else can tell you that He wants that for you.  It may be that God knows that you may not be able to withstand the temptations of wealth.  Prosperity may cause you to forget about the Lord and His will for you.  We need to hear all of God’s word, both concerning blessings as well as discipline.  If we don’t want to hear all of God’s words, He will eventually stop talking to us.  If we don’t want to hear the whole truth, we won’t get any truth.  The people only wanted to hear God’s comforting messages, not His words of discipline.  We need to listen to God speak even when the message is hard to take.  The attitude of the false prophets was that since the people of Judah were God’s people, as long as they continued to participate in worship and rituals, God wouldn’t harm them.  How wrong they were!  Just being in the land wasn’t enough.  The people needed to walk uprightly.  They were ignoring the fact that God wanted heartfelt worship, not just empty, ritualistic worship.  Just going through the motions would not satisfy the Lord.  The best thing we can do is to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God (see Micah 6:8).  We can leave the matter of prosperity up to Him.
2. (vs. 7).  In this verse Micah goes on to say “O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?”  The prophet referred to his listeners as “thou that art named the house of Jacob” because they were descendents of Jacob.  But the truth is, they were not acting the way Jacob would’ve acted.  He never would have listened to false prophets who were much like today’s prosperity preachers who preach that everyone can be prosperous or wealthy.  They preach only of God’s blessings and not His punishment or chastisement.  Because we are all disobedient at some point, we won’t always experience God’s blessing.  But we will always experience His chastisement, because He loves us (see Hebrews 12:5-8; Revelation 3:19).  Micah then posed some questions regarding God’s prophesied judgment against them.  He first asked “is the spirit of the Lord straitened?”   Depending on the context, the word “straitened” in Scripture can have more than one meaning, but they all express basically the same idea.  It can mean impatient, restricted or constrained (see Luke 12:50; II Corinthians 6:12), hampered (see Proverbs 4:12), or shortened (see Job 18:7).  However, in this verse according to the context, it most likely means “impatient.”  The people were heeding the false prophets’ message that God had not grown impatient with them, and therefore the judgment Micah prophesied wouldn’t happen.  This caused Micah to ask “is the spirit of the Lord straitened?”  Or in other words, “do you think God’s Spirit has not grown impatient?”  Of course the answer was yes.  He had grown impatient with His people, but they listened only to the false prophets who lied saying God’s patience would never run out on Israel.  Then he asked “are these his doings?”   The word “doings” here refers to God’s oncoming judgment against Judah.  In essence Micah was telling the people that unlike what the false prophets were saying, the Lord’s “doings” not only included blessings, but also included punishment for sins.  The people were holding on to promises that God would only keep if they were obedient, but they were ignoring all His warnings (see Deuteronomy 16:16-19).  Then the prophet gets to the point.  He asked “do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?”  The phrase “my words” here refers to the message Micah received from God.  The prophet was saying that if a person walks upright, God’s Word will always be just and fair.  God’s Word will not only speak of blessings, but it will also speak of chastisement when necessary.  God’s Word literally does us an infinite amount of good.  There’s no way to overestimate the value of God’s Word (see Psalms 119: 11).  As the psalmist said “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (see Psalms 119:105).   Note:  I like the translation of this verse given in the CJB (Complete Jewish Bible).  It reads “Is this what the house of Ya‘akov (Jacob) says?  ‘Adonai (God) has not grown impatient, and these things are not his doings.’  Rather, my (Micah’s) words do only good to anyone living uprightly.”
IV. NO REST FOR THE FALSE PROPHETS (Micah 2:8-11)
A.  A hostile community (Micah 2:8).  In this verse, God goes on to say through Micah “Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.”  Since His people were not living according to His holy standards, God considered them as His enemies, which is always a terrible position to be in.  The Lord considered His people enemies mainly because of how they treated their fellow citizens, especially the poor and destitute.   God said “ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.”  The Lord accused some of the people, no doubt the rich, of robbing others of their robes.  The Hebrew word for “pull off” means “to strip” or “to unclothe.”  The Lord described those victims as “them that pass by securely as men averse from war.”  This refers to people who walked by feeling safe and at peace which is the meaning of “men averse from war.”  This verse is speaking of debtors, or those who owed others having their clothes taken because they were unable to pay their debts.  This action was contrary to the law that stated “If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has.  What else can they sleep in?  When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate” (see Exodus 22:26-27, NIV).  Some people were so evil that they had no sense of decency, taking advantage of those who were already worse off than the wealthy Jews.        
B. Displaced women and children (Micah 2:9).  Still describing the sins committed by His people, in this verse God said “The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.”  Not only were men treated cruelly, but the wealthy also took advantage of women and children.  The Lord declared that “The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses.”  The “women” here most likely refers to widows who couldn’t afford their homes causing them to be taken away.  In most cases, their homes were their only possessions and were “pleasant” to them, so this was one of the most cruel and thoughtless things that the wealthy could do.  This is another picture of how far away from God’s standards the people of Judah had gone.  Even the “children” in Judah were victims of cruelty.  God said “from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.”  The “children” here probably refer to the children of the widows who had their homes taken from them.  In many cases, the homes that were being taken from the widows were the inheritance for the children.  But that was being taken away, and in so doing, God said that the wealthy had “taken away my glory for ever.”  God’s “glory” was the fact that the children would inherit the land, but due to the wickedness of the people, the children would also be removed from the land along with everyone else.  God would receive no glory from this.  For sure our righteous God will certainly repay those for the injuries they’ve done to the widows and fatherless, who, being helpless and friendless, cannot otherwise right those wrongs themselves.
C.  No rest for false prophets (Micah 2:10-11).
1. (vs. 10).  Now God says in this verse “Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.”  God had intended the land of Canaan to be a place of rest for His people (see Deuteronomy 12:9-10).  But because of their wickedness, God said the land of Israel “is not your rest” or a place of rest because “it is polluted” meaning that they had ruined it and made it unclean with their sin.  Since the Lord was going to remove His people from the land, He encouraged them to “Arise ye, and depart” or get out of the land.  When Micah gave this message, escape from judgment that was coming in the form of a Babylon invasion, was still possible only if the people left the country.  However, anyone who failed to leave immediately would be destroyed, either killed or taken into captivity.  They would also see their land destroyed as God said “even with a sore destruction.”  This means a complete and utter destruction.
2. (vs. 11).  In our final verse, the Lord speaks directly to the false prophets or preachers. He said “If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.”  Here the Lord tells the people what kind of prophets they really wanted.  They didn’t want one that told them the truth like Micah.  They wanted a prophet who says “I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink.”  This was just another way of the false prophets saying that the people didn’t have anything to worry about since they were God’s people.  They could be merry and drink wine even to the point of getting drunk.  But the Lord also said that those who prophesied such a message were “walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie.”  In other words, Israel only wanted prophets that would tell them what they wanted to hear---that God wouldn’t judge them.  But the false prophets told them what they wanted to hear because they had a spirit of “falsehood” and they “do lie.”  Note:  The true prophet or preacher tells people that they can receive God’s blessings only when they are obedient (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and His chastisement or discipline when they are disobedient (see Deuteronomy 28:15-52).  Not only was this true for Israel, but it’s also true for God’s people today.  If we want God’s blessings we must be obedient to His Word, His will and His way.  If we do anything else, which would be disobedience, we can expect chastisement and discipline.  Yes, there is no rest for the wicked!  So, who are you listening to?  The false preacher will tell you that our God is only a God of grace and mercy who will give you whatever you ask for.  But the true preacher will tell you the truth that yes, God is a God of grace and mercy, but He will give you what you ask for only if it’s according to His will (see I John 5:14-15).  However, He’s also a God of justice and will discipline His own.          
                                    
V. Conclusion.  This week’s lesson has provided some insight into life outside the blessing of the Lord.  While it is true that the worst consequences of a life of selfishness and sin will come in the hereafter, in this present life there are consequences as well.  The wicked simply have no rest or peace (see Isaiah 57:20-21).  Resting in the Lord is one of the most prized possessions of the believer.  Threats to our peace and rest can come from various sources and can be both physical and spiritual.  However, we can rest in the Lord’s finished work for our salvation.  We can rest in His victory over sin, this world, and Satan.  We can rest in the peace the Lord has given us.  We need not be troubled or afraid (see John 14:27).