Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Micah-Chapter 3

Micah 3.1-12 tells us Micah reproves the civil leaders in government for their miscarriage of justice, their hatred for good and love of evil, and their oppression and distress. When they cry to Yehovah they will not be heard by him. Basically, the government is deteriorating.

v 1…And I said, “Hear now, heads (roshay) of Jacob and rulers (magistrates) of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice (to give attention to what is right)?

v 2…You who hate good and love evil (they were the exact opposite of what God wanted in a leader), who tear off their skin from them (flaying the people) and their flesh from the bones (like wild beasts in their lust for gain).

v 3…And who eat the flesh of my people (by oppression, devouring them; today it is called “smart business”), strip off their skin (to be flayed) from them; break their bones, and chop them up as for the pot and as for meat in a kettle (these are figures for pledged clothing and desired fields-Mic 2.2, 2.8).

v 4…Then (at the time of judgment) they will cry out to the Lord (Yehovah), but he will not answer them (they turned a deaf ear to the oppressed, so Yehovah will turn a deaf ear to them). Instead, he will hide his face from them at that time, because they practiced evil deeds.

v 5…Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets (false religious leaders) who lead my people astray (make them commit error); when they have something to bite with their teeth (receive something to eat as a bribe) they cry, “Peace,” but against who puts nothing in their mouths (give them nothing to eat) they declare holy war (proclaim that Yehovah has set them apart for vengeance through slander, or use the government and neighbors against them, etc).

v 6…Therefore it will be night for you without a vision (no light or understanding in them-Isa 8.20), and darkness for you-without divination (no understanding, no predictions for good). The sun will go down on the prophets (no prosperity and out of favor with the people), and the day will become dark over them (a day of judgment-Amos 5.18).

v 7…The seers will be ashamed (their prophecies proven false) and the diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will cover their mouths (stop talking because of shame) because there is no answer from God (they will no longer say they hear from God because it is now plain to see).

v 8…On the other hand (in contrast to these false prophets) I am filled with power (from Yehovah)-with the Spirit of the Lord (Ruach Yehovah)-and with justice and courage (by God’s help) to make known (bring to light, openly get it before them) to Jacob his rebellious acts, and to Israel his sin (so they can repent).

v 9…Now hear this, heads (roshay) of the house of Jacob (the principal men of the land) and rulers (magistrates) of the house of Israel, who abhor justice) and twist everything that is straight (perverting equity),

v 10…who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with violent injustice (obtaining the means to build through extortion, bribes and judicial murder-1 Kings 21.1-10; Jer 22.13-17),

v 11…her leaders (heads) pronounce judgment for a bribe (influenced by money or personal gain), her priests instruct for a price (decide controversies for a fee), and her prophets divide the money (their “prophecies” being fashioned according to what is given them). Yet they lean on the Lord saying, “Is it not the Lord in our midst (enthroned in the Temple and that he will protect our city)? Calamity (evil) will not come upon us (without realizing that it was Yehovah who was the one bringing the evil in the first place because of sin).”

v 12…Therefore, on account of you, Zion (the royal palaces) will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem (the rest of the city) will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house (the Temple Mount) will become high places of a forest (overrun with bushes and shrubs, destroying all false trust in the Temple-Jer 7.1-15).

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*