Leaders Gone Wrong
[ READ ] Micah 1–3
11 Its heads give judgment for a bribe;
its priests teach for a price;
its prophets practice divination for money;
yet they lean on the Lord and say,
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?
No disaster shall come upon us.”
Micah 3:11
its priests teach for a price;
its prophets practice divination for money;
yet they lean on the Lord and say,
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?
No disaster shall come upon us.”
Micah 3:11
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”
That’s a bold claim. “God is on our side,” these leaders say. Now, Scripture shows that God’s favor for Israel is covenantally conditioned according to Deuteronomy 28 – “All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God… but if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.”
So, instead of taking these leaders at their word, let’s place their actions in verse 11 up against the measuring stick of Scripture to see how well they hold up.
The “heads” – civic and judicial authorities – desecrate the legal system. Justice is sold. This is in direct violation of Deuteronomy 16:19 – “you shall not pervert justice…and you shall not accept a bribe”.
The “priests” – the official teachers of Torah and religious order – are no better. They desecrate the practice of teaching God’s Word, selling what they were bound to give faithfully despite the abundant provisions that the Lord already sets aside for priests in Numbers 18.
The “prophets” are not really prophets at all. They practice “divination” for money. Micah’s use of that particular verb is intentional. He does not use the neutral verb for prophecy, instead choosing an exclusively negative verb that recalls exactly the sort of soothsaying that is outlawed in Deuteronomy 18:10 – “There shall not be found among you…anyone who practices divination”.
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?”
How dangerous this is. These leaders dress their apostasy in the shiny garments of religious rhetoric, lulling the people – and themselves – into a false belief that their morally distorted agendas are God-backed. But God does not identify himself with corrupt institutions simply because they dress their actions in His name. Once we look beyond their deceptive religious assurances and hold Scripture up as God’s holy standard, the truth becomes clear.
Let the true words of God guide us – not man dressed in God-language. Hold everything up to the measuring stick of Scripture. Let us be like Micah, who says the following just three verses prior: “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.”
- Kidus Kebede
That’s a bold claim. “God is on our side,” these leaders say. Now, Scripture shows that God’s favor for Israel is covenantally conditioned according to Deuteronomy 28 – “All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God… but if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.”
So, instead of taking these leaders at their word, let’s place their actions in verse 11 up against the measuring stick of Scripture to see how well they hold up.
The “heads” – civic and judicial authorities – desecrate the legal system. Justice is sold. This is in direct violation of Deuteronomy 16:19 – “you shall not pervert justice…and you shall not accept a bribe”.
The “priests” – the official teachers of Torah and religious order – are no better. They desecrate the practice of teaching God’s Word, selling what they were bound to give faithfully despite the abundant provisions that the Lord already sets aside for priests in Numbers 18.
The “prophets” are not really prophets at all. They practice “divination” for money. Micah’s use of that particular verb is intentional. He does not use the neutral verb for prophecy, instead choosing an exclusively negative verb that recalls exactly the sort of soothsaying that is outlawed in Deuteronomy 18:10 – “There shall not be found among you…anyone who practices divination”.
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?”
How dangerous this is. These leaders dress their apostasy in the shiny garments of religious rhetoric, lulling the people – and themselves – into a false belief that their morally distorted agendas are God-backed. But God does not identify himself with corrupt institutions simply because they dress their actions in His name. Once we look beyond their deceptive religious assurances and hold Scripture up as God’s holy standard, the truth becomes clear.
Let the true words of God guide us – not man dressed in God-language. Hold everything up to the measuring stick of Scripture. Let us be like Micah, who says the following just three verses prior: “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.”
- Kidus Kebede
[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Read Jeremiah 26:18-19. The passage tells us about how Hezekiah, king of Judah at the time, responded to Micah’s prophetic warnings. How does this inform your understanding of the prophetic office and its purpose?
+ Micah 3:11 is NOT telling us that the modern-day teachers of God’s Word should not receive remuneration. In fact, Paul argues the opposite in 1 Corinthians 9. The laborer truly deserves his wages. So what is it that Micah is condemning here regarding the priests’ actions?
+ Read Jeremiah 26:18-19. The passage tells us about how Hezekiah, king of Judah at the time, responded to Micah’s prophetic warnings. How does this inform your understanding of the prophetic office and its purpose?
+ Micah 3:11 is NOT telling us that the modern-day teachers of God’s Word should not receive remuneration. In fact, Paul argues the opposite in 1 Corinthians 9. The laborer truly deserves his wages. So what is it that Micah is condemning here regarding the priests’ actions?
[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Micah sets an incredibly high standard for us when it comes to holding the world around us accountable to God’s Word. How can you and I better reflect his example today?
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ Micah sets an incredibly high standard for us when it comes to holding the world around us accountable to God’s Word. How can you and I better reflect his example today?
[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ One of the incredible things that takes place when we uncompromisingly witness to the world, as Micah does, is that the world notices. Our dedication to God’s holy standard sets us apart. It’s different, and it carries intuitive moral weight. What opportunity do you have to talk to someone about God’s holy standard and how it applies to our broken world – yours, mine, and theirs – today?
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ What is my next step?
+ One of the incredible things that takes place when we uncompromisingly witness to the world, as Micah does, is that the world notices. Our dedication to God’s holy standard sets us apart. It’s different, and it carries intuitive moral weight. What opportunity do you have to talk to someone about God’s holy standard and how it applies to our broken world – yours, mine, and theirs – today?
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