Micah 3:1–7

The book is made up of three main divisions. Each one opens with a call to listen: "Hear, you peoples, all of you" (Micah 1:2); "Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel" (Micah 3:1); and "Hear what the LORD says" (Micah 6:1).

All the people have their responsibility, but the main weight falls according to a person's position. Wickedness in a man who holds an office of trust is worse than the same evil in someone under him, and God rightly treats it as more serious. Sin in a judge, for instance, has a graver character than dishonesty in a stable-hand or his master. Corruption or tyranny in a king is deeper guilt than failings here or there in any of his subjects... God will surely judge according to His own unbending revelation... The first two chapters exposed the sin of the people. The sin of the heads comes forward here, and with them the wickedness of the prophets.

First the prophet describes how low the nation has sunk: the moral corruption of the leaders and judges, and of the false prophets too. It is all summed up in one sentence: "you who hate the good and love the evil." The princes and judges robbed the people and treated them like cattle.

The prophet again denounces the heads and princes of Jacob. They would cry to Jehovah, but He would not hear them. No prophet would bring them the light of His word. The seers would be put to shame, and God would give no answer... Nothing offends Jehovah more than this. People who bear His name wrap themselves in the privilege of His presence. Then they use that claim to honour themselves and excuse evil.

Those who misled others shall be left to their own delusions. They preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil. So Jehovah tells them plainly through Micah: "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."

He tells the heads and rulers that they build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. He speaks of the influence of money: judges acted for reward, priests taught for hire, and prophets prophesied for money... This prophecy was fulfilled when Babylon conquered Jerusalem. And when the Jews who returned from exile later rejected the Lord of Glory, their King, Zion and Jerusalem became heaps once more.

In Micah 3 we have a still more solemn appeal directed to the heads and princes of the house of Israel. While all the people have their responsibility, the chief weight must fall according to the position each person holds. Wickedness in a man who holds an office of trust is worse than the same evil in a subordinate person. It rightly counts as more serious. Wrongdoing in a judge, for instance, is graver than dishonesty in a stable hand or his master... The first two chapters exposed the sin of the people; the sin of the heads comes forward here.

First the prophet describes how far the nation has fallen: the moral corruption of the leaders and judges, and of the false prophets. It is all summed up in one sentence, "who hate the good, and love the evil." The princes and judges robbed the people, treated them like cattle (verse 3). For these unjust deeds the Lord would not hear them when they cried in the hour of their need, and would hide His face from them.

Many, whose unbroken will carries them away passionately, are sincerely ashamed of their intemperance and grieve over the excesses of these short fits of madness... Just as among the Jews, ungodliness destroys the moral landmarks: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).

Others might plunder their enemies and enrich their followers at the expense of their neighbours. But the civil and religious chiefs of Israel were so degraded and depraved that they preyed on the flesh and blood of their brothers for their own greed and gain.

The prophet again denounces the heads and princes of Jacob. They would cry to Jehovah. But He would not hear them. No prophet would give them light with His word. The seers would be put to shame; there would be no answer from God (v. 1-7). It was not so with the prophet. He was full of power by the Spirit of Jehovah to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin (v. 8).

The princes and prophets are denounced for their iniquity. So Zion would be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem would become heaps. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled.

The judges ought to judge on behalf of the poor and needy, not favour the wicked. They should defend them from those who persecute them (v. 3), and rescue them from cruel oppression. Many of our courts of justice need this same call today. So does the professing church of God, where those in outward honour are too often guilty of oppressing ordinary people.

In Micah 3 we have a still more solemn appeal directed to the heads and princes of the house of Israel. Of course we know this. All the people have their responsibility. But the chief weight must fall according to a person's position. Wickedness in a man who holds an office of trust is worse, and rightly treated as more serious, than the same evil in a person under him. Iniquity, for instance, in a judge has a graver character than dishonesty in a stable hand or his master. Corruption or tyranny in a king is deeper guilt than misdeeds here or there in any of his subjects.

The second prophetic message of Micah contains the great Messianic prophecies. But first the prophet describes how low the nation has sunk. He shows the moral corruption of the leaders and judges, and of the false prophets too. It is all summed up in one sentence, "who hate the good, and love the evil." The princes and judges robbed the people, treated them like cattle (verse 3).

'To strip off, to skin.' Applied to skinning the animals for the sacrifices. Lev. 1:6; 2 Chr. 29:34; 2 Chr. 35:11. Also used metaphorically for the ill-treatment of the Israelites by their rulers. Micah 3:3.

Others might plunder their enemies and enrich their followers at their neighbours' expense. But the civil and religious chiefs of Israel were so degraded and corrupt that they preyed on the flesh and blood of their own countrymen for their own greed and gain.

Princes, priests, prophets, and people are all challenged one by one by him, and are all found guilty and condemned. That land had been rescued out of the hand of the Amorites. It had been made the clean vessel among the nations, and the Lord's dwelling place. Now it has taken on a completely different character. Strange and humbling indeed! How the fine gold has become dim!

Micah 3. The prophet again denounces the heads and princes of Jacob. They would cry to Jehovah. But He would not hear them. No prophet would give them light from His word. The seers would be put to shame, and God would give no answer (v. 1-7).

The prophet himself was full of power to declare the sin of Israel. So Zion would be ploughed like a field, and Jerusalem would become heaps of ruins. This prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter.

All the people have their responsibility. But the chief weight must fall according to a person's position. Wickedness in someone who holds an office of trust is worse than the same evil in someone under authority. Justice rightly treats it as more serious. Sin in a judge, for instance, has a graver character than dishonesty in a stable-hand or his master. Corruption or tyranny in a king is deeper guilt than failings here or there in any of his subjects.

The prophet describes how far the nation has sunk. He describes the moral corruption of the leaders and judges, and of the false prophets too. It is all summed up in one sentence, "who hate the good, and love the evil." The princes and judges robbed the people, treated them like cattle (verse 3). For these unjust deeds the Lord would not hear them when they cried in their hour of need. He would hide His face from them.

They had rejected Him without reason. Now He rejects them with good reason. They get back something of their own treatment. His face had been shining with pleasure on Israel. Now He hides His face from them, to see what their end will be. If God's face does not shine with approval on His creatures, they cannot go on without serious consequences.

The prophet again denounces the heads and princes of Jacob. They would cry to Jehovah. But He would not hear them. No prophet would give them light from His word. The seers would be put to shame. No answer would come from God (v. 1-7).

Look at 1 Samuel 28:6, "And when Saul inquired of the Lord," and compare it with 1 Chronicles 10:14, "And inquired not of the Lord." Samuel records the outward act. The Holy Spirit in Chronicles gives God's judgment on the inward state of his soul. The pressure of despair squeezed a useless cry out of his heart. But there was no real turning to Him — and He never shuts out the most despairing cry from a soul that is truly broken.

It is useless to pray while persisting in sin. The man who does not seek to walk with God has no right to expect anything from Him... You cannot ask in faith while holding on to something that grieves the Holy Spirit and dishonours the Lord Jesus Christ. If prayer is not answered, if the sky seems like brass, it is a solemn sign of a wrong state of soul. It should lead to self-judgment and to giving up every evil way.

All the people have their responsibility. But the chief weight must fall according to each person's position. Wickedness in a man who holds an office of trust is worse than the same evil in someone under him, and it rightly counts as more serious. Wrongdoing in a judge, for example, is more serious than dishonesty in a stableman or his master.

It is bad enough when a man's will makes him go wrong. How much worse when the very thing that ought to be the strongest check on his will, and the surest guard of holiness, drives him headlong into everything that is against God.

They make the people err. To bite with their teeth means to be fed. So they cried "peace" to the patrons who fed them, and they fought and denounced those who put no food in their mouths.

When the people of God go wrong, there is always the spirit of false prophecy which would make them believe that all goes well. Men in authority do not like to be discouraged: look at the opposition Jeremiah met in Jerusalem. The false prophet helps to stop the conscience from turning back to God. God would use chastening to bring the conscience into direct contact with Himself. The spirit of falsehood would persuade them that they are very happy. Those who call them blessed are the misleaders.

It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and lies. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval on its own desires. So prophets grew popular by saying, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken. We should not suppose that these prophets were always inventing lies. But they corrupted the word of God and made it suit man's taste.

Money also decides the kind of man they want. They usually want a successful man, by the fashionable idea of success. They want a man who will fill the church, and maybe help pay off the debt on it. His own salary very likely depends on it… But even if they get a godly man, he faces the strongest personal temptation to soften the truth. Preached in full, that truth may cost him his influence and even his living.

These false prophets were the mere instruments of the people. So Micah predicts that night will come to them instead of their pretended light… Those who misled others will be left to their own delusions. They preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil.

The false prophets were mainly responsible for these evils. It is the same today: false teachers in the Christian world, those who deny the faith, destructive critics and others are responsible for the state of the professing Church. They lead the people astray. While they had food in their mouths, they cried "peace" to the men who paid them. Those who did not feed them they attacked and condemned. Night would come for them, with no vision. Darkness would fall on them. They would be ashamed and dismayed. Covering the lips was a sign of mourning and silence. This will be the end of all false prophets and teachers.

Nothing could be more magnificent than his images; and, better still, they are true… Those who misled others will be left to their own delusions. They preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil, and Jehovah makes that clear to them through Micah.

The prophet again denounces the heads and princes of Jacob. They should cry to Jehovah. But He would not hear them. No prophet should enlighten them with the light of His word. The seers should be confounded; there should be no answer from God.

Does God cause darkness? Yes, He does — and blindness too, if people refuse His light. No darkness is so deep and no blindness so total as the darkness God sends as judgment on those who treat His Word lightly… He will turn the light they claim to have into thick darkness and the shadow of death. All of this is very serious. It should make us tremble at the very thought of refusing to act on the light God kindly gives us.

If they cried "Peace" without a vision or light from God, Micah could say something very different of himself. He was filled with power by the Spirit of Jehovah, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.

A great famine is announced. It is not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. God will take His Word and the light of His revelation away from them completely. They despised the Word of the Lord, and then they would long to seek it and not find it… The same judgment is coming fast on the Christian world. In its falling away it rejects the Word of the Lord and turns to fables. The day will come when the Spirit leaves, and then there will be a famine of the Word — no comfort and no help for those who are ripe for judgment.

These false prophets were nothing more than the tools of the people. Micah predicts that night will come to them instead of their pretended light. "You shall have night, without vision, and darkness, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them." His images could not be more magnificent. Better still, they are true.

The false prophets were mostly responsible for these evils, just as today those who deny the faith and attack Scripture are responsible for the state of the church that claims His name. They make the people err. They had something to bite with their teeth — that is, they were fed — so they cried "peace" to their patrons. Anyone who did not support them by putting food in their mouths, they fought and denounced. There would be night for them, with no vision; darkness would come upon them. They would be ashamed and confounded; the covering of the lips was a sign and emblem of mourning and silence. Such will be the fate of all false prophets and teachers.

The heads and princes of Jacob would cry to Jehovah. But He would not hear them. No prophet would give them light from His word. The seers would be confounded; there would be no answer from God.

Those who misled others will be left to their own delusions. They preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil. Jehovah tells them so plainly through Micah.

The judgment of God on this guilty nation takes the form of a delusion. There had been wars, plagues and famines. Now comes something that dulls their feelings. Under the earlier troubles they might have wept and cried to the Lord, as they often did in the times of the judges. But now they will be deceived. What judgment is more terrible, apart from the eternal one, than "I also will choose their delusions"? And this came because when God called, there was no one to answer.

All the people have their responsibility. But the chief weight must fall according to a person's position. Wickedness in someone who holds a position of trust is worse than the same evil in someone under him. It is right to treat it as more serious. Wrongdoing in a judge, for instance, is graver than dishonesty in a stable-hand or his employer.

The eighth verse is a magnificent outburst from God's true prophet — Micah's own confession. As the true prophet he was full of power by the Spirit of the Lord. So filled, he declared to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.