Micah 2
January 5
Reading: Micah 2
1 Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says the LORD:
behold, against this family I am devising disaster,
from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you shall not walk haughtily,
for it will be a time of disaster.
4 In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you
and moan bitterly, and say,
"We are utterly ruined;
he changes the portion of my people;
how he removes it from me!
To an apostate he allots our fields."
5 Therefore you will have none to cast the line
by lot in the assembly of the LORD.
6 "Do not preach"-- thus they preach—
"one should not preach of such things;
disgrace will not overtake us."
7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
Has the LORD grown impatient?
Are these his deeds?
Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?
8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy;
you strip the rich robe
from those who pass by
trustingly with no thought of war.
9 The women of my people you drive out
from their delightful houses;
from their young children
you take away my splendor forever.
10 Arise and go, for this is no place to rest,
because of uncleanness that destroys
with a grievous destruction.
11 If a man should go about
and utter wind and lies, saying,
"I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,"
he would be the preacher for this people!
12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;
I will gather the remnant of Israel;
I will set them together like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in its pasture,
a noisy multitude of men.
13 He who opens the breach goes up before them;
they break through and pass the gate, going out by it.
Their king passes on before them,
the LORD at their head.
In Micah 2:1-2 the prophet continues the indictment against Israel and Judah. Three specific sins are described in these two verses. They are related to one another.
1. Scheming: They are planning evil, probably against other people. They are thinking at night about how they can take advantage of others. By day they carry out their deception.
2. Coveting: This gives us some idea of the nature of the schemes. They look at what others have, friends, relatives, neighbors, competitors; and they want what they see.
3. Stealing: They find a way to take what they want. They are even prepared to take houses and inheritances from others.
How about you? Is the getting more important than the people who the Lord wants you to consider more important than yourself?
In verses 3-5 the Lord again describes the coming judgment. They think that their acquisitions have helped themselves and their families. They could not be more wrong. When the Assyrian destruction comes, those who have more will lose most. It will not matter any longer how the land has been legally apportioned. The Assyrians care nothing about that.
In verses 6-11 the Lord shows how His own people have made themselves His enemy. They do not want to hear preaching about judgment. (vs. 6) They would rather hear words that encourage them to hedonism. (vs. 11)
The final two verses of chapter 2 remind us that the Lord is Israel’s good shepherd. He will gather His sheep and lead them out as their Lord and King. Who could these verses be talking about? Who might be Israel’s future shepherd, Lord, and King? This is the first hint of Messiah in Micah.