In his commentary on Micah, Ralph Smith noted that the behavior of Israel’s leaders was like “leaving cannibals in charge of the missionaries.”
It was their responsibility to administer justice but instead they consumed the ones they were responsible for protecting.
And I said:
Listen, you heads of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel!
Should you not know justice?
You who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin off my people
and the flesh off their bones. (Micah 3.1-2)
Leaders should know justice. That involves an intellectual understanding that justice is good. It also includes the administration of what is right in society.
Instead, those who held the reins of political and judicial power in Micah’s day cast aside all pretense for justice and were openly using their powers to extract resources from the poor and powerless.
I recently listened to an interview with Julie Brown, the investigative reporter who revealed the corruption of Jeffrey Epstein and his trafficking of underage girls.
Brown claims the judicial system that included powerful attorneys who were friends with prosecutors resulted in a gross injustice for the victims of Epstein’s crimes.
If Brown’s claims are accurate, this is a modern-day example of Micah’s complaint that the powerful “hate the good and love the evil.”
Michelle Alexander is a well-known civil rights attorney, who has written a riveting book, “The New Jim Crow.” The book outlines the mass incarceration of blacks in an age of colorblindness. It is worth noting that this book is banned in some jails and schools in the South.
Whether you agree with Alexander’s findings or not, there is no denying that poor blacks (and poor people of all races) receive different judicial treatment from wealthy defendants who can afford high-priced attorneys.
With Epstein, trafficked girls ages 13 and 14 were eliminated from his case. He pled guilty to sex with a 17-year-old girl and received a short sentence where he was released for work.
A poor defendant who is represented by an overworked public defender will not receive the same treatment.
What can we do to right a system that favors the powerful over the vulnerable? Probably, not too much.
In a lawless world, God is the Lawgiver who demands accountability. The powerful who abuse the justice system may call on their friends for help, but Micah says God will not listen to their unrepentant prayers.
Then they will cry to the Lord,
but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time
because they have acted wickedly. (Micah 3.4)
“Jehovah would hide his face from them in a time of crisis just as they had not turned a friendly face towards their victims” (Ralph Smith).
Prophets and Priests
Jesus told His followers that they should not please people, but please God.
He said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6.1).
Prophets and priests, who focus on pleasing people instead of God, run the risk of God’s condemnation.
Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets
who lead my people astray,
who cry “Peace”
when they have something to eat
but declare war against those
who put nothing into their mouths.
Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,
and darkness to you, without revelation.
The sun shall go down upon the prophets,
and the day shall be black over them;
The seers shall be disgraced
and the diviners put to shame;
they shall all cover their lips,
for there is no answer from God. (Micah 3.6-8)
Paul warned that “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4.3).
The false prophets of Micah’s day delivered messages that scratched “itching ears.” According to Micah, they were motivated by financial gain.
As someone who preached for 50 years, I know the temptation to cater to the “itching ears” of my audience.
It is tempting to avoid difficult topics like sin, repentance, and self-sacrifice, which are central to the Gospel.
It’s not easy to balance grace and love with the call to personal transformation and holiness, but God requires the preaching of both.
I’m not a fan of the prosperity gospel, which equates faith with financial success and personal well-being. Should we be surprised that some of the largest churches in America tend to scratch “itching ear” of materialism?
I have preached multitudes of boring or forgettable sermons in 50 years. My goal is to keep the audience’s attention and deliver a compelling message.
That being said, if the primary goal becomes attracting and keeping an audience, rather than genuine worship and teaching, we may be accused of catering to ‘itching ears.’
When our primary motive is pleasing the crowd, God says we will get what we want. We will have the applause of the crowd at the expense of God’s judgment.
Instead of insights that come from a humble and obedient relationship with God, we will receive no revelation from the Lord.
Leaders Should Lead
Leadership is both an honor and a responsibility. God gives leaders gifts of leadership that should be used to serve the people in our care.
Leaders in government, business, the church, and the home should serve the people under their care.
The last thing we want to hear is God’s condemnation of the shepherds (leaders) in Ezekiel.
Woe, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? (Ezekiel 34.2-3).
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 