Micah 3

Micah 3

1 And I said:

Hear, you heads of Jacob

and rulers of the house of Israel!

Is it not for you to know justice?—

2 you who hate the good and love the evil,

who tear the skin from off my people[a]

and their flesh from off their bones,

3 who eat the flesh of my people,

and flay their skin from off them,

and break their bones in pieces

and chop them up like meat in a pot,

like flesh in a cauldron.

4 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 made their deeds evil.

5 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 him

who puts nothing into their mouths.

6 Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,

and darkness to you, without divination.

The sun shall go down on the prophets,

and the day shall be black over them;

7 the seers shall be disgraced,

and the diviners put to shame;

they shall all cover their lips,

for there is no answer from God.

8 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.

9 Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob

and rulers of the house of Israel,

who detest justice

and make crooked all that is straight,

10 who build Zion with blood

and Jerusalem with iniquity.

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.”

12 Therefore because of you

Zion shall be plowed as a field;

Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,

and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

-Pray

Sermon Title: "The Price of Covetous Leadership: Lessons from Micah 3"

Introduction:

The pursuit of wealth and material success is often celebrated as a mark of diligence and industry.

However, when wealth becomes an idol, it leads to moral decay, social injustice, and spiritual abandonment.

Micah 3 offers a sobering picture of leaders who prioritized their greed over godliness, resulting in their ultimate downfall.

Through this passage, we are reminded of the dangers of loving money and neglecting God.

I. Covetous Leaders Fail in Administering Justice (Micah 3:1-3)

1 “And I said:

Hear, you heads of Jacob

and rulers of the house of Israel!

Is it not for you to know justice?—

2 you who hate the good and love the evil,

who tear the skin from off my people

and their flesh from off their bones,

3 who eat the flesh of my people,

and flay their skin from off them,

and break their bones in pieces

and chop them up like meat in a pot,

like flesh in a cauldron.”

Micah condemns the leaders of Israel for their greed and corruption.

Instead of serving the people, they exploit them for personal gain.

Some Key Characteristics We See:

Partiality in judgment, accepting bribes to pervert justice.

Exploitation of the vulnerable through extortion, fraud, and oppression.

Spiritual Insight:

In their covetousness, these leaders became faithless to both God and their fellow men, violating their divine calling to shepherd and protect.

Application: God calls us to prioritize integrity and fairness, rejecting all forms of selfish gain.

II. The Perils of Self-Confidence and Self-Sufficiency (Micah 3:11)

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.”

These leaders grew arrogant, trusting in their wealth and influence rather than in God.

Key Statements of False Confidence:

They claimed, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”

Their prosperity blinded them to their need for God’s grace and their vulnerability to His judgment.

Spiritual Insight:

When we replace reliance on God with trust in our material resources, we risk both moral decay and divine discipline.

Application: True security comes from God, not from wealth or power. Humility is essential for faithful leadership.

III. The Moral and Social Corruption of Covetous Leadership (Micah 3:2-3, 9-10)

2 “you who hate the good and love the evil,

who tear the skin from off my people[a]

and their flesh from off their bones,

3 who eat the flesh of my people,

and flay their skin from off them,

and break their bones in pieces

and chop them up like meat in a pot,

like flesh in a cauldron.”

9 “Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob

and rulers of the house of Israel,

who detest justice

and make crooked all that is straight,

10 who build Zion with blood

and Jerusalem with iniquity.”

These passages paint a graphic picture of leaders as butchers, figuratively tearing apart their own people for personal benefit.

Specific Sins:

They hate good and love evil, overturning moral values for selfish purposes.

They build their wealth on the suffering and oppression of others, constructing a society rooted in injustice.

Spiritual Insight:

God sees beyond appearances and knows the true character of every heart (Jeremiah 17:10).

“I the Lord search the heart

and test the mind,

to give every man according to his ways,

according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Application: As leaders, we must prioritize righteousness and the welfare of others over selfish ambition.

Conclusion: False Prophets and their Shame (Micah 3:5-7)

“5 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 him

who puts nothing into their mouths.

6 Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,

and darkness to you, without divination.

The sun shall go down on the prophets,

and the day shall be black over them;

7 the seers shall be disgraced,

and the diviners put to shame;

they shall all cover their lips,

for there is no answer from God.

Beside the corrupt leaders, false prophets arose who deceived the people with flattering lies, driven by greed rather than truth.

God’s Judgment:

These prophets would face public shame, their visions obscured, and their voices silenced.

Final Call:

Leadership requires accountability to God and a commitment to justice and mercy.

Personal Evaluation: Are we loving money more than God? Are we faithful stewards of the responsibilities He has given us?

Closing Reflection:

Micah’s message is timeless: God opposes those who exploit others for personal gain but exalts those who walk humbly with Him.

Let us strive to lead with integrity, love justice, and depend on the Lord, so that we may reflect His character in our lives and leadership.

Key Verse: Micah 6:8 – "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

-Pray

-Invitation