MICAH:CORRUPTED LEADERSHIP

Sins of Samaria (Israel) & Judah (Jerusalem)

Pride as a Nation 1:5

The capital cities, the chief places of Leadership became the driver to their Sin

These places speak to the ideals & philosophies promoted by the leaders.

Seeing your nation from a superior point of view vs one of humility and fallenness

Isaiah 6:5 is the appropriate view of how we should all view ourselves and our nation

· Apostasy: Falling away from Loyalty, defection

· Rebellion: Opposition to Gods Authoritative Rule, Resistance to Gods truth

· Idolatry: Putting faith and thus worshiping things other than God alone

· Unauthorized Worship: Priest and Levite misrepresenting Holy Worship

A. Indictment of Corruption (3:1–3)

· Micah calls upon “the heads of Jacob” to hear his prophetic word. These “rulers of the house of Israel” were those who administered the affairs of state. They also served as judges and magistrates.[1] [1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (p. 308). Joplin, MO: College Press.

· 1. A sin against knowledge or the Lack of Knowledge or corrupting truth(3:1b)[1]

· [1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (p. 308). Joplin, MO: College Press.

· 2. A sin against society (3:2). Far from knowing justice, these leaders were “haters of good and lovers of evil.” They loved everything God’s law condemned, and hated everything that law encouraged.[1]

· [1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (p. 308). Joplin, MO: College Press.

· 3. A sin against compassion (3:3)[1]

[1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (p. 308). Joplin, MO: College Press.

B. Prevailing Sin (6:10–12)

The exhortation to heed the revelation of God is followed by a review of the prevailing sins of his society. Four areas of corruption are identified.

1. Wealth gained deception & frauds (6:10-11).

a. Cheating, Shaddy business practices Micah was speaking the fruit of ill-gotten gain was found in the houses of the wicked men of Judah.

b. God cannot stand any gain which is achieved by dishonest means (6:10).

. Apparently the businessmen in Judah saw no connection between their perverse practices and their relationship with the Lord. They graduated from the school which taught “Let the buyer beware.” So Micah asked another question designed to prick the conscience: “Can I be pure with wicked balances and with a bag of deceitful weights?” The reference here is to having a set of small weights for the purpose of selling goods, and a large set for use in making purchases. Thus the sharp businessman would cheat both in the buying and in the selling. Certainly, the victims of such chicanery would not regard such a merchant as “pure” or innocent. Could they really believe that the Lord would overlook such practices? (6:11).

2. Oppression in the courts (6:12a). The rich men of Jerusalem “are filled with violence.” The term “violence” (chamas) may refer to the crooked business practices of the preceding verse. Often the term involves physical assault. Thus the charge is that the rich men were attacking the less powerful such as widows, orphans and poor. Most likely they were employing the courts and perversion of the law to accomplish this (cf. 3:1–3).

3. Falsehood among the citizens (6:12b). The whole population was characterized by deceit. “Her inhabitants speak a lie and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.” The oppressed were as wicked as the oppressors. They would be acting the same as the rich men were they in a position to do so.[1]

[1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (pp. 348–349). Joplin, MO: College Press.

A. The Absence of the Godly (7:1–2a)[1]

[1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (p. 353). Joplin, MO: College Press.

B. Corruption in the Public Sphere (7:2b–4)[1]

[1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (p. 353). Joplin, MO: College Press.

C. Treachery in the Private Sphere (7:5–6)[1]

[1] Smith, J. E. (1994). The Minor Prophets (p. 355). Joplin, MO: College Press.