Judgement on Unfaithful Prophets

Introduction

Corrupt Prophets

Our text begins with Micah having just pronounced a judgement on the leaders and rulers of Judah and Israel, calling their behaviour as abusers of authority essentially cannibalism. Now he goes after the next influential group in Israelite society: prophets.

The prophets alive at this time, which is at the time of King Hezekiah, were corrupt. How were they corrupt?

A prophet can be corrupt in their message.

They can be corrupt in their source, claiming that something comes from God when it does not.

They can be corrupt through hypocrisy.

Generally, a corrupt prophets, as opposed to a false prophet who is nontheless sincere, is leading people astray intentionally for a self-serving purpose.

That purpose soon becomes clear. These prophets use their position to bless those who support them and go against those who do not.

They cry “peace” or “war” depending, not on what God has told them individually, nor did they work it out through studying God’s Word, but instead is determined on who bribes them and who doesn’t. If someone gives him something to eat, he is satisfied and calls for peace. If they do not satisfy him, he calls for war against them, urging those under their influence to attack and destroy.

Although Micah doesn’t go into too much detail about the effect this has on the people of God, verse 5 does say that they lead people astray.

This gives us a very clear implication about the nature of corrupt prophecy: it is bound to lead people astray.

A pastor, teacher, writer, or even a secular commentator or journalist who is corrupt is always going to lead peoplel stray. As obvious as that may seem, it is shocking how quickly we fall into listening to corrupt people. It is also shocking how someone with the influence of a prophet can tell themselves that integrity is optional in their ministry. Very few corrupt people, preacher or other, sits and home wringing their fingers with an evil laugh as they think of all the people they are decieving. Usually, it is a compromise or self-interest that to them seems inconsequential, but in reality is used by Satan to spread the lies of the Kingdom of Darkness.

Nothing makes someone more inadequet for the office of a prophet, or a pastor, or evangelist, than insincerity.

A Silent God

God’s judgement on the prophets is similar to the judgement on the rulers: silence. Again, we are shaken by the horror of a silent God.

The silence to the prophets manifests in their inability to prophecy. Their dreams are dark, their divination (another sign of their corruption) yeilds nothing. They were false in their pretense to prophecy in the name of God, and now their falsehood is displayed in their inability to prophecy at all. The language of darkness fills out this picture of blindness on those who were apparently once able to “see” the future.

This leads to shameful embarrasment for them, for God will not speak to or reveal anything to such men.

Corruption and false teaching go hand in hand. Unfaithfulness in ministry due to corruption and self-interest will lead to unfaithfulness in the pulpit. A pastor that cheats on his taxes cannot faithfully teach what God says about theft. A preacher who indulges unrepentantly in secret immorality cannot preach what God says about holy living. An author who loves money will only write what they are confident will sell. Personal character is absolutely relavant when it comes to who you listen to and who God uses to speak the truth.

Contrast with Micah’s Ministry

This is heavily highlighted in Micah’s contrast with his own miniistry, which serves as a defence against the attack of these corrupt prophets made back in 2:6 (Do not preach, thus they preach). But more importantly, it legitimizes Micah’s message as opposed to theirs. Just as Paul would defend his ministry to the Corinthians in order that they would not throw the Gospel away, Micah defends his ministry so that it may be clear that his message is true.

I am filled with

Power - God’s authority

The Spirit of the Lord - God’s effective presence

Justice and Might - God’s ability to judge and execute

To declare

To God’s people their sins.

To make them aware by exposing God’s law

To point out the seriousness of their guilt

To make them aware of how God is going to punish their sins

in the hope that they will repent

Conclusion

The true prophet vs the false.