“God is in Charge”

Series: “God Speaks”

Text: Micah 2:1-13

Introduction: (What?)

Although there will always be wickedness in the world until Jesus comes again, we must never doubt that God is in charge. He has a plan that cannot be derailed by any earthly power. Jesus is coming again to complete the plan of God regardless of what is now taking place on the earth.

Examination: (Why?)

1. God knows who is doing what (vv 1-5)

Mic 2:1-5 “Woe to those who dream up wickedness and prepare evil plans on their beds! At morning light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. They covet fields and seize them; they also take houses. They deprive a man of his home, a person of his inheritance. Therefore, the Lord says: I am now planning a disaster against this nation; you cannot free your necks from it. Then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time. In that day one will take up a taunt against you and lament mournfully, saying, “We are totally ruined! He measures out the allotted land of my people. How he removes it from me! He allots our fields to traitors.” Therefore, there will be no one in the assembly of the Lord to divide the land by casting lots.”

The wrath of God is directed toward all the sin and unfaithfulness of His people. He can (and will) use enemy (pagan) conquerors (without their knowledge) to execute His wrath. The purpose of God is to bring repentance from His people. In the first two verses God enumerates their sins; covetousness, theft, and taking advantage of the poor. They do it because they can. A biblical case in point is 1 Kings 21:1-15

1 Kings 21:1–15 (CSB)

Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard; it was in Jezreel next to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard so I can have it for a vegetable garden, since it is right next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”

But Naboth said to Ahab, “As the Lord is my witness, I will never give my ancestors’ inheritance to you.”

So Ahab went to his palace resentful and angry because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had told him. He had said, “I will not give you my ancestors’ inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and didn’t eat any food.

Then his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, “Why are you so upset that you refuse to eat?”

“Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite,” he replied. “I told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I won’t give you my vineyard!’ ”

Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “Now, exercise your royal power over Israel. Get up, eat some food, and be happy. For I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. In the letters, she wrote:

Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. Then seat two wicked men opposite him and have them testify against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king!” Then take him out and stone him to death.

The men of his city, the elders and nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters she had sent them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. The two wicked men came in and sat opposite him. Then the wicked men testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite who refused to give it to you for silver, since Naboth isn’t alive, but dead.”

God specifically targets those like Jezebel, who profit at the expense of others. These “land robbers” will lose their own lands. He will allow foreign invaders to take the land of those who have taken the land from the rightful owners. If you read on in 1 Kings you will find the fate of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab was killed by a random arrow that had been shot in the air. Jezebel was thrown from an upstairs window and then eaten by dogs.

God will avenge the poor who have been preyed upon by those in power. The psalmist Asaph wrote about this in Psa 73. Summarizing; he observed this kind of evil in the land and lamented the fact that they seemed to get away with their evil. He even went so far as to say “Surely in vain I have kept my motives pure and maintained a pure lifestyle.” Then he went to church and had an “aha” moment. In Psa 73:17-20 “until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny. Indeed, you put them in slippery places; you make them fall into ruin. How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors. Like one waking from a dream, Lord, when arising, you will despise their image.”

Fear not; God will avenge those who have been robbed by evil people.

2. The danger of rejecting truth (vv 6-11)

Mic 2:6-11 ““Quit your preaching,” they preach. “They should not preach these things; shame will not overtake us.” House of Jacob, should it be asked, “Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these the things he does?” Don’t my words bring good to the one who walks uprightly? But recently my people have risen up like an enemy: You strip off the splendid robe from those who are passing through confidently, like those returning from war. You force the women of my people out of their comfortable homes, and you take my blessing from their children forever. Get up and leave, for this is not your place of rest because defilement brings destruction— a grievous destruction! If a man comes and utters empty lies— “I will preach to you about wine and beer”— he would be just the preacher for this people!”

There are “feel good” preachers and teachers today who are just like the false prophets in the days of Micah. They “cherry-pick” scripture and only preach and teach those things that appeal to the public desire for health, wealth and well-being. Consequently they don’t like for people to preach the full gospel; those parts where God’s wrath rains down on people who continue in sin. They reject the standards for holy living that God clearly communicated through His prophets. They don’t want preaching that calls idolatry, sexual immorality, lying, cheating and stealing sins. In 2 Tim 4:3 Paul warned Timothy about this. “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear.”

Through Micah God refuted these false prophets and their message. He pointed out that His words brought good to those who were righteous while at the same time rebuking the evil-doers. He also called them out because they took advantage of widows. The way it happens today is that the “health and wealth” preachers ask the widows and the poor to send in their “seed money” to them. They promise a blessing from God if they do. God in essence told them to “take a hike” when He said, “Get up and leave, for this is not your place of rest because defilement brings destruction---a grievous destruction.”

3. Restoration (vv 12-13)

Micah 2:12-13 “I will indeed gather all of you, Jacob; I will collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in the middle of its pasture. It will be noisy with people. One who breaks open the way will advance before them; they will break out, pass through the city gate, and leave by it. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord as their leader.”

God promised to “collect the remnant of Israel”. Although they have been held captive like sheep in a fold or pen, God promised to free them and lead them to pasture. The “One who breaks open the way” is Messiah. Here Micah prophesied the coming of Messiah to lead His faithful out of bondage. In Israel a shepherd waked ahead of his flock and led them by his presence and by his voice. In the same way our “Good Shepherd” will lead us by His Word at His return (His presence) to freedom. Someone once said that there are three stages to salvation.

When we surrender to Christ we are set free from the penalty of sin.

As we grow spiritually we are delivered from the power of sin.

When Jesus takes us home to heaven we are delivered from the presence of sin.

Application: (How will I apply this to my life?)

If you one who has “itching ears” wanting only to hear of the love and grace of God and not hear of His wrath against sin, perhaps repentance is needed.

We are so focused on our current circumstances that we often forget the promise of God for life eternal with Him. Be certain that you are part of the “remnant” by surrendering totally to Jesus as LORD.