“Leaders are First in the Judgment Line”

Series: “God Speaks”

Text: Micah 3:1-12

Introduction: (What?)

Many people aspire to be leaders, but their motives are wrong. We are seeing that in our time. Vladimir Putin is a leader whose ego and unjust goals are causing heartbreak in his own country as well as in Ukraine. They think that their actions are not being seen, but God sees and knows all that they do and why they do it. As mentioned in the last message of this series, we must not forget that God is in charge and He will take care of unjust leaders.

Examination: (Why?)

1. God Abhors Unjust Leaders (vv 1-4)

Micah 3:1-4 “Then I said, “Now listen, leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Aren’t you supposed to know what is just? You hate good and love evil. You tear off people’s skin and strip their flesh from their bones. You eat the flesh of my people after you strip their skin from them and break their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.” Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time because of the crimes they have committed.”

The leaders of Israel in Micah’s day were hating good and loving evil, even though they knew better. Micah described their activity in cannibalistic terms. They were taking advantage of those they were supposed to be leading. We can see parallels to this in the world today, and we don’t have to go far to find these parallels. Politicians in our own country often are in politics for what they can get out of it. Claiming to represent the people, they instead line their own pockets with money from the taxes that the general public ways, while seeking to increase their power. It would do them well to heed what Micah said to the leaders in Israel in his time.

In v 4 Micah wrote that the day would come when these leaders would cry out to God and not get an answer. Isaiah wrote in Isa 59:1-2 “Indeed, the Lord’s arm is not too weak to save, and his ear is not too deaf to hear. But your iniquities are separating you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not listen.”

In Psa 66:18 the psalmist wrote “If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” And in Psa 18:41 “They cry for help, but there is no one to save them— they cry to the Lord, but he does not answer them.”

Those who treat others in an evil manner will one day need help from God and He will not respond. In Isa 1:15 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”

In Jer 11:11 ““Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to bring on them disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to me, but I will not hear them.”

2. God abhors False Prophets (vv 5-8)

Micah 3:5-6 “This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who proclaim peace when they have food to sink their teeth into but declare war against the one who puts nothing in their mouths. Therefore, it will be night for you— without visions; it will grow dark for you— without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.”

God is not only against the corrupt politicians, He is also against the preachers who are preaching false doctrine because of their personal greed. The HCSB put it this way, “False prophets preached peace to those who supported them and war to those who did not.” From them God withdrew His presence and His direction. No longer were they able to get a word from God. It was as if He didn’t exist. They will be struck with spiritual blindness.

Just this week I read of the demise of two mega-church pastors who strayed from seeking the kingdom of God to building their own kingdoms. They became false prophets and sought to profit from their preaching and leadership.

Preachers and teachers (yes, even Sunday School teachers) must be aware of creating and teaching their own truth rather than teaching and preaching the truth of God. Remember what Paul wrote to the Galatian Church in Gal 6:7 “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap,”

We must also remember that when God said that He is a “jealous God” that includes His not being willing to share His glory with anyone. Isa 42:8 “I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.”

In contrast to these false prophets, Micah, empowered by God’s Spirit, spoke the truth about the rebellion and sin of the unjust leaders and false prophets. Mic 3:8 “As for me, however, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the Lord, with justice and courage, to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.”

We must pray for discernment to that we can know truth when we hear it and can recognize lies when we hear them. I read once that those in the RCMP Counterfeit division were never allowed to handle any counterfeit money, but only the real thing. That way if they were handed a counterfeit bill, they would know it immediately. By the same token, when we are intimately familiar with God’s Word, we can recognize false teaching very quickly.

3. The people pay for the unjust ruler’s sins (vv 9-12)

Micah 3:9-12 “Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert everything that is right, who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with injustice. Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.” Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become ruins, and the temple’s mountain will be a high thicket.”

When rulers, false prophets, and priests (preachers/teachers) can be bought, those who follow them pay the price. Many times votes are “bought” by candidates who promise more money in people’s wallets. Modern day “prophets” claim to have words from God that cause people to give to their ministries. There are preachers that tailor their messages to the “itching ears” in their congregation so that they have job security. Evidently we have not learned from God’s discipline of Israel. The nation was destroyed in 586 by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.

Jeremiah mentioned Micah’s prophecy in Jer 26:18 “Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah and said to all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become ruins, and the temple’s mountain will be a high thicket.’”

Paul reminded both the Roman Church and his “son in the ministry” Timothy of the importance of paying attention to ALL Scripture.

In Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.”

In 2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,”

Application: (How does this message apply to me?)

Ask for discernment regarding who you vote for, listen to, and support with your finances.

Repent of any alliances that are not Godly.

Be willing to learn from God’s treatment of His Chosen People, because, if you are a Christ-follower, you are one of His Chosen.