Princes, Prophets, and Priests

Introduction

Micah prophesied to Israel almost 2,800 years ago.

Yet he didn’t live in a time so different than ours.

He was dealing with a culture who turned their backs on God

He was dealing with Evil Princes, False Prophets, and lying priests

He was living at a time that needed a prophet like him

I. Evil Princes (vv. 1-4)

3:1 - Is IT NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW JUSTICE?

Justice is truth in action

Their rulers according to verse 2, HATE GOOD AND LOVE EVIL.

Amos 5:15 NASB95

15 Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Isaiah 1:16 NASB95

16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,

They afflict “my people” (v. 3)

Zephaniah 3:3 NASB95

3 Her princes within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing for the morning.

They take bribe money (11)

For their evil, They will cry out to the Lord, but He will not answer them.

When the judgment of God comes, it is too late to turn to him.

On the day of Judgement is not the day to repent and decide to follow after him.

Matthew 7:22–23 NASB95

22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

II. False Prophets (vv. 5-7)

Characteristics of False Prophets (5)

They lead people astray

Lamentations 2:14 NASB95

14 Your prophets have seen for you False and foolish visions; And they have not exposed your iniquity So as to restore you from captivity, But they have seen for you false and misleading oracles.

They prophecy for Money (11)

if you gave them MONEY then They Cry “Peace”

Jeremiah 6:14 NASB95

14 “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.

If you were poor and did not give them money then They Declare Holy War

Gods Judgment on them

They will have no vision and no prophecies (6)

They will be embarrassed and Ashamed because they have not heard from God (7)

False prophets have always plagued the church

These here embody the essence of Phil 3:19

Philippians 3:19 NASB95

19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

III. Lying Priests (vv. 9-12)

The priests would only preach the Word and instruct the people in the ways of God if they were paid for it first! (11)

The theology of the day was that because they are God’s chosen people, then nothing bad can happen to them (v. 11)

Micah’s Time is not so different from our time

We also deal with bad rulers/Princes

We also deal with false prophets

We also deal with bad preachers/priests

What is the church to do in a time like this?

Micah 3:8 NASB95

8 On the other hand I am filled with power— With the Spirit of the Lord— And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.

1. Be Filled With The Spirit

We need the Power of the Spirit

We need to be guided by the Spirit

How will we know who to vote for, what prophecies are true and false and who is really a man or woman of God if we forsake the power of God?

Jeremiah 20:9 NASB95

9 But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.

Ephesians 3:5–7 NASB95

5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

2. Be Filled With Justice

Justice is truth in action

The Spirit brings the power to stand up for Justice

We must stand up for what is right

3. Be Filled With Courage

we must have the courage to stand up for what is right along with what is wrong

It takes the power of the Spirit to have the courage to condemn evil in the Name of God.

Martin Niemoller - God is my fuhrer

Poem by Niemoller -

First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Conclusion