HIS SERVANTS' MINISTRY

www.godcannotlie.org

Welcome to our web site

The Book of Micah
Chapter 2

The Prophet's Second Message, Micah 2:1-11

Micah 2:1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. (KJV)

Micah boldly spoke out against those who planned evil deeds at night and hurriedly rose up at dawn to do them (malice of forethought). A person’s thoughts and plans mirror his or her character . . . and their heart! What do you think about when you lie down to sleep? Do your desires involve greed or stepping on others to achieve your goals? Evil thoughts lead to evil deeds. This may include illicit sex, but it primarily refers to evil of other sorts. There truly is power is in the hands of the ungodly, for they are empowered by God's enemy, Satan.

Micah 2:2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. (KJV)

The people were coveting fields and property of others, and taking them by violence. For an example, done by Israel’s royalty, see 1 Kings 21. Like a spoiled brat, Ahab wanted the vineyard, and his wife Jezebel set about getting it by getting rid of Naboth. AND . . . what the rulers did, the people began to do. The wealthy began to seize the fields that they coveted because they had the money and the power to do it.

This SAME method is being used in our society! The little guy doesn’t stand much of a chance for survival in today’s time. The big guys are in control. Covetousness was a great sin of Israel. “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” is the story of mankind. Micah is speaking of that situation. Even though God had made laws to protect the poor, the rich ALWAYS found ways to get around them, then and now. All through the Scriptures we see that God is on the side of the poor.

Micah 2:3 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil. (KJV)

God said, “I condemn you because you lie on your beds and plot evil.” Now He says, “I am going to plot evil against you.” Was God actually going to do something that was evil? NO! Absolutely NOT! God rightfully intended to PUNISH the evildoers. But from their viewpoint it was wrong. They would call it evil. God said that He would do evil from their viewpoint. If they continued to sin, He would stop them with judgment. He planned to bring disaster on them, and they would not be able to escape it. Then they would not walk so proudly any more. And the people of Israel were led captive into Assyria, one of the most brutal nations that has ever been on the topside of this Earth. God adds, “Neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.” How haughty and proud they had been!

This nation is presently in this same position. I think that the judgment of God is already taking place here. I love my country, and it breaks my heart to see it continue to fall into the hands of the godless rich. Remember, it is not the method of government but the character of the men who govern that makes a nation great.

Micah 2:4 In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields. (KJV)

Micah told them that one day, people will make fun of you by singing this song of despair about your experience: “We are finished, completely ruined! God has confiscated our land, taking it from us. He has given our fields to those who betrayed us.” Great confusion was coming and doleful lamentation, a very unusual expression in the Hebrew language. What Micah was saying was that there was NO hope at all. They would be utterly spoiled (destroyed). Look at Israel today. Everybody wants her to forfeit their land to the Palestinians. That land belongs to Israel! And anyone who has a hand in this atrocity against Israel and God Himself, shall be judged severely.

Micah 2:5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord. (KJV)

Others will set your boundaries then, and the Lord's people will have no say in how the land is divided. Those who have been oppressing others will find the tables turned. They will end up not having any share in the decisions to divide the land because they won’t have any surviving relatives. Woe to those from whom God turns away! This has to be the worst calamity, being cut off from the congregation of the Lord, and being denied the enjoyment of God’s privileges.

Micah 2:6-7 Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame. [7] O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? (KJV)

Micah is up against the same situation as was Isaiah (Isa.30:9-11). The rebellious people said to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Don’t tell us these things. The people did not think that God would disgrace them. He really would not do such things. God did NOT want to take revenge on Israel; He wanted to get them back on the right path.

The people had rejected what was true and right, and they needed stern discipline. If we only want God’s comforting messages, we may miss the blessings He has for us. Always listen whenever God speaks, even when the message is hard to take. If He didn’t love you, He wouldn’t care what you did; but since He loves you, He wants you to listen to Him, and turn from your sin and obey Him. He will chastise His children, because He loves us dearly (1 Cor.11:32; Heb.12:5). Consider it a privilege to be corrected by the Lord.

Micah 2:8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. (KJV)

These people were stealing the shirts right off the backs of those who trusted them. God is saying that, even though they are His people, they have become His enemies, and one of the evidences of this is the way they treat the poor. God always insists upon justice for the poor.

Micah 2:9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. (KJV)

The women of my people is probably widows of the men that were slain. They threw them out of their homes, and seized the homes for themselves. Israel’s crime was not just robbery, but sacrilege. There was NO repentance. They persevered in sin. Their being women did not save them, and even the young children were deprived of what God had given to them. And they would grow up in rebellion. In our day the rebellion of youth is absolutely unbelievable.

Micah 2:10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. (KJV)

ALL sins are doomed to destruction. God’s sentence on them is irrevocable (Mic.2:4-5), however distasteful to them (Mic.2:6). They had cast out others from their homes and possessions (Mic.2:2, 8-9) now they must arise, depart, and be cast out of their own (Mic.2:4-5). They were attempting to solve their problems and to be at rest without being at peace with God. Because of the pollution of their sin and their heartless oppression, the land would cast out its inhabitants. The land shall spew you out, because of the defilements wherewith ye polluted it (Lev.18:25, 28; Jer.3:2; Eze.36:12-14).

Micah 2:11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. (KJV)

The people wanted the kind of prophet who goes around full of lies and deceit and says, ‘I prophesy that wine and liquor will flow for you.’ The people liked the false prophets who told them only what they wanted to hear. It is the same today!

Micah spoke against prophets who encouraged the people to feel comfortable in their sin. A true teacher of God speaks only the Truth, regardless of what the listeners want to hear.

Here God is saying, “The kind of prophets you want are those who will approve of your sins.” My friend, in our day many people do not want the preacher to say that drinking is wrong and that drunkenness is bad. Many pastors today APPROVE of social drinking. They say that times have changed, but my friend, God NEVER changes (Mal.3:6; Jam.1:17). If you truly love God, you will obey Him, and He certainly is against drunkenness (1 Cor.6:10; Eph.5:18; Gal.5:21).

The false prophets in Micah’s day were NOT condemning the sins of the people. They were popular preachers, saying what the people wanted to hear. And too, this is exactly what people today want. Today's preachers rarely, if ever, speak of sin! No rebuke whatsoever to sinners! (Rom.3:10,23). WHY? Because the people would NOT come back! They do NOT want to hear "right things" . . . they want to hear "smooth things, and deceits" . . . things that tickle itching ears (2 Tim.4:3-4).

The message of judgment which Micah has been bringing has been very harsh and severe, but here at the close of this chapter is a beautiful prophecy which shines like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds on a stormy day. It is a promise to the remnant.

Promise To The Remnant, Micah 2:12-13

Micah 2:12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. (KJV)

The Lord said that someday, He would gather the few of Israel (remnant) who are left. He would bring them together again like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture. He promised that their land will again be filled with the noise of crowds! Micah’s prophecy speaks of Judah’s return from captivity in Babylon, and the great gathering of all believers when the Messiah returns. God gave His prophets visions of many different future events, but not always the ability to know when these events would happen. They could not see the long period of time between the Babylonian captivity and the coming of the Messiah, but they could clearly see that the Messiah WAS coming. The purpose of Micah’s prophecy was NOT to predict exactly HOW this would happen, but that it would happen! This gave the people hope and helped them turn from sin. When God speaks to the people of their sin, He calls them by the name Jacob. When He uses that term in this verse, it means that He is going to show mercy to them, not because they are worthy, but because of His grace. “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee.”

This was NOT fulfilled after the Babylonian captivity, and it has NOT been fulfilled in their recent return to their land, because God says that He will assemble “all of thee.” At the present time, there are more Jews in New York City than there are in whole land of Israel. There is also many Jews still in other countries of the world. So God has NOT yet assembled all of them according to this prophecy.

God always had a faithful remnant out of Israel, but never more than the remnant. There’s never been a time when 100 % of Israel had turned to God. It was because of the remnant that God was gracious to Israel. In the Great Tribulation Period, we are told that all Israel shall be saved (Rom.11:26). Who does it mean? It is all of Israel that belongs to the 144,000 (Rev.7). Revelation makes it clear that they will be sealed and will be able to survive the Great Tribulation. But that will be only a remnant of the nation. There are probably three million Jews in Israel and maybe ten million in other nations, so the 144,000 is just a remnant. When God returns the nation to their land, it does not mean that all of them are going to be saved; but it will be a tremendous event.

Micah 2:13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them. (KJV)

The “Breaker” is the one who clears the way, removes the obstacles, and leads them. I think this refers to their entering the Millennial kingdom when the Lord Jesus will be the One to lead them, as He will have returned to the Earth at that time. This verse refers to Him as the Breaker, their King, and their LORD. God will open the way for them and lead them out of exile. They will break out of the gates and go free. Their king, the Lord Himself, will lead them out. The Breaker is the Messiah, who breaks through every obstacle in the way of their restoration. He shall pass before them as He did when they went up out of Egypt (Ex. 13:21; Deut. 1:30, 33). Messiah, the Lord at the head of them (Ex.23:20; 33:14; Isa.63:9).

Book of Micah

Ch1 . Ch2 . Ch3 . Ch4 . Ch5 . Ch6 . Ch7

Home Page