with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.
9 Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;
10 who build Zion with bloodshed,
and Jerusalem with wickedness.
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they lean upon the LORD and say,
"Is not the LORD among us?
No disaster will come upon us."
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
Questions to consider:
- What qualifications does Micah have for his responsibility of warning the leadership of Israel?
- To what extent are you willing to have a ministry of warning?
- How can you avoid being disgraced by God?
Possibilities for prayer:
Micah speaks boldly in this passage--something that might have to do with being filled with “power, with the Spirit of the Lord.” This boldness allows him to proclaim difficult things to the people of Israel, to warn them of the ways in which they are going to be punished for their disobedience. Calling out the sin we see in people’s lives is never an easy thing, and needs to be done carefully and with much grace. Today, let’s ask God to use us to give His messages to the people around us, and to give us wisdom in how best we can do that--gracefully and lovingly.
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