Because there were wicked
doers among the people of Samaria and Jerusalem, Micah the prophet
pronounced words of judgment upon them. Where these pernicious folk
planned and carried out their wicked deeds, the LORD would bring them
retribution for their actions. Where they took lands and homes by
their wickedness, the LORD would strip them of their possessions to
the point they would sing a “doleful lamentation” over
their plight. In chapter two of his prophecy, Micah began to name two
specific faults found within these wicked people. The first one is
found in verse six where we read:
Prophesy not, say
they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them,
The
verse begins, “Prophesy not, say they to them
that prophesy:” Micah
quoted the words of the evil ones among them, “Prophesy
not” which means do not “drop,
drip, distill, preach or discourse”. As though the prophet's words
were dropping down from heaven like the dew, these wicked people
would “say they to them that prophesy”, “Do
not prophesy to us”. In other words, they did not want there to be
any prophesy against them, and they desired to shut the mouths of
those who would do so.
The verse continues, “they
shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take
shame.” Micah continued with,
“they shall not prophesy to them” which
is the Hebrew word “nataph” which incidentally is the same word
used for the first two phrases of this verse which reads, “Nataph,
nataph, nataph” and continues to convey the idea of making the
prophets be silenced. Micah gave the reason the wicked desired the
prophets to be quiet, “that they shall not take shame”
which means “to move away, backslide, move, go, turn back
from disgrace, reproach, shame, confusion, dishonour, insult,
ignominy, insult, or reproach”. If the prophets were to be
silenced, then the people would not be ashamed of their behavior, and
therefore they would see no need for change.
As we think about these
words of Micah, we may understand how these wicked people thought.
Today there are those among us who do not want to hear the truth of
God's word and would silence the prophets or teachers who declare it.
Sin is no longer called “Sin” but rather “a disease” or
“disorder”. It is not unlike Adam who desired someone else to
blame for his sin rather than himself. The idea is that if people
silence the word of God, somehow “shame” and reproach
against the Lord does not appear. There is one problem with this line
of thinking. Just because someone says sin is not there or acts as
though it really does not matter, God still sees it. He saw it and
attempted to proclaim it through his prophets to the wicked within
the Bible, and even as Micah attempted to warn the people of Samaria
and Jerusalem, they only desired that he be quiet. This was a great
sin in Micah's day, and it is a great sin in ours as well. May the
Lord Jesus bring us to “His” truth, and when we see it, may he
never have to use three of the same words in a row to declare it to
us.
Next
time Micah poses three questions concerning the Lord,
so read ahead, and we
shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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