As Micah the prophet
continued to share the LORD's words to Jerusalem and Samaria, we saw
where the LORD cried out “unto the city” and He beckoned
for the wise man to “see” His name, “hear the rod”
and the one who “had appointed it”. In chapter six and
verse ten, the LORD asks the people of the city concerning their
“treasures of wickedness” where we read:
Are there yet the
treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
The
verse begins, “Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the
house of the wicked,” The LORD's question to the people was,
“Are there yet the treasures” which means “storehouses
or treasure houses” “of wickedness” or “wrong, guilt
and violence against civil law and ethical relations” “in the
house” which means “dwelling place, shelter and abode” “of
the wicked” or “criminal and guilty one”. Though the LORD
cried to the people and warned them of the punishment to come, they
continued to accumulate possessions and put them in their “wicked”
storehouses.
The verse continues, “and the scant measure that is
abominable?” Micah continued the LORD's question with, “and
the scant” or “lean, pining or wasting” “measure”
which is the Hebrew word “ephah” which was a unit of measure
equal to about a bushel and a half in size “that is abominable”
which literally means “foaming at the mouth” and refers to when a
person is “very angry, enraged and provoked to anger”. In other
words, the people were using unjust and unfair weights and measures
to quantify goods, and were cheating people in their bargaining. The
LORD, however, was not blind to their schemes and was angry at their
ways.
As we
ponder the LORD's inditement of the people, we might imagine
ourselves being in a market place that had scales that were fixed to
the advantage of the businesses. People were bringing their goods to
be purchased or traded, and the merchants took advantage of them.
Though these wicked businessmen thought their “treasures”
were being increased by cheating people, the LORD was looking upon
them and becoming “very angry” at their ways even as Jesus turned
over the tables of the cheating money changers in the temple. Their
problem was an attitude of injustice and unfairness which was
manifested in the way these people did business. While we think on
this, our question should be, how do we do business, and are we fair
with those with whom we have to do? May the Lord bring conviction
upon us if we are behaving in any manner which is causing the LORD to
be enraged.
Next
time Micah writes about “wicked
balances” and
“deceitful
weights”,
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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