Chapter Two: Social Ethics, Divine Judgment, and Hope

2:1-5...Woe unto those that devise iniquity and fabricate evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they put it into effect because they have power in their hands…they coveted fields and stole them, and houses and took them away; so they oppressed the man and his house, even the man and his heritage...The LORD says; Behold, I devise an evil against this family, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye walk haughtily; for the time shall be evil. In that time shall one take up a saying against you and lament with a doleful lamentation and say, We have been utterly destroyed; he has changed the portion of my people; how has he taken our fields! He has given and divided our fields unto others…you shall have no one to cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.

Historically, in Micah’s time, we see how the leaders of the nation plot and devise evil. They steal property and trample upon the rights of the citizens. The Lord warns the leaders that He is devising an evil against them for their wicked deeds. These leaders should have been following the instructions in the Torah but are only interested in their personal gain.

This is so true of what is happening in our nation politically and financially today! We are slowly loosing our freedoms because we prefer to surround ourselves in pleasure and sin. Look at the music and entertainment business today. So much demonic and witchcraft type music and movies. We love violence in our movies and video games. We kick God out of our schools and government and glorify that which was at one time considered wrong.

When evil comes and tragedy strikes the people cry out and wonder why God would allow this to happen. They were the ones who told God to get out of their lives, schools, government, and ethics! Doesn’t anyone understand? God was only doing what they demanded of Him--to leave! Micah is speaking to this issue in a strong voice.

2:6-11...Do not prophesy, they say to those that prophesy: Do not prophesy unto them that they are to understand shame. O thou that calls thyself the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD shortened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly? He who yesterday was my people is risen up as an enemy…Ye have cast the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their children ye have taken away my continual praise…Arise and depart, for this is not your rest because it is polluted; it has become corrupted and with a great corruption. If there is one walking in the spirit of falsehood, he shall lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

In the Hebrew, these evil doers represent Jacob, the Lord’s people. The Lord is speaking to His people. In this context the Lord will not refrain from acting against them. In our day He is speaking to the church at large and exhorting us to seek the truth of His word and walk therein.

God’s people are telling His prophets not to prophesy! They don’t want to hear anything that will make them uncomfortable. They are not interested in letting the Bible interpret itself--they take verses out of context and devise doctrines that suit them and their agenda. It is about the Laodicean and Philadelphia churches (Rev 3:7-22). It seems God’s own church has become His enemy! Beware the secular human institutions (Laodiceans) that call themselves God’s church. Strive to be like the Philadelphia church.

2:12-13...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. The breaker shall go up before them; they shall break through and pass through the gate and go out by it; and their king shall pass before them, the LORD at the head of them.

Suddenly Micah speaks of the remnant of Israel. He has been speaking about judgment on God’s people and now speaks with a reassuring message of hope. We see God gathering a remnant together into the sheepfold. We see the Lord as the “Good Shepherd” breaking out with His people and passing through the gate. Bozrah represents the sheepfold a place of safety that ironically is also a place of captivity! The "Breaker" is going to lead us out.

God always warns His people of coming judgment for their sins. He demands purity and a sanctified people. He wants His people to practice righteousness. This means we obey His commandments or instruction. Torah means “instruction” and it is our “code of conduct”. The majority in the church say, “we are not under the law, we have Jesus.” This is true, Jesus has saved us from the “curse of the law”, but we are still to practice law. By this I mean we are to walk according to a code of conduct and that is what the law is. We are to practice righteousness.
If we say we love Him we obey His commands (instructions) and walk accordingly (1 John 2.1-5). If we were a soldier in the military we would have to abide by a Code of Conduct. This is not legalism--this is practicing righteousness as instructed in the law (Torah=instruction).

The Lord has a place of safety amidst tribulation and chaos. It is His sheepfold. Those who know him know His voice. The breaker, Yeshua, will go before us! You can’t be a part of an apostate human secular rebellious church and expect to find safety in the sheepfold! He who has ears to hear will hear. Our shepherd has a sheepfold for His sheep.

Next: Chapter Three: Do We Follow the Lord or Traditions of Men?