Micah chapter 3

Another chapter filled with doom and gloom.

This is a dreadful indictment on the leaders, the priest and the prophets of Israel. They were supposed to lead the people, guide them , help them, and yet here they are denounced for robbing the people blind, refusing to prophesy or teach unless they were paid, taking bribes instead of showing justice.

Because of their behaviour, how they have hardened their hearts and preyed on the people, their pride in assuming that God was with them, even though they were behaving in exactly the opposite way from the way God wanted them to act, then when they called out to God He would refuse to hear them.

When I first read this, it seemed harsh that when they turned to God He would ignore them. But really, they would be using God as a Mr Fix it, a cure for all ills, a magician who could solve all their problems and nothing in their hearts would have changed. After all, how can we approach God, ask for His help when we do not change our ways? When we continue to be full of pride, envy, jealousy, greed? When we commit adultery, when we have lust in our hearts, when we sleep around, take drugs, abuse our children, scrounge on others, lie, gossip, cheat, steal, murder, rape? When we consider ourselves to be better than others, superior to our neighbour, when we refuse to see the log in our own eye but are quick to point out the splinter in a friend's?
Time and time again, I am reminded of 2 Chronicles 7:14:, the promise given by God to Solomon on the dedication of the temple.

When my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

It is a case of:

• being called by God
• humbling ourselves
• praying
• seeking His face
• turning from our wicked ways

And then God will:

• hear from heaven
• forgive our sin
• heal our land

The leaders here were not doing any of this, they were carrying on regardless, not changing anything, using and abusing the people, and assuming that God would come to their aid because they were His chosen people. But it is a two way street - how can we expect God to help if we ignore him except when we need Him? How can we expect Him to hear our prayers when we continually do things that grieve him? And I think here, that there is a difference between those who try to do right and then mess up, as opposed to those who never give it a thought, who carry on sinning left right and centre and have no intention of even attempting to do anything God has asked.

So Micah tells them just what he thinks of them, and then proceeds to inform them that he is filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel's sin and rebellion.

This is how we as Christians should be. I know we are each filled with the Holy Spirit, but really, do we truly appreciate all that means? That we have been given the power to do all that Jesus did and more? That our prayers can move mountains, heal the sick raise the dead, make the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear? I know I read this in the bible, I know it is true, but actually believing that I can make a difference, can do all these things is such a huge leap of faith, and I am only taking baby steps when really, I should be running marathons as far as faith and prayer goes. And then what about being filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel's sin, the sins of our nations, the world? When do I actually stand up and say something is wrong? When does the church? There is the huge rift in the Anglican church at the moment and I can't help but think that if only the church, you, me, each one of us believers, actually stood up and said what we believed in, acted in faith, said that certain things are wrong, and that just because we can do something doesn't mean we should, then maybe others would listen, would turn to Jesus, and maybe the world just wouldn't be in the mess it is in.