“Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net. That they may successfully do evil with both hands—the prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire; so they scheme together. The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; the day of your watchman and your punishment comes; now shall be their perplexity.
Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household. Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
Israel’s Confession and Comfort
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness. Then she who is my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will see her; now she will be trampled down like mud in the streets.
In the day when your walls are to be built, in that day the decree shall go far and wide. In that day they shall come to you from Assyria and the fortified cities, from the fortress to the River, from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain. Yet the land shall be desolate because of those who dwell in it, and for the fruit of their deeds.
God Will Forgive Israel
Shepherd Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your heritage, who dwell solitarily in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in days of old. “As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.” The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall put their hand over their mouth; their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent; they shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of You.
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.
Poor Micah! Not only is he surrounded by people who want nothing to do with his message, but these people are also traitors to everyone around them. “The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net. That they may successfully do evil with both hands—the prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire; so they scheme together.”
Traditionally, princes and judges are to be men of integrity, but not in Micah’s Judah. Every man has his price and it is every man for himself. But not only are public officials hideously corrupt; even friends and family members are equally culpable. “Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.” The Jewish home which is to be a haven of peace has become a nest of cobras.
According to Mosaic law, sons who dishonor their parents can be subjected to being stoned to death. Culturally, family members are expected to stick together and to honor one another. But society is now deteriorating to such an extent that nobody can be trusted, not even children or spouses. Micah knows there is only one person whom he can trust. “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
God will not be mocked, and is promising through Micah that His people will be punished. “Yet the land shall be desolate because of those who dwell in it, and for the fruit of their deeds.” But God is also promising that a time will come when He will restore the fortunes of Israel and will bring revival and salvation. “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.”
APPLICATION: Reading today’s headlines, we can very easily identify with Micah. In America, an allegedly righteous Supreme Court justice has gained attention for accepting a luxury vacation from a rich political supporter. There are questions about several prominent politicians and their families. Righteousness seems to be a forgotten and disdained virtue. Being BAAAAD! is the order of the day.
Blessedly, we can worship the same God who has given Micah these encouraging words. Their message is just as relevant for us as it was for those in Micah’s day. ““Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
Face it, none of us is truly righteous. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus Christ has come to save us from our sins, laying down His life on Calvary as the perfect blood sacrifice. If we accept what Jesus has done for us, confess our sins, and acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord, then we are free from fear. Jesus has paid our sin debt. Truly, our sins have been cast into the depths of the sea. Let us pray.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for our sins. We confess that we are sinners and that we cannot earn our way into heaven. We thank You that Jesus has paid our sin debt. Thank You that if we believe in You and in what Jesus has done for us, we are free from our sins and we receive Your gift of eternal life. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.
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