Micah 3 ✒️ False Prophets

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Micah 3 ✒️ False Prophets

October 26, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?

2Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

3Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

4Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

5Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.

6Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

7Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

8But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.

9Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

10They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.

11The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.

12Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

COMMENTARY by Dr Dave Burnette

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Micah

Date Penned: BC 742-687

Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7)

Theme: The Trial of the Leaders (c 3-5)

Message: The Trial of the Leaders (v 1-12)

Micah 3 Commentary

(3:1) Micah denounced the sins of the leaders, priests, and prophets - those responsible for teaching the people right from wrong. Elders, who were supposed to live among the people, had moved into Jerusalem and become an elite ruling class. The leaders, who should have known the law and taught it to the people, had set the Law aside and had become the worst of sinners. They took advantage of the very people they were supposed to service. All sin is bad, but the sin that leads others astray is the worst of all. The dividing line between right and wrong often seems blurred, but spiritual leaders are supposed to see it. The BIble is God's guidebook to show us how to distinguish right and wrong. Leaders must understand the Bible's principles and teach them to others. Leaders cannot force people to do right, but they should but they should point them in that direction by their teaching and example.

(3:2-4) The leaders had no compassion or respect for those they were supposed to serve. They treated the people miserably in order to satisfy their own desires and then had the gall to ask for God's help when they found themselves in trouble. We, like the leaders, should not treat God like a light switch to be turned on only as needed. Instead, we should always rely on him.

(3:5-7) Michah remained true to his calling and proclaimed God's words. In contrast, the false prophets' messages were geared to the favors they received. Not all those who claim to have messages from God really do. Micah prophesied that one day the false prophets would be shamed by their actions.

(3:8) Micah attributed the power of his ministry to God's Spirit. Our power comes from the same source. Jesus told his followers they would receive power to witness about him when the Holy Spirit came to the (Acts 1) You can't witness effectively by relying on your own strength, because fear will keep you from speaking out for God. Only by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit can you live and witness for him.

(3:11) Micah severely condemned religious leaders who ministered only if they got paid for it. Jesus came to serve, not to promote a big-business gospel. When people "minister" for personal gain, servanthood is lost. Preaching and teaching should never be motivated by the promise of personal gain. When God calls you to do something, obey him, even if there is no monetary reward. Micah warned the ministers of his day to avoid bribes. Pastors today accept bribes when they allow those who contribute much to control the church. When fear of losing money or members influences a pastor to remain silent when he should speak up for what is right, his church is in danger. We would remember that Judah was finally destroyed because of the behavior or its religious leaders. A similar warning must be directed at those who have money - never use your resources to influence or manipulate God's ministers, because that is bribery.

(3:12) Jerusalem would be destroyed jsu as Samaria was. This happened in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army attacked the city (2 Kings 25) Although Micah blamed the corrupt leaders, the people were not without fault. They allowed the corruption to continue without turning to God or calling for justice.

LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Micah with Chapter 3. In our text today we see Micah denouncing the sins of the leaders, priests, and prophets as they misled the people and took advantage of their position. In making application we see the warning to those in authority and spiritual positions. Today we many false leaders among us who are facing the same judgment that these faced. How about you? Do you see the warning to both the leader and the follower who choose to not follow the Bible? Let us learn from our text today and the warning of Micah to see that judgment comes to those in leadership who mislead others.

Micah 7 ✒️ Everyone is Doing it

October 30, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. 2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 7 Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. 8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. 10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. 11 In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. 12 In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. 13 Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. 14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. 15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things. 16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. 17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee. 18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Micah Date Penned: BC 742-687 Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7) Theme: The Trial of the People (c 6-7) Message: God Promises Eventual Restoration (v 1-20) Micah 7 Commentary (7:1-4) This chapter begins in gloom and ends in hope. Micah watched as society rotted around him, Rulers demanded gifts, Judges accepted bribes, corruption was universal but God promised to lead the people out of darkness of sin and info for his light. Then the people would praise him for his faithfulness. God alone is perfectly faithful. Micah could not find an honest person anywhere in the land. Even today, real honesty is difficult to find. Society rationalizes sin, and even Christians sometimes compromise Christian principles in order to do what they want. It is easy to convince ourselves that we deserve a few breaks, especially when "everyone else" is doing it. But the standards for honesty come from God, not society, We are honest because God is truth, and we are saved, the Holy Spirit abides within us, and when we yield to the Spirit we will do His Will and be Honest too. (7:5-6) Sin had affected the government leaders and society in general. Deceit had even ruined the family to the core of society. As a result, the only way to the left to purify the people was God's judgement. This would draw the nation back to him and restore them from the inside out. (7:7-8) Micah showed great faith in God as he proclaimed that He would wait upon the Lord because God hears us, Micah proclaimed that the Lord would bring him through tough times, out of the darkness, and protect him from his enemies. We too can have this same relationship with the Lord to have Micah's assurance and faith to walk in victory. (7:9) Micah realized that the people would be patient and obedient when they were being punished. God would forgive them and show his goodness again. (Lamentations 3) Punishment does not mean rejection. The nation of Judah was being punished in order to bring the people to God, not send them away from him. When you face trials because of your sin, do not be angry with the Lord or be afraid that he has rejected you, Instead turn away from your sin and turn to the Lord. (7:18) God loves to be merciful! He does not forgive grudgingly, but is glad wen we repent and offers forgiveness to all who come back to him. Today you can confess your sins and receive his loving forgiveness. Don't be too proud to accept God's free offer. (7:20) In the age when religion was makin little difference in people's lives, Micah said that God expected his people to be fair just, and merciful. He requires the same of Christians today, in a world that is unfair, we must act justly , in a world of pride and self-sufficiency , we must walk humbly with God. Only when we live God's way will be begin to affect our homes, our society, and our world. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Micah with Chapter 7. In our text today we see how Micah could not find an honest man anywhere in the Land to finish the book with the Lord bringing eventual Restoration. In making application we see that honesty is hard to find as even those who claim to be Christians fail to be truthful. With the wide spread sin it is easy to fall into the trap that "Everyone is Doing it" How about you? Do you compromise on sin due to others around you? Let us learn from our text today and the warning of Micah to not compromise on sin because of others around us doing it but rather obey the Word of God because restoration is coming and the Lord is Just.

Micah 6 ✒️ Living Sacrifices of Obedience

October 29, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. 2Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. 3O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. 4For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD. 6Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 9The LORD's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. 10Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? 11Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? 12For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. 14Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword. 15Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine. 16For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Micah Date Penned: BC 742-687 Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7) Theme: The Trial of the People (c 6-7) Message: God has a Complaint Against His People (v 1-16) Micah 6 Commentary (6:1) Here Micah pictures a courtroom, God, the Judge, tells his people what he requires of them and recites all the ways wronged both him and others. Chapter 4-5 are full of hope while chapters 6-7 proclaim judgement and appeal to the people to repent. (6:2) God called the mountains to confirm the peoples guilt. The mountains would serve as excellent witnesses, for it was in the "high places" that the people had built pagan altars and sacrificed to false gods (1 Kings 14, Jeremiah 17, Ezekiel 20) (6:3) The people would never be able to answer this question because God had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had been exceedingly patient with them, had always lovingly guided them, and had given them every opportunity to return to him, If God asked you this question, how would you respond? (6:5) The story of Balak and Balaam is found in Numbers 22, Shittim (Acadia) was the Israelites campsite east of the Jordan River just before they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 2) There the people received many of God's Instruction about how to live. Gilgal, their first campsite after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4) was where the people renewed their covenant with God (Joshua 5) These 2 places represent God's loving care for his people, his willingness both protect them and to warn them about potential troubles. In Micah's day the people had forgotten this covenant and its benefits and had turned away from God. (6:5) God continued to be kind to his forgetful people but their short memory and lack of thankfulness condemned them, When people refused to see how fortunate they are and begin to take God's gifts for granted, they become self-centered. Regularly remember God's goodness and thank him. Remembering God's past protection will help you see his present provision. (6:6-7) Israel responded to God's request by trying to appease hem with sacrifices, hoping he would then leave them alone. But sacrifices and other religious rituals aren't enough. God wants change lives. He wants his people to be fair, just, merciful, and humble. God wants us to become living sacrifices (Romans 12) not just doing religious deeds, but living right (Jeremiah 4) Hebrews 9) It is impossible to follow God consistently without his transforming love in our hearts. (6:8) People have tried all kinds of ways to please God but God has made his intentions clear, He wants his people to treat others as themselves with mercy and grace forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven us through salvation. (6:16) Omri reigned over Israel and led the people into idol worship (1 Kings 16) Ahab, his son, was Israel's most wicked king (1 Kings 16) Their following this leadership left Israel in bad shape as a nation. We need to follow the Lord and not the rulers of the day. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Micah with Chapter 6. In our text today we see that God had a complaint with the people of Israel and in their response to people tried to appease the Lord with sacrifices when He wanted them to present themselves as living sacrifices of obedience. In making application the Lord wants the same of us today. Once saved He wants us to present our bodies as living sacrifices that allow the Spirit of God to live in us and through us. How about you? Are you presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to the Lord? Let us learn from our text today and the relationship between Israel and the Lord to see that He wants us to be saved and then to present ourselves to as living sacrifices of obedience to the Lord.

Micah 5 ✒️ The Bible Stands Alone

October 28, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 3Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 4And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. 5And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. 6And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. 7And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. 8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 9Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. 10And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: 11And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: 12And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. 14And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. 15And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Micah Date Penned: BC 742-687 Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7) Theme: The Trial of the Leaders (c 3-5) Message: A Ruler will come from Bethlehem (v 1-15) Micah 5 Commentary (5:1) Jerusalem's leaders were obsessed with wealth and position, but Micah prophesied that mighty Jerusalem, with all its wealth and power would be besieged and destroyed. Its king could not save it. In contrast, Bethlehem, a tiny town, would be the birthplace of the only king who could save his people. This deliverer, the Messiah, would be born as a baby in Bethlehem (Luke 2) and eventually would reign as the Eternal King (Revelation 19) This judge was probably King Zedekiah who was reigning in Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city (2 Kings 25) Zedekiah was the last of the Kings in David's Line to sit on the throne in Jerusalem. Micah said that the next king in David's Line would be the Messiah, who would establish a Kingdom that would never end. (5:2) This ruler is Jesus, the Messiah, Micah accurately predicted Christ's birthplace hundreds of years before he was born. The promised eternal King in David's line, who would come to live as a man, had been alive forever - "From of old, from everlasting." Although eternal, he entered human history as the man, Jesus of Nazareth. (5:3,4) Micah's prophecy of 7 shepherds and 8 princes is a figurative way of saying that the Messiah will raise up many good leaders when he returns to reign, In sharp contrast are Micah's words in chapter 3 about Judah's corrupt leaders, "The Assyrian" symbolically refers to all nations in every age that oppose God's people. These good leaders will help Christ defeat all evil in the world. (5:5) This chapter provides one of the clearest Old Testament prophecies of Christ's coming. The key descriptive phrase is "And this man shall be the peace." In one of Christ's closing talks he said, "Peace I leave you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14) With Christ's first coming we have the opportunity for peace with God. No more fear of judgement, no more conflict and guilt. Christ's peace gives us assurance even though wars continue. With Christ's second coming all wars and weapons will be destroyed. (5:6) The land of Nimrod is another name for Assyria which is a symbol of all the evil nations in the world. (5:10) When God rules in his eternal Kingdom, our strength will not be found in military might but in God's almighty power. He will destroy all the weapons that people use for security. There will be no need for armies, because God will rule in the heart of every person. Our hearts should not be ruled by fear of invasion or nuclear attack. Our confidence should be in the Lord. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Micah with Chapter 5. In our text today we see Micah prophesying about a ruler that will come from Bethlehem , the Lord Jesus-Christ, hundreds of years before He comes. How he will be the prince of peace, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. In making application we see how the Bible stands alone from any "religious book" as it tells of things to come that have come true and things that will come true. How about you? Do you see the power in the prophecy of the Bible? Let us learn from our text today and the prophecy of Micah who told of the things to come that have come true that validate the deity of Christ and how a person must be saved to enter the Kingdom of the Lord.