There are those who use a cause to cover their own lust for destruction and cruelty. He who uses terror as a weapon does it from his own demands for cruelty and not because it succeeds, because it never has.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Mountain Valley War)
“You hate good and love evil. You tear off people’s skin and strip their flesh from their bones….Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. He will hide His face from them at that time because of the crimes they have committed.”
–Micah 3:2,4 (HCSB)
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I made reference to the book of Micah several times last week. Let me give you a look at the condition of the time in which Micah lived. See if there are any similarities with today.
1) The priests were immoral and corrupt and prophets were hirelings. (Did you see that group of “ministers” saying that they agreed with abortion, even late-term?)
2) Nobles took delight in fleecing the poor.
3) Greed and cruelty were prevalent.
4) Days were filled with unrest and insecurity.
5) People were selfish and materialistic.
6) There was a disintegration of personal and social values.
7) The people were scornful of religion.
8) Soothsaying, witchcraft, and superstition were prevalent.
9) There was a complacency in the approach to religion as a means of achieving human desires.
10) There was a threat of invasion.
My goodness, this could come from today’s newspaper, ooops, I mean media. There leadership was corrupt and those that were trying to do right were despised by the rest of those in leadership. Add to that the media of today and there is corruption from top to bottom. The only thing that matters is their agenda, not right and wrong.
Here are a few thoughts that Micah had concerning the Almighty, after all he said, “Who is like Yahweh?”
1) Micah wanted the people to know that every unsocial act was an insult to God.
2) Because of offenses the Lord is determined to bring them into judgment.
3) God is glorious in power, holy in character and aim, careful to make definite demands on His people.
Micah condemns and attacks the establishment for abandoning divinely ordained standards in favor of self-interest. Look at our country. There are those, primarily on the left, that are interested in self-aggrandizement, in self-promotion, and in self-interest. Just the other day, Hilary declared that she wanted to be president.
I don’t have the space to write down the Scriptures that I would call of permanent value, but take time yourself to read Micah. Things don’t really change much only in the light of time. Many of the issues remain the same; they may get more complex, but essentially the same. However, I will say one more thing. In our time they are more pronounced and there is more evil. The day is fast approaching of His appearing and the demons and devils are working feverishly. There is a dark cloud of gloom hanging over the earth, but in spite of that there is the glow of hope; the hope of His appearing.