A Clear-Cut Case

They range the gamut from the old Perry Mason shows to the shenanigans of Night Court. In the last couple of decades, there have been shows like L.A. Law, CSI shows from a variety of cities, not to mention the various movies over the years. In all of them, there is a bit of mystery and wonder as to who is guilty and who is innocent.

However, in this section which we’ll be covering today, the courtroom is a bit unique. The prosecutor is God and the judge is God. The Israelites are on trial and are serving as their own defense, which is completely inept, as there is no defense for what they’ve done. As God’s chosen people, they were certainly not living as such.

If we claim the Name of Christ, we must live as children of God.

Charges Against Bad Choices - 6.1-8

Micah 6:1–8 (NASB95)

Hear now what the Lord is saying, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice. “Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, And you enduring foundations of the earth, Because the Lord has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will dispute. “My people, what have I done to you, And how have I wearied you? Answer Me. “Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam. “My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.” With what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah’s opening words are typically used in the context of a speech presenting evidence in a courtroom. In a nutshell, God is telling the people that He has an issue with them. God presents the evidence that in light of all that He has done for the nation, they chose to reject Him. He describes how He freed them from slavery to the Egyptians. He reminds them of how He led them through land which they’d never been in the wilderness and even protected them from others who would destroy them. He had set up leadership with Moses and his siblings to lead the people.

Then, the people respond in a sarcastic manner. By their ridiculous questions, they actually agree with God’s assessment, while presenting their helpless state. They seemingly were so dense, they refused to see anything wrong with their current relationship with God. They understood that sacrifices could not take away sin, though they snidely suggested they should do so. They recognized that no amount of religion could save them. They even go so far as to point out that even if they sacrificed their own children, they’d still be guilty.

They acted like it was necessary to come before God with something to appease Him, as if God was the issue. How similar to today, when people blame God for whatever difficulties they are facing, or that God is less than perfect. They even went so far as to suggest that God was greedy, as we read in verse 7. Plus, the Israelites were actually practicing child sacrifices.

So what do the Israelites need to do? Micah answers their sarcasm with a very simple, straightforward response. Read Micah 6.8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” Justice is simply doing what God wants done. That justice is based on kindness and mercy. It is an active way of life. The last part means literally to make yourself humble. Simply put; don’t live life the way you want to live it, but the way that God wants you to live it.

Church, please understand that it is quite easy to slip into doing that which is displeasing to God; whether it be through apathy, laziness, legalism, pride, or a number of other self-centered ways we live. Getting back into a right relationship with God is not a matter of us doing certain things, giving large sums of money, or even serving on every ministry team possible. According to Scripture, God wants us, our whole being.

Hear what King David says in Psalm 51.16-17 “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

We also read in 1 Samuel 15.22: “Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”

Warning About Rejecting the Word - 6.9-16

Micah 6:9–16 (NASB95)

The voice of the Lord will call to the city— And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: “Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? “Is there yet a man in the wicked house, Along with treasures of wickedness And a short measure that is cursed? “Can I justify wicked scales And a bag of deceptive weights? “For the rich men of the city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. “So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Desolating you because of your sins. “You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I will give to the sword. “You will sow but you will not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will not drink wine. “The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk. Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people.”

We read in these verses God speaking once again, as He instructs the nation. He is basically warning the people of the judgment that will be coming. The people need to repent of their wickedness and obey God, rather than what they were doing. Wisdom implies that it only makes sense for the people to understand Who God is and what He expects.

One of the sad things about the coming judgment is the people will finally recognize just how horrible they have been. Even in their attempts to be satisfied and fulfilled, they would end up empty-handed. And what they did have, we know was gotten through crooked, deceptive means. They lived by the practice of Let the buyer beware. They will still be hungry after they’ve eaten. They will save up their money, only to discover that it’s gone. Any crops which they will plant, they won’t be able to harvest them. In other words, no matter what they attempt, it will end in failure. It’s all because they’ve refused to follow God and live for Him.

Judah had not learned from the Northern kingdom, but had rather practiced the same evil. Omri’s name is listed because he was described as worse than all the kings before him. . . . All the works of the house of Ahab are observed . . . Ahab and Jezebel, and their children, were obsessed with making Baal worship the official worship, even to the point of persecuting God’s prophets. If they had the power to do what they wanted, they did just that, as they squashed any who would resist them.

Friends, we must be certain that we follow closely God’s ways and live as Jesus would have us live. To claim to belong to Jesus, while following after the world’s ways by rejecting those parts of the Word that you’re not comfortable with, is inviting God’s judgment upon your life. Please pay heed to the Holy Spirit’s convicting on your life.

Sadness Because of Sin and Suffering - 7.1-6

Micah 7:1–6 (NASB95)

Woe is me! For I am Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, Or a first-ripe fig which I crave. The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net. Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together. The best of them is like a briar, The most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, Your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur. Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips. For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

In these verses, we read Micah’s heart-wrenching comments, whether they were his or that of God. Very simply, try as they might, nobody could find an individual who was upright and honest. The nation seemed to be saturated with wickedness. If there was anything evil or wicked, that seemed to be the ruling philosophy of the people.

We can sense the total frustration of Micah as he’s writing. It’s like me going to the freezer, seeing a box of chocolate ice cream, then opening it and finding it empty, except for some freezer burn chunks. Or going to a concert, expecting lovely music from highly trained musicians, only to have my ears assaulted with screeching and dissonant noise from people who hate music. The ice cream is not there. The musicians are no longer on the stage. Micah states: The godly person has perished from the land, and there is no upright person among men. The only ones left are the corrupt individuals who refused to humble themselves before God.

Even today, we have a culture in which powerful leaders encourage citizens to report and turn in those who don’t fit the cultural norm. It is like the evil citizens of Jerusalem hunting down those people who were upright in order to destroy them. And, as it was then, the same is true today, in which it is called legitimate and for the greater good, as they twist the laws and willingly call right, wrong, and wrong, right. But according to the last part of verse 4, when God steps in to right the wrong, they will be taken down.

Sadly, we see in verses 5-6, that even families will be torn apart, because God’s plan for society, which revolves around family, as been set aside. It was a natural consequence of judgment. That sounds very much like what Jesus described as happening when family members chose to follow Him, rather than continue on with keeping in line with tradition and culture.

Conclusion

In our time, it has become incredibly easy to pretend to be a part of Christ’s church. Yet, it seems obvious when an individual fights against God’s Word, picking and choosing what to live by; ignoring or rejecting those parts of the Bible that cause a stir in our culture, that person is not much different than those whom Micah was warning. And God promised judgment for those who rebelled against Him.

My friend, do not think that you can fool God. And do not think that this world will willingly accept you if you compromise a little now, then a little more. Your testimony for Christ will be nonexistent if you believe that you can remake God and His Word in your own image and likeness.

God’s intention with the Jewish people, His chosen people, was that they would be a witness to the Gentile nations, pointing them to God. For those who are truly born-again, the intention is not just our personal salvation, but that we would proclaim Jesus to a surrounding culture with its opposing worldview, that they might consider turning their lives over to Jesus Christ. The only way for that to happen is for the church, you and me, to be obedient to the Word of God.