A Nation Ripe For Judgment

Commentary

Micah’s ministry most likely started late in Jotham’s reign and ended early in Hezekiah’s reign. He was one of the prophets that God sent to the Israelites to warn them of the coming judgment that they would face. He and Isaiah were sent to the Southern kingdom of Judah; Amos and Hosea to the Northern kingdom of Israel.

The Israelites had all but abandoned God and were living in rebellion against Him. So much so that corruption had infiltrated every facet of life from government on down to the common person. Because of that wickedness, God was about to unleash His fierce anger upon them by allowing them to be conquered by enemies. Verse 4 states that mountains would melt in His anger. That begs the question, “how well will the sinner do in the face of God’s anger?”. As we know from Scripture, not well at all. Any nation who rejects Jesus and lives in such moral corruption will one day face His fierce and just anger, and it will not go well for them.

Israel displays an excellent example of all phases of walk or lack of walk with the Lord. From the accounts of individuals to the entire nation-state, we can learn many lessons from what God has revealed to us in His Word regarding ancient Israel. We’ll explore the condition these two kingdoms were in and how our world is reflecting that condition today.

Commentary

Samaria was the capital city of the Northern kingdom of Israel. A place that was saturated with idolatry. Both it and the Southern kingdom of Judah had experienced a great increase in material prosperity. Many had become greedy and not only worshipped money but accumulated even more wealth at the expense of the poor.

Micah was given the prophetic knowledge that God would crush the Northern kingdom because of their spiritual prostitution against God. It was in 722 BC that Assyria, an extremely powerful and wicked empire, came in and conquered Samaria. This turned Israel into a province of Assyria, fulfilling God’s judgment upon the kingdom. Micah tried to warn the Southern kingdom of Judah, especially Jerusalem, but the people never quite learned the lessons from the Northern kingdom and would sometime later go on to be decimated by Babylon. They only wanted to listen to “prophets” who said nice things.

This can be said of many, many people today, especially Christians who don’t want to accept the time in history that we are in. All the signs are pointing to the soon-coming end of this age, and that should bring great exhortation for sharing the Gospel and great joy to the born-again follower of Christ.

Commentary

The corruption of Israel and Judah had become so bad that the crimes typically committed in the dark of night were being committed in broad daylight. Many were so wicked that they would dream up ways to do wicked things while in their beds at night. This wickedness was not only of the common man or woman but done by politicians and done by religious leaders. These were the people who had the position and power to commit these crimes openly.

The religious leaders who were supposed to be teaching God’s Word instead were focused on getting money. Perhaps this activity sounds extremely familiar?

We’re living in a time that is resembling this apostate condition, the rejection of God and His Law, blatantly and openly, by those who claim to know Jesus. One doesn’t need to think too hard to come up with some “pastor” or government official who claims to know Jesus but aggressively supports abortion, which God hates, yes, hates the shedding of innocent human blood (Proverbs 6:16-19). Or who openly supports LGBT and even celebrates it, which God finds to be an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). Not to mention a list of other sins that are now openly accepted and celebrated by these people while they claim to know Jesus.

Commentary

The leaders of Israel and Judah were so wicked and so evil that Micah likens them to cannibals, who devour the flesh of their victims, in this case, the poor, common man. Many in the world today are suffering under their leaders and so-called elected representatives. The corruption of world leaders is so bad today that criminals are in positions of power, crimes are being openly committed by them with no justice, and the citizens are being manipulated, over-taxed, and controlled. Tax money is being wasted on evil agendas like government-funded abortion, the promotion of sexual immorality, and child indoctrination. Money is seemingly being laundered by officials and used to manipulate elections and line their pockets.

America and much of the rest of this world are in a moral state like that of Israel and Judah in Micah’s time. We’re nations that have enjoyed great material prosperity, but who instead of being thankful to Jesus, have made idols of these things and have pushed ourselves further and further away from the Living God. There comes a time when a nation is past the point of no return, where individuals can still find salvation in Christ, yet their nation will still fall for its sins because the disease has rotted its core.

Commentary

On top of all of the evil going on in these two kingdoms, the “prophets” were telling the people that everything is good, nothing to fear. Of course, these were false prophets and not of the True and Living God. But how many so-called Christian leaders today are essentially saying that everything is “good”?

While the moral condition of our world continues to rot, as the Bible foretold that it will in the last days, you have many in the organized church supporting and affirming sin, focusing on worldly things instead of the Gospel. Others laser-focus on the vague “God loves you” message, but never the entire Gospel message which addresses sin.

From Micah, we learn that after the judgment of Israel and Judah, God promised to bring a remnant of Israelites back, which did happen 70 years after Judah was conquered by Babylon. Given the late hour that we are in, I’m not sure we’ll see a deliverance of once-great Christian nations like England, Canada, and the USA. Rather, I believe that we are so close to Jesus coming back for His remnant Church, to take us out of this world before the Tribulation begins and God judges this world for its wickedness.

Whatever plan God has for this world right now, those who study God’s Word know where the world is ultimately tracking toward, and it’s right into the wrath of God. However, for the believer in Christ Jesus, we have the only hope one could possibly have, our Savior!