Well, if you have your Bible with you this evening, please turn with me to the Prophet Micah, Chapter 3. Prophet Micah, Chapter 3. This evening, we are going to be considering the entirety of the third chapter. Join me as we ask the Lord's blessing upon the preaching of his word. Our gracious God and Heavenly Father, as we come now to your word, we do pray that you would bless it to our hearts and minds. Oh Lord, even if we have read or studied this portion of your word before, may it be fresh and refreshing to us tonight as we see more and understand you. As we see your work and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, We pray for your spirit's work in opening our understanding to this, in Christ's name, amen. Well, Micah chapter three, beginning in verse one, hear now the very word of God written for you and for me today. And I said, hear now, O heads of Jacob, and you rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice? You who hate good and love evil, who strip the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones, who also eat the flesh of my people, flay their skin from them, break their bones and chop them in pieces like meat for the pot, like flesh in the cauldron. Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them. He will even hide his face from them at that time because they have been evil in their deeds. Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who make my people stray, who chant peace while they chew with their teeth, but who prepare war against him, who puts nothing into their mouths. Therefore, you shall have night without vision, and you shall have darkness without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them. So the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners abashed. Indeed, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. Now hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity. Her heads judge for a bribe. Her priests teach for pay, her prophets divine for money. Yes, they lean on the Lord and say, is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us. Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest. Amen, thus far the reading of God's holy word. And may he add his blessing to the reading of it. Well, Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, when godly prophets preached the word in Samaria and Judah, when they pronounced woe against the evildoers, the false prophets couldn't stand it. And why? because they didn't want to listen to what they needed to hear. They didn't want to be bothered by the truth. They didn't want to be challenged and possibly convicted of their sin. The false prophets still enjoyed wallowing in it. As we see in this chapter, they enjoyed making money off of it. They were content in leading the people astray. The leaders were fine with the oppression as it brought selfish gain to them. They blindly believed God's prophets were spouting foolishness and therefore warned them to be quiet. Stop prattling. Stop preaching at us, they said. And how did the Lord through Micah respond? They shall not prophesy to you. They shall not return insult for insult," he said. And yet, who were they to try to silence the prophets, and therefore attempt to have authority over God and silence him? Could they silence or restrain the work of the Holy Spirit? No, they couldn't. So the drips and the drops of God's word in the ears and upon the souls of his people would be sweet and would be received with gladness, whereas they would be drops of pain and torment to the false prophets and evil leaders of the people. The true fools, the true prattlers, would be exposed and dealt with by God. And so, as the faithfulness of God is steady and as his promises are sure, we're blessed to see and consider a grand prophecy of the restoration of the remnant. Indeed, God would preserve his sheep as the remnant of Judah was protected in Jerusalem, as Sennacherib conquered much of the land, that in time, God delivered them by wiping out the Assyrian army. And this prophecy also wonderfully points us to Christ, the great shepherd king, who breaks through enemy defenses to deliver and to lead his people in victory. And so as much as the false prophets and the evil leaders oppressed Micah, and told him not to preach to them, here comes Micah doing just that in this chapter. In chapter 3, we find three prophecies that announce the judgment of the evil leadership. Let's consider the haters of good and the lovers of evil in verses 1 through 4. The prophets who make God's people stray in verses 5 through 7, and the condemnation of the corrupt evil leadership in 8 through 12. So what do we see as Micah begins in verse 1? He begins with a declaration. He says, and I said, hear now, O heads of Jacob and you rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice? See how the attempted silencing of Micah reminds us that he was far from being the only one wicked men tried to shut the mouths of. Remember, Peter and John were threatened by the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter four. and responded, saying in verses 29, excuse me, 19 and 20, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Beloved, Peter and John were let go, and they went to their believing companions, and they reported what had occurred, and in verse 31 were told And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. And so Micah too, by the power and grace of God, ignored the threats and opened his mouth. For he was on a mission from God, And the word of God has reproofs and rebukes for the greatest of men. We need to hear that. We need to even understand that today. For sometimes we listen to the world's mantra that there are some men who are untouchable. Or we perceive that there are some men who are untouchable. There is no way that the word of God would have any kind of impact or effect in their lives or their fallen leadership. But Micah says, here now, O heads of Jacob and you rulers of the house of Israel, here he began. And indeed, this is what faithful ministers of the gospel must do today as well. We stand with open mouths, with bold words from the Lord in the face of silencers. in the face of those who hate good. We must stand and we must proclaim. All of God's people are called to do the same with courage and boldness, proclaiming the word of God, even in the midst of those who would seek to silence and destroy us. But notice that Micah asks an important question in verse one. Considering the positions that these men hold, rulers, heads he's addressing, is it not for you to know justice? Were they not bound by their office to have such knowledge? Did men expect them to know? Didn't God require them to know and be well skilled in the application of his law? Yes, yes, and yes. It was for them to know. The practice of wise judgment and justice being served is a mark of godly rulers. Godly rulers must be just God-fearers. David teaches us this in 2 Samuel 23, verse 3, when he says, the God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spoke to me, He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. It's also true that just actions are linked to knowing God. And how do we know this to be true? Well, consider Jeremiah 22, verses 15 and 16. We read in verse 15, you shall reign because you enclose yourself, or shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy. Then it was well. Was not this knowing me, says the Lord?" So here's the Lord putting forth a litmus test, so to speak, of right action, and that right action being fueled and undergirded with a knowledge and relationship with God. But Micah's point was that they didn't know justice. They didn't know godly justice, which showed that they sorely lacked the knowledge of God, that which they were charged to have. We hear from the other prophets and many other prophets a similar report, don't we? There was no knowledge of God in the land. That had gone. That was not passed on generation to generation. That was not maintained in the leadership as it was commanded to, as they were to lead the people of God. These men sorely lacked the knowledge of God. Asaph said that lack of knowledge is clear. God sees it and holds leaders accountable. And that's important for us to recognize as well. In Psalm 82, beginning in verse one, we read there, God stands in the congregation of the mighty. He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and the fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy. Free them from the hand of the wicked. They do not know. Nor do they understand. They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are unstable." God says in Jeremiah 5, verse 4 and 5, therefore I said, surely these are poor. They are foolish. For they do not know the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. I will go to the great men and speak to them, for they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God." Again, we see this separation and contrast between those who rule godly and just and those who do not. And those who are godly have what? They know the way of the Lord, and they know the judgments of their God, and that influences not only their life, but their rule, their oversight, their leadership of the people. And how did Micah describe this showing itself? The lives and actions of these leaders prove them to be upside down. The script was flipped from what God had called them to do. We see this in 2a. You who hate good and love evil. My friends, godly leaders, along with all of God's people, are called to abhor evil and to cling to what is good. Romans 12, verse 9. But see how Micah graphically describes the fruit of their upside-down principles. Because the script was flipped, because they had turned things upside down, it was evident in what they had done. And that was made akin to cannibalistic behavior. Look at verses 2b and 3. who strip the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones, who also eat the flesh of my people, flay their skins from them, break their bones and chop them into pieces like meat for the pot, like flesh for the cauldron." If we had read this and didn't know the source or the context, many would think that This was describing real-life situations that were under the reign and terror of Nero or other wicked rulers, even rulers in this day, that would do such things. But this is the severity of it. Remember the oppression that he had just talked about in chapter two, that the rich were doing to the poor. The theft, the stealing, the frauding. They were violently taking other people's lands and properties because they could. And the people didn't have the means to defend themselves, but yet the Lord, as their defender, would come. And the Lord, as their defender, would deal with the wicked. These corrupt leaders were very cruel towards the people who were under their power. Whoever lied at their mercy found that they had none. They could plead the mercy of the king, they could plead the mercy of those in authority over them, but there was no mercy. They would find none. The flock that they were to protect and feed, they fleeced. Instead of feeding the sheep, they fed themselves with the sheep. That's what's being described here. Ezekiel in Ezekiel 34, beginning in 2B, says this, thus says the Lord God to the shepherds, woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool. This is a very one-to-one parallel description here of what Micah is describing. You slaughtered the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back that which was driven away, nor sought that which was lost. But with force and cruelty, you have ruled them. And Micah would give a hearty amen to that for those in his day. This was the sharp charge and conviction against these wicked shepherds, these false shepherds. For what do godly shepherds do? And what must they do? They must act like and follow the commands of their shepherd. And indeed, we strengthen the weak. We seek to help those and heal the sick. That's what Christ does. To bind up the broken, to bring back that which was driven away. We go after the one sheep that strays. To bring them back to the fold. We seek the lost. And we care for, we oversee, we guide, we love, we nurture. We direct the flock, not by force and cruelty, but by loving and humble service. Micah, in verse four, then goes on to say, then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them. He will even hide his face from them at that time because they had been evil in their deeds. Remember David's words in Psalm 18, verse 41, They cried out, but there was none to save, even to the Lord, but he did not answer them." Again, we've considered such a matter before in the judgment of God and how he deals with wicked people. To cry out and there not be an answer from the Lord is a dreadful thing. It's a terrible thing. Lex Talionis would be engaged in their case. The evil leaders would get what they deserved. They ignored the cries of the people that they hurt, and therefore God would ignore their cries. And what would become of the false prophets? Look at verse five. Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who make my people stray, who chant peace, Well, they chew with their teeth, but who prepare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths? My friends, these false prophets were deceptive opportunists. They didn't have a word from the Lord. They sinned and deceived the people into believing and following what they said, leading God's people astray and to sin. Again, this great picture, this great theme and principle of shepherding in leadership. And the failures of the false prophets and the wicked rulers and the false shepherds in comparison to what the people truly needed in godly leadership. Not those who would lead them astray like the pied piper, but those who would lead them to Christ. True shepherds don't lead people astray into sin, but these did. Paul warned Titus about such men in Titus 1, beginning in verse 10. He said, for there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain. Here are people that have an agenda that are making their way into the church, even creeping into the church, seeking to divide off. some of the sheep after themselves. We saw that many of these, as Paul addressed with Titus, were Judaizers. But what was true, Paul was equipping and instructing Titus to do what he needed to do because their mouths needed to be stopped. This was a hard work. This was a challenging work in ministry. Their mouths must be stopped because they're flipping whole households upside down. They're teaching things that are not biblical. They ought not to do such things. And they're doing it for their own benefit. It's exactly what was going on in Micah and those leaders. They were leading people astray. Leading people away from God. Leading people away from his law. They were teaching them another way, pointing them to a false god, even that which was themselves. And notice what these false prophets did, Micah said. They chanted peace, telling the people that all would be well with them with God and with God. Here comes these threats of judgment that Micah is proclaiming. You need to turn. You need to repent and you need to turn to the living God. And these false prophets are saying, stop preaching, stop talking, don't even talk to our people. Sheep, listen to us. Don't listen to them. We have peace. We're okay. How much of that goes on in the modern church today? This proclamation that people are at peace with God when they're not because they are in sin or sin is even being promoted by example or doctrine and practice in their midst. And many people in the public applaud and cheer them on, even within the church. Here comes Micah as a messenger of the Lord to say, come back to the Lord and the truth of his word. You people of God, repent or destruction will befall you. And so these false prophets, my friends, chanted peace. They chanted that all would be well with the people in God. They had nothing to worry about, and yet there was no peace. And notice that Micah said they did this while chewing with their teeth. Now, what does that mean? This phrase refers to the bite of a snake. Indeed, their message was full of deadly venom. And that venom was designed to poison the people and to lead them astray and pit them against their covenant Lord. And therefore, God passed a sentence against them. Look at verse 6. Therefore, you shall have night without vision. You shall have darkness without divination. These were practices of such prophets and prophecies and future tellers. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them. So the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners abashed. Indeed, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. Trouble and calamity would fall upon the criers of peace." That's what we see here. They would have no comfort or hope. The day would be dark. It's supposed to be light from the sun. The day would be dark. This is the picture here. It's not the way it should be because here comes judgment against them. Their minds would be full of confusion and despair. Indeed, being called a diviner and a seer refers to the prophet receiving a divine word from God. However, when the Lord didn't answer them, notice, They were filled with shame, because they had been proven to be false. And they would be judged and shamed by what? By God's silence. You have no word. But what was true of Micah as the true prophet of God? It's the complete opposite, gloriously. Look at verse eight. But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. We have multiple pieces of stark contrast here between Micah the godly prophet and the false prophets, don't we? Micah speaks with the power of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, Micah loved good and hated evil. He made things right side up. He was following things in accordance to the way God declared them to be. By the Spirit, Micah exposed sin instead of walking in it, condoning it, and promoting it. These are what the true messengers of God do. Micah didn't deceive by preaching peace when there was no peace. He preached the truth about Israel being in grave sin, as well as their being in the hands of a holy and angry God. And therefore, the corrupt leaders needed to listen up, as well as the people. And he says this in verse 9. Now hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who what? Who abhor justice and pervert all equity. Who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity. And so look here and see that as Micah calls for their attention, notice that he adds to their list of sins. They were haters and perverters of justice. The leaders were also blood-guilty governors, as they had a clear disregard for life. And what did this perversion look like in the details? Verse 11. It's sickening, but again, there's nothing new under the sun. We see this today too. Some things don't change in the world of the wicked. Her heads judge for a bribe. Her priests teach for pay. Her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord and say, it's not the Lord among us. No harm can come to us. This is like that false chanting of peace, isn't it? They were just a bunch of performers. Follow the money. They did as the deep pockets desired. The judges were bought out. The priests indoctrinated the people in the way the payers wanted to go. The prophets were no more than fortune tellers for hire. It was tragic. A terrible change of events in leadership into what they should be, to what they were, but we now see how they were fueled. What then did they need to hear? Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest. We see in the prophets often beloved that the Lord lays his case at the beginning. And he presents piece after piece, facet after facet, layer after layer of all of the different pieces and aspects of why the judgment of the Lord is coming upon them and what this sin looks like that they are guilty of. And we see here that the leadership has severe condemnation and severe chastening and chastisement and judgment from the Lord. So I encourage you as you consider this chapter, see the deception of wicked sinners, especially wicked leaders, and their pursuit to deceive others, even the very people of God. This is, again, one of the reasons why Paul went to Titus and said, carry out the duties of your ministry, even the hard duties, of standing in the way of other men when they are wickedly trying to subvert whole households and teach them a doctrine that is contrary to the word of God. Because that's what Satan loves to do. He loves to send men in among the people, wolves among the sheep, even to deceive the very people of God, often from the inside out. Corruption from the inside out. People are led astray much easier that way. Jude speaks to this as well. But see their hearts and their words and their actions exposed by Micah here, and be mindful that the sin and failures of both leaders in the church and the civil magistrate aren't unique to Micah's day. All generations have experienced the rule of men who fall short in their duty to rule justly in the fear of God. This is a grievous matter that needs to be addressed repeatedly. Generation after generation, and even many times even in one generation, the guard must stand. And godly leaders must remain on bended knee before the throne of Christ. Because we can be carried away with ourselves just as quickly. May this reality further your desire and action in support of evil being abhorred. and good being practiced and promoted and defended. May it also draw your attention to the perfect prophet, priest, and king, Jesus Christ. Because really, this is what the picture is painting. At all levels of leadership here, Micah is addressing failure and sin and corruption. But that is so far from Christ, because he is the perfect one. He is the righteous and just one. He is always just and his dominion is over all. Never forget that though injustice is present now, God will right all wrongs. This is what our God will do. He's showing it here in Micah's day and it is true even in ours. Even in the work that he is doing and that which is to come. And so as you think upon Christ, also praise him that though wicked leaders get what they deserve, if you are in Christ, the gospel truth is that you don't get what you deserve. But rather, in your justification, receive the life and the righteousness that he deserved by his perfect obedience to God the Father. That's what you get. You are clothed in his righteousness. We deserve the very condemnation of these wicked leaders, but we don't get it because of Jesus, because of his saving grace and his mercy to us as sinners. This should be something that we never tire of, a teaching and a doctrine that never becomes old to us, but is always fresh to our ears and a joy and a comfort to our hearts, because God is the almighty, the holy judge, creator, sustainer of the universe, and he will judge the world in righteousness. Praise the Lord that we are in Christ. Praise the Lord that he took upon himself what we deserve so that it would not come to us, but that we would have life in him, and that we would be heirs of the inheritance that is eternal with him. Praise the Lord for his word, and let's pray together. Our gracious God and Heavenly Father, you are the great and awesome God and King. O Lord Jesus, we praise your holy name. You are the perfect prophet, priest, and king. We praise you that you are not like any of the men that Micah proclaimed to. You are perfect and sinless. You were just and true. You were righteous and even the one who judges such men. We thank you that you are our savior and our redeemer and that we do not fall under such condemnation. We pray, oh God, that passages and chapters like this would teach us much. not only in the ways and the sin and the failure of leadership and corruption, but also of your great work and your justice and your holiness and your mercy to your people. We pray these things in Christ's name, amen.