Micah 2:1-13

Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. ² And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. ³ Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil. ⁴ In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields. ⁵ Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord. ⁶ Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame. ⁷ O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? ⁸ Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. ⁹ The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. ¹⁰ Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. ¹¹ If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. ¹² I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. ¹³ The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.

Holiness is a term that is used a lot in Christian circles, and rightfully so. All true Christians would affirm that God is holy (Isaiah 6:1-4) and that all believers are called to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15-16). There is a danger that exists in terms that are thrown around too often and that is the danger of familiarity. If we become too familiar with some things then they can lose their force and impact of meaning. Holiness is one of those concepts. What does it mean when we say that God is holy? The word is certainly used to communicate God’s moral purity and perfections. He is absolutely righteous, just, and clean from any kind of blemish. However, as it is used in Scripture to describe God, the word actually takes on the meaning of “otherness,” meaning there is nothing like Him. The word means “to cut” or “separate” and it describes the reality that there is nothing like God. He is unique and set apart from everything and everyone else that exists. In Isaiah 6:1-5 and Revelation 4:8, both Isaiah and John the Apostle are given visions of the heavenly thrown room and God seated on His throne surrounded by the worship of remarkable beings. Their cry is “Holy, holy, holy” in both places. For ages past and eternity to come, they exist to proclaim the reality that there is nothing like God.

Prophesying to the people of Israel, Micah comes on the scene at a time when Israel faced the imminent threat of Assyrian invasion. The northern kingdom would fall in 722 BC and the southern kingdom of Judah faced the threat of invasion as well. Why did God not deliver Samaria (the northern kingdom) and why would He allow Judah (the southern kingdom) to be threatened? Micah 2 provides a defense as why. It also provides for us three things that stand apart in God’s character and His dealings with His people. Here we will learn three ways that no one is like God.

The first of those is found in the first five verses and that is that no one is like God in justice. Micah addresses those in Israel who continually plan evil. They are wealthy individuals who take advantage of people and take their property in their selfish greed. In the law, provision was made to protect people from this sort of thing. Families were guaranteed the land that they originally inherited from God’s allotments when the people went into the Promised Land. They were to be restored their land on the Jubilee (50^th) year (Leviticus 25:13-17). This was in recognition of the fact that all of the land ultimately belonged to the Lord (Leviticus 23:23). Therefore, if someone used land as collateral or if it was leased, the land had to eventually be restored to the family that originally owned it. This protected the divisions between the tribes and the allotments for the various families. These crooked businessmen were taking advantage of those in debt and in desperate situations in order to acquire their land for themselves. For such sins, God said that the land of Israel would be defiled and God promised to “vomiteth out her inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:24-26). This consequence is also connected with sins of adultery, homosexuality, and child sacrifice as all reasons for this punishment to be brought on them (Leviticus 18:20-23). Our society is guilty of the exact same sins as Israel. Here, God promises judgment upon them. They will be stripped of everything that they own in their discontentment and greed for more. May you and I avoid the greedy lusts of our own heart for the things of the world. May we seek first God’s kingdom and trust that God will give us every earthly need (Matthew 6:33). God’s coming judgment, punishment, and discipline upon them would be absolutely just. He would judge them and care for the poor. No judge on earth is able to deal so justly.

The second trait of God in this passage that separates Him from all else is that no one is like Him in truth. In verses 6-11 Micah addresses some co-conspirators in the taking advantage of people, the prophets and priests of Israel. These individuals were supposed to be spiritual leaders who led the people of God in right worship of Him, lead them in obedience to His commands, and speak as God’s mouthpiece of truth throughout Israel. Instead, the prophets and priests taught and led according to the bribes that they received. Further, the people and false prophets spoke against God’s true prophets because they proclaimed a message that they did not want to hear. Instead, they wanted to hear about “wine and of strong drink,” things that made them happy and joyful (also Isaiah 30:10; Amos 2:12). They didn’t want to hear about their sin, consequences, and coming judgment. People hate to be called out for sin. Virtually all of God’s true prophets were persecuted because they corrected God’s people. Further, they were pitted against false prophets who told people what they wanted to hear. It is a warning to all of us that we should never just gravitate to people who are “on our side” or who tell us what we want to hear. What we need are people that will tell us the truth and that will correct us in love because they care for our souls. Micah’s time wasn’t much different than our own. Most mainline preachers preach watered down “culturally relevant” messages about sports, pop culture themes, etc., that entertain and lull people to sleep in their sins. What we all need is truth. We all need the unfiltered, unadulterated Word of God and men who faithfully handle it and apply it. No one is like God in truth. He has given us His Word that is truth (John 17:17). He is always truthful and His Word is always trustworthy, even when it exposes error in our hearts and lives. Solomon gave some great advice in Proverbs 23:23 which says, “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”

Found in verses 12-13, the final trait about God in this chapter is that no one is like Him in mercy. The final two verses of this chapter give to us a word of mercy, grace, and hope for God’s people. Despite their sin, God promises that He “will surely assemble, O Jacob.” Both Israel and Judah would go into captivity among the nations and they would be scattered, but God promises a future time of both physical and spiritual restoration. He would bring them back to the land, but He would also remove their sin from them. These verses describe God as a faithful Shepherd leading His people to good pasturelands in Bozrah and they also promise a “Breaker” who will come and remove barriers for God’s people while leading them as their “King.” This passage is one of many in Micah that points forward to the coming of Christ and His work of gathering God’s people in the Church (both Jew and Gentile) and removing sin from them. He comes as the conquering King to conquer sin and death and bring restoration for the people of God. God’s mercy in Christ is so unfathomable. Titus 3:4-5 speaks to His saving work this way, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” What was Israel’s hope for salvation? What is our hope today? It is Jesus Christ. God’s mercy describes His withholding of what we deserve for our sin. Instead, in His grace He gives us Jesus and all that He has promised His people.

We are just like Israel. Our lives are full of worldliness, greed, and some of the grossest forms of immorality. There is no one like God who gives perfect justice, absolute truth, and faithful mercy. Our response to His holiness should be the same as Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5 when He cried out “Woe is me!” It is from that humble, contrite place that the “high and lofty One” will hear, reach down to save us, and extend His gracious saving hand (Isaiah 57:15). There is truly no one like Him.