Micah 2

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. Micah 2:1

English minister, F. B. Meyer, comments that while chapter one dealt with sins against the first table of the law, this chapter deals with sins against the second table. [1] The first chapter dealt with our relationship with God and this chapter deals with our relationship with people. Feinberg adds: “Whenever the rights of God are lightly treated, the rights of man can fare no better.” [2]

We note that these wicked people were plotting evil on their beds. They were like the wicked of Psalm 36:4. It is said of them: “Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.” What a contrast between these and the righteous. The Psalmist says: “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night” (Psa. 63:6). The Psalmist gives us all some good advice: “Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent” (Ps. 4:4). It is good for us today to have bedtime prayers and scripture readings. This will help save us from wrong thoughts in the night.

These people could hardly wait for morning so that they could carry out the evil plans dreamed up during the night. Pett says: “They sin night and day. It is a way of life with them. We are reminded of those of whom it was said that ‘the thoughts of their hearts were only evil continually’ (Genesis 6:5).” [3] Of course, they could carry out their plans because they had the power to do it. Wiersbe comments: “They practiced the world’s version of the Golden Rule: ‘Whoever has the gold makes the rules.’” [4] We begin to understand why the rich will have a difficult time entering the Kingdom of Heaven (Lk. 18:24).

“They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance” (2:2). In Israel, a person’s heritage was a God-given, sacred thing. The land belonged to the Lord and was only leased to the people (Lev. 25:23). Nevertheless, God leased to them permanently so long as they would keep his laws and decrees. If a plot of land was sold, the property would revert to the original owner every fifty years on the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:10). So, we can understand that property was a sacred heritage for the family, a heritage given by the Lord.

It is easy to understand how some families could fall into hard times and need money. Wicked lenders could take advantage of their need and get them into debt they could not repay. Soon, their little farm or home would be taken away from them. Farmers would then become only tenants or day laborers. Perhaps even children would be sold into slavery in order for the poor family to survive. We have evidence that this wicked land practice continued on to New Testament times. Some parables mention absentee landlords (Lk. 13:6-9; 20:9-19). Thus, many farmers in the later times were just mere tenants.

We see a reference to this type of activity in the Book of Isaiah. The prophet says, “Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just” (Isa. 32:7). Poor people have few resources and cannot easily pay to defend themselves in court. Micah had probably witnessed this injustice, since he lived in a small rural community. [5]

In the Bible, we have the famous instance of a very rich man coveting the land of a neighbor. It was King Ahab who coveted the vineyard of Naboth. Through the wicked plotting of his wife Jezebel, Naboth was murdered and the land was stolen (1 Ki. 21:1-16).

“Therefore, the LORD says: ‘I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity’” (2:3). This is a message from God, particularly spoken to the proud and rich landowners. Professors Charles Pfeiffer & Everett Harrison say: “Instead of going about with their heads haughtily lifted, they will be led into captivity with haltered necks.” [6] The rich oppressors who took the land of the poor will now lose all their holdings to the Assyrian enemy. It is difficult for us to imagine the utter cruelty to ancient, defeated people being led away in captivity.

“In that day people will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: ‘We are utterly ruined; my people’s possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors’” (2:4). Jamieson sees this as a doleful lamentation or a continuous and monotonous wail. The Hebrew words naha, nehi, nihyah are repeated. [7] Early American clergyman, Albert Barnes says, “No mockery is more cutting or fiendish, than to repeat in jest words by which one bemoans himself.” [8]

“Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot” (2:5). The biblical practice is now all over and finished. In Bible times a line or cord was used to measure and allot the land (Psa. 78:55-56). Now the land will be allotted to the enemies. The prophet Amos speaks of this horrible outcome: “Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land’” (Amos 7:17).

False Prophets In Their Midst

“‘Do not prophesy,’ their prophets say. ‘Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us’” (2:6).

It was a tragic fact for both houses of Israel that they rejected the true prophets of God. The Lord speaks in the New Testament concerning Israel: “Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town” (Matt. 23:34). The Jewish people somehow felt that they were so special to God that he could not punish them. After all, they had Abraham as their father. Phillips comments: “In a later age John the Baptist denounced the same spirit: ‘Think not to say within yourselves. We have Abraham to our father’” (Matthew 3:9, also see John 8:39-40.) [9]

The prophet Amos says: “But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy. Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain” (Amos 2:12-13). The prophet Isaiah adds: “They say to the seers, ‘See no more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions’” (Isa. 30:10). The people of Israel were not the last folks to tell the minister what to preach and what not to preach. In our day truth has become a casualty, sometimes even in the church. Some speak of the death of truth today. Plenty of people, and some of them called Christians, boldly declare that they have their “own truth.”

“You descendants of Jacob, should it be said, ‘Does the LORD become impatient? Does he do such things?’ ‘Do not my words do good to the one whose ways are upright?” (2:7). The NET Bible may be a little clearer: “Does the family of Jacob say, ‘The LORD’s patience can’t be exhausted– he would never do such things’?” (Mic. 2:7 NET). That is a very presumptive attitude for sure.

Pastor, Bible teacher and author, David Guzik, says of the poor prophet: “Micah began his ministry in the reign of Jotham, but nobody listened. Then he prophesied during the reign of Ahaz, but nobody listened. Finally, he prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah and the leaders and the people repented. Micah didn’t give up, even though the results were slow in coming. Micah preached for anywhere between 16 and 25 years before there was any response.” [10]

“Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle” (2:8). The disobedient become an enemy of God regardless of whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Here we are told of an especially hard-hearted crime. The supposed people of God were stripping the robes off innocent travelers as they passed through the territory. They would treat them as an enemy in battle.

Barnes notes how the large enveloping cloaks, which were worn loosely over their other clothing, were also used for a covering at night. [11] How heartless, to let an innocent traveler shiver all night in the cold mountain air. This would surely be classified as highway robbery. God had long before commanded his people: “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Exod. 22:21).

“You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever” (2:9). Utley points out that the husbands may have already been sold into indentured servitude and now the wife and children are being sold. [12] The beauty and glory of Israel’s households are thus snatched away. What an utterly tragic situation! Feinberg comments: “When man is given his desire, a desire not born of the Lord, then leanness of soul always accompanies it.” [13]

“Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy” (2:10). Several scriptures speak of the land of Israel as being a place of rest for God’s people (Exo. 33:14; Deut. 3:20, 12:10; Psa. 95:11). Guthrie says: “The ungodly Hebrews are bidden to leave and go off into captivity, for the Holy Land cannot bear the defilement of their abominable crimes.” [14]

Rest is something we believers feel deeply in our spirits. We know when it’s there and we know when it’s not. Many years ago, my small son and I visited a certain church in our large city. Once we sat down, I felt a great uneasiness. Finally, I took my little son’s hand, and we made a quick exit from that worship service. That coming week, we read that both pastors of the church had been arrested for some serious crimes. We obeyed the Holy Spirit’s nudging and got up, for that place was not our rest.

Zion or Jerusalem was not too restful in Micah’s day. Neither is it particularly restful in our day due to all the often-instigated Palestinian strife. However, God promises that it will be restful (Psa. 132:14). This verse alone should change a lot of our church theology. God plans to come to earth and live in Zion forever with his holy people. We have everything going up, but the Bible has everything coming down. That should help us understand the struggle for Jerusalem, in Micah’s day and in our own day.

“If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!” (2:11). Coffman quoting Scoggin comments: “This people wants a preacher who is a lying wind-bag, someone who will talk for wine and whiskey! …There remains today a willing audience for anyone who panders to the vices of the age under the guise of proclaiming God’s truth.” [15] Pett quips, “For they preferred false spirits to the true Spirit (Micah 2:7; 3:8).” [16]

The Restoration Promised

“I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.” Micah 2:12

The prophets of Israel spoke of a terrible calamity coming upon Israel and Judah, but they also spoke of a glorious restoration of both biblical nations. That restoration happened in a partial, way when the Jews returned from Babylon under Zerubbabel in 538 BC. However, they were massively dispersed again in AD 70 and in 135. These last dispersions were not just to Babylon, but the Jewish people were spread throughout the whole earth. While some Jews returned in small groups over the centuries, the real restoration of Israel began in the early 1880s.

The return to Israel and to Jerusalem was called “making aliya.” Aliya in Hebrew means “going up” or “ascending.” After all, Jerusalem has an elevation of 2575 feet (785 meters). This seems quite high when sea level is only some 40 miles (64 km) away.

Here is a quick listing of the various aliyot especially in the 20th Century.

“The First Aliya (1882-1903) – Some 25,000, mostly from Eastern Europe, came at this time.

The Second Aliya (1904-1914) – Consisted of about 40,000 and was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War.

The Third Aliya (1919-1923) – Contained many young pioneers. About 35,000 arrived in this period.

The Fourth Aliya (1924-1928) – Totaled some 67,000 with many middle-class immigrants. The bulk of this group was from Poland.

The Fifth Aliya (1929-1939) – There was a total in this group of about 250,000, with many from Nazi Germany.

The Sixth and Seventh Aliyot (1940-1948) – About 100,000 entered the country during this period Immigration was greatly hindered due to British restrictions.

The mass aliya or ingathering of exiles (1948 and following) – When Israel became a state, all immigration restrictions were removed. For instance, in the years 1948-1951, 684,000 immigrants returned home to Israel.” [17]

The massive return to the land of Israel was quite miraculous. The ancient land had become a wilderness, and the early settlers had the job of making the land fruitful again. They had the task of building settlements all over the country. God raised up a prophet named Theodore Herzl who did not give up until he had laid the foundation for a Jewish state. Israel was then recognized by the nations and became a state on May 14, 1948.

From its beginnings, the people of Israel faced massive problems. They had to restore and relearn Hebrew, since it had become a dead language. They had to fight the surrounding Muslim nations constantly, and that battle still goes on today. They had to learn about farming, since land ownership in many nations had largely been denied them.

Still, the restoration of Israel was a miraculous thing. Just the aliya itself was miraculous. My wife and I had served in Israel before, but in the summer of 1989, the Lord called us back to Israel. Soon, miracles began to happen. When the Soviet Union started falling in 1989, the thousands of captive Jews began to return home to Israel. They came at the rate of about 30,000 per month. From that time to the end of the century, over a million Jews returned to the land. That was a lot for a nation that had only slightly over four million people.

The Jews began to return from other nations, especially from Ethiopia. Starting on May 24, 1991, in a 33-hour period, 15,000 Jews from Ethiopia were secretly airlifted to Israel. Suddenly we saw Jeremiah 43:5-6 fulfilled before our eyes: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.” Suddenly, we were watching the Jews return from the north and south at the same time, just like the prophet had said!

We had the grand privilege of welcoming thousands of these needy immigrants and supplying them with food, blankets, kitchen utensils, bus passes and many other needed things. These items were supplied by Christians from all over the world. That work with our organization, Bridges For Peace, still goes on today after over 30 years because immigrants are still coming. With antisemitism increasing worldwide aliya is also beginning to increase once more.

Sadly, the great miracle of the second Jewish restoration went on largely unnoticed by most of the vast, worldwide Church of Jesus. Several thousand messianic Jews in the land certainly perceived it and a few thousand evangelical Christians saw it because they had been called to Israel to help out. The Bible says that this large and miraculous aliya was greater than when they came out of Egypt under Moses long ago (Jer. 23:7-8). How could the church miss it?

“The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD at their head” (2:13). Certainly, God broke open a way for his people’s return from the Babylonian prison. It was a huge miracle, but only a group slightly less than 50,000 returned home as we have said. This hardly compares with the vast modern miracle where millions of Jewish people have returned. In several cases like in the former Soviet Union, God literally broke down the wall (the Berlin Wall) and brought his people home. At this writing the Jewish population of once deserted Israel is over seven million people. The total population is now approximately ten million.

Footnotes

1. F.B. Meyer, F.B. Meyer’s ‘Through the Bible’ Commentary, Micah, vs. 2:1-16. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/fbm/micah.html

2. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 158.

3. Pett, Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, Micah, v. 2:1.

4. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT. p. 1453.

5. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 2:2.

6. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, pp. 2:1-5.

7. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Micah, v. 2:4.

8. Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible (1798-1870), v. 2:4. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb.html

9. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 166.

10. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Micah, vs. 2:6-9.

11. Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, v. 2:8.

12. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 2:9.

13. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 159.

14. Guthrie, et. al. The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p. 754.

15. Quoted in Coffman, Commentary on Micah, v. 2:11.

16. Pett, Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, Micah, v. 2:11.

17. Jim Gerrish, Does God Play Favorites (Minneapolis: Cornerstone Publishing, 2000, 2003), p. 112.