Examining The Scripture CXXXIX: Stepping On The Backs Of The Poor

Indictments are leveled by Micah against Judah’s spiritual and political leaders in Micah 3 and boy are they uncompromising and abrasive. The second message at the heart of Micah is a message of Israel’s future and future Ruler that is coming...but it starts out pretty caustic. The abrasiveness is directed at the political leaders of Judah and they are called to listen and hear.

The civil authorities were allowing the wealthy to exploit the poor. Worse yet the authorities themselves were doing the same thing! This is a big NO in a world controlled by God and obviously could not stand without being judged. Leaders by their nature are appointed by God. They are to do what is to the benefit of the Lord’s people (our current leaders could learn a lesson here too). The description of these people make them sound like ravenous wolves and predatory beasts “who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces”. They are not protectors of the “little man” or a people looking out for the “little man’s” interest. They were only looking to their own interests, greed and evil (why does this sound so much like our government? I digress again). They are perpetrating injustice after injustice and subjugating the poor in the process. In the end they will cry out to the Lord but they will be ignored because of the evil they have committed. It is an ancient example of the rich standing on the poor. To elevate themselves financially and increase their prestige. A proverbial glass ceiling for those that are poor or destitute.

Micah then turns to hammer the living daylights out of the false prophets again whose lies made it easier for corrupt authorities to carry out their evil deeds in an atmosphere of “tolerance” and “illusionary political correctness”. They are wantonly leading people/constituents astray. Because they have done this "night will cover them, no visions, darkness, no divination". Their time will be done. It is clear these prophets didn’t want to rock the boat and maintain the status quo. It helped keep them employed and probably wealthy even though they shouldn’t have been collecting monetary reward as supposed “prophets of God”. In reality they were hucksters trying to make a buck giving messages from a god (in actuality demons probably). They will be exposed for what they really are, a sham and they will be ashamed of themselves and disgraced. There is nothing more pitiful and reprehensible than a man that claims to be “of God” and is nothing more than a charlatan of the first degree. On the other hand, a true man of God and God Himself are not pretenders and anyone with enough spiritual discernment and tact will recognize a true man of God in a heartbeat. A true man of God will stand out like a light in the darkness and will have authority from the Lord.


Micah again bounces back to blasting the leaders of the land including rulers, priests and prophets who perpetrate injustice, distort all that is right, who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with wickedness. The leaders who pass fake/false judgments for bribes, priests that get fees for teaching what they are obligated to disseminate freely, Prophets that are nothing more than paid fortunetellers. They fraudulently believe because they are Jews and God’s chosen that they will remain within God’s good grace even while they horrendously abuse God’s true people (spiritual) and basically abuse God’s law and patience.

It is because of these repulsive and reprehensible people that Zion will be plowed like a field. Turned into a heap of rubble. Even the temple will fall into ruins. If we continue to read into chapter 4 we see God’s promise of hope and a promised Kingdom unfold in the text…but I guess that can be saved for another day.

We as Americans should take note of this narrative in Micah. We are currently living in a time where our political and economic systems are being supported by taxpayers who are becoming more and more suppressed by the slavery that oppressive taxation and over-litigious regulation imposes on a population. Taxes that are going to support the whims of a majority of leaders who are detached from those they are suppose to be representing. Leaders who continue take imaginary money from our children that hasn't even been printed yet to spend irresponibly and enslave us to debt. The past four or five generations have enslaved or detroyed the next four or five generations with what has mostly been reprehensible and irresponsible godless behavior.

Instead of being elected to positions to be servants to the people, they have taken power from the people and given it to themselves. They now expect the people to serve them and support their godless ideas and ideals. We see this on nearly every side and at every level of government now: left, right, center, federal, state and local. For goodness sakes people, godless and apostate agendas have even infiltrated our courts, media and public elemnetary and junior high schools. If God would punish His own chosen people to eventually get them to turn back to Him, what do you suppose He will do to a country that is not His chosen? We need only see the past to know that this pattern is repeating and our judgment already came due. It is my belief that we are already beginning to see God's judgment because of our reprobate minds and darkened hearts.