Tuesdays at 5:00 pm, my church, Cornerstone Valparaiso, says Evening Prayer in Valparaiso University's Gloria Christi chapel. In our order for Evening Prayer is a five-minute homily on one of the daily lections. Here are my notes on Micah 3.
Micah 3
The economic context. This is helpfully put together by Blessing Onoriode Boloje in this article. Assyria had risen to power. As they had done everywhere else, they decimated Judah and then heavily taxed them. Ahaz, wringing his hands, emptied the temple (!) to address the debt. An empty temple meant fewer worship services. Until, that is, Assyria funded new, syncretistic ones. As it was in Assyria's interest for Judah's farms to succeed, the farms succeeded, as Assyria scaled up their operations and production. It's "tough times" for everyone. Those who have (food) become little gods among Judah.
Micah, prophet of Judah, and "man of the people", sees (at least) two things in Judah. First, the growth of an elite wealthy class of land magnates within Judah, that mistreats the labor class (e.g., "Woe to those who work out evil on their beds," 2:1-5). Second, the moral cowardice of Judah's various officers, who kowtow to the little gods. The civil leaders: elders, princes, and judges (3:1-4); the prophets (v. 5-7); and the priests (vv. 11-12). During this "tough time," every kind of officer neglects his or her office in exchange for food.
Officers and food. Micah says that the civic rulers "tear the skin... and flesh" off his people, "eat" it, "flay" it, "break their bones" and "chop them up" for broth (vv. 1-4). The prophets, who were to arbitrate morality and speak God's justice will "cry 'Peace'" as they look on, on the condition that "they have something to eat" (vv. 5-7). Level Two of collusion. The priests, charged with protecting the temple and the liturgical life, repeat the lie of the prophets in the priestly key: "Yahweh is in the midst of us. No disaster shall come upon us" (v. 11).
What idolatry means in Micah 3. People need food and want comfort. Large markets provide that, and the landowning elite appear to have the power of God. Our NT text this evening is Matt. 6:19-34, which fights this head on. Given what we've seen in Micah, these words need no introduction:
"No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and wealth" (6:24).
"For this reason, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (6:25)
What Jesus has been doing on Peter. Building his church, as those who have been reading Matthew this year know well. Here is Micah's portrait of the better ruler, prophet, and priest: "But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of Yahweh, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin."
Jesus doesn't eat the poor. He delivers his own body to be broken and eaten.
Jesus doesn't cry "Peace," where there is no Peace. In fact, he comes to bring a sword.
Jesus doesn't say, "No disaster will come upon us." He says that the Son of Man must suffer many things... and be killed, and be raised up on the third day," and "Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
Micah 3
And I said:
Hear, you heads of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel!
Is it not for you to know justice?—
you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin from off my people[a]
and their flesh from off their bones,
who eat the flesh of my people,
and flay their skin from off them,
and break their bones in pieces
and chop them up like meat in a pot,
like flesh in a cauldron.
Then they will cry to the Lord,
but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time,
because they have made their deeds evil.
Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets
who lead my people astray,
who cry “Peace”
when they have something to eat,
but declare war against him
who puts nothing into their mouths.
Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,
and darkness to you, without divination.
The sun shall go down on the prophets,
and the day shall be black over them;
the seers shall be disgraced,
and the diviners put to shame;
they shall all cover their lips,
for there is no answer from God.
But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression
and to Israel his sin.
Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel,
who detest justice
and make crooked all that is straight,
who build Zion with blood
and Jerusalem with iniquity.
Its heads give judgment for a bribe;
its priests teach for a price;
its prophets practice divination for money;
yet they lean on the Lord and say,
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?
No disaster shall come upon us.”
Therefore because of you
Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
and the mountain of the house a wooded height.
Thank you!