Micah 2:1-5
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Summary
- It is evil for the rich and powerful to use devious means to acquire the wealth of other people - here described in terms of property, houses, etc.
Details and/or Comments
- In Israel, each family's land was to remain a permanent possession of the family. Though the situation may be different today, as far as the perpetual ownership of land is concerned, God's condemnation remains the same. Today, the rich and powerful may use different means to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor, but it remains evil in God's sight. The rich still get richer (which often does include ever-increasing amounts of property and houses). And the poor get poorer (which often includes the loss of whatever property and houses they may have owned).
- Note the response of the false prophets to what Micah said. (They are more concerned about sounding "positive" - using pleasant words - than about being truthful. They do not speak out against the rich and powerful.)
- "Don't prophesy!" They prophesy. "Don't prophesy about these things. Disgrace won't overtake us" (Micah 2:6).
Scripture
Micah 2:1-5 - Exploitation of the weak, by the rich and powerful: stealing their houses and land.
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Mic 2:1 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. | They plan evil and use their power to accomplish it.
Note that the word evil is based on God's evaluation of what they do. Obviously, the rich and powerful are not going to call their own actions "evil"! |
| Mic 2:2 They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. | Example: They use whatever means necessary to steal a person's inheritance. (Of course, they wouldn't use the word "steal" to describe what they are doing. They would call it something else.)
In Israel, possession of land was to remain permanently with the family. It could not be permanently sold; it could only be leased, and then returned to the original owner at the Jubilee. This is because the land ultimately belongs to God. (For that matter, the whole earth belongs to God - Psalm 24:1.) |
| Mic 2:3 Therefore thus says Yahweh: "Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.
Mic 2:4 In that day they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, 'We are utterly ruined! My people's possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!' " Mic 2:5 Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in the assembly of Yahweh. |
God's judgment against the rich and powerful: He would take their land away from them, just as they took the land away from others.
This type of judgment against the rich and powerful rarely seems to happen today. Yet this passage is still a warning against them; for there is a final day of judgment, which they will not escape. |
Scripture Passages
(Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.)
Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy • Joshua • Judges • Ruth • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • 1 Kings • 2 Kings • 1 Chronicles • 2 Chronicles • Ezra • Nehemiah • Esther • Job • Psalms • Proverbs • Ecclesiastes • Song of Solomon • Isaiah • Jeremiah • Lamentations • Ezekiel • Daniel • Hosea • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Jonah • Micah • Nahum • Habakkuk • Zephaniah • Haggai • Zechariah • Malachi Matthew • Mark • Luke • John • Acts • Romans • 1 Corinthians • 2 Corinthians • Galatians • Ephesians • Philippians • Colossians • 1 Thessalonians • 2 Thessalonians • 1 Timothy • 2 Timothy • Titus • Philemon • Hebrews • James • 1 Peter • 2 Peter • 1 John • 2 John • 3 John • Jude • Revelation |
—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
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The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
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Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
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