1 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.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them.
They defraud people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.
3 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.
4 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.’”
5 Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD
to divide the land by lot. (Micah 2:1-5)
(Bernie Madoff who used his good name to scheme to take away retirement, nest eggs, inheritances from others)
Thoughts: Some people sit up at night planning bad things. Pre-meditated evil is worse than evil done without thought. There are many who try to rob, defraud, steal, bribe others, simply for the fun and greed of it. Ahab and Jezebel schemed to steal Naboth's vineyard- robbing him of his family's land-even robbing him of his life. But God sees. We cannot hide our schemes from God. When we are making evil plans, God is also planning for our downfall. We cannot escape the consequences of our sins.
Prayer: Keep me from covetousness and greed so that I do not do evil. Help me to be kind and generous instead.
John Calvin Abridged: Here the prophet does not address idolatry (as he did in the last chapter), but the sins found in the second table of the Ten Commandments. They not only polluted the worship of God, but also became loose toward all sin, so that they dealt wrongfully with their neighbors, and injustice and inequity prevailed. He specifically mentions avarice (greed), stealing, and cruelty. They think of such things at night- a time God gives us as a gift for rest. We should use our rest to restrain ourselves from all wickedness- for God gives rest in part to also give rest to evil. God says in verse 3- "While you are busying yourselves on your beds, contriving and designing evil, you think I am asleep; but while you are awake planning wickedness, I am planning judgment. It is the peculiar office of God to repay to all what they deserve, and to render to each the measure of evil they brought upon others.
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.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them.
They defraud people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.
3 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.
4 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.’”
5 Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD
to divide the land by lot. (Micah 2:1-5)
(Bernie Madoff who used his good name to scheme to take away retirement, nest eggs, inheritances from others)Thoughts: Some people sit up at night planning bad things. Pre-meditated evil is worse than evil done without thought. There are many who try to rob, defraud, steal, bribe others, simply for the fun and greed of it. Ahab and Jezebel schemed to steal Naboth's vineyard- robbing him of his family's land-even robbing him of his life. But God sees. We cannot hide our schemes from God. When we are making evil plans, God is also planning for our downfall. We cannot escape the consequences of our sins.
Prayer: Keep me from covetousness and greed so that I do not do evil. Help me to be kind and generous instead.
John Calvin Abridged: Here the prophet does not address idolatry (as he did in the last chapter), but the sins found in the second table of the Ten Commandments. They not only polluted the worship of God, but also became loose toward all sin, so that they dealt wrongfully with their neighbors, and injustice and inequity prevailed. He specifically mentions avarice (greed), stealing, and cruelty. They think of such things at night- a time God gives us as a gift for rest. We should use our rest to restrain ourselves from all wickedness- for God gives rest in part to also give rest to evil. God says in verse 3- "While you are busying yourselves on your beds, contriving and designing evil, you think I am asleep; but while you are awake planning wickedness, I am planning judgment. It is the peculiar office of God to repay to all what they deserve, and to render to each the measure of evil they brought upon others.
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