11/10/11- Tickle Our Ears

⁶ “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say. “Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us.” ⁷ 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? ⁸ 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. ⁹ You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing
from their children forever. ¹⁰ Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled,
it is ruined, beyond all remedy. ¹¹ 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! (Micah 2:6-11)

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
(2 Tim. 4:3)

(2008 film "Yes Man" about a man who only says yes- even when he knows he wants and needs to say no).

Thoughts: Surely the people did not want to hear that their city and land would be destroyed.  Instead, what they really wanted was a prophet who forecast prosperity and blessedness- even if it were a lie.  In particular- more wine and beer in which to overindulge.  They are taking away the security of the people.  The rich are robbed and the women are taken out of their homes. 
In our own day, how we long for some good news.  The Greeks were paying their debts.  The Italian economy improves, as does the U.S. economy.  But we are not hearing much good news.  Sometimes we deceive ourselves by longing for good news, even if it is not true.

Prayer: Lord, keep me from self deception.  Help me to be bold enough to hear rebuke from your word. 

11/8/11 Micah 2- Human Plans for Evil Make for a Plan for Disaster

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.