Is the Word of God a Burden? Micah Part 3 (Chapter 2 vv.4-7)

In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.

Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.

We were left in verse 3 with a terrible conclusion to the people’s sins and indeed our own sins. As God summed it up, It is an evil time (some translations have it will be a bad time, and we will soon see why). Verses 1-3 are meant to have an effect on the people. How shall they respond? How do you expect them to respond to such convicting accusations? In verses 4-6, God gives us a picture, not necessarily of how they should respond, but rather how they will respond. How should the people respond? How should we respond? For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death (2 Corinthians 7:10). We observe no instance of repentance up until this point, and since God is speaking of what the people will do and day, we are to conclude that it is his perfect foreknowledge that the wicked nation will not find it in herself to repent. Judgement is coming upon this nation for its wickedness, and in the absence of heartfelt repentance and godly sorrow, there will be nothing but wrath and judgement, destruction and misery. 

It is tempting to think of these verses as being applicable only to the end times, or the Day of the Lord. And although the language of in that day would certainly indicate this interpretation, we should not look for these events to take place in some far away time. The promised evil decreed against the wicked family of verse 3 could occur in any age. Evil came not just once, but several times throughout the history of Judah. These event could well be said to have occurred at the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 596BC, or the Roman destruction of 70AD. When we say in that day, remember that the prophet speaks presently as well as of the future. The evil time at the end of verse 3 is a statement of the perversity of a nation which can be applied to many periods in a nation’s history. Even in our own nation, we can find examples of this. The prophet speaks presently of things future and present, or he speaks futuristically of things present and future.

Verse 4 adds a second element to the despair and mourning of the people. There is an element of mockery added by the fact that the parable and lamentation is taken up by someone, presumably, observing the destruction of Judah and Samaria. This can be inferred from the verb tense he shall take up ישא. Either this is a passerby or worse, the very enemies of God’s people who brought the same destruction. The ancients regarded ruined cities as accursed places, and God worked with these means to bring not just instant destruction against his disobedient people, but also lasting shame. In a vision, Jeremiah was made to symbolically pour out the fury of the Lord upon the apostate Jerusalem. Then took I the cup at the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: that is, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princess thereof, to make them a desolation, and astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day. (Jeremiah 25:17-18). We remember that our sins are not usually observed by our church family, but by those non-believers we face everyday at school and job. It is to these people that we must take care not to tarnish our reputations. This is not for our sakes, but that people outside might have not reason to speak against the purity of Christ and his church.

If there is any acknowledgment of sin in verse 4, it can be found when the people exclaim, we are utterly spoiled. שׁדוד נשׁדנו . As much of an acknowledgment this may be, it does not, as we have already mentioned, constitute true repentance. The judgement is not stayed, and no mention of God’s mercy is found. The portion, or the inheritance of the people is taken away in bitter destruction. The fields here are linked to this idea of inheritance חלק עמי ימיר איך ימישׁ לי לשׁוֹבב שדינו יחלק the words can be swapped interchangeably) and portion. Recall that in verse 2, it was the evil doers coveting fields and plotting to seize them unlawfully. In their punishment, the fields they desired are themselves ripped away from them. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath (Matthew 13:12). Remember the sin of these men was covetousness. Covetousness never leads to gain because it ultimately always loses that one thing which is most needful. When we are focused on the stuff of the world, we invariably lose sight of Jesus and ultimately lose the actual prize. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)

The next verse is challenging to translate. It literally reads, assuredly, there shall not be for you one to cast the rope by lot in the congregation of the LORD. The idea is taking a rope or chord, and flinging it out like a lasso. A similar idea is circling something with a marker. In much the same way as you would trace out the borders of a country on a map with a marker, so chords were used in those times to define borders. God commanded Moses to divide the land of Canaan using lots, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few (Numbers 26:55-56). In that instance, a lot was taken such that the assignment of location was completely arbitrary. However, the size of the land once given was still dependent upon the size of the tribe (Numbers 26:54), and this is where the casting of the cord comes in. How does this apply to our verse? And how does this meaning fit with the broader meaning of these verses? Simply, it is this: that those who sin forfeit not only their earthly possessions, but their God-given inheritance. Just as the land was given to the covenant people by cord and lot, so these people are shown to be stripped of this privilege. No longer shall any family have offspring that shall take possession of the promised land. This is strong language and God is saying, in effect, you will be cast out of the covenant people.

Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

Another hard verse confronts us. אל־תטפו יטיפון לא־יטפו לאלה לא יסג כלמות. What is God commanding us through the prophet here? The word here is not the common word for prophet נביא but נטף and has the idea more of flowing speech or incessant, constant preaching. To speak things to people, rather than the task associated with the larger office of prophet. The prophet in his office as prophet, as the mouth of God, is said to preach. When God’s ordained prophets speak truth, we call it preaching or prophesying. When wicked men speak falsehood, we call that prattling. What we have here in the verse is literally this: Do not prophesy, [that they should] not prophesy to them. For as much as they will not prophesy to these [people], they shall not take on shame. The idea is this. The wicked people command the true prophets not to prophesy truth. Why? Because if they continue preaching truth to the people, the people might forever be burdened by their sin and possibly repent. This verse is directly linked to that which follows (specifically in verses 7 and 11). The prophets attempt to prophesy the truth of God and the impending judgement. But to the people, it is incessant prattling words. As if they are to say We wish that preacher would stop preaching against sin because we feel really lousy! This theme is present throughout much of the Bible, because throughout the history of the world, men have despised the Word of God. What are some reasons? 1)They don’t think it worthy of their time and fail to ever read it. 2) To those who do, they are disgusted by what it teaches. For the For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12). The Word is able to bring a knowledge of sin. But even when the Word of God convicts men’s hearts and leaves them guilty before God, instead of turning to God for salvation, they turn away. Why? What should be for our good and our healing is instead seen as a snare or a burden. Sweeping sin out of our lives is no fun, after all. Consider the way the people responded to God’s word in Isaiah’s day (which consequently, was Micahs day): But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:13) In short, the Word was dry and burdensome, and the people acted like disobedient children listening to their parents.

But as sinners, are men merely content to shrug off the revelation of God only? Absolutely not, for as John Calvin wrote “the human heart is a perpetual Idol factory”. If it is not one thing it is another. When we displace the Word of God from our heart, we always fill the void with something else. There is no neutrality in God’s world. You either fill your heart with his Word, or you fill it with the devil’s wickedness. For these men who thought the prophets were prattling in verse 6, they desired something else to fill the place. Instead of convicting words of truth, they desired the false prophets to tell them what they wanted to hear (we will talk of this more next time). This idea is captured in the words of Isaiah: Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29:13-14) Jesus quoted this verse: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:8-9) For the same spirit which was present in Micah’s day way present in Jesus’ day. The people of Israel had traded the Word of God for the traditions of men, which could not lead the people into repentance and saving faith.

O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? Are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

The last verse is connected to this one. Recall that in verse 5, God warned that the wicked would receive more than simply judgement and loss of fields, but would find themselves void of the covenant. In other words, their sin would cut them off from the covenant which God had made with their forefathers. Here in verse 7, the covenant is alluded to in that God addresses the people as those, named (or named by) the house of Jacob האמור בית־יעקב. It is this people above all who should love and cherish the Word of God. Instead, God asks, is my Spirit shortened? Does it have no power? Is it restricted in your hearts and minds? The answer is of course no. Why? Because it is the same Spirit of God which will bring, and has brought, all the evil judgements up until this point. This is another reason why this chapter should be read presently and futuristically. God speaks in the past tense of something he has promised to do in the future. If the people will not heed the judgments of God as legitimate warnings, why will they heed his Word? It is a very sad thing indeed that God must ask the next question: Do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly? הלוא דברי ייטיבו עם הישר הלך . Is the Word not powerful? Indeed it is, but only in those who have the Word mingled with faith. To those who reject it, it can have no other effect than to heap up judgement against the day of judgement. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (Isaiah 6:10) How sorry and feeble we are as sinful men and women, despising the warnings God gives us for our good; for despising the very thing that would heal us. Jesus is the great healer: By his stripes we are healed, says Isaiah (52:5b). When Jesus looked over Jerusalem and lamented over it, he cried O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! (Luke 13:34) How God would gather us together under his wing to heal us of our sin in Christ, but we are not willing to be healed. We are not willing to trust God. We choose sin over God. Thankfully, in his mercy, God saves us despite our sin and frailty. Remember, we by nature are unable to understand the things of God. His Word is only spiritually discerned and any understanding we have (right understanding), is a gift given to us.

Here are the application questions: 1) Is your heart willing to receive the Word of God? Do you look to Jesus for what he says to you? Do you store his word in your heart, or, are his words burdensome to you? 2) What things do you desire other than God’s instruction? Do you place your own desires above what God has said and commanded? 3) Does the Word of God make you joyful? Does it comfort you? Does it drive you to change the way you live? Are you prompted to cut out sinful patterns in your life to be obedient to him?