Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Micah 3

"Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets Who make my people stray; Who chant “Peace” While they chew with their teeth, But who prepare war against him Who puts nothing into their mouths...Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money.  Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us.”  vv.5, 11

Read chapter 3.
This ritual of chanting "peace" while they chew with their teeth is possibly "alluding to the idolatrous practices of the heathen round the altars of Baal, biting an olive in their mouths and crying "peace," of which the olive was the symbol (Gen. 8:11)" (E.W. Bullinger Companion Bible).  And this was done by the "prophets" (false) of the Lord making all Israel stray and those that didn't do it they would war against.  Makes me think of some rituals today done in Christianity that people will condemn another if they don't do it yet many rituals practiced today are based more on tradition than the word of God.  This chapter is continuing the threat against the rulers of Israel that were set to be judges, priests, prophets yet are doing things never commanded by the Lord (i.e. "prophets divine for money") and giving false comfort.  How have you seen leaders today lead astray?

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