Sermon notes

INTRODUCTION

Our understanding of the Spirit’s work is often truncated.  We think the Spirit works “personally” but miss the “political” work of the Spirit.  For Micah, though, the Spirit is a Spirit of justice, power, and political courage.

THE TEXT

“Hear now, O heads of Jacob, and you rulers of the house of Israel: Is itnot for you to know justice?  You who hate good and love evil; who strip the skin from My people, and the flesh from their bones; Who also eat the flesh of My people, flay their skin from them, break their bones, and chop them in pieces like meat for the pot, like flesh in the caldron . . . .” (Micah 3:1-12).

YAHWEH COMES

Micah begins with a theophany. Yahweh arises from His palace-temple (1:2) to tread on the heights of the earth (1:3). The world dissolves before Him. Mountains here probably represent highly-placed people, and valleys symbolize the lowly. At His coming, the solid world turns watery, formless and void (1:4).  Micah takes up a funeral lament for Judah (1:8, 16). Yahweh’s advent puts Judah under threat of death.

CRUSHED HEADS

Why is Yahweh coming to undo Israel and Judah?  Centrally, Micah says, Yahweh is angry because of the behavior of Judah’s rulers, their “heads” (3:1, 9).  As rulers of Israel, they should know justice (3:1), but instead they love evil (3:2).  They are called to be shepherds of the flock, but instead devour them, stripping, chopping, and consuming them like sacrificial flesh (3:2-3).  Yahweh is coming to crush some heads.

SEERS AND PROPHETS

Embedded in this condemnation of the civil rulers of Israel and Judah is a condemnation of prophets.  They too look for flesh to consume (3:5).  Priests will teach only for money, and prophets prophesy for a price (3:11).  Yahweh threatens to remove vision, divination, and knowledge; instead of insight and light, they will find only darkness (3:6).  Like an unclean leper, the divines will cover their moustaches (3:7; cf. Leviticus 13:45).  Yahweh will bring shame on them (3:7).

SPIRIT AND JUSTICE

In a world of darkness and violence; in a world where rulers who should know better commit flagrant injustices; in an Israel where rulers twist what is straight: Micah the prophet stands out.  He is filled with power, a “mighty man” who has the courage to denounce Israel for her unrighteousness and to expose Judah’s sins (3:8).  This passion for justice and courage in the midst of opposition is a gift of the Spirit.  Through the Spirit, Micah fulfills Yahweh’s requirement to do judgment (6:8).  Because he is filled with the Spirit and walks in justice, Yahweh will eventually justify him (7:7-13).

CONCLUSION

Micah seemed to be a lone Spirit-filled prophet in his time.  Since Pentecost, the Spirit has been poured out on all flesh, so that all prophesy.  Jesus comes as the servant of Yahweh, equipped with the Spirit to bring justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 12:18).  Jesus is a prophet like Micah, filled with the Spirit of justice, power, and courage (Micah 3:8), and He has poured the Spirit of justice on us so that we can embody the politics of the Spirit.