In Chapter 1 of the hook of Micah we learned about the children of Israel and their sins about the LORD (such as IDOLATRY--see pages 2 and 3). In Chapter 2 we will learn about their sins and crimes against their fellow man.
According to the Lord Jesus Christ, what was the greatest commandment in the law
(Matthew 22:36-37)? ____________________________________________________________
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What was the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39)?
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The children of Israel failed to love God (Micah chapter 1) and they failed to love their neighbor (Micah chapter 2). They were guilty of breaking the greatest commandments of all, and because of this, JUDGMENT WAS ON ITS WAY!
In Micah 2:l we learn about certain people who are devising or planning evil. Instead of sleeping on their beds, they stay awake making their sinful plans. They do not use their beds to REST, they use their beds to W _____________ evil (Micah 2:1). They stay awake trying to figure out how they can best break the second greatest commandment (how they can best harm and hurt their neighbors for their own advantage and profit)!
God has a message for these people. He says, "W________ to them!" (Micah 2:1), This little word "WOE" means this: WATCH OUT BECAUSE YOU ARE HEADED FOR GREAT TROUBLE AND SUFFERING! GOD’S JUDGMENT IS COMING YOUR WAY! Jesus once gave some "WOES" in Matthew chapter 23, Can you find them? The future tribulation period will be a time when God will judge sinful men and God will have some "WOES" for people living then also (see Revelation 8:13)1
What should believers do upon their beds (see Psalm 4:4)? Should we devise evil plans? Should we think up ways to harm people so that we can get our own way no matter what it costs, and to take over others so that we may cripple them and control them? Should we BE STILL (Psalm 4:4)? ______ As the believer is STILL, what should he KNOW (Psalm 46:10)? ___________________________________________________________
All night long these people were planning evil, and when it became morning, what did they do (Micah 2:1)? ______________________ They plan it by night and perform it by day! It’s bad enough to have wicked thoughts and plans. It’s even worse to put those wicked thoughts and plans into practice.
These evil deeds were "in the _______________ of their hand" (Micah 2:1). This means that they were able to do these terrible things. They had the power to carry out their plans. But just because they COULD does not mean they SHOULD. You might be able to cheat on a test in school (and even get away with it), but does this make it right? You might be able to steal money from a friend and never be caught, but does this make it right? The wicked people that Micah was describing thought that MIGHT MAKES RIGHT. Is this true? They thought, "What I can do I may dot" Is this correct thinking or wrong thinking? ________________________________
If it is in the power of your hand to do evil, should you do it? If it is in the power of your hand to do good, should you do it? Consider Proverbs 3:27. When it is in the power of your hand to do good to someone, what should you do? _______________________________________ Read Luke 10:30-34. Was it in the power of their hand to do good to this wounded man? _______ Think of the Priest and the Levite. Were they ABLE to help? ______ Were they WILLING to help? _____
In Micah 2:2 we see how their evil plans were carried out! Notice especially the words, "covet," "take," and "oppress." Their covetousness (the desire to have more) expressed itself in oppression (to act cruelly towards others). They, said to themselves, "I WANT AND I WILL WORK AT TAKING WHAT I WANT (even if others must suffer and be harmed)." The 10 Commandments are found in Exodus chapter 20. Can you think of 2 of the Commandments that these people broke?
1) ___________________________________________________
2) ___________________________________________________
Notice the helpless victims of this wicked oppression (see Micah 2:9):
1) W______________ 2) C_____________________
These evil men devised an evil plan against helpless people. Now in Micah 32:3 the LORD says, "against this family do I devise an E _______________." They wanted to bring evil upon others; God is going to bring evil (disaster, judgment) upon them! God is going to take just the right kind of action against these people!
In Chapter 1 we learned about the terrible Assyrian Captivity (as the mighty Assyrian army invaded the land, conquered the nation and carried away the people as captives--see page 6). These sinful Jews had taken houses and fields that did not belong to them, and they did this by violence and by force (Micah 2:2). Now God judges them and gives them the same kind of treatment (gives them a taste of their own medicine!). By violence and by force the Assyrians come and take them away from their houses and fields! They oppressed others and now they are oppressed! They captured what belonged to others and now they are captured! They are treated just as they treated others! The wickedness which they planned and carried out against others was later planned and carried out against them! WOE TO THEM!
In that day of judgment there will be people who will observe the children of Israel and who will imitate their sorrow:
Micah was a true prophet of the LORD, but there were also false prophets. Micab told the people what God said (see Micah 2:3--"Thus ____________ the L _______ "). The false prophets (see Micah 2:6) would tell the people just what they wanted to hear! In fact, if a prophet were to preach in favor of wine and strong drink, they would make him their prophet (Micah 2:11),!
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TURN FROM YOUR EVIL WAYS AN!) REPENT! IF YOU
DON’T, THEN WOE UNTO YOU! GOD’S JUDGMENT IS COMING AND YOU ARE IN TROUBLE BECAUSE OF YOUR SINS! |
  False Prophets |
DON’T WORRY! EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE! GOD IS A GOOD GOD AND HE WILL NOT JUDES. JUST LIVE ANY WAY YOU PLEASE AND DO WHATEVERY YOU WANT! |
Which prophets should the people listen to? Which prophets would mislead them? Are there people who preach today that give a false message? Are there people who say, "There is not really a he.1. Everyone will go to heaven. God loves everyone and will not punish anyone forever" ?
Micah 2:8 speaks of God’s people rising up as an E___________ In Isaiah 41:8 God calls In Isaiah 41:8 God calls Abraham "MY F _____________." Why was Abraham God’s friend? Because Abraham "B_____________________ in the LORD" (Genesis 15:6). It’s a wonderful thing to be God’s friend! It’s a terrible thing to be God’s enemy! In John 15:14 the Lord Jesus Christ said, "Ye are my friends if
________________________________________
________________________________________." Can Jesus say, "MY FRIEND" to you?
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Going In The Same Direction |
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Believing God and doing what He says |
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A Soon Collision! Danger! |
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Not Believing God and not doing what He says |
In Micah 2:10 we learn about a terrible pollution problem. Not water pollution or air pollution but sin pollution (the land was polluted with sin).
Read Leviticus 18:25. When the land gets defiled and polluted, what does it do to the people who dwell in the land? What does the land do to the people who have polluted it? Does it let the people stay there or does it vomit them out? ________________________________ If your stomach receives food that should not be there, what does the body do? Does it let the bad food remain or does it vomit it out? _____________________________________ (If we could not vomit, then there would be no way to get the bad or poisonous food out of the stomach, and we could be in serious trouble).
This is exactly what happened! The children of Israel were vomited from the land. The Assyrians came and conquered and removed the people from the land.
Just as ,the land needed to reject and eject the polluted people, so the soul of a person must reject and eject the pollution of sin by turning to Christ. If the person fails to do this, he (or she) will end up permanently polluted and ruined! If we do not get rid of the pollution there will. never be any rest for our soul I No Rest For Polluted Souls
In Chapter 1 of Micah we learned that if a person fails to turn to God and trust in God, then there is no remedy. If a person fails to take God and His Provision and if a person fails to tackle his problems God’s way, then there is nothing but ruin.
Here in Chapter 2 of Micah we learn that there is NO REST (verse 10) for POLLUTED SOULS There is NO REST (no rescue, no relief, no restoration) for those who refuse to turn to God (and He is the only One who has an answer to the pollution problem).
If a man does not turn to God then there is nothing but trouble. Our problems and persons are packaged together in our workings and worry - We need HELP and HEALING and HOPE which can only come from Christ. All that God is doing and would do is missed if we fail to discern and fall short of God’s wonderful DELIVERANCE. This brings us to our last point:
The last 2 verses of Micah chapter 2 speak of a future time when the Lord Jesus Christ will deliver His people and gather them back to the land. The Lord Jesus Christ is presented in two ways (see verse 13):
1) THE GREAT BREAKER--a breaker is one who clears the way and removes obstacles. The Lord Jesus Christ is able to remove any and every problem and difficulty that is in the way of His people. There is no problem or obstacle that He is not able to break through! Christ is greater than any crisis and He is bigger than any problem!
2) THE GREAT KING--He is the One who is able to rule over our hearts and give us REST.
God delights in showing mercy to men. We must claim God’s Son and God’s Saviour and make Him our very own! Have you received Christ is your Saviour and Deliverer (John 1:12)?
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