It’s a timeless story of humanity, men go their own way why giving lip service to God and expect to receive no punishment for all the transgressions they commit along with all the lives they destroy. Both positions of government and spiritual leader are divine positions, to protect people from evil and lead them in a relationship of following God and treating one another with justice, doing what is right, which is faith in God and conforming to His ways. All this ultimately looked forward to Christ being the propitiation for sin through faith. But look how God compares what rulers do to the people as butchering an animal, and the false prophets give a false word from God for money. Does that not apply to just about every nation on earth today, and what did God do to Israel and Judah? They were conquered with just a small remnant left carried away into slavery, with a few poor left behind to work the land to give a portion to their conqueror. We’re rapidly approaching the tribulation, where God is going to punish the whole world after extracting His true believers, and the world will have all the seal, trumpet and bowl judgements coming as did Israel and Judah have their judgement coming. The chance of the world turning back to God seems all but extinguished, but praise God He has saved us from what is to come. Maranatha!
Micah 3
Rulers and Prophets Denounced
[1] And I said:
Hear, you heads of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel!
Is it not for you to know justice?—
[2] you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin from off my people
and their flesh from off their bones,
[3] who eat the flesh of my people,
and flay their skin from off them,
and break their bones in pieces
and chop them up like meat in a pot,
like flesh in a cauldron.
[4] Then they will cry to the LORD,
but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time,
because they have made their deeds evil.
[5] Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets
who lead my people astray,
who cry “Peace”
when they have something to eat,
but declare war against him
who puts nothing into their mouths.
[6] Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,
and darkness to you, without divination.
The sun shall go down on the prophets,
and the day shall be black over them;
[7] the seers shall be disgraced,
and the diviners put to shame;
they shall all cover their lips,
for there is no answer from God.
[8] But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression
and to Israel his sin.
[9] Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel,
who detest justice
and make crooked all that is straight,
[10] who build Zion with blood
and Jerusalem with iniquity.
[11] Its heads give judgment for a bribe;
its priests teach for a price;
its prophets practice divination for money;
yet they lean on the LORD and say,
“Is not the LORD in the midst of us?
No disaster shall come upon us.”
[12] Therefore because of you
Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
and the mountain of the house a wooded height. (ESV)