When things in culture seem to get a little sideways and bad news is all around, we need to make sure that what we speak to those around us is Godly truth. Offering something less than that can make things worse. The Minor Prophet Micah lived in the early 700s B.C. and spoke to his culture at a very critical time. In chapter three of his Biblical book, Micah summed up the feeling of many in his day suffering under corrupt leadership and an evil surrounding culture as being chopped up and put into someone’s stew to be eaten. Yikes. He stated the heart of the problem right off: the rulers cast justice aside, hating good and loving evil (Micah 3:1-2).
The failing prophets and spiritual leadership who should have been speaking truth into culture decided rather that it was better for them to tell people what they wanted to hear, especially if they were paying to hear it. In fact, not paying brought on a violent storm of cursing from those false prophets like a personal declaration of war (3:5). The truth that needed to be said was set aside, and those who should have been helping the most were simply echoing the popular feeling of the day, namely that God was fine with whatever the people chose to do. How did God respond? He shut those false prophets down.
Especially during tumultuous times, a right view of God’s justice and His timeless message to us should never be muddied with the mixed messaging of a conflicted culture. To the spiritual leadership and false prophets in Micah’s day, God brought silence and darkness. What they spoke into culture would be devoid of Godly truth and would not hold up in a time of need. Micah, on the other hand, felt full of power to declare the truth that needed to be said whether it was popular or not. His message spoke needed truth to culture.
Christians especially need to be rooted and established in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus and speak that transforming word in times of need. That word will never return void and will produce strong spiritual fruit in those who will hear it. Don’t forsake the truths of Scripture, even the unpopular ones, when speaking to a restless world in need of hope and healing.
By Parker Bradley, author of The Twelve: A Transformational Journey Through The Minor Prophets
Wow! This hits home for me! Isn’t it amazing how we continue to wallow in the same stupidity century after century? I pray God gives me the words to be the reminding voice of clarity, truth and reason.