Justice and the Prophets
God Requires Justice
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)
Corrupt Leaders
Micah 6:9-16 The Message
9 Attention! God calls out to the city!
If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen.
So listen, all of you!
This is serious business.
10-16 “Do you expect me to overlook the obscene wealth
you’ve piled up by cheating and fraud?
Do you think I’ll tolerate shady deals
and shifty scheming?
I’m tired of the violent rich
bullying their way with bluffs and lies.
I’m fed up. Beginning now, you’re finished.
You’ll pay for your sins down to your last cent.
No matter how much you get, it will never be enough—
hollow stomachs, empty hearts.
No matter how hard you work, you’ll have nothing to show for it—
bankrupt lives, wasted souls.
You’ll plant grass
but never get a lawn.
You’ll make jelly
but never spread it on your bread.
You’ll press apples
but never drink the cider.
You have lived by the standards of your king, Omri,
the decadent lifestyle of the family of Ahab.
Because you’ve slavishly followed their fashions,
I’m forcing you into bankruptcy.
Your way of life will be laughed at, a tasteless joke.
Your lives will be derided as futile and fake.”
For Reflection
I sometimes wonder if those who live according to the lies and deceit that characterizes their every move wake each day in fear that they will be discovered. Such suffering leads them to continue to ensure their survival with more lies and violence. Often they are undone by others who live the same way.
It's a pity that their lifestyle is projected on all people, making them blind to the peace and joy that surrounds them. They are already dead.
Pray
Pray for those who exercise violence and bully their way through life, collecting the plunder of their scheming. Pray that they recognize the folly of satisfying their souls at other's expense.
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