6 “Don’t say such things,”  the people respond. “Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!” 7 Should you talk that way, O family of Israel? Will the Lord’s Spirit have patience with such behaviour? If you would do what is right, you would find my words comforting. 8 Yet to this very hour my people rise against me like an enemy! You steal the shirts right off the backs of those who trusted you, making them as ragged as men returning from battle. 9 You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them. 10 Up! Begone! This is no longer your land and home, for you have filled it with sin and ruined it completely.

11 Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!

12 “Someday, O Israel, I will gather you; I will gather the remnant who are left. I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture. Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds! 13 Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile,
out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land. Your king will lead you; the Lord himself will guide you.” Micah 2 vs 6-13 New Living Translation.

God sent Micah to tell the people of Israel that He was bringing judgement upon them because of their rebellion and wickedness. But how did the people respond to Micah? (vs 6) Yet Micah says if they really wanted to be right with God how would they find his words? (vs 7).

The lesson surely is that sometimes the truth about ourselves can be painful and we want to close our ears and not hear it. But if a person wants to be right with God then, even if their conscience is being pricked, they would welcome His message.

In the case of these people there was no question about how wrong their lives had become. Look at verses 8-9 again. So, in vs 10, it’s as if Micah says “time to pack your bags and get going.” (Some translations suggest this verse may have been a call to the few good people left to get out of the country while there was still time. The gospel warns us to flee from sin in view of God’s coming judgement day.)

Even today preachers who preach God’s word truthfully are not so popular. What sort of preachers did the people in Micah’s time want? (vs 11) They wanted a preacher who was ‘one of the boys’ who would laugh at the dirty jokes and join in with getting drunk. They didn’t want a preacher who spoke of living a life that is clean and holy. But, despite the sad state the people were in, Micah adds something amazing in vs 12 & 13. What do the words of those verses suggest to you?

God promised that the day would come when He would end the captivity they were going to and bring their descendants home again. It shows us that God is merciful. The picture of a shepherd Micah uses made me think of John 10 where Jesus likens Himself to a shepherd who really cares for his sheep. In John 10:11 Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

How is it with us? Am I someone who runs away when God’s word points out my sin . . . or do I welcome the faithful words of the Good Shepherd? When the truth hurts - Jesus can heal!