#DailyDevotion Jesus Will Judge The Nations
Micah 3 And I said: “Please listen, leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel. Shouldn’t you know what is right? 2But you hate what is good and love what is evil. You tear the skin off my people and the flesh from their bones. 3You eat the flesh of my people, rip off their skin, break their bones, and cut them in pieces as in a pot, like meat in a kettle.” 4 Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not answer them. Then He will hide His face from them because they have done their evil deeds.
Some commentators think Jacob and Israel here are meant for the southern kingdom of Judah. It is true Micah’s prophecy is mostly towards this kingdom, but the northern kingdom of Israel still exists and their doom is at the door by the hand of the Assyrians. However, Judah is certainly sharing in the sins of her sister and given there were very few good kings of Judah, it can apply to her as well.
So the leaders are addressed. They lead the country. They are responsible for the direction, the tone, the ethics, the morality and the justice of the land. That is the purpose for which the LORD put them in charge (Rom. 13). In particular, these leaders of God’s people should know the Torah (the Law of Moses) and be leading the people in trusting the LORD and living their lives according to it. They should be applying justice to the people as the LORD had instructed them.
They however act as if they do not know what is right. They themselves hate what is good and love what is evil. They not only do not protect the people from evil, they are the perpetrators of evil in the land. It is a pretty vicious description of their actions. Tearing skin off and the flesh of their bones is how their injustice is described. They are eating the flesh, breaking their bones and cutting them up like making a stew in a kettle. This most likely refers to the charges in chapter 2 where the leaders are holding pledges of those they loaned money. They are coveting fields, the inheritances of their neighbors and taking actions to rob them of their land.
Because of this, when the Assyrians or Babylonians come to punish them for their evil with an evil of their own, the LORD will not hear their cries. The LORD will not answer them. Instead of shining His face upon them He will hide His face from them. They will only experience His wrath and retribution.
If the LORD treated His own people like this, how will He treat the nations that rage against Him? Is our country exempt, are our leaders exempt from how their laws, policies and the like affect the people? Will they not be held accountable for misusing their power the LORD has given them? Are we exempt when we support unjust, wicked and evil rulers who seek their own good and not the good of the people? The citizenry of Judah and Israel were swept right along with the rulers as they participated in the rulers’ wickedness and did not call them to repentance. They followed the evil ways of those who ruled over them. If we emulate the evil of those over us we will by no means be excused. Our guilt will accuse us. Judgment begins with the house of God. Then the nations, all of them, none excluded will be judged by our LORD Jesus Christ. Let us then examine our actions, confess our sins, turn from them to our LORD Jesus Christ, practice righteousness and justice, and hold our leaders accountable for whatever they do.
Almighty God and Father, You will have Jesus and the Church judge the nations. Give us Your Holy Spirit that we may rightly judge ourselves so we may turn to Your grace and mercy and find forgiveness and life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.