#DailyDevotion The LORD Punished His People. Do You Think You Will Escape?
Micah 1 16Cut off your hair and be bald for these daughter-towns you delight in. Make yourself very bald like the vulture because these people will leave you and go into exile.
The prophet continues and summarizes what is to happen to all these towns in Judah and Israel with the invasion of the Assyrians. We know they exiled the Israelites to what is northern Iraq today. Perhaps he is only referring to them here and not to the towns of Judah. It is highly likely many of the Judahites in these towns were taken prisoner for ransom as was the practice in the day. Some may have been sold off to slavery as also was the practice for those not ransomed. The cutting off of hair was a sign of mourning. The prophet is calling for mourning for those people being exiled for it will be as if they were dead.
We were once enslaved to sin and the fear of death. The people of this world have been exiled to this world of death. Jesus came and paid our ransom. We are not without a Redeemer. He gave Himself unto sin and death upon the cross and the grave. His body, His blood, His soul was the ransom price. We were freed from these ancient foes in our hearts, minds and spirits. We are still on our way home from exile. The Father raised Jesus from the dead. His resurrection has opened the way for us to our heavenly home (note the “ly”). Our heavenly home is the New Earth and it is heavenly because God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, will dwell with us.
2 1Woe to those who plan evil and lie in their beds getting ready to do wrong! When the morning dawns, they do it because they have the strength to do it. 2They want fields, so they seize them; houses, so they take them. They oppress a man and his family, robbing him and his inheritance. 3So the LORD says: “I’m planning disaster for these people. You can’t remove your necks from it; or walk with heads erect, because it will be a time of disaster.
Here is one of the reasons the LORD is bringing this disaster down upon Samaria and Judah. Those who should be leading the people in righteousness are instead planning evil on their beds as they go to bed and rise up. They are ready to do wrong. As soon as they awake they start to act on their plans because they have the ability to do it. These are the rich and powerful of the land. They are misusing the gifts given them by the LORD. Instead of protecting and taking care of the people they are looking at how they may take advantage of them.
They are guilty of breaking the ninth and tenth commandments, which is idolatry (Col. 3:5). They covet peoples’ fields and houses and they seize them. They oppressed families and robbed them of their inheritance. You might remember the LORD gave each Israelite family an inheritance in the land. It’s literally stealing from the LORD. Because of this sin the LORD is bringing disaster upon the people. We might note, all the people are going to be punished. Those losing their homes and lands aren’t innocent either. They allowed these injustices to exist in the land. No doubt, they preyed upon those even weaker than them. Their day of judgment was fixed and they could not deliver themselves from it.
There is a day of judgment for this world. Its people are no different. There is only one escape from the coming disaster. We are to put our faith in our Redeemer and Ransom, Jesus Christ. He alone has saved us from the due punishment of our sins. There is no other salvation.
Almighty God and Father, You have given us Your Son to be our Redeemer and Ransom from death and destruction. Give us faith in Him to escape Your wrath. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.