Week 33 Micah
This week I read Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah & Nahum. Seven days…seven books (actually it sounds like a bigger accomplishment than it is. But sometimes big-seeming-accomplishments give me a nice emotional boost).
Anyway one thing I noticed reading Micah was the actions he said would eventually contribute to Israel being punished.
[Sidenote: if someone asked: “can you name one thing that the prophets said Israel would be punished for?” I think I’d say: “worshipping idols” (I don’t know for a fact that every single prophet pointed a finger at worshipping false gods. But that’s my suspicion.]
They caught my attention because even though he did mention idols he also mentioned other things too. Here’s a couple that I found:
Expropriating & foreclosing on people’s property
Evicting renters when they can’t afford the rent
Manipulating the legal system so that injustice becomes – presto! – justice
Cheating & dishonesty in business practices
Extortion corruption & bribery
Influence-peddling & graft.
I don’t think that going to a temple to worship an idol is too common in Canada these days.
But the things in this list? Things where people who are wealthy & powerful use their wealth & power to take advantage of the poor & the weak? Check. Check. And check again. All of them are common practices in Canada today.
Which means they’re likely worth thinking about.
Note: see Micah 2:1-2 8-9 3:9-11 6:10-12 7:2-3 for the list of injustices. I didn’t quote the bible but I think my words give the right idea.