Week 33 Micah
If someone asked me: “what’s the one big thing that the prophets warned Israel about?” I’d say: “worshipping idols”. I don’t know for a fact that every single prophet pointed a finger at worshipping false gods but i figure idolatry would be a safe guess.
Anyway while I was reading Micah it caught my attention that Micah did mention idols (so no surprise) but he also mentioned other things too – actions that he said would eventually feed into Israel’s punishing national collapse.
Here’s a couple:
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.
In Alberta these days going to a temple to worship an idol isn’t too common a practice. But the things in this list? Where people who have the wealth & power use their wealth & power to take advantage of poor & weak & disadvantaged people? Check. Check. Check. All of them are pretty common practices 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 Micah but I think I’m saying what he was. Note #2: I finished reading Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah & Nahum. Seven books in seven days. It’s a smaller accomplishment than it sounds (but it felt nice to do it).