Micah 5:10-12

“Its rulers give judgement for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets give oracles for money; yet they lean upon the Lord and say,   ‘Surely the Lord is with us! No harm shall come upon us.’” vs. 11

One of the reasons the people didn’t pay attention to Micah was because Judah was experiencing an economic boom. The king was making good money from the bribes of contractors, the temple was busy and priests were doing well. And when the court prophets offered favorable oracles they were well compensated.

In that atmosphere it was easy for those in charge to feel good about their relationship to the Lord. Their prosperity was for them a sign of the Lord’s approval. They considered Micah a fool for his forecast of disaster.

And so it continues. Our political leaders can hardly keep track of their wealth. Their position in the government enables insider trading, corporate donations that are little more than bribes, and their favorite millionaire preachers tell them that they’re doing just fine and that God is pleased with them. They ignore warnings about global warming and eliminate regulations for polluters, all for the sake of making even more money.

And few pay any attention to the prophets! But scripture is plain–those who embrace injustice for the sake of wealth and power quickly pass from memory. It’s the words of the prophets that are remembered because they were the ones speaking God’s truth.

Thought for the Day: Why can’t we seem to learn from the past?