Sermon Tone Analysis

RECORD

• Last week we began a look at the minor prophet known as Micah and we discovered how, not so coincidentally the book that bears his name contains a summary of his 3 primary messages while his ministry spanned the reign of 3 different kings from the southern kingdom

Working from the premise that each message was for the time period of each of the kings we began a history lesson by looking at King Jotham and how, although he was a good and righteous king, he failed to tear down the high places where people worshipped improperly

So Micah’s first message or “oracle” as we are calling them, was about God’s judgement for failing to follow the protocols of worship and how important that is in our lives today

Now moving on, and I will try not to go off of my notes as much as I did last week, the second oracle of Micah is God’s indictment against the leaders,

NIV

Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders of Jacob,

you rulers of Israel.

Should you not embrace justice,

you who hate good and love evil;

who tear the skin from my people

and the flesh from their bones;

who eat my people’s flesh,

strip off their skin

and break their bones in pieces;

who chop them up like meat for the pan,

like flesh for the pot?”

NIV

Therefore night will come over you, without visions,

and darkness, without divination.

The sun will set for the prophets,

and the day will go dark for them.

The seers will be ashamed

and the diviners disgraced.

They will all cover their faces

because there is no answer from God.”

But as for me, I am filled with power,

with the Spirit of the Lord,

and with justice and might,

to declare to Jacob his transgression,

to Israel his sin.

• Yes it is true that corruption was rampant all throughout both kingdoms as we talked about last week, but as Micah points out that this failure started with the leaders

So how does this relate to who reigned as king?

• Well the second king to reign during Micah’s ministry was Ahaz so once again let’s go back to 2 Kings and pick up where we left off with the death of Jotham

NIV

In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years.

Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

NIV

And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

NIV

Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria.

He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction.

So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned.

When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it.

He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings against the altar.

As for the bronze altar that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.

King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering.

Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.

But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.”

• Now I could easily jump in and talk about the gross corruption of our political and legal leaders today but I’m not going to do that

• Instead I want us to carefully consider what Peter points out in his first epistle,

NIV

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

• It’s time for the judgement to begin with us, for us to take a deep look within and see how we fair

• Yes there is corruption in politics and it seems that such things are more and more being targeted at believers but let’s look at ourselves and make sure we are worthy of such insults and suffering so that we can be used of God for His glory

• Listen also to the instructions Paul gives to Timothy about leaders in the body of Christ

NIV

Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.

(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.

He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.

They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.

They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.

• Wow time is flying by here so let me get to the 3rd oracle which was God’s lawsuit against the Israel and Judah

NIV

Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;

let the hills hear what you have to say.

“Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;

listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.

For the Lord has a case against his people;

he is lodging a charge against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdened you?

Answer me.

NIV

With what shall I come before the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?