Micah 3:9-12

How do people get away with wickedness? The leadership and false preachers of Israel got away with it because they were rich and powerful. At least, that is the simple answer. However, it is not as simple as it first seems. They did not all start out rich and powerful. They became rich and powerful by using wicked means, and that implies that in the beginning their victims could have stopped them. Often wicked people grow powerful before anyone recognizes their true nature. The evil leaders of Israel hid their wickedness behind a façade of righteousness, but that was only the beginning of their deception. Not only did they hide who they were, they also hid what they were doing. From the beginning, they were corrupt and despised justice and righteousness. They were willing to sell their judgments for bribes and their sermons for a price. However, they did not hang out billboards advertising that they were for sell.

According the Micah, they hid their corruption behind a distortion of all that was right. The preachers distorted the word of God and the political leaders distorted the Law of Moses. Because the people were not able to recognize that their words and actions were distortions of all that was good, the whole nation paid the price. Israel’s leaders claimed God was on their side, but that was a distortion also. Righteousness was not Israel having God on their side. Righteousness would have been Israel being on God side.

Righteousness still requires us to be on God’s side. Being on His side requires us to hold our government accountable for justice. Intentions do not determine justice; government policies are just or unjust based on results not intentions. It requires us to hold our preachers accountable for preaching the word of God without distortion. We must remain diligent against distortions, both from others and within ourselves. When we measure everything next to God’s righteousness and His Word, we can spot distortions. Distortions never line up with what is true.