Micah 7:1-7

Micah was miserable. They say that misery loves company, but Micah was miserable because he could not find righteous company. Righteous people want and need fellowship. They need to be in community; it is in community that righteous people live out right relationships. Micah shares a word picture of what it is like to seek a good person in Israel. It is like looking for good fruit after the summer harvest. The workers have gathered in the crop, and the weather has turned hot and dry; nothing edible remains. The end of summer heat is unbearable and everyone waits with hope for the fall rains. Micah longs for fellowship, but Israel’s spiritual fields are as barren as a vineyard after the harvest.

There is no righteous left among the leadership. Like bandits, the leaders conspired together and they worked schemes of corruption. They had corrupted system of justice, and injustice was for sell. They took bribes and the powerful dictated what they desired the rulings to be. From a distance, some of the common people of Israel appeared to be good and righteous, but it was of deception. They were like hedges grown of brier and thorn; at a distance, they appeared to be green and healthy, but if you got to close, they would make you bleed. Righteous people do not hurt those who get close to them.

In his search for righteous fellowship, Micah observed that neighbors and friends were betraying each other’s confidences. No one could be trusted with a secret. He saw betrayal even among men and women that were married to each other. The family unit was suffering a complete breakdown. Sons and daughters betrayed mothers and fathers. There was no faithfulness even among family members.

In the absence of righteous fellowship, Micah retained hope. As all of Israel burned down around him, Micah looked to God for a Savior. Micah did not know it, but he was hoping for Jesus. Like Micah, our hope is still in Jesus Christ and righteousness.