In this episode of ADDBIBLE, we join Allen J. Huth as he answers a question many believers ask- why does God not always answer our prayers. Micah chapter 3 holds the answers of how God views and handles leaders that hate the good and love the evil as well as false prophets. Allen shares insights from his own Bible reading journals that give further context to the message in Micah 3.
00:09:33 Introduction to Day by Day Through the Bible Series
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Welcome to ADDBIBLE, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
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Today brings us to Micah chapter 3, and I’m going to read the 12 verses of this chapter. Micah chapter 3 And I said, Hear you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice, you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people and their flesh from off their bones, who eat the flesh of my people and flay their skin from off them and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron? then they will cry to the lord but he will not answer them he will hide his face from them at that time because they have made their deeds evil thus says the lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray who cry peace when they have something to eat but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths therefore it shall be night to you without vision and darkness to you without divination the sun shall go down on the prophets and the day shall be black over them the seers shall be disgraced and the diviners put to shame they shall all cover their lips for 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 and to Israel his sin hear this you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity Its heads give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean on the Lord and say, Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us. Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field, Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.” In 1991, when I read Micah, I read Micah chapters 1 through 3 together, and I didn’t make a note on chapter 3. In 2006, again, I read Micah 1 through 3 together on the same day, and I only made a note on chapter 1. So let’s move on to journal number 3. In 2015, concerning chapter 3, I wrote, Leaders who hate the good and love the evil, referring to verse 2. God will not hear, referring to verse 4. Prophets sharing false messages will be put to shame, according to verses 5 through 7. But Micah, filled with power with the Spirit of the Lord, can declare truth. May I be one like Micah, never a false prophet, Lord. And then I wrote, And that ends my journal entry. And then I wrote my prayer. I wrote, For evil leaders, false prophets, and misleading priests of our day, and for the remnant you preserve, may I be one. Keep me true to your word and your ways. Micah chapter 3 is a continuation of Micah chapter 2, where Micah called out the false prophets, the false preachers. Here Micah addresses three audiences. The first is in verse 1. And I said, Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel. The second group is identified in verse 5. Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets. And the third group is identified in verse 9. Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel. Micah gets pretty tough on people, doesn’t he? Verse 2 says, You who hate the good and love the evil. He warns such people in verse 4, Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil. As we introduced Micah on the first day, we said there’d be a part in Micah where we will understand why God does not always hear our prayers. Well, here it is in chapter 3, verse 4. Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time because they have made their deeds evil. Yes, there are times when God will not hear our prayers because our deeds are not lining up with his will. This is a harsh word from Micah. It’s a harsh word for us today that there are times when we pray that God is not listening. He’s not interested in answering our prayers because of how we are living our lives. In Proverbs chapter 1, wisdom calls out to us. But here’s what wisdom has to say in verse 24. In other words, God does not listen because of our behavior. Isaiah 1.15 says, Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. Let’s look at Deuteronomy 31.17. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. and many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods. It is a fairly consistent theme here that our prayers sometimes don’t get answered when because of how we live our lives not consistent with biblical principles. So how is your prayer life? First off, do you spend enough time with the Lord in prayer? Secondly, do you feel like some of your prayers are only reaching the ceiling? They’re not getting to heaven. They’re not being heard by the Lord. I’m not claiming that you’re evil, but I am claiming that you may not be living consistently with biblical principles and therefore God can turn his ears away from our prayers. He does so to many in the nation of Israel as we read the books of the Bible. Those were his chosen people and yet at some point God has had enough and he stops answering their prayers. If he did so for his own people, he will do the same with us. So our practical application from today’s lesson is to live right so we can pray and God will hear our prayers. Later in the book of Micah, he is going to instruct us very clearly as to what God requires of us. In the meantime, if you are sideways with the Lord or not consistently following Him and His Word, have a prayer of confession sometime today. That’s a prayer God always hears. Confess to the Lord whatever it is that’s keeping you from a close relationship with Him. Confess any particular sinful behaviors that you’re engaged in. Plead with God for His forgiveness. Again, that’s a prayer He answers. Father, hear the prayers of your people this day. Our hearts cry out to you. Forgive us for our disobedience. Forgive us for our shortcomings in our walk with you. And Lord, forgive us for overt sin that displeases you. And just like in this book of Micah, allow us to be the people you start over with. You always have a remnant, a people that you will work with to further your kingdom here on earth. Lord, forgive us and allow us to be that remnant for you. Start over with me, Lord. Make me useful for your kingdom here on earth. As you hear this prayer, we fall on our knees and thank you for your love, your grace, and your mercy. In Jesus’ name we pray it. Amen. All of the Ad Bible radio programs are available to you in writing. We transcribed all of Ad Bible into an 11-book series called Day by Day Through the Bible, and we did it in a unique way by authors of the Bible. You can get the complete set or a book at a time at our website, EzraProject.net. For example, there are the writings of Moses, the writings of Solomon, the writings of the minor prophets, and the writings of the major prophets, the writings of the Old Testament historical books, and the writings of Old Testament leaders. Covering the New Testament, we have the writings of Matthew and Luke, the writings of John, the writings of Paul, and the writings of Mark, Peter, James, Jude, and Hebrews. So this 11-book series covers all 66 books of the Bible, chapter by chapter. So if the radio program was on 1 Samuel, you would find the written version in day by day through the Bible, the writings of Old Testament historical books. If the radio program is covering Daniel or Jonah, you would find all the minor prophets in the writings of the minor prophets. But say you’re studying the gospel of John in your own personal quiet time. You can find our coverage of John’s gospel in the writings of John, which includes not just his gospel, but other writings like 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John and Revelation. Or you are going to be reading one of Paul’s epistles. You could find them all in the writings of Paul. Our Day by Day through the Bible series is a tremendous resource as you read and study any book of the Bible. It will deepen your understanding of God’s Word and enhance your personal quiet time because each book breaks down the passage with comments from my personal Bible reading journals, offers life applications, and prayers related to the passage. If you want more from your time in God’s Word, visit EzraProject.net and try one of our Day by Day through the Bible devotional books. Any of the 11 books are a great place to start, or get the full set to use wherever you are in the Bible today or wherever you are heading in your Bible reading. Our host stations are hearing from you listeners. 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