Explore the Bible: Leaders Needed

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Nov. 13 focuses on Micah 3:1-12.

The audience of Micah 3:1-12 is the leadership of the prophet’s day. Both civil and religious leadership in Israel and Judah are guilty. Micah describes them as being actively corrupt. This is not a matter of passive leadership or lazy ruling. This is corruption at its worst.

The leaders were supposed to know justice (3:1). They were the ones charged with maintaining justice for those whom they served. Instead, they believed others were meant to serve them and twisted their power for their own gain.

Micah describes their corruption in gruesome detail (3:2-3). How these divinely appointed authorities led brought about an early death for others. These people had become so destitute by the fiscal corruption of their leaders, it killed them. This sort of behavior might be expected from Israel’s neighbors, but the city on a hill was not meant for such darkness.

Prophets, who played key role in ancient Israel, were known for speaking false prophesies for their own benefit. “‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). They promise goodness when they are the ones most guilty of acting in ways contrary to goodness. They threaten war to those who would not feed them. The prophets take advantage of those who came to them to hear a word from God.

Micah says the corruption of these leaders would catch up to them. When God would destroy their cities and send them into exile, God would not hear their complaints. They would ask for salvation, but God would not answer.

The Spirit at work

The civil and religious authorities are far from the ways of God. However, Micah makes plain he has the Spirit of the Lord working through him. In the Old Testament (as opposed to the new), the people of God had the Spirit on them at occasional moments instead of always. Micah, like other prophets of the Lord, had the special anointing of the Holy Spirit on him.

Not only is he “filled with power with the Spirit of the Lord,” but he also has courage and justice (3:8). Micah stands in stark contrast to the leaders of his day whose corruption is indicative of their cowardliness. The brave are also those who seek justice.

The judgment of the Lord

The final part of Micah’s message returns to the leaders. In particular, he tells them a day is coming when they will experience the judgment of the Lord. Both the religious and civil leaders are guilty, and both will know God’s justice. Despite their ways, they sought to “look for the Lord’s support” (3:11). The Lord would not support them. Instead, he promised to send them into exile.

The leaders had built “Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with wickedness” (3:10). They would now experience such bloodshed. They had created environments were lying, taking bribes, and wreaking violence on to those you who were meant to lead had become commonplace. Micah promised that because of their leadership, “Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets” (3:12).

The great problem of corrupt leadership is the result their actions have on others. The corruption of Israel’s and Judah’s leaders meant death for others. Their bribery and false prophesies meant the people were being led astray from the Lord. How leadership behaves has an impact on how others live.

Lessons for leaders

We know no leader is perfect. Micah’s name means “Who is like the Lord?” No one is like the Lord, even divinely called leaders. Yet, those with special responsibilities to guide and watch over people must know the weight. James warns teachers to be careful about taking up that call for the weight of it is heavy (James 3:1).

For Christian leadership, whatever the position of power may be, there are lessons to take from Micah 3. First, those who are brave are also those who work toward justice. Those leaders ever fearful of losing power will do whatever they need to in order to maintain it. This can be as true with political leaders as it is with church leaders.

Finally, Christian leadership has the grace of the Spirit’s guidance. They need to only ask (Matthew 7:7-12). The Spirit will guide Christians as they study Scripture and pray for wisdom. The onus on the Christian, however, is to be humble and open to the guidance of the Spirit. The leadership of the Micah’s day sought their own well-being instead of the justice and care of others. They sought themselves instead of the Lord.

Throughout Scripture, we encounter imperfect leaders who still led well because they sought the Lord and the ways of the Lord. A significant example is King David. He had his fair share of corruption, but he is remembered as being a good leader. He was one who, after all, sought God’s heart (1 Samuel 13:14). No leader is perfect but those “who seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God” will have the guidance of the Spirit as they lead.

Maddie Rarick is pastor of Meadow Oaks Baptist Church in Temple, Texas