Micah 2:1-3 English Standard Version

Woe to the Oppressors

¹ Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand.
² They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.
³ Therefore thus says the Lord: behold, against this family I am devising disaster,from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster.

Consider the word covet. It is multifaceted. Rather than confusing the issues, it is best to take one aspect at a time. This is worst case. In this case covet has dominated the mind of the oppressor to the point where they lay in bed at night thinking of ways to take what they want.

It is one thing to want a thing you do not deserve, it is another to devise mischief to obtain it. In this worst case scenario a word comes into play as a warning to those who act in this manner. That word is recompense.

Isaiah 59:18 King James Version (KJV) According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Granted, those who do not believe in the Lord do not consider this to be an earnest threat. Their motto may well be “might makes right”. We who trust in the Lord have our instructions. We are not to repay evil with evil. While that might sound trite, we must remind ourselves that the Lord God all Mighty has the power to extract eternal punishments far worse than anything we might render.

There are lesser covets which are to be avoided.

John 6:66 English Standard Version (ESV) After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

I ended yesterday’s offering with the comment that it has happened before. Let us see what that means as it is sent to us in the 6^th chapter of the gospel of John.

This chapter is broken up into several sections. First there are the miracles. Secondly the words to people in general. Third is the words to the Jews. Then finely the confession of faith.

The miracles begin with the feeding of five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. Then Jesus walks on the water to be received into the boat that left without Him.

During His speech to the common people He said in verse 26 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”

During His speech to the Jews there response to His declaration of being The Bread of Life in verse 52 “The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”” This request was in violation of the Mosaic Law. They challenged His authority to change the law.

During His speech to His disciples He said in verse 65 “And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.””

Immediately after this comment comes our opening quote John 6:66 which is a confession of faith in that many of His followers, of which only 12 were apostles, confessed that God had not called them and that they did not follow Jesus by faith. Then they stopped following Jesus.

This is why it is important to properly understand being chosen, being called and following Jesus by faith and for no other reason.