To Tolerate Spiritual Harlotry

Gen. James Green

T HE MISSION of the prophet Micah was that of rebuking and threatening the complacent princes, prophets, and the people of Samaria and Jerusalem. The people had become dull in their relationship with God. Israel/Judah had set up high places of worship (forbidden by God)—worshiping graven images (Micah 1:7). "Image cults" were spoken of as religious harlotry. This angered the Lord for His Word declares, "Don't have any gods beside Me. Don't make an idol for yourself or any likeness of anything in Heaven above, or the earth below, or the water below ground level. Don't worship or serve them, because I the Lord your God am a jealous (zealous) God…" (Ex. 20:3, 4, 5, An American Translation).

"And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot" (v. 7).

The Hebrew word "hires" has a cult meaning, designating the gifts presented to the images. Here the word also means (literally) “the pay given to a prostitute.” Reference is to the gain achieved through practice of "sacred prostitution" at those "holy" places (sounds like today's churches).

Evil Upon Beds

Micah also rebuked those who "devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds" (2:1). This evil (whatever it was) was deliberate evil, deliberate sin…reaching down to the citadel of the soul. This "EVIL" is still among church people today, especially the money-hungry, kingdom/queendom builders. They, in our day, have made their beds the sanctuaries of the devil himself! They have grown dull, dumb, and complacent over the years. They have shut out Holy Spirit conviction, seeking material gain, and the approval of the world.

So, dear ones, DELIBERATE SIN shall have (in God's time) DELIBERATE JUDGMENT. Micah 2:3 tells us that the LORD is against the family that devises evil. Most Bible scholars believe that the "evil" was exploiting their countrymen—devising schemes to defraud and dispossess their neighbors. When daylight came, they proceeded to execute their plots. This sounds like today's churchianity—rob and rape the people; live like kings and queens. Watch any televangelist for proof; go to any mega-church for proof. Look at how the U.S. government works—both church and state devise evil.

In Micah's day, wealth consisted largely of real estate, which these evil people (God's people!!) had a mania for acquiring…by seizure, theft, or violence. We all remember Jezebel, the Queen, wife of Ahab, who trumped up false charges in order to acquire a certain piece of real estate (1 Kgs. 21), having the owner stoned to death.

If the greedy clergy doesn't rob you blind, then the U.S. government will tax you to death (or the IRS will attack you under false charges!).

All this came about because the "people of God" had left off serving Him and obeying Him, and grew complacent and became demon-infested. This, my dear readers, is the ghastly aspect of backsliding. This is how evil conspiracies are hatched against God, His people, and the world at large. This detestable, ghastly demonization haunts this nation BIG TIME! America has backslid; therefore, she is inebriated on greed, lust, covetousness, pride etc., etc. Her national heart has become stone-hard, full of lies, trickery, and deceit. It is time to REPENT America.

There was a time, in America, that its national soul was wedded to honesty, honor, godly duty, and reverence of the Lord Jesus and to His Word. But the nation became complacent, dull, and dumb. So here we are: BACKSLID as HELL and ready to be severely judged by the Judge.

Evil That Kills!

There is evil, and there is EVIL. Micah deals with premeditated evil—the kind of evil which is deliberate, intentional, fathered by a conscious purpose, and a full awareness of both the pleasurable consequences to the doer, and the painful consequences to the victim. Is it any wonder that America is in pain every day? Would you consider this is the DIRECT RESULT OF THE WAY WE'VE PAINED GOD'S HEART IN OUR BACKSLIDING? Think for a change.

Some evil is born of blind, uncritical, irrational anger, greed, or lust. But, far worse is the conscious type. I'm not convinced that America "somehow" backslid. NO! The church deliberately forsook His Way, His Will, His Word, going after the ways of the world. In doing this, we have left the world without light to walk by. In one sense, the church has murdered the lost.

I don't care if backsliding was done under the guidance of purpose or impulse; we are going to be held morally liable for what we've done. The remedy is repentance—godly sorrow and godly turning back.

Doleful Lamentation (Wail!)

"In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields" (Micah 2:4).

It must be pointed out that the word "parable" (KJV; "taunt," RSV) literally means "by word" or "word of reproach." Also, the word "against" literally means "on behalf of." The Hebrew should read: "In that day one (of your number) shall take up a word of reproach on your behalf, and will wail with a doleful lamentation, saying…"

Don't you think it's time, Christians, to WAIL for the horrid condition of America? Don't you think it's time for intercession and travail? I don't expect the backslidden Church to do this, for she has gleefully brought ruin upon this nation. But God does expect His true ones to pray and lament, for who else will do it?

Really, we don't need an outside enemy to destroy Christianity; the clergy is doing the job quite nicely. The "wolves in sheep's clothing" take delight in despoiling Christianity. Their selfish ambitions do the job. They only weep and lament when offerings are down. It is inconceivable that the lambs and sheep might need something better to live on besides their plastic food from Babylon. These lamb and sheep barons are cruel and deserve Hell!

Be it known unto you churchites, leaders, God is not going to stand idly by observing all this wickedness (and you CHURCH-GOERS DESERVE WHAT YOU GET BY THESE WICKED LEADERS, for you have not sought God for yourselves) and not judge. The evils done in the name of both church and state are inescapable. At this time, there is an imminent catastrophic judgment in the shadows of the Eagle and the Cross.

Arise ye, Depart!

"Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction" (Micah 2:10).

This is the terse conclusion to the address in vv. 1-9: "Arise and Go!," in the sense of "attention" and "march," are, as scholars say, commands the invading soldiers would give while marshaling their captives into slavery. Verse 10 tells us, "this is no place to rest" (RSV), meaning that Palestine would no longer remain the heritage of the Israelites. Their misuse of the "Promised Land" would be taken from them. This ethical uncleanness, rebellion, and pride forfeited all rights to that Holy Land. Because Israel's sins were so great (unconfessed and willful), Micah only saw destruction. HEY, OPEN YOUR EYES AMERICA.

Hate the Good– Love the Evil

Micah did not miss anything: "Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones" (Micah 3:2).

Micah addressed the heads of Jacob (3:1), who should have known judgment. This very well could be addressed to the civil and religious leaders of America. They knew about it, but IGNORED it! The prophet reminded the leaders that justice in administration was an obligation (Amos did the same: 2:6, 7; 5:7, 10-12, 15, 24; 8:4-7).

The only thing that the leadership agreed on was to HATE the GOOD, and LOVE the EVIL—this is ONE part (see also Amos 5:14, 15). The second part of v. 2 is graphic: "pluck off their skin from off their bones." Verse 3 is similar: "eat the flesh of the people, flay their skin, break their bones, chop them in pieces, boil them in a pot."

We may think Micah to be a bit touched in the head, but he knew the leader and the people very well, just as we know those in power today. This present leadership in church and state, reeks of both the hypocritical piety and savage arbitrary barbarisms—DESPOTS!!

Micah chose the illustration of preparation for a great feast, describing the rulers and elders as the economical cooks who go over every carcass of the animals to make good use of EVERY part—skin, bones, and flesh.

DOES THIS NOT DESCRIBE THOSE IN POWER TODAY? OH, YES!

Micah turns upon the prophets of his day (3:5), who make the people err, that bite with their teeth, crying, peace! It was the prophets who prophesied, "Peace and safety," when judgment was at the door.

This is not all; if the people did not put something into the mouths of the prophets, they declared WAR against them (3:5b). Those prophets who satisfied the people’s exploiting demands were of a genial disposition and could say, "Peace unto you." BUT, to those prophets who did not comply, they declared a holy inquisition—in an attempt to impoverish and exterminate them. We've experienced this here in good ol’ "Christian" America more than once.

Good Show

Putting on a good (religious) show was another indictment against the (phoney) priests, prophets, and other religious diviners. Micah (rightly) not only accuses them of phoney piety, but of being as savagely avaricious as the princes he rebuked.

Do you think today's (phoney) religious leaders really care for the flock of God? Do you think they intercede for the people to "grow in grace?"…share in the people's spiritual privations?

"Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God" (Micah 3:6,7).

Micah challenged the "visions" of those who laid claim to the same. Haven't we seen and heard of these "visionaries" of today—"I have a vision to BUILD this kingdom/queendom!" "God gave me a vision

during the night—that you people are to raise 20 million dollars for this church, blah, blah, blah."

Hardly ever was a vision (given by God) of humility and godliness, only something BIG and IMPORTANT: "My God is a BIG GOD," they tell us; "therefore He expects us to give BIG!" And so, the BIG SHOWS go on and on. They DEMAND and COMMAND the ordinary people to support their whorehouses, their whoredoms, their "ministerial lifestyles" which run into the millions. "Pay up or be damned" they might as well say.

Micah pronounces darkness upon them—they live in spiritual blindness, so shall their "visions" fade and their "prophecies" fail…no longer will the LORD of visions and prophecies tolerate them.

The curtain is coming down upon these same flakes, snakes, and fakes today. Praise our God!! These religious shysters were receiving their visions—revelations—prophecies, not from God, but from the devil (through the princes). Maybe at one time, God used these leaders, but their days of hearing and seeing from God were over. Satan and his entourage of religious demons will always fill in the space where God once resided. They were to end in shame. So it will be today. LOOK AT THE MANY BIG MINISTERS WHO HAVE DIED IN SHAME OR WHO ARE CURRENTLY SHAMED. Their lucrative profession will end as the PTL club's.

His god

"For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever" (Micah 4:5).

Let me finish with this verse. Not only were "God's people" given to idolatry, but Micah speaks of "all people," referring to the Gentiles. This verse implies that only the Hebrews had the TRUE religion, and it was supposed to remain this way forever. What Micah said was true, for it was the Gentile gods that Israel turned to, but Micah let us know and them know, that Yahweh God was the only true God and that he (hopefully the Hebrews as well) would worship God forever.

I can relate to this. Although the church has taken unto herself many foreign and false gods to idolize or flaunt in the face of God, GOD AND HIM ONLY ARE WE TO SERVE.

Biblical Christianity and monotheism are one and the same. Polytheism and Christianity contrast. Other gods and complacency (or spiritual sloth) will bring the wrath of God, sooner or later. The Lord will tolerate this for a time and season, but not forever. We've got to trash this "What you think is right, is right for you; what I think is right, is right for me" business. THIS STANCE OF MORAL RELATIVISM WILL NEVER HOLD UP AGAINST THE WORD OF THE LORD.

Israel needed to get back to their Shema, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD thy God is one God," which refuted moral relativism. This would have been called "Political Correctness" in those days, just as it is referred to today. One's fragmentary insight, his/her private interpretation, will not, NOT please God. But never mind this, today's backslidden, recreant, rebel church has ABSOLUTIZED this PC BULL!

The spirit of freedom and tolerance must never contradict God's Word. Believing that we have the world and Christ is little more than a futile dream—but churches are full of dreamers today.

Throwing the total weight of your ecclesiastical and personal influence behind Political Correctness, building of bridges—to "link up" with the ways of the world and the way of the Lord – is a waste of time. Either we are for Him or against Him; stop playing games. REPENT!

Jesus did not pray "That they all may be one with the world," but: "That they (His people) all may be one" (in Him, and with Him in the Father; see Jn. 17:21).

Micah finishes up with this bit of truth and hope: "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy" (Micah 7:18).

Listen up America: Here is a challenge to us all—especially to those who take false views of the true Biblical God (who believe God never gets angry, it is only the devil; He would never punish because He only loves; America is a "Christian" nation; therefore, we don't deserve punishment blah, blah, blah). The truth is this: God is both "LOVE" and "WRATH." Stop putting Him into this "love-only" mode. He can and does heal as well as kill. His anger, after it has run its course, will turn into pity or mercy (after He has been justified in showing forth His anger). He is always ready to SAVE rather than DESTROY.

Verse 19 tells us what His anger will do—"subdue our iniquities." This is the reason for punishment—for remedial purposes. WE SHOULD NEVER GET ANGRY AT HIS JUST JUDGMENTS—FOR THEY ARE FOR OUR GOOD (IF WE'LL REPENT).