Prophets can be powerful people, so it’s disastrous when they deliberately use the gift for personal gain, instead of honouring God by courageously saying what he tells them to say.
Read: Micah 2: 11 and 3: 5-12
Prophecy, the calling to speak God’s words into a particular situation at a particular time is one to be exercised with great responsibility and integrity (which actually applies to any spiritual gift or ministry).
We read in scripture and know from bitter experience that it doesn’t always work that way, which is why the New Testament puts emphasis on weighing prophecy and discerning its origin and intent…we all have access to God’s wisdom via the Holy Spirit who lives in each one of us.
Prophets may falsify a message for many reasons. Chief among them, and highlighted here by Micah, are a desire to have power over people, to be popular and admired and, sometimes, to profit financially or in other ways from the people who are misled by what you say, pretending it comes from God. This may seem harsh, but we can so easily be misled and unaware of our less-than-honest motives.
It sounds as if the prophets, priests and rulers of Judah were conspiring together to rob and defraud the people God had given into their care…in other words, deliberately choosing to line their own prophets using God as a lever.
Fortunately, or unfortunately for them, events about which the prophet is speaking often come into being in their own lifetime. Then everyone can see the lies and deceit; the prophets are shamed as their impotence is shown up and the people have to face the consequences of believing their lies.
By stark contrast, Micah lays out his credentials and intent as a prophet, in 3:8. He’s prophesying in the Spirit’s power, which is filling him with justice and courage, enabling to obey God courageously despite preaching a hard and unwelcomed message.
And in the end, he says, you’ll see I’m speaking the truth. The prophets, priests and rulers have been building Jerusalem…the heart and soul of the Jewish people…on evil foundations of murder and corruption, and such foundations will not stand. There will be ruin and desolation, and everyone will suffer, including those who are suffering because of the leaders’ evil.
Anything we do can be built on bad foundations – things like trusting in our own wisdom, telling people what they want to hear, profiting from ungodly ministry and not practising what we preach (like in the story of the wise and foolish builders). And when it all collapses it comes down with “a mighty crash” (Matthew 7: 27)
What experience have you had of leaders misusing God’s gifts or appropriating them for their own ends? Prosperity gospel preachers; self-serving TV evangelists; abusive leaders who use ‘spiritual’ arguments to dominate and control people?
What were the fruits of such ministries? How did they neutralise the power of the gospel and cause people to turn away from Jesus?
Do you see any of the signs in your life and ministry that you may be going the same way?
Pilgrim Traveller 