1. The prophet Micah was a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, and there are many similarities in their style of writing (cf. Isa.2:2-4 with Micah 4:1-3).
2. Chapter 1 deals with the judgment of God (1:1-4). God’s judgment against Israel was inevitable. "For her wound is incurable" (1:9).
3. In chapter 1 Micah denounced Israel’s sins against God. In chapter 2 Micah denounces their sins against each other. When a man is not right with God, he cannot be right with others.
4. These radio psychiatrists are popular now. People call up and ask for advice. People having marital problems; people having problems with family, with co-workers, with neighbors, etc. The advice is usually a waste of time. If people would get right with God most of these problems would disappear.
5. The people of Israel was not right with God, and so they were having serious problems. God allows these problems in our lives as a way to bring us to repentance. But if there is no repentance there must be judgment.
6. The Bible teaches that God must judge sin. "Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field…" (1:6). God judged Samaria and the people of the northern kingdom of Israel never returned to their land.
7. Beloved, I don’t think there is much time left. For all we know, this turmoil in the middle East could develop into the battle of Armageddon. Soon the wrath of God will come down suddenly and unexpectedly upon this sin-loving and Christ-rejecting world. I would like for us today to look at seven sins that brought down the wrath of God upon Israel.
8. Let us mark them and consider. Perhaps these same sins will soon bring down the wrath of God upon America.

1. COVETOUSNESS (MICAH 2:1,2).

1. These schemers were laying awake at night devising new methods of cheating and stealing (2:1).
2. The sin of covetousness is a horrible sin (Ex.20:17). Covetousness is basically an inordinate desire for what one does not have. Most people today covet after money (cf. I Tim.6:9,10).
3. People covet after what money can buy: cars, clothes, new gadgets and appliances, bigger homes, nicer furniture, jewelry, you name it. Television encourages people to be covetous. Little children are brainwashed from an early age to be covetous – "I want that toy! Get me that! And I want that one too! More! More! More!"
4. Another good reason to pull the plug on the boob tube!
5. Our Lord said in Luke 12:15, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness."
6. Millions of Americans have a problem with gambling. Why is that? Covetousness. Many Christians work on the Lord’s Day when they could get off if they really tried? Why? Covetousness. Why are the shopping malls open on the Lord’s Day? Covetousness.
7. I heard about a farmer who took his first trip to a shopping mall. When he got back to the farm, someone asked him what he thought. He said: "I don’t know when I’ve seen so many things I could do without."
8. Remember, covetousness will keep you out of heaven (cf. I Cor.6:9,10; Eph.5:3-5).
9. Covetousness destroyed Israel and covetousness is destroying America. Americans are very materialistic – even many Christians! What good are our nice homes and nice cars if we lose our children to the devil? Moms work long hours every day and meanwhile their children are out on the street running with the worst kids in the neighborhood. Or they’re watching dirty trash on the television OR ON THE INTERNET. Or they’re being brainwashed in an ungodly public school. Beware of covetousness.
10. A lady told me she caught a little boy (who used to attend our church) climbing through her window stealing her stuff. She told the boy’s parents. They said: "How can this be? We work hard and make good money and buy him whatever he wants!"

2. VIOLENCE AND THIEVERY (MICAH 2:2).

1. Covetousness often leads to oppression and violence (2:2).
2. Micah 2:2 reminds us of what King Ahab did to Naboth (cf. I Kings 21).

3. A HAUGHTY SPIRIT (MICAH 2:3-5).

1. God told them: "Neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil" (2:3). People today are very haughty! When we go out knocking on doors we often run into some haughty sinners.
2. But God has a noose for their necks (2:3).
3. Remember: "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Pro.16:18).

4. REFUSING TO LISTEN TO BIBLE PREACHING (MICAH 2:6,7).

1. There are people who will drive 500 miles to watch a baseball game but they will not walk across the street to hear a man preach the Gospel!
2. There are men who will drive up to Canada to go hunting but will not drive fifteen minutes to a Bible-preaching church.
3. There are people who sleep late on the Lord’s Day rather than get up and go to Sunday School and church. "Prophesy ye not" (2:6) they say. "We’d rather read our Sunday newspaper. We’d rather watch the political shows on TV. We’d rather play golf or tidily-winks or ANYTHING ELSE!"
4. They said the same thing to Isaiah and to Jeremiah and to Amos and to John the Baptist and to our Lord Himself. The devil’s crowd hates Bible preaching.
5. But those who "walk uprightly" love God’s Word (2:7).

5. ROBBING OTHERS, EVEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN (2:8,9).

1. They were so wicked they pulled the robes off of passers-by (2:8).
2. They were fraudulently driving women (probably widows) from their homes, and taking from the children the blessings of God "for ever" (2:9).

6. MORAL POLLUTION (MICAH 2:10).

1. Israel had forfeited her "rest," i.e., her land (2:10). They would soon go into exile.
2. Because of their wicked sin, the land was polluted (cf. Lev. 18:25,28).
3. This is the REAL pollution problem we have in America today (cf. Lev.18:22-30).
4. I have been getting swamped with campaign literature, and some of it is about pollution. But none of it deals with the real pollution that is destroying America: pornography, homosexuality, adultery, divorce, abortion, etc.

7. LISTENING TO FALSE PROPHETS (MICAH 2:11).

1. When people turn their back on God’s Word, they become hardened and deceived and are willing to listen to the most ridiculous charlatans. I am amazed when I hear people defend false teachers. But the Bible warns us it will happen.
2. This is closely connected to 2:6. When people will not listen to the truth they will always turn to error (cf. II Tim.4:3,4).
3. Spurgeon said: "They had a liking for preachers who would indulge their lusts, pander to their passions, and swell their pride with windy flatteries. This age also inclines greatly to those who have cast off the restraints of God’s revelation, and utter the flattering inventions of their own boasted ‘thought.’…As for those who would urge upon men separation from the world and holiness to the Lord, they are Puritanical, and out of date. In Micah’s days Israel would only hear false prophets; the rest they would not listen to."
4. Worldly people reject Gospel preaching. They like preachers that make them feel comfortable in their sin (cf. Isa.30:9,10; Jer.5:31).
5. It is a fact that all of the big-name preachers today are very much like the false prophets of Israel. They are telling people what they want to hear. They are not preaching the true Gospel.
6. Jesus said: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matt.15:14).

CONCLUSION:

1. I read this article months ago: "I fear for America. Having rejected more light than any nation in history and the opportunity to continue to be a great blessing to the world, and having become a nation of sexual perversion, adultery, fornication, and sensual lusts and desires, how can God allow us to continue as a nation? To date, we have been the recipient of the longsuffering of a merciful God; how much longer do we have?"
2. Indeed! How much time do we have?