Daily Thoughts from Micah: Wormtongue or His Tongue? (2:6-13)

Daily Thoughts from Micah: Wormtongue or His Tongue?

6 “Do not preach”—thus they preach— “one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.”  7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?  Has the Lord grown impatient?  Are these his deeds? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?  8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.  9 The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever.  10 Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.  11 If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!  12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.  13 He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it.  Their king passes on before them, the Lord at their head.  (Micah 2:6-13, ESV)

In the Lord of the Rings, the great novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, the kingdom of Rohan has become docile through the preaching and advising of Grima Wormtongue, who seeks to prevent Rohan’s king Theoden from seeing the injustices being practiced against his people.  But when Wormtongue is exposed and Theoden sees clearly once again, Theoden rises to challenge his people to war readiness and marches on horseback out in front of them to battle their enemies.  For a dramatized version, see here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQExgALv9wI.

The preachers of Israel and Judah, the prophets and priests, have been wormtongues, saying that what Micah prophesies is not going to come to pass.  But the people who are upright know better.  And the experience of his people of the injustices of the powerful, stripping them of their robes, homes and children’s faith, testify to the need for judgment.  Those who want only to continue indulging their lusts will listen to these false preachers who encourage strong drink.  But those who will be the remnant of God’s sheep will gather to Him and then go out with Him in the lead, passing through the gate of the city with Yahweh as their Head, when He restores them from exile.

The sinners within Israel do not want to hear a prophetic message against their wickedness and seek to stop it saying “disgrace will not overtake us” (reminiscent of “you will not surely die”).  The same is true in our own day.  But Micah rejects this argument. He asks, “Has Yahweh grown impatient?”  It seems the answer is yes, God has reached His limit in allowing such injustice to continue.  Those who should have stood up to it have not.  “Are these His deeds?” Micah asks.  Yes, they are.  He is coming in judgment.  “Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?”  Yes, those who are upright in heart will heed what Yahweh says through Micah and be benefited.

We would do well to listen to the prophets of our own day who warn us from the path of ease and challenge us to examine our souls.  We are not winning the battle for righteousness in our land.