When Leaders Fail

Micah 3:9-12

In this picture there are 9 different leaders. Each of them had qualities that resulted in people following them, and each of them had failures. Some people seek leadership roles, some are born into leadership, and some are thrust into it. Regardless, there is great responsibility and accountability that comes with being a leader. If they give account to no one else, they will give account to God for how they led people.

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Now hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, Who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity: Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us.” Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.

Micah 3:9-12

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Micah is speaking to the leaders of Judah in chapter 3, and he does not hold any punches. He begins by saying that Judah's leaders hate justice and pervert equity. Many of us are familiar with a later passage in Micah that says, "And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8). Micah is describing the leaders in Judah as being the opposite of what God requires of them. They were wicked, and they were leading the people to live wickedly.

Verse 10 says that the city was built upon bloodshed and iniquity (injustice). For a city that was supposed to be built on God, they had shifted to the complete opposite foundation. Psalm 92:15 says, "To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Murder and criminal behavior was apparently rampant, and God was not pleased with this kind of behavior from "His people".

Micah really focuses on the leaders in verse 11. The political leaders were taking bribes and making decisions based on payouts. The priests were teaching for greed, and the prophets were telling people what they wanted to hear and charging a fee in the process. All of the leaders were stealing from the people in one sense or another. They did their job to satisfy their greed, but then claimed to have God's favor.

Because of their evil conduct, God was going to judge Judah. Their capital city was going to be barren. It would be plowed like a field, the city would lie in rubble, and the temple mount would be bare. It would not look like a thriving city any longer. People who walked by would be able to tell that God had abandoned these people who "called upon" His name.

If you cannot see America fits this description, you honestly are not looking. Our politicians enter office with more money than most of us, but they leave multimillionaires. Preachers are flying private jets and living in mansions. All the while, we say "God bless America". I assure you that God is not pleased with this. I'm not saying that Washington is going to be turned into pasture land. However, we should not be surprised if judgment does come.

So, what are we to do? The same thing that Micah told the people of Judah. He was calling them to repent, ask for forgiveness, and serve Him. Those who call upon the Name of the Lord need to pray. Those who ignore God need salvation. Those who claim to preach the Word of God, need to actually preach what God's Word says and trust God to provide for their needs (not their lusts). Finally, we need to demand that our leaders do their jobs and hold them accountable.

Father, America is in a mess. Our leaders are not doing what You have entrusted them to do. They pervert righteousness and only serve to pad their pockets. Please be merciful to us. I pray that we as a nation would repent and turn to You.