The
Polluted Nest
Micah 2:8 “Even of late my people is
risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the
garment from them that pass by securely as men
averse from war.
9 The women of
my people have ye cast out from their pleasant
houses; from their children have ye taken away my
glory for ever.
10 Arise ye, and
depart; for this is not your rest: because it is
polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore
destruction.”
1. The Same Bunch
2. The Same Stuff
3. The Same Results
1. The Same Bunch
Verse eight: “Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.”
What can we learn here?
We can learn this thing about ourselves.
We can become so perverse and wicked that we can become a literal enemy to God.
Do you realize that?
A nation, or a people, can come to a point that they will tolerate, and yea, love evil.
Just look at our verse here.
Who are they that are pulling “the robe with the garment” off the men?
The answer is right in front of us. Look at the context of Micah chapter two. The “ye” [in this verse] are the very same people already identified, in verse one and two, as being “them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds”.
This is the very same bunch! They are the ones!
Are you ready for this? Whenever a nation, or a people, become soft and secure they seem to lose both the work ethic and their “fear of the Lord”. They become complacent. They become careless.
This was, in fact, the case with the Zidonians of Laish in the book of Judges, chapter eighteen.
Now, see at verse eighteen: “Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.” [Judges 18:7] The situation was this. These people were “quiet and secure”, and thus they were “careless”. In other words, they were totally oblivious to all the dangers around them.
This is the very reason why a neighbor is so vulnerable to our thoughts and our actions. Consider this for a moment. Neighbors … in time … will tend to feel secure dwelling by us. They become relaxed. This is why God commands us to not “devise” “evil against” our “neighbor”.
See Proverbs chapter three, verse twenty-nine for God’s mind in this matter: “Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.” [Proverbs 3:29] God’s command to us then becomes a check and a balance in the protection our “neighbor” from us.
Vigilance is always needed for all people in all times to practice. We need to be vigilant in the maintenance of the “fear of God” in our lives, and in the life of the nation. It is for our HEALTH. Hear GOD in this: “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” [Proverbs 19:23]
Hear it again … stating it differently: the “fear of God” always goes hand in hand with the health of a nation. This is God’s order for us every day of our lives. For this, look with me in Second Samuel chapter twenty-three, in verse three: “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” [2 Samuel 23:3]
Now, here is the bottom-line:
• When the just are ruling in a nation the fear of God is in promotion among the people.
• Contrariwise, the people will suffer every time whenever the wrong bunch of people is ruling.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” [Proverbs 29:2]
2. The Same Stuff
Verse nine: “The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.”
The women of “my people” of then, [this is Israel], and now, the people of today, will be “cast out from their pleasant houses”.
We will experience the same results every time. We will lose our homes! When will we learn?
The wrong people in charge … will always result in the people leaving God, and leaving the Bible of God [Who is the Jehovah God … Who is the Son of God … even our LORD Jesus Christ.
Now, there is something else here for us to see.
It is about our leaders! Our leaders have, also, robbed our very children of the “glory” of God “for ever.” We have in our day, just as Judah did in Micah’s day, removed from our memories the commands, and therefore, the keeping of precepts of Jehovah God. Just look at the command which is located in Psam 119, verse four: “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.” [Psalm 119:4]
Have we? Do you keep the precepts of God diligently?
3. The Same Results
Verse ten: “Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.”
SORE destruction was coming! Israel had to leave the LAND because it was polluted. God used the Chaldeans [the Babylonians] to uproot the Jews from their LAND in 588 BC. Nebuchadnezzar would burn the Temple, and all the homes of people in Jerusalem. No longer would their city be their home, or their “rest: because it is polluted”.
Now, SIN destroys a land, and the people of the land. It takes them from God, and from the keeping of the precepts of God. Listen to me! SIN always takes you farther than you ever wanted to go. It will cause you to be removed from your “rest” … which is your home.
What can we learn from this? We can learn this.
God telling man everywhere in all generations that if you pollute your REST you will be taken from your NEST with is your home, or your land.
Friends, over and over again this has happened throughout all history.
When will we learn from history?
We can learn from history that men never learn
from history.
We need the fear of God! Amen!