In the days of the prophet Micah, the leaders and prophets abandoned their calling to uphold justice and instead became the very agents of corruption and oppression. Those entrusted with protecting the people exploited them, driven by greed and self-interest, leading the nation further into downfall.
God, through Micah, confronted this abuse, announcing His coming judgment upon rulers who twisted truth and preyed on the weak. Yet alongside this stern warning, God also revealed a promise of restoration: a future where the Mountain of the Lord would be exalted above all, drawing nations from every corner, and where people would learn directly from Him how to walk in His ways.
Preaching for Profit
Through Micah, the LORD calls out the self-proclaimed anointed leaders who were entrusted to uphold the laws of the land and provide justice to the people. Instead, they twisted the law for their own convenience, depriving those who came to them of a just verdict. Micah uses vivid imagery, likening the overzealous leaders to enthusiastic cannibals, salivating at the prospect of devouring their own.
As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,
they proclaim ‘peace’
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.
Micah 3:5 (NIV)
The message is simple: do what is right, and you will receive. It is the age-old truth that has guided people across generations, shaped societies, and given a sense of happiness and satisfaction. But we can truly follow God only through personal experience. The challenge is that most people need an example to follow, someone who has gone before them. And since the majority are walking on a path away from God, many simply follow the same way. Few are willing to step out alone to experience God for themselves.
The people continued to listen to the false preachers because these prophets and preachers were found a sweet spot by operating like a modern-day business model. They proclaimed messages of favour to those who paid for their services, while cursing those who offered nothing, disguising it as a warning from God. To those who provided them with food, lodging and often even financial backing, they would not dare confront even the most treacherous sins, making their voices more appealing to a people who preferred comfort over truth.
This pattern persisted into the time of Jesus and continues even today. In His day, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other temple leaders who were supposed to lead people toward God not only led the people to disregard God’s will, but even persuaded them to crucify His own Son, who came to save them from their sins. Likewise, in our time, many pastors exploit their position under the guise of religious commitment or discipline, pressuring people for tithes and offerings. Those unable to meet these demands are often shunned, criticized, and gossiped about, their struggles exposed rather than supported.
The true encouragement to walk on the path that leads to God is rarely provided, leaving many lost in darkness. To such leaders, God warns that darkness will overtake them, their visions will fail, and their false words will be silenced. Their business model of profit-making will come to a halt; the flock they exploited will no longer remain. And because they abandoned God in pursuit of building their own kingdom, they will be left in darkness, with no word from the LORD to guide them.
But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.
Micah 3:8 (NIV)
We often silence the voice of God when the pressure of the majority weighs heavily upon us. Out of fear of being outcast, we conform rather than stand firm in faith. Peer pressure convinces us that blending in is safer than obeying God’s call. At times, we even hold back because we do not want to cause hurt or create distance with our loved ones. Yet in doing so, we miss the fullness of experiencing God’s presence and power in our lives, choosing silence over the deeper joy of walking in His truth.
Micah set himself apart from his corrupt contemporaries; he chose to stand for the LORD, even if it meant standing alone, and boldly spoke out against the transgressions of his people. We, however, often fail to do the same. Even when the Spirit of the LORD convicts us, we silence His voice so as not to stand out from the crowd. Instead, we prefer to go with the flow, even if that flow carries us downstream, away from the mountain of God. When Jesus spoke up to accomplish His Father’s will, He was shunned even by His own mother and brothers. Yet unlike Him, we often fear rejection, choosing to avoid the hatred of people. We would much rather risk testing God’s patience and try to take advantage of His grace.
Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the LORD’s support and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us.”
Micah 3:9-11 (NIV)
Micah rebukes Israel’s leaders, priests, and prophets for twisting justice and exploiting the people while still claiming God’s presence. Because of their wickedness, Zion will be destroyed, Jerusalem reduced to ruins, and the temple hill left desolate.
A New Temple
In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
Micah 4:1 (NIV)
God promises a new temple that will rise up in place of the one He destroys. There, everyone will be welcomed from all over the world, with no segregation or preference. It will be the holiest of all temples, finally drawing us closer to God. He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths. Nations will be united as one, and weapons of war will be transformed into tools for harvest. The man-made structures will be replaced by the Holiest of Holy.
Yet throughout history, whenever God allows a temple built by human hands to fall so that His people may seek His Holy Temple, they band together to raise another structure, keeping God at arm’s length. Solomon’s temple was destroyed by God, not by the invading Nebuchadnezzar. After the exile, when the people returned, they again built a new temple—the one that, according to Jesus, became a way to keep people away from God.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He said that neither the temple in Jerusalem nor the mountain in Samaria was required to truly seek God, but that we must worship in Spirit and in truth. All of this is conveniently ignored by His followers, and from the days of the apostles until today, the church building and gathering has been given more importance than actually walking with God. Even when the recent lockdowns gave people an opportunity to worship God in Spirit, many longed for their fellowships and, instead of deepening their communion with Him, quickly returned to their man-made places of worship.
Many people hesitate to worship God in Spirit and in truth because, unlike going to a church building, it feels less defined and harder to grasp. In our work life, given the option, most would prefer working from home because it allows comfort and flexibility—we have the right tools and know how to stay connected with our colleagues. Yet with Jesus, many feel uncertain: they do not clearly understand their role, what they are meant to bring, or how to offer true worship beyond the structure of a building.
Just as new employees often choose to go into the office until they gain confidence, many believers rely heavily on church gatherings until they mature in faith. But as we grow, the call is to bring worship home—to live out our faith daily, from our hearts, not only when gathered with our peers in a building. This rarely happens because we often keep depending on others in our church to build our faith for us, rather than taking responsibility to seek God personally. Relying too heavily on external support can prevent us from discovering the depth of worship in Spirit and in truth. True growth comes when we allow God Himself to shape us, moving beyond dependence on buildings or people, and stepping into a personal, genuine walk with Him.
True worship is not confined to a place but is expressed in Spirit and in truth wherever we are. The Mountain of the LORD will take away the distorted fear of God that the world has sown in our hearts and instead draw us nearer to Him in a true and genuine way. It will free us from worship limited by buildings and traditions, leading us into a deeper, more personal relationship where our faith is lived out daily and our worship flows sincerely from the heart.
Discussion Questions
- Why did the people, even after being warned by God, still choose to follow false preachers who were driven by profit?
- How often do we silence the voice of God when we find ourselves surrounded by the overwhelming majority who choose to ignore it?
- Why do people not want to worship God in Spirit and in truth rather than through man-made buildings, as Jesus instructed?
The Jordan Valley 
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