Micah 3:8
Filled With Power to Preach
In contrast to the false prophets, Micah now speaks about himself and gives the characteristics of the true messenger of God. He knows of himself that he speaks through the Spirit. This is not pride, but an awareness of God’s presence.Every part of this verse is of great significance. It shows the preparation and equipping of the prophet of God. He speaks with power through the Holy Spirit (2Tim 1:7), while the false prophets speak only from their own spirit (Eze 13:3). He is full of holy courage to make known to the people their sins, despite what the people desire (Mic 2:6). If there is such a clear difference between the false prophet and the true prophet, how come the people fail to distinguish between counterfeit and real? The cause of this is their luxurious, opulent life and their low moral condition. As a result, they have a complete lack of interest in the things of God. Materialism has blinded their eyes and flattened their feelings, leaving them without any interest in these essential things. And if they want to satisfy their religious feelings, they are happy to pay a false prophet with part of their wealth. In return, he gives them a sermon that soothes their conscience and makes them revel in their lust. The same applies to contemporary Christianity. One chooses and pays a preacher who weighs his words so cautiously that he bypasses and prevents any stimulation of conscience (2Tim 4:1-4). These kinds of preachers are false prophets who believe that the gift of God can be obtained for money (2Pet 2:15; Acts 8:18; Jude 1:11). True prophets are not out to please people, but they please God Who examines the heart (1Thes 2:4; Gal 1:10). They do not let themselves be bribed to say what people like to hear. Because Micah is free from the crimes of his contemporaries, he can address his adversaries with the power of a clear conscience. Fearless, he can testify against the sins of the house of Israel.Such a message is not received with enthusiasm. Teeth gnawing, he is listened to. Only a few will let themselves be addressed by it. Those who are called by the LORD to rebuke therefore need a lot of courage to persevere. For this service and the perseverance therein it is necessary to be filled with the Spirit. Filling with the Spirit is a command for every believer (Eph 5:18), how much more than for those who present God’s Word to others. On Pentecost all believers are filled with the Spirit, but it also happens later (Acts 13:52). The fullness of the Spirit is only limited by our ability to receive. If there are elements in our lives that prevent this, we must first get rid of them. It’s not that we get more of the Spirit, but the Spirit gets more of us.
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