Blind Leading the Blind

Micah 2:6-11

I have heard too many people say a “loving God” would never let such and such happen. I have seen people forsake their faith because of troubles in their lives. I have heard the stories of those who leave Christian lifestyles because they where led astray by pseudo sciences. Many people flock to the “feel good” gurus and ideologies, and some are looking for ways to avoid responsibility and accountability (so much easier to blame others for our problems).

The people of Israel took peace and sin for granted. They let sin cloud their thought processes so much that they cannot see how sin was robbing them blind. They would rather have someone tell them everything will be alright.

Kind of like hearing a politician say he or she is going to change Washington, and then their policies double the deficit, increase the national debt by millions a day, promise openness but hide behind closed doors, buy a few auto dealers and banks, and push what appears to be a socialist/communist agenda. Sadly, Washington changes people when people with good intentions should be changing it.

"Don't preach," say the preachers. "Don't preach such stuff. Nothing bad will happen to us. Micah 2:6 (MSG)

The Israelites were losing their wealth, their homes, and their livelihoods all for a “pleasant word” instead of changing their lifestyles.

You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them. Micah 2:9 (NLT)

Listening to liars steals the blessing intended for God’s children. If ever a warning was to be signaled here, then it is to carefully check one’s theology. Those who listen to false prophets or have a skewed theology will reap what they sow. As God says, they have earned the lairs in their lives.

Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like! Micah 2:11 (NLT)

Following liars makes one look like the enemy of God. These liars blind people to God’s grace and mercy. The people are easily swayed and will flow with whatever new feel good theory comes along. The Haight Ashbury experience (the summer of love) in the late sixties should be proof of what sin does to people. They embraced drug abuse which birthed the dangerous drug industry and numerous overdoses. They embraced sexual freedom which led to increased sexual diseases, children being abandoned, and attracted the slime infested pimps and the world of pornography. They embraced free thought and Marxist and communist teachings while Charles Manson created his group and Jim Jones flourished (yes, both of these men took advantage of this period).

Many young people wanted desperately to be accepted and were looking for real love. The sixties hyped that kind of love but could not realistically deliver on the promise. But good came of it all, they say: silicone valley, environmentalism, free speech movements, music, movie…and yet people abandoned the experience. Why? SIN was the moving force behind the whole movement. It did not have anything to do with the betterment of mankind. It was all about diving deep into sinful desires.

People can be easily swayed under the influence of sinful practices. If we learn anything from this passage, then we should learn to beware of the liar, check our facts, and be more aware of the direction of our society. We would all like to feel good about ourselves and how we impact society, and we should strive to do so. But to be honest, feeling good is never as powerful as feeling at peace.

God doesn’t want enemies. Sin lies and creates hatred towards God. He hates sin, not people because sin keeps people away from His love. He is moving towards us while sin tries to keep us moving away from Him. Only we can make the choice to head towards Him instead of away from Him. People make that choice everyday when they fully accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. What has your choice been?

• What warning signs for societal sin could we be experiencing today?
• Could we easily be swayed by political parties, religious movements, or pseudo sciences?
• What do you think about truth in the Bible?
• How does sin affect the lives of people?
• Do you want “feel good” theology or the truth? How can you tell the difference?