Woe is me! Micah 7:1
In order to understand Micah’s misery we must look at three things that were happening among God’s people.
- The loss of godly character. Micah says, “The godly has perished from the earth” (7:2). He is talking about a loss of godly character: “I look at how people are living, and all I can see is godly character being swept away. I look for models of upright living, but I’m not seeing them.”
- The rise of self-interest. “As I look across the country,” Micah is saying, “here is what I see: The ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire—they all conspire together” (7:3). It’s all about pressure groups with their own agendas and self-interest that has replaced the common good. And when that happens, family life starts falling apart.
- The breakdown of family life. Micah saw something deeply distressing: “guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother” (7:5-6). He observed a loss of trust between husbands and wives, and a loss of respect between kids and parents.
What’s breaking Micah’s heart is that this is happening among God’s people. Micah says, “As I look at what is happening among God’s people, it breaks my heart!”
What concerns you most: the loss of godly character, the rise of self-interest, or the breakdown of the family in the culture and among God’s people?
