Continuing with Micah’s theme of false prophets, the game only works for so long:
This is what the LORD says: “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. Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.”(Micah 3.5 – 7, NIV)
Meanwhile, God’s prophet has a job to do, and it has nothing to do with predicting the future:
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, emphasis mine)
And he proceeds to do just that:
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.” Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets. (Micah 3.9 – 12, NIV)
“…Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble…” And it was:
But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand…And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire… (2 Chronicles 36.17 – 19, ESV)