Evening star., 1927-11-19

and to walk humbly with thy
God?"-Micah, Wis.
Micah, the peasant prophet of the
poor, was called The Morasthite"
because he was a native of the OBJ
scure country community of Mo-
resheth- gath. Our knowledge of his
life and labors must be CLEANED from
the messages that he delivered ''in
the days of Jotham, AchaZ and HeZe-
kiah." lie loved his nation, especially
that part with which he was the most
familiar. Its fertile undulating plain
was within sight of the great coast
road over which he had seen the
armies march between Asia and
Africa. His native village was near
the valley that has been throughout
all the history of Palestine the south
western gateway Of Judea, the Philis-
tine or Egyptian gate. He must have
witnessed the numerous embassies
which Hezekiah sent down to Egypt,
and the return of those Egyptian
subsidies in which a foolish people
put their trust instead of in God" for
they would pass through MOresheth.
He had felt with the tillers of the
soil the heavy burden that the gov
ernment at Jerusalem had placed
upon them. Jotham's ambition to
build fortresses and palaces in the
capital city cost "many a peasants
life" The tribute that Judah was
forced to pay under AhaZ to Assyria,
and the cost Of -Ephraimatic
war of 734 B.C. placed a heavy bur
den upon all classes. but especially
the poor. The grasping. avariCions
landlords used their power to oppress,
cOnfscating the property of the poor
and even evicting widows from their
houses. All sorts of economic crimes
We're perpetrated, the plutocrats de-
vouring the humber classes as sheep
crop grass" Under HeZekiah. who
tried to reform the government. con-
ditions became more hopeless
The signs of social revolt are al
ways seen first in the country, where
the economic conditions are usually
tie most oppressive. 1t was a poor
country evangelist whose keen sense
Of the wrongs Of the poor and the
sins Of the rich aroused the nation
by his sociological exposure Of the
nations approaching doom, and its
cause. Against the dark background
Micah painted a picture Of the ma
tons coming glory and outlined the
religious life that God requires of all
men.
Approaching Doom.
In the opening chapter of his
prophecies, Micah predicted the com
ing fall of Samaria and Jerusalem.
He describes the very march that the
army of the enemy would make
through the communities about his
home town, en- route to Jerusalem. lie
based his prophecy concerning the
two capitals because both govern
ments, especially Jerusalem, were un-
just and unsympathetic in their treat
ment Of the toilers. He placed the
blame upon the plutocrats, who, with
Indifference to the needs of the work.
ingmen, utilized the power in their
hands to seize the property they
coveted He did not mince his words
of condemnation or hesitate to point
his finger at the moneyed tyrants
who ridiculed the possibility of judg
ment He saw wealth ruling upon
all sides. They influenced the ad-
ministration of the law. Judges ac-
cepted bribes. False prophets fiat
tered the rich and the priests were
controlled by wealth to that extent
that commercialism and materialism
had supplanted the ethical and spirit
ual teachings of Jehovah.
Micahs impassionate predictions of
approaching doom were not welcome.
Every effort to stop the prophets
preaching failed. Moved by the
presence Of the pinehed face of the
povertystricken workers and the
spirit of God, the prophet was the
first person to threaten the complete
destruction of Jerusalem. In the last
verse of the third chapter ..e have
the keystone and climax of Micah's
message of approaching doom. that
jeremiah quoted a hundred years
later with the result that his life was
saved His picture of the city as a
heap of ruins, and the temple site re-
duced to a forest, may have influence
the reformation of Hezekiah, for the
destruction Of Jerusalem was delayed
because of the kings repentance ana
attempted reformation. He kept the
fate of the capital clear from that or
the nation, for his prediction of ap-
proa ching doom was followed by
promises of the 'country's coming
glor"
Coming Glory.
Micah, following his conception OF
prophets duty. denounced the sins or
his day and tried to arouse the people
so that they would repent. When
they failed to respond to the call or
God that they exercise justice to the
oppressed Micah saw their doom, and
beyond that he saw the eXaltation OF
Zion and the birth of a deliVerer in
Bethlehem. lie sees with clearness
that surpassed any prophet who pre-
ceded him the coming of a Messiah
who would make Jerusalem the capi-
tai of a spiritual and intellectual DO
minion that would bring permanent
peace and security to all men and ma
tions.
The foundation of Micah's hope was
based upon the supremacy of religion,
for he saw the church firmly and
eternally established as the uppermost
institution in all the world. When
men give religion the place that Micah
saw it is destined to occupy when the
Lords house is on top of the noun
tain, then "they shall beat their
swords into plowshares and their
spears into pruning hooks" One of
the evidences Of universal peace will
be found in mans undisturbed pro.
ductive labor. free from the burdens
Of war.
Micah's hope for world peace and
the prosperity of Judah was connected
with the birth of the Messiah in Beth
lehem, In the village Of David. whose
birth would fulfill the ancient prom.
ises. The aim of Christ's rule is the
establishment of peace. Not until He
comes and judges the world, ruling 1t
from Jerusalem. can we expect perna.