For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
It has taken me a long time to understand the gist of these verses. Today I finally realized that the author is being self-deprecating in countering arguments made by those who claim to be smarter and wiser than he. I am going to paraphrase what I think the writer is saying here:
You are right. I am not very bright and have failed to master human learning, let alone being enlightened. So, tell me, since there is no God, who made the world? Who is it who controls nature? You are so wise, explain it to me.
When we serve God, let us praise His name. We should not serve God with a “martyr complex”. We should praise God for every opportunity we have to serve Him and others. I will recognize that the opportunities God gives me to serve Him through serving others are a blessing, not a cross I need to bear. I will praise Him for honoring me by giving me the opportunity to serve others.
In the past, and in every interpretation I have ever seen of today’s passage, I have viewed this passage as a prediction about what is to come. Today as I read this, I saw it as a vision of what happened when the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ, came unto the scene. As He opened the scroll to read God’s word, the events listed took place. The Four Horsemen are not sent forth by the opening of the scroll. Instead they are revealed as the seals on the scroll are broken. They were already present in the world and as the seals on the scroll are broken, revealing that they are not the way to bring about God’s will in the world. As I write this I am realizing that what I am writing is not quite correct. The point I do think is correct is that the things which John sees as the seals on the scroll are broken are not the contents of the scroll. The opening of the scroll is not some future event. It is what happened when Jesus was raised from the dead. I am not sure that all of the seals have been broken yet, but the process of breaking the seals has already begun.
The prophet prophesies primarily against two groups of people: the wealthy and powerful who oppress others, and the leaders of the people. These two groups are not exactly separate groups, especially not in the situation for which Micah condemns them. The wealthy and powerful use their wealth and power to take what they want from those less powerful than themselves. They do not exchange fair value for what they want. The leaders are condemned for taking part in this. Rather than use their positions to lead the people in doing right and forsaking wrong, the leaders use their positions to take what they want and to live off of the hard work of others. Instead of encouraging people to do what is good and right, they encourage them to do what is evil.
However, the common people are not innocent in this. They have told those who warn them against doing such things to shut up. They do not want to hear from those who tell them that if they want to be successful they must work hard and put off their own gratification. They are looking for “prophets” who tell them they can drink and spend and not worry about tomorrow because someone else will take care of tomorrow. The people follow leaders who tell them that they can live off of the hard work of others, never thinking about what will happen if no one does the hard work.