IYAR 15
At What
Cost?
“Hear this, please, you heads of the house
of Yaʽaqoḇ and you rulers
of the house of Yisra’ĕl, … those BUILDING UP
Tsiyon with bloodshed and Yerushalayim with unrighteousness.” (Mic 3:9-10 ISR, emphasis mine)
Most of us are well familiar with the clique of ‘tele-evangelists’ that
broadcast their programs through television and internet. The dominant
message that they all have in common is ‘send me your donation, and God
will bless you’ (financially, with healing, etc.). And while ‘the flock’ is beggaring themselves
to support said individuals, the head of each specific ministry is growing
richer and richer. Most of the members
of this ‘clique’ are multi-millionaires (one individual is close to a
billionaire), accumulating homes, planes, and other ‘toys’ to give evidence of
their enjoyed prosperity.[1]
Please do not misunderstand me; I am in no way taking any kind of a stand against prosperity. However, I would seriously challenge any one of these ‘tele-evangelists’ to give away as much as 90% of their wealth – especially to their constituents who made them wealthy in the first place! Money – in and of itself – is not evil (1Tim 6:10); in fact, it is a necessity for survival in today’s world. However, I truly believe that Elohim blesses us financially in order that we give to those that ARE in need (see 2Cor 9:8; Eph 4:28; 1John 3:17), as an extension of Him.
The three major prophets of this time period in which Micah lived (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) all had scathing words directed toward the shepherds and leaders that fleeced and abandoned ‘the flock’ (see Isa 56:10-12; Jer 23:1-2; Eze 34). Those in leadership were feeding themselves at the expense of the people they were responsible for (Eze 34:2-4; 19-21), something that the Apostle Paul also warned us about (1Tim 6:3-5). In our opening section of Scripture, the Hebrew word that has been translated as ‘building up’ is the word bânâh (Strong’s H1129), and implies not only construction, but also an establishing, such as setting a precedence. From this definition, we can surmise that the rulers of that time were establishing themselves, using violent, illegal, immoral and evil methods, and at the expense of any and every one.
Our Creator does NOT look kindly upon this type of behavior.
“As I live”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“as
surely as My sheep became prey and My sheep became food for all the beasts of
the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My
flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My sheep,” therefore,
you shepherds, hear the word of Adonai, thus says Adonai Elohim: “Behold, I am
against the shepherds and I will demand My flock from their hand. I will
dismiss them from tending the flock. The shepherds will no longer feed
themselves. I WILL RESCUE MY SHEEP FROM THEIR MOUTH, SO THEY WILL NOT BE FOOD
FOR THEM.” (Eze 34:8-10 TLV, emphasis mine)
©2022
[1] https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/net-worth-richest-pastors-will-blow-your-mind.html/?a=viewall
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