* Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
** They covet fields and seize them,
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance.
*** Therefore thus says the LORD:
behold, against this family I am devising disaster,
from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you shall not walk haughtily,
for it will be a time of disaster.
**** In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you
and moan bitterly,
and say, “We are utterly ruined;
he changes the portion of my people;
how he removes it from me!
To an apostate he allots our fields.”
Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot
in the assembly of the LORD.
Comment: Let’s look as if it applies to the rulers, although we know that evil is not limited to that class only! You might choose to divide the passage differently, but following the strong cry of impending judgement which has gone before, I think that people are asking for what reasons is God considering this. So here is Micah’s (God’s) answer.
- * Because of their authority, not just during the daytime, but even lying in bed at night they spent their efforts planning evil. On waking they put their plans into action.
- ** In essence they steal from those under them, that to which they have no right, but which will enhance their wealth and standing.
- *** Their plans will not succeed. I wonder if the reference to ‘neck’ infers a noose or a knife at their throat! Certainly it will lead to humiliation and not glory!
- **** It was an agricultural society and wealth and standing depended a lot on what they owned. (Is that very different from today?) ‘Bad luck’ God says. You’re losing much, and you have lost the right to get it back.
Prayer: Help to me to understand that ‘goodness’ is much more in character than possessions, O Lord.
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. At the bottom of this reading lies covetousness, which is basically greed and selfishness. Wanting what others have, and devising evil schemes of how to get it for themselves. This reminds me of the story of King Ahab who wanted Naboth’s field, and how his wife, Jezebel devised a wicked plan to have Naboth killed, so that her husband could acquire the land. Very much an evil plan, but in the end, Jezebel and Ahab both received the reward which God had foretold. God bless you.
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