Bloodshed And Bribes

Micah 3:9-11 - Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house 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 lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us."

Habakkuk 2:12 - "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime!

Exodus 23:8 - "Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

Ezekiel 13:19 - You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.

Hosea 4:8 - They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.

Jeremiah 7:4 - Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!"

Ezekiel 34:2 - "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

Conclusions:

• Babylonian injustice is condemned in Habakkuk 2:12
• Samuel exemplified faithful stewardship with regard to bribes, while his sons did not
• Involvement in religious matters of any kind for mere gain is consistently condemned in the Bible
• Priests devoured the sacrifices, profiting from the continuation of the sin rather than helping to cure it
• The idea that God would not destroy Jerusalem simply because His dwelling, the temple, was located there was a delusion, fostered in part by the miraculous deliverance of the city during the reign of Hezekiah
• Shepherds of Israel are those responsible for providing leadership, especially the kings and their officials, but also the prophets and priests
• The Israelites in Jeremiah's time thought the temple was the buildings that constituted the entire temple complex

Application:

• Are you unjust?
• Do you exemplify faithful stewardship?
• Are you involved in religious matters for mere gain?
• Do you profit from sin or seek to cure it?
• Do you trust in deceptive words?
• Do you only take care of yourself and not your flock?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible