Leaders And Prophets Rebuked

Micah 2:11-3:4 - If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people! "I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head." Then I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice, you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?" Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.

Romans 12:9 - Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Psalm 14:4 - Will evildoers never learn—those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD ?

Conclusions:

• If I am not just, if I hate good and love evil, God will not answer when I cry out
• My love must be sincere
• If I do not call on the Lord, I am an evildoer.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Rebuked

1 Timothy 5:14-20 - So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.

2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Conclusions:

• All elders were to exercise leadership and to teach and preach, and all were to receive honor
• But those who excelled in leadership were to be counted worthy of double honor
• This was especially true of those who labored at teaching and preaching
• Such honor should include financial support
• The use of the term Scripture for both an Old Testament and a New Testament passage shows that by the time 1 Timothy was written, portions of the New Testament were considered to be equal in authority to the Old Testament Scriptures
• Be ready in any situation to speak the needed word, whether of correction, of rebuke or of encouragement

Application:

• Do you honor your elders with financial support?
• Do you doubly honor those elders who preach and teach?
• Are you ready to correct, rebuke or encourage in any situation?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible