Daily Manna 12 January
MEMORY VERSE: “If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people” (Micah 2:11).
READ: MICAH 2:6-13
“Do not prattle,” you say to those who [a]prophesy.
So they shall not prophesy [b]to you;
[c]They shall not return insult for insult.
7 You who are named the house of Jacob:
“Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted?
Are these His doings?
Do not My words do good
To him who walks uprightly?
8 “Lately My people have risen up as an enemy—
You pull off the robe with the garment
From those who trust you, as they pass by,
Like men returned from war.
9 The women of My people you cast out
From their pleasant houses;
From their children
You have taken away My glory forever.
10 “Arise and depart,
For this is not your rest;
Because it is defiled, it shall destroy,
Yes, with utter destruction.
11 If a man should walk in a false spirit
And speak a lie, saying,
‘I will [d]prophesy to you [e]of wine and drink,’
Even he would be the prattler of this people.
12 “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob,
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel;
I will put them together like sheep of [f]the fold,
Like a flock in the midst of their pasture;
They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.
13 The one who breaks open will come up before them;
They will break out,
Pass through the gate,
And go out by it;
Their king will pass before them,
With the Lord at their head.”
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Detecting counterfeit money is quite a challenge, because the imitation looks so much like the original. Members of the American Banking Association train tellers never to look at a counterfeit bill. All they do day after day, is handle authentic currency until they are so familiar with the true currency that they cannot possibly be fooled with the false. This is the way we should handle the matter of false prophets.
From our text, Prophet Micah was consistent in his fearless message against the evils in society. He decried the plan to shut up the true prophets so that counterfeit prophecy would prevail. He warned of the futility of patronising prophets who give false hopes and assurances of God’s presence, when in effect He was angry with His people.
The mockery of the honourable office of the prophet continued to the extent that prophets who prophesied of wine and strong drinks were well accepted as ministers of God. Micah told them it would all end in bitterness and regret when judged by God. During Micah’s day, Israel’s spiritual condition had fallen to the lowest level that they could no longer discern between the original and the counterfeit.
The result of their error in judgment was devastating. Perhaps, they actually chose to listen to the false prophets because their message was very comfortable. The same situation is prevalent today as we approach the end of the age. The pulpit is packed with counterfeit preachers who are ready to compromise God’s word in order to fill their church pews with a large congregation.
It takes proper discernment to separate the chaff from the wheat and the original from the counterfeit. We must be very watchful about the kind of preachers and pastors we allow to influence us, as we prepare for the imminent return of Christ.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Make your choices carefully. Counterfeits abound!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 35-37
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Counterfeit Prophets – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 12 January 2021
