Background
Micah prophesied during the years surrounding the fall of Israel to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC. The book deals with two significant predictions: one of judgment on Israel and Judah, the other of the restoration of God’s people in the millennial kingdom. Among the areas that God judged was the topic of wealth and how the people had wrong attitudes regarding wealth.
Don’t let it preoccupy you
Micah 2:2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them.
Micah was addressing a bunch of rich people. While these people are rich, they were preoccupied with getting richer and they covet for more and more. But this is not a problem only with rich people. Poor people could also be preoccupied about getting rich. The Bible warns against the love of money and wanting more and more material things.
1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
The opposite of covetousness is contentment. Contentment is not only for those who are rich. No matter what our wealth level, we should learn to be content with whatever we have. The Bible teaches that being able to achieve contentment is great gain.
1 Tim 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Don’t get rich the wrong way
Micah 2:2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.
Micah 6:11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights?
The people were not only preoccupied with getting rich, they were willing to get rich through any means. And the common way for the people in that day to get rich is by exploiting the poor. In our current society there are also people who try all means to get rich sometimes through unethical practices.
If we do that, God will ensure that we will not enjoy our ill-gotten gains.
Micah 6:13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. 14 You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save[f] I will give to the sword. 15 You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.
Don’t let it make you proud
Micah 2:3 Therefore, the Lord says: “I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.
We also learn from this verse that wealth had made the people proud and God was going to humble them. The reason why we must not be proud of our wealth is simple: It is God that gives us the ability to produce wealth.
Deut 8:18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.