WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT OBEYED

Leading Scripture (Micah 7:1-6)

• Pushing God from the Centre is a disaster that’s why Micah starts with the lament “woe!! Is me.“
• Micah is a man who is preaching to a people that has lost sense of direction, the community that has lost the sense of calling, both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom of Israel.
• Remember, the Israelites were called to be the light to the world, to read the blind to know the Lord (ref. Isaiah 42)

In Micah chapter 7 verse 1, Micah says “Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: My soul desired the first ripe fruit.”

• The word woe here used by Micah is only found also in ‘Job 10:15‘, two places in the bible expressing deep sorrow and disappointment and discouragement because of what is happening in the land that has pushed God away from it.

The following are some results that happen when the Holy Spirit is not obeyed or when the Holy Spirit is not in control in a person, community and or a country.

1. WHEN A LAND HAS LOST SENSE OF PRODUCTIVITY, – “IT IS NO LONGER FRUITFUL.” –

• When the Holy Spirit is not in control you bear no fruit and when going to look for fruits you find none.
• When the Holy Spirit is not in your life, or when you’ve not obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit, you’re good for nothing, for you bear no fruits and you lose sense of productivity and you become unworthy than before.
• The examples of the fruits of Holy Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness and Faithfulness.
• Micah is saying woe is me!! Because what he was expecting he didn’t find it.
• When you push God away in your life and you choose not to obey the voice of the Lord you become useless, you become fruitless (unfruitful). If God is not in your life, your family, or nation there will be no love, no peace, there will be blood shedding.

In verse 2 of Micah 7, Micah says, “the good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood they hunt every man his brother with a net.”

• Here, Micah wants to say that in a land where people live unrighteous the righteous ones are hated. Since they hate righteousness, they want all people to live the way they want. And if there is anyone who is righteous, he suffers more.
• In a society, land or country where righteousness or uprightness is not a virtue, when you dare to live a righteous life you suffer. If you dare to oppose the norms of the day, or stand for the truth your contract (at work, etc.) might not be renewed, or you can be hearing about promotions but not get them.
• Paul warned Timothy in ‘2 Timothy 3:12’. He said “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
• When a land entertains what is evil, righteous people are not loved they’re always hated.
• In Micah 7:7 Although righteous people are perished, they are being intimidated and the land does not want them, Micah says; “Therefore, I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
• Because the Lord is the help to those who look to him, I will lift my eyes to the hills where my help comes from, you don’t look to man, you look to the Lord where your help comes from, man is not your help!! In fact man is a disappointment.
• When a land has pushed God away from its midst expect blood shed, abuse, evil plots against one another, peoples love on money and not their neighbors.

2. WHEN GOD IS PUSHED FROM THE LAND AND THE LAND DOES NOT LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – “THEIR HANDS ARE SKILLED TO DO EVIL (MICAH 7 VS 3).” –

• In such a land, people know how to do evil and not what is good and they do it best since they hate righteousness, they hate uprightness but entertain evil and they do evil skillfully.
• When a land has lost direction, officials and even judges ask for a bribe. In Micah chapter 3, you will see that even the Priests, and the Prophets would prophecy for money.!
• Micah says these people who are so called religious people are so corrupt. Doing what is evil. They do not seek to please God but themselves and filling their stomach with what they get by cheating people and prophets preach for money (Micah 3).
• The religious system, the political system, the social system and the economic system all gets rotten because God is pushed away from them.
• In verse 4 Micah says; “the best of them is as brier: the most upright is sharper than thorn hedge; the day of the and the visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.”
• That is to say even those you think are upright in the society that have pushed away God from them are a disappointment, that is why Micah in verse 5 says; “trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the door of thy mouth from her that Leith in thy bosom.”
• In a society that has pushed God away, a friend is your enemy. Put no trust in him. Even guard your mouth from the one you love.

Amen!!

Rev Biswick Nkhoma