Punishment for Injustice and Sin

Micah 6:9-16 

9 The LORD's voice cries to the city—
Wisdom shall see Your name:
"Hear the rod!
Who has appointed it?

10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness
In the house of the wicked,
And the short measure that is an abomination?

11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales,
And with the bag of deceitful weights?

12 For her rich men are full of violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13 "Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you,
By making you desolate because of your sins.

14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away, but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.

15 "You shall sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.

16 For the statutes of Omri are kept;
All the works of Ahab's house are done;
And you walk in their counsels,
That I may make you a desolation,
And your inhabitants a hissing.
Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people."

God’s people were punished by the LORD for their sins of injustice along with their idolatry and immorality.  God spoke wisdom to get them to hear the consequences of their sins as they cheated each other and committed gross injustice against one another for personal gain and fleeting fame to boast in.  They treasured their wickedness and cheated each other as an abomination to God for their dishonesty and trickery.  They loved to load the weights on their measuring scales to sell less for more and did ever so more to offer less to God.  They grew rich by force and lied to gain wealth and power.  These abominations continue throughout history to this very day, even among some in God’s house to their shame!  God had brought sickness and desolation on Israel for their unrepentant sins against God and man, taking away any satisfaction they once had in the food they acquired unrighteously and bringing hunger back on their own heads.  They suffered defeat in battle and crops that would fail to be enjoyed by themselves.  The past sins of unrighteous rulers who provided the bad examples which the people followed had caught up with them and they were held accountable.  As they chose to listen to ungodly counsel, they were shunned by the world around them as they suffered reproaches of taunting and scorn for their sorry state.  This is the effect of unrepentant sin written for our example (1 Corinthians 10:11) to take heed as we read and not follow in their wayward footsteps of sin.  There is the consequences of punishment for injustice and sin.  May we be penitent and keep short accounts with God with prayer and watchfulness (1 John 1:9).