Micah 3:12

God’s punishment will therefore be as serious as the crime. ‘Because of you’ refers to the rulers (the judges). They were proud of their buildings. But they had made the buildings unholy. Soon, the hill with its *Temple would not still belong to the *LORD. That would make it *spiritually unclean and unholy. It would become a heap of rubbish. Wild animals would occupy it. *Israel’s Holy God would leave his holy *Temple. Jesus said the same thing about the *Temple in Jerusalem. He accused the *religious leaders. They had not used the *Temple in the right way. They had used it for their own honour and profit (Matthew chapter 23). Jesus spoke about a time when enemies would ruin the *Temple (Matthew chapter 24).

But we need to take notice of this message today. We must not use Christian things in the wrong way.

Certain people remembered what Micah had said. This was nearly a hundred years later. This is what happened. *Religious leaders planned to kill Jeremiah. Then some other leaders spoke to the people. All the people listened. These leaders reminded the people about Micah’s message (Jeremiah 26:16-18). The result was that these leaders saved Jeremiah’s life.

Hezekiah, the king of Judah, did not kill Micah. Neither did anyone else. King Hezekiah listened to what the *prophet said. The king began to respect the *LORD very greatly. The king asked for God’s help. God heard his prayer. God had said that he would make something evil happen to that country. But it did not happen at that time. God saved Jerusalem because of King Hezekiah’s prayer. But after Hezekiah’s death, the rulers, the judges and the other important people became even more evil. In the end, enemies destroyed Jerusalem, as the *prophets had warned.

Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
prophet ~ a person who is able to tell other people what God wants; a person who speaks on behalf of God; someone who tells about things that will happen in the future. But a false prophet is someone who merely pretends to speak God’s words.
priest ~ a man who gave gifts and burned animals as gifts to God for the Jews; a man whom God chose to serve him and to do special work for him.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep.
covenant ~ a serious agreement between two or more people; a serious agreement between God and a person (or a nation).
Lord ~ someone with authority; or, a name for God in the Bible; it means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus; we use that name when we obey him.
LORD ~ the special name for God that he himself told the Jews to call him in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is Yahweh. Do not confuse ‘LORD’ with ‘Lord’. ‘Lord’ can mean that you respect any person. But ‘LORD’ only means the real God. ‘LORD’ and ‘Lord’ translate two completely different Hebrew words.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
prophet ~ a person who is able to tell other people what God wants; a person who speaks on behalf of God; someone who tells about things that will happen in the future. But a false prophet is someone who merely pretends to speak God’s words.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.'spiritual, spiritually ~ holy; these words describe the inner part of a person, that can contact God; these words describe holy things.
fairness ~ when a person behaves fairly towards someone else.
sin ~ when people do wrong things against God; when we do not obey God’s commands; the evil nature that is in us, which we were born with.'Temple, temple ~ the special building where Jews went to praise God; the holy place in heaven where God is; OR a special building where people went to praise false gods.

Temple, temple ~ the special building where Jews went to praise God; the holy place in heaven where God is; OR a special building where people went to praise false gods.
Jew ~ a descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called Israel.
descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead.
Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are descendants from Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of Jews and people that speak Hebrew.
Hebrew ~ the language that Jewish people speak.
Jewish ~ this word describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.

'psalms, Psalms ~ songs about God that tell how good and great he is; songs that tell what God has done; a book that contains such songs, in the Bible.

psalms, Psalms ~ songs about God that tell how good and great he is; songs that tell what God has done; a book that contains such songs, in the Bible.
religious ~ pure, holy and sincere; when someone follows a religion; when someone loves God.
forgiveness ~ when you show pity towards a person that has done something wrong to you; when you do not accuse that person any longer and you do not continue to remember those bad things; when God frees us from punishment for wrong things.
religious ~ pure, holy and sincere; when someone follows a religion; when someone loves God.