John Calvin Commentary Micah 2:11

"If a man walking in a spirit of 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 (ASV)

The Prophet points out here another vice by which the people were infected—that they wished to be soothed with flattery. For all the ungodly think that they are, in a way, exempt from God’s judgment when they hear no reproof; indeed, they think themselves happy when they get flatterers who are indulgent to their vices. This is now the disease which the Prophet discovers as prevailing among the people.

Jerome sought a completely different meaning here, as in the previous verses, but I will not pause to refute him, for it is sufficient to give the true meaning of the Prophet.

But as he previously interpreted 'women' as 'princes,' and thus entirely perverted the meaning, so he says here, "I would I were a vain Prophet, that is, walking in vanity, and lying;" as if Micah said, "I wish I were false in denouncing to you the calamities about which I speak; for I would prefer to announce to you something joyful and favorable, but I cannot do this, for the Lord commands something different." But there is nothing like this in the words of the Prophet. Let us then return to the text.

If a man walks in the spirit, and deceitfully lies, etc. Almost all interpreters agree on this: that to walk in the spirit is to announce anything proudly and presumptuously, and they interpret 'spirit' as wind or as deceits. But I do not doubt that 'to walk in the spirit' was then a common way of speaking to describe the exercise of the prophetic office.

Therefore, when anyone was a Prophet, or one who fulfilled that office, or held the role of a teacher, he professed to have been sent from above. The Prophets were indeed formerly called 'men of the spirit,' and for this reason: because they brought forth nothing from themselves or from their own minds, but only faithfully delivered, as if from hand to hand, what they had received from God.

To 'walk in the spirit' then means, in my view, the same thing as professing the office of a teacher. Therefore, when anyone professed the office of a teacher, what was he to do? Micah says, If I, being endowed with the Spirit and called to teach, wished to gain favor with you and preached that there would be an abundant supply of wine and strong drink, everyone would applaud me; for if anyone promises these things, he becomes the prophet of this people.

In short, Micah implies that the Israelites rejected all sound doctrine, for they sought nothing but flattery and wished to be indulged in their vices; indeed, they desired to be deceived by false flattery to their own ruin. Thus it appears that they were not the people they wished to be considered, that is, the people of God: for the first condition in God’s covenant was that He should rule among His people.

Since, then, these men would not tolerate being governed by divine power and wished to have complete and unrestrained freedom, it was as if they had banished God far from themselves. Thus, by this proof, the Prophet shows that they had completely departed from God and had no fellowship with Him.

If there is then any man 'walking in the spirit,' Micah says, let him keep far from the truth, for he will not otherwise be tolerated by this people. How so? Because they will not accept honest and faithful teachers.

What then is to be done? Let flatterers come and promise them plenty of wine and strong drink, and they will be their best teachers and be received with great applause. In short, the suitable teachers for that people were the ungodly; the people could no longer endure the true Prophets; their desire was to have flatterers who would be indulgent to all their corruptions.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since we cannot otherwise truly profit by Your word than by having all our thoughts and affections subjected to You and offered to You as a sacrifice — O grant, that we may allow You, by the sound of Your word, to pierce so deeply through everything within us, so that, being dead in ourselves, we may live to You and never allow flatteries to become our ruin, but may instead patiently endure reproofs, however bitter they may be, letting them serve us as medicine by which our inward vices may be cleansed; until at last, being thoroughly cleansed and formed into new creatures, we may, by a pious and holy life, truly glorify Your name and be received into that celestial glory which has been purchased for us by the blood of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.