Category: Micah

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Micah

God’s wrath…and mercy

Wrath and mercy

One criticism often made of “the God of the Old Testament” (as if he’s different from the “God of the New Testament”) is that he’s a God of wrath, rather than a God of mercy.

I think the problem for the most part is that people don’t look closely enough at the Old Testament. They see the instances of God’s wrath, but miss the instances of mercy.

(I could also say that many people see the instances of God’s mercy in the New Testament, but miss the instances of judgment—namely in Matthew and Revelation, but in other places as well).

But here in Micah, we see both God’s wrath and mercy. Micah says in verse 9,

Because I (that is Israel) have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath… (Micah 7:9)

“See!” people will say. “Look. There it is! God’s wrath. I do something wrong, so God nails me to the wall for it!”

But look at the last half of that verse.

…until he pleads my case, and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. (Micah 7:9)

As I read that verse, it calls to mind Romans 8, where Paul says,

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died—more than that who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:33–34)

What we see here in these two passages, both Old and New, is that while God brings judgment, he is also our lawyer for those who belong to him. Jesus stands by our side and argues our case. What does he say?

“Father, I have already paid the price for this person’s sin. His debt has been paid.”

And so the Father says, “Fine. Justice has been served. Your sins are forgiven and you’re free to go.”

I love the last part of Micah where he says,

Who is a God like you who pardons sins and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18–19)

I love the picture here. Instead of stomping on us for our sins, God stomps on our sins.

Instead of throwing us off the side of the ship bound in chains, he bundles up our sins and throws them over the side of the ship, sinking them into the depths of the sea.

That’s our God. Not only a God of wrath, but a God of mercy.

The last verse in Micah where it says, “You will be true to Jacob and show mercy to Abraham,” holds true for us as well.

As John wrote,

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

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Micah

When there’s no one else we can count on

Micah

When trust has been broken, it can be hard to restore. Just ask anyone whose spouse has cheated on them.

Sometimes, when trust has been broken, it’s hard to trust anyone. We start to wonder if there’s anyone in this world we can count on.

That’s how Micah must’ve felt. He was in a land filled with violence and injustice. He was in a place where it was hard to trust anyone.

You couldn’t trust the leaders and the judges because they weren’t interested in justice. They were only interested in bribes.

And the corruption had seemingly dripped down to the entire population. Micah said,

The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains….

The best of them is like a brier, the most upright, worse than a thorn hedge. (Micah 7:2, 4)

Micah then adds,

Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words.

For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household. (Micah 7:5–6)

Pretty depressing words. But in the land where Micah lived, with all the corruption he saw, that’s how he felt.

And sometimes, we feel that way too. We wonder who we can trust.

But there is someone we can trust. Micah wrote,

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

Though everyone else may fail us, God will not. Though everyone may turn their backs on us, God will never forsake us. And though everyone else may betray us, God will ever be faithful to us.

He sees. He hears. He knows. So let us watch in hope for him, waiting for him,

because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–6)

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Micah

Empty religion

Walk humbly with your God

“I call to the stand the people of Israel.”

That’s basically the opening of Micah 6, where God calls the Israelites to account in a court-like atmosphere.

He cross-examines them, saying,

My people what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me! (Micah 6:3)

He then testifies of all he’d done for Israel, delivering them from Egypt and from those who tried to harm them, and leading them through the desert to the promised land.

At which point, the people got exasperated with all the questioning.

They asked God, “Well what do you want? We’ll do anything just to get you to shut up and leave us alone!

Do you want offerings of calves and rams? Shall I offer my own children as a sacrifice? What do you want anyway?”

That’s the kind of attitude that many people take when it comes to God. They think that all he wants is religious ritual. Going to church. Sacrificing their money by giving tithes. Fasting.

Some people at Lent will give up things that they usually do, thinking that it will earn them points with God, but then live their own way the rest of the year.

And that’s how the Israelites were. They just wanted to get their sacrifices out of the way, hopefully appease God through them, and then live their own way the rest of the time.

But Micah told them,

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

God is not interested in empty religion. What is empty religion? It’s doing religious acts devoid of a love for God. It’s doing religious rituals one day, but doing your own thing the rest of the time.

For the Israelites, they were cheating people in business and acting violently against each other (Micah 6:10–12).

While they were willing to act religiously to get God off their backs, they refused to do what God really required. To do what was right, to show mercy to the people around them, and to walk humbly with God daily, not just once a week.

How about you? What do you think pleases God? It’s not your money. It’s not going to church. It’s not doing religious rituals.

Jesus summed it up this way, when asked what the greatest commandment was. It wasn’t sacrifices. It wasn’t tithing. It wasn’t any religious rituals. Instead he said,

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30–31)

Do you want to please God?

It’s not found in empty religious acts.

It’s found in loving God, and in loving others.

That’s what God truly desires.

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Micah

When the enemy comes against us

Micah

Throughout its history, Israel has constantly been surrounded by its enemies. And in this passage, Assyria seems to be used as a type of all the enemies that would come against Israel.

But Micah prophesies here the ultimate triumph of Israel, saying,

When the Assyrian invades our land and marches through our fortresses, we will raise against him seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.

They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.

He will deliver us from the Assyrian when he invades our land and marches into our borders. (Micah 5:5–6)

In other words, the day will come when the enemies of God will rise up once again against Israel to destroy it.

But God will raise up people to lead Israel to victory over its enemies. Yet their strength will not come from their military, but from God.

Micah adds in verse 7 that the remnant of Israel will be like “dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind,” again pointing out that it is the Lord’s work, not man’s that brings this deliverance and ultimate victory.

And because of this the remnant of Israel will become like a lion that none of its enemies can stop (Micah 5:8).

On that day, all the things that Israel had trusted in the past—their military strength, their witchcraft, and all their false idols—will be taken away, and they will once and for all put their trust in God who casts down all their enemies. (Micah 5:9–15)

So what do we take from this? When the enemy of our souls comes against us, how do we respond? When we feel under attack in our lives, in our work, in our relationships, in our finances, or in our ministry, what do we do?

Remember that victory will not come from our own wisdom and strength.

So often, when our lives seem under attack, we panic and try to resolve problems in our own wisdom and understanding, ignoring the one who can deliver us.

But if we are to not only fend off these attacks, but totally overcome, we need to put our faith in God. And when God tells us what to do, we need to obey. And when we do, we will find victory.

The other thing we need to remember when we find ourselves under attack, is that the ultimate victory has already been won. That through Jesus’ work on the cross, our salvation has already been purchased, our sins forgiven.

So no matter what the enemy may do to us on this earth, it can’t touch what we have in heaven.

So don’t give up. Don’t get discouraged. Instead, trust in God and put your hope in him, knowing that the victory has already been won.

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Micah

The one who brings peace

Micah

Peace. What would you pay to have peace in your life?

That’s what the Israelites must have been thinking when Micah was writing. I suspect that many Jews feel the same way even today.

Micah here prophesies the fall of Jerusalem, and a time when the ruler of Judah would be struck and taken down.

But then Micah says that would not be the end of Israel. Rather, another ruler would arise from Bethlehem,

One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)

This, of course, is a prophecy of Jesus, one that the priests and teachers of the law pointed to when Herod asked where the Messiah would come from (Matthew 2:6).

And Micah says of Jesus,

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. (Micah 5:4–5)

How these words must have brought comfort to those who heard them. To be in trouble, in turmoil for years, and to have hope that one was coming who would bring them peace.

The ironic thing is that Jesus did come. But instead of embracing the one who could bring them the peace they longed for, they rejected and crucified him.

Even today, things have not changed. I’m not just talking about the Jews. I’m talking about all of us.

How often do we struggle with fear and hurt in our lives? How often do we long for peace of mind in our lives?

And yet, we refuse to turn to the one who can give us peace. We refuse to let him take the throne of our lives and submit to him.

One day, Jesus will come again, and at that time, he will reign and all will live securely. All will have peace.

But if we’ll only let him take the throne of our hearts, we can have peace now despite the circumstances in our lives that we go through. We can find security for our souls despite all the hurt around us.

Just as Jesus wept for Jerusalem 2000 years ago, he weeps for many of us today, saying as he did then,

How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. (Luke 13:34)

What was the result for Jerusalem?

Look, your house is left to you desolate. (Luke 13:35)

The result is the same today. Utter desolation for those who turn their backs on Jesus. A life without hope and peace.

How about you? Is your life feeling desolate? Meaningless? Hopeless? Without peace?

The answer for your life hasn’t changed in 2000 years. It’s found only in Jesus. And he longs to take you into his arms and give you the peace, hope, and meaning in life that we all desire.

All you have to do is surrender your life to him. Will you do that today?

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Micah

God’s plans

God's plans

The thing that amazes me about God is that he’s never surprised; he’s never caught off guard by the things that happen in this world.

We, on the other hand, are often caught up short by our circumstances, and as a result we often panic.

Sometimes we see God in that way. We think that when God made Adam and Eve in the garden, he had no idea that they would fall, that he panicked, and that he suddenly had to come up with a backup plan.

Or we think that when he chose the Israelites to be his people, he was shocked that they would turn their backs on him so quickly, and that he had to readjust his plans as a result.

But God knew from the beginning the choices Adam and Eve would make. He knew what choices the Israelites would make out in the desert and after they reached the promised land. And based on this knowledge, he built his plan.

I think you can see that clearly in this passage. Here, God scathingly rebukes the Israelites for their sin, saying,

Have you no king? Has your counselor perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon… (Micah 4:9–10)

In other words, God was saying, “I should have been your king. I should have been your counselor. But you turned your back on me, and now the people you relied on are gone. All that’s left for you is exile and captivity.”

But God makes clear that even in this, he had a plan for the Israelites, adding,

There you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you out of the hands of your enemies. (Micah 4:10)

There’s no sense of panic here or of changed plans.

Rather, God knew what the Israelites would do, and how he would respond. That he would punish his people for their disobedience, but that in his grace and mercy he would bring them back.

Am I saying that our choices don’t matter then? That God’s plan will be accomplished no matter what, so it doesn’t matter what we do?

No. It makes a big difference for us personally.

For when we cooperate with God in his plan, we find his blessing in our lives. But when we fight against his plan, we end up finding only pain and suffering.

The Israelites found that out when they went into exile. And the nations that conquered Israel discovered that soon enough as well. God said of them,

But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, “Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan. (Micah 4:11–12)

The nations around didn’t know God’s plan. As a result, they ended up fighting against God’s will and were eventually broken, just as Israel was.

But unlike the remnant of Israelites that repented and were saved, there was no salvation for these nations. They were utterly destroyed.

How about you? Are you seeking God’s will in your life? Are you cooperating with his plan?

When we do so, that’s when we truly find life. When we don’t, we will end up defeated and broken, just like Pharaoh, Babylon, and all the other people and nations that fought against God.

So as Moses once told the Israelites,

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

For the Lord is your life. (Deuteronomy 30:19–20)

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Micah

Not forever

Micah

If there is one place that has soured on war, it’s Japan.

If you would interview most people in Japan, you’d find that they take a much dimmer view of war than probably any other developed nation. Probably because they saw just how ugly it can be.

It’s too bad that other nations don’t take a similar view.

For years, we had the Cold War, and the world at times seemed on the brink.

Things are better now, but as long as people are in control, I don’t think war will ever disappear. Because with people comes covetousness, lust for power, and all the evils that cause war.

But it won’t last forever. The day will come when God wrests control away from all those who rebel against him and becomes King over all.

On that day, Satan and all who follow him will be vanquished, and justice and peace will reign.

Micah puts it this way:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it…

He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. (Micah 4:1, 3–4)

The main question we need to ask ourselves before that day comes is, “Whose side are we on?”

Because while for those who follow God, they will at last find peace, for those who don’t, there remains only judgment.

So let us seek God now. Let us not wait until the day of judgment, but let us say now,

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. (Micah 4:2)

And,

All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:5)

Whose side are you on?

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Micah

Non-rock-a-boatis

Don't rock the boat

Famous cult expert Walter Martin once noted a serious problem within the Christian church. He identified it by its Latin name, “non-rock-a-boatis.”

In other words, “Whatever you do, don’t rock the boat. Don’t say anything that will upset anybody.”

Unfortunately, too many churches suffer from this affliction. They are so worried about what people will think, that they soft-soap the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

I remember one time, my pastor talked about sexual purity and how God’s plan for us is to save sex for one person that we are totally committed to for life. He also talked against living with your partner before you get married.

The next week, attendance dropped, and it took several weeks for it to get back to normal. It seems that his message struck a very uncomfortable chord among those who heard. But it was a message that people needed to hear.

Micah certainly had no problems rocking the boat. He tore into the leaders of the country who were acting unjustly towards the people. He then tore into the “prophets” who only said what people wanted to hear, saying,

This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim ‘peace’; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him.

Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination.

The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.” (Micah 3:5–7)

Micah then said,

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8)

That’s the type of people we need to be. When people are in sin, we need to tell it to them straight. And if it offends them, so be it.

I’m not saying that we should be screaming at them, “You are going to hell!”

As I’ve mentioned before, there are far too many people who seem to take a perverse pleasure in that message. It almost seems like they take pleasure in imagining people burning in hell.

But God doesn’t take pleasure in people going to hell. He weeps over it. And so should we.

But it’s not enough to weep. We need to warn people. And sometimes that means rocking the boat and telling them what they don’t want to hear.

Micah did so, and we find in Jeremiah 26:17–19 that this message he gave in chapter 3 caused King Hezekiah to repent.

Isaiah was another prophet that didn’t hesitate to tell the truth. And between Micah, Isaiah, and the other prophets, they were able to make a difference.

How about you? Are you afraid to rock the boat? Are you so afraid of how others will react, that you fail to give people the whole counsel of God?

The whole counsel of God is this: that there is forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. But for those who reject that gift, there remains only judgment.

Let us not fear to rock the boat in the name of Jesus.

On the other hand, let us not just rock the boat just for the sake of upsetting people. But let us rock the boat in the love of Jesus, that people might repent and be saved.

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Micah

I don’t want to hear it

Micah

“I don’t want to hear it!”

How often do we say these words when it comes to God’s word?

We’re going through some trouble in our lives, we read something in the Word that deals with the situation, and immediately reject it because we don’t like what it says.

I remember a friend of mine talking about how he once was having trouble with the words that were coming out of his mouth, and he knew it.

Because of this, he took pains to avoid reading Proverbs and James where he knew the Bible talks a lot about the tongue.

But then one day, in some obscure passage, God nailed him to the wall about the things he was saying.

To his credit, at that point, he repented.

But so often, we avoid or ignore the Word of God in our lives because we know it will sting, just as hydrogen peroxide will sting if you put it on an open wound.

The Israelites were like that. They told Micah,

“Do not prophesy…

Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us…

Is the Spirit of the Lord angry? Does he do such things?” (Micah 2:6–7)

In short, the answer to the question was “Yes, God does bring judgment on his people when they sin.”

And we will suffer the consequences for our sin, whether it’s a broken marriage, financial ruin, or whatever else it may be, if we don’t repent.

But there’s another side to all this as well. God said, “Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?” (Micah 2:7)

In other words, God doesn’t just speak to make our lives miserable. He doesn’t give us his commands to take our lives away. He speaks in order that we may have life.

That we may have a healthy marriage. That we may have enough to eat and drink and a place to stay. That we may have work that satisfies. That we may have a life that really works.

And though his words may sting us at times, they will also heal.

But if we leave the open wounds of our sins untreated by his Word, they will fester, get infected, and ultimately destroy us.

How about you? Are there words from God that you are trying to avoid in your life today? Are there words from God that you are closing your ears to?

Open your heart. Soften your heart. The words of God may wound, but they also heal. May healing begin in your life.

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Micah

Just because you can

Micah

Here God condemns people for their blatant sins. Sometimes people sin, but it’s a thing of the moment. Perhaps, for example, we get angry with someone, and we react in a wrong way.

But here, people actually were planning out their sins. And basically they carried out their plans, sinful though they were, simply because they could.

God says of them in verse 1,

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. (Micah 2:1)

But God tells them in no uncertain terms that they will not get away with it. In verse 3, he 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. (Micah 2:3)

How often do we sin just because we can? We have the opportunity to sin, no one can stop us, no one will know, and so we sin.

Pornography, for example, used to be much more difficult for people to get away with, because you had to go to a store to get it. Somebody would definitely see you and know what you were doing.

Now the internet makes it easy to access without anyone knowing. And so many Christian men fall in this area as a result.

Or people cheat on their marriage partner because the opportunity presents itself and they feel no one will ever find out.

But God knows. Our sin will eventually come to light, if not in this world, then in the next, and there will be judgment.

So let us not embrace the opportunities we have to sin, but let us flee them. Just because it’s in our power to sin, doesn’t mean we should.

As Paul said,

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Romans 6:13–14)

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Micah

Following the sins of others

Lachish

We’re going to take a short break from Isaiah here for a couple of reasons. First, Isaiah is just about to prophesy against Jerusalem, and here, Micah does the same. And second, we need to do some catching up with the chronology.

Although they were contemporaries, Micah started his prophecies a little after Isaiah did. Isaiah started in the time of Uzziah; Micah started at the time of Uzziah’s son, Jotham.

As Micah begins, Israel (that is, the northern kingdom) is still standing, but as Micah points out, that wouldn’t last long.

He starts out by talking about the Lord’s judgment against Samaria for its idolatry, and told them that because of it, their cities would soon be devastated, and the idols they relied on would be broken to pieces.

But then he turns his attention to Judah. And two verses strike me here.

First in verse 9, it says,

[Israel’s] wound has come to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself. (Micah 1:9)

Then in verse 13,

You who live in Lachish… You were the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. (Micah 1:13)

In other words, while Israel started sinning first through their idol worship, these same things had crept their way into Judah as well.

It’s ironic to note that the spiritual breach occurred in the city of Lachish, because Lachish was one of the main fortress cities that protected Judah. And that spiritual breach would lead to a physical one.

In accordance with Micah’s prophecy, the Assyrian army attacked Lachish and crushed it, paving the way for them to lay siege to Jerusalem. It was only through God’s help that Jerusalem was delivered. But that’s another story for another time.

In the same way that sin crept into Judah and corrupted it, the sins of this world can creep into our lives as well if we’re not careful.

How often have you seen Christians fall into sin, whether it’s adultery, or the love of money, or whatever it may be?

As we look at the world around us, sin can look pretty attractive. It seems to offer us something good that we don’t have.

But as with the people of Israel and Judah, it leads to our destruction. It destroys our families, it destroys our faith, and ultimately destroys our lives if we’ll let it.

So let us be vigilant against the sins that would worm their way into our lives. And let us be a people that is pleasing to God, holy and blameless in his sight.