The Last of the Seven Chapters
Here we so quickly come upon the end of this book. But Micah has waited for the end of the book
for a very important chapter. It is here
where Micah pleads with the Lord. We can
learn an incredible truth here in this book.
A person who proclaims God’s truth must wait and listens to the Lord as
his first priority. It is easy for us to
think we know what to say. It is even
easy for us to try and argue with God.
But the prophet’s first calling is to listen. If we are to proclaim truth, we must get in
the habit of listening before speaking.
For the record, this isn’t an indictment of the other prophets who
talk to the Lord throughout their whole books as opposed to Micah who only
speaks in the end. You see, most of the
other prophets have multiple visions and multiple communications stretched out
over the course of their ministry. So
they are listening first, speaking second.
They are just going through multiple iterations within each of their
books. Here in Micah we have a single
grand message followed up by Micah’s response to that singular message.
Micah Takes an Honest Look
Having received a message from God, one of the first things that Micah
does is take an honest look around him.
He realizes that the Hebrew people are falling away from God and fading
rather quickly according to the ways of the Lord. He compares the current state of the Hebrew
people as when the harvest has already been gathered. There is nothing left within them that is
useful for sustaining people. That’s a
pretty potent analogy if I’ve ever heard one!
People look to hurt one another.
Public officials look for ways to become rich rather than bring about
justice. Rather than being a community
they are at best a collection of individuals.
That’s a fairly scary notion when you think about it. Great nations are built on their desire to
look out for one another and lift one another up. Great nations are not a pile of individual
stones but rather many stones composing a single unified wall. Unfortunately, the Hebrew people have come to
the place where in their comfort they look to increase their own comfort. They are not a singular great wall; they are
a pile of individual stones.
I can’t help but think of the modern western world when I go
through these thoughts. What made the
west strong? We worked together. We had a communal identity. It meant something to be American. We had a common set of values, ethics, and
morality. What have we become? We still have a common ethic and morality:
whatever is best for me right now! Sure,
we all believe the same thing; the problem is our belief has shifted from the
good of the community to the good of the individual. I think this is a terrible shift. It brought about the downfall of the Hebrew
people. It brought about the downfall of
many other nations along the way. If we’re
not careful, it will be our undoing as well.
This is what I love about verse 7.
Micah sees wisdom where it resides.
Micah says “As for me, I will look to the Lord.” Micah knows the secret to diffusing the “instant-gratification-all-about-me”
lifestyle. Turn to God. Focus on God.
Humble yourself.
Judgment Comes
Verses 8-10 give us quite an interesting perspective into
life. Micah actually seems to embrace
the burden of judgment. He knows that he
has sinned. He knows that he bears God’s
indignation because of that sin. But he
embraces that reality and actually looks forward to judgment! Micah knows that in judgment he will find the
cure for that which ails him. Like a
criminal who commits a crime subconsciously to be caught, Micah looks forward
to judgment. Like a youth who feels
relief when they are caught so that through the discipline of the parent an
out-of-control life can regain balance, Micah looks forward to judgment.
Micah knows that for the repentant sinner judgment will be
tough. People will look on with
derision. However, Micah knows that God
will turn shame into glory through the judgment of the repentant. Now that’s living life with the perspective
of God!
Appeal to God
Micah ends this book with an appeal to God. First, Micah asks God to once again shepherd
His people. He asks God to not send away
the people into perpetual judgment but rather to one day bring them back and
allow them to enjoy the comforts of the land to which God has promised
them. Micah knows that judgment is
necessary, but he asks God to allow that judgment to pass so that there can be
a time of dwelling with the Lord once more.
Again we see the prophet force himself to look through the despair and
into the hope of the things to come beyond judgment.
The second appeal is actually a note of praise to God’s
character. Micah reminds himself that
God is unlike any other power in the world.
God forgives iniquity. God does
not retain His anger in spite of the fact that we as human beings have no hope
of appeasing it. God delights in love
more than anger. God is the one who can
deal with our sins. God casts our sins
away from Him. God is faith and
steadfast in spite of how we behave.
God is rather incredible.
Amen. What a way to end the study
of a book of the Bible!
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