In Micah 7:1-6, the prophet grieves over the condition of Israel. After being the mouthpiece for the Lord (6:9), Micah takes a figurative walk through the city (Jerusalem). He is overcome with what he sees, “What misery is mine!” (v 1). He becomes aware of the wickedness and the impending doom he can see coming. “The faithful have been swept from the land” ( v 2). Wickedness has become deeply ingrained, leading to the unravelling of the whole fabric of life. The heart of the problem is one of leadership: “the ruler…….the judge…….the powerful……the best of them” (3-4) have become skilled in doing evil.
As a watchman, Micah declares, “But your judgment day is coming swiftly now. Your time of punishment is here” ( 4). It will be “a time of confusion” (v 4)). This one phrase seems to describe what is characteristic of the soul of our nation. There would be social disorder with the brake down of relationships. “The situation is so dire that the people can’t trust a neighbor, a friend, or even a spouse (5). Close family relations have broken down (6). Judy and I are experiencing confusion among people we have know for years. Jesus later used verse 6 to say that following him may also damage family relationships (Matt. 10:35-36)
Micah pictures a society turned upside-down, in which “a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother” (6). It is important to note that Micah’s critic of society is not political but spiritual. “Political comment on social disintegration today often revolves around the need to focus, not so much on crimes and criminals, but on the causes of crime. Micah would direct us all back to the way we have steadily ignored, and often directly flouted, the requirements of God for our personal, social and working lives, as well as for our nation. Defiant rejection of God’s revealed truth is the fundamental reason for the social disintegration we see around us” (Bible Speaks Today)
After the darkness and gloom of contemporary life, Micah straightens up and declares his confidence in God. “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior, my God will hear me” (7:7). Men, notice three things from this prayer uttered in the midst of a literal brake up of society. It sure can point us in the right direction, when we stand for Jesus in the midst of significant confusion.
First, “But as for me” Micah was contrasting himself with the message of other “watchmen.” He was looking “to the Lord for help” (7). He was confident of better days ahead. “I confidently for God to save me.” Remember Jesus taught us to pray, “your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Micah could see beyond the confusion
Secondly, Micah said he would “wait.” The same Hebrew word is translated “depend” in 5:7. Micah had faith that God would preserve Israel through the coming judgment. He saw beyond the headlines. “Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light” (8).
Thirdly, Micah was confident that God would hear his prayer of lament, as he witnessed the brake up of society. This chapter “began with a cry of mourning (v 1-2) ends with the quiet confidence that God will act.” (NIVZSB)
Then in 7:8-20 Micah looks past the coming defeat and destruction to the future day when the Lord would reverse that judgment. A repentant people will raise again (7:8-9), the enemies would be defeated and Israel would be rebuilt (vv. 10-11). “This enemy who kept taunting, ‘So where is this God of yours?” I’m going to see it with these, my own eyes – my enemy disgraced, trash in the gutter” (v 10 MSG).
We are in Statesville, N.C. as I write this and God gave me the most perfect day with Him on Friday. Al and Mark went out for breakfast and Andrea was homeschooling our grandsons, so I had several hours to myself in such beautiful surroundings. My tummy was full as Andrea provides us with amazing nutritious meals. And this time while here, we have the whole lower level for Al and I to just make ourselves at home, as her parents who usually inhabit it, are gone for a time.
Dear Ones, Happy weekend to you! We arrived safely yesterday in Statesville, N.C. at our son’s home and thank you for prayers. Our two grandsons have grown, and we have already played several games of Horse, went to the gym. and will be playing many more games today after they have their home school homework done this morning. Wonderful to be together again.
Faith is lifting our eyes to the Lord and it can be done anytime and anywhere. We don’t have to be rich or have any special ritual, but just raise our eyes to Him in believing trust. God, I don’t know how you are going to do something, but I am trusting and believing…something deep inside sees and believes God. It is a joy to teach children as they find it easy to believe, and if you tell them something they have no reason not to believe it will happen. Like Lucie Christine said in such a beautiful childlike way, “My way is very simple-my soul lives in God by a glance of love between Him and myself. By this glance God gives Himself to me, and I myself to Him. This is my habitual state in which God has placed me.”
Let us form the habit of lifting the eyes of our soul to the Lord and listening to His voice and in faith believe what He will do, before we see it with our eyes,
Challenge for today: Lift your eyes to heaven several times during the day and thank Him that He is looking down at you with love.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
Challenge for today: Set aside time to read the Word slowly and ask the Holy Spirit to fill your hungry soul.
Andrew Yang recently wrote in a blog, “Everything is changing all at once. The change moves in lockstep, even as it summons up bewilderment, chagrin, and pushback. The pushback feels too little and too late – for what openly declares itself now can only do so by virtue of territory already captured and held while the rest of us slumbered. The captured territory encompasses institutions that have until recently been granted plenary power to decide such matters. They have themselves on a cliff, with no precedent – and perhaps no capacity – for climbing down safely.”
When I ponder what astute observers of our culture are saying, it makes me wonder if we are ready for the dramatic change, being orchestrated by the Lord of History. Our sovereign Lord could intervene suddenly; at any moment. Paul warned us, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Are we ready and waiting? While people are saying, ‘peace and safety’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman and they will not escape” (Thess. 4:3). Are we prepared for such a day? What will SUDDENLY look like?
There are three references to “suddenly” in the prophecies of Isaiah:
First, in Isaiah 30:13 the prophet is speaking to Israel. “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, calamity will come upon you suddenly – like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down.” Israel was like a high city wall with an inadequate foundation. By “oppression” and with “lies” (v 12) they had built a wall to assure their safety and prosperity, but it was about to be shattered (v 14). They hoped Egypt would help build a wall of protection against the Assyrians. Has our nation become oppressive in its behavior and become conditioned to believe lies? Are we beginning to see cracks in our foundations?
The second in Isaiah 47:11 the prophet is speaking to mighty Babylon, “So disaster will overtake you, and you won’t be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won’t be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will strike you suddenly, one for which you are not prepared.” In verse 10 the Babylonians boast of no one seeing them. But the prophet said to them, “But your ‘wisdom’ and ‘knowledge’ have led you astray, and you said, ‘I am the only one and there is no other.'” They thought they would escape any disaster. But it will come suddenly. Since we have spurned God, could this be true of our society?
Thirdly, we read in Isaiah 48:3-4, “Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true. For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron. Your heads are as hard as bronze” God had acted in the past after give his warnings. “God established a pattern of prophecies faithfully fulfilled, anticipating idolatrous thoughts rising from the hard hearts of his own people. God had prepared this defense for his own honor” (NIVZSB). In our stubbornness and obstinacy have we forgotten God’s actions in the past? Will God once again act drastically in our day? Don’t believe the dominant narrative of our day.
Are you ready for the day of the Lord? It will happen SUDDENLY. My advice from Isaiah: First – pay attention to the cracks in our foundation. Second -don’t trust the future outlook of the popular media. Third – pay attention to God’s actions in the past.
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