Who is Like YHWH in His Grace (????)

MAIN THEME — “HOPE”

Need a good opening illustration/story/quote about hope. What is the essence of hope?

Context for Israel/Judah (Text) — KEYWORD: HOPE

Set up — last couple of weeks — judgment

Begins with a prophetic word that will come to pass in the distant future. What a dramatic turn of events!

Micah 3:12 ESV

12 Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

The mountain of the Lord’s house - Mt. Zion - in chapter 3 is going to be completely mowed down. Jerusalem will be destroyed and left as nothing but a heap of ruins…the mountain will be an uninhabitable forest.

Now…Look at 4:1! This decimated mountain will literally tower over the whole earth!

Jerusalem/Zion — that was built on bloodshed and injustice (3:10) — will now be built by YHWH Himself.

Self-serving and malevolent “judging” and “teaching” by Jerusalem’s “leaders” in 3:11 — Now, YHWH will teach the nations His word and will rule in perfect and righteous justice over all nations.

Instead of the nations coming to Jerusalem to lay siege to it, destroy it, etc., the nations will now flow like rivers to the mountain of God to learn from His word—as HE teaches them—and to walk in His paths.

PERFECT PEACE — there will be no more warfare. Even weapons will be refashioned into tools.

Vs. 4 — each person will sit under his grapevine and under HIS fig tree. There is abundance in the land again and the fact that each person has a portion of the land restored to them (the corruption from chap. 2 is done away with).

The idolatry that ran like a poisonous cancer through the land and the lives of the covenant people of Judah and Israel will forever be done away with. Even the pagan nations will turn from their false gods.

God will lovingly and tenderly gather a people for His name’s sake again (THE REMNANT).

Vs. 8 — the sovereign and absolute and kind rule of YHWH.

(VS. 9-13)

But…back to the present. Before glory and restoration and healing there has to come discipline.

The road to renewal and restoration has to pass through suffering, first.

**DEATH & RESURRECTION**

2. Christ (Theology)

3. Application for us (Life)

Hope. Maybe you are going through a season of discipline. There is hope - judgment is not the final word for the child of God.

Maybe you are going through a season of testing.

Title: "Who is Like YHWH in His Sovereignty?"

Text: Micah 4:1-13

Main Takeaway: Our hope is secure in God's sovereign plan and purpose.

Jesus is the consummation of God's plan and purpose.

In Jesus, we have hope even in our sin. 

In Jesus, we have hope in the brokenness.