Micah: Jerusalem's Messiah

We are going to be as I mentioned in the Book of Micah today. And so you can turn over to the Book of Micah and I it was struck as I was reading through the Book of Micah how quotable it is reminds me of something a bit like Shakespeare. Sometimes we were not aware of how much William Shakespeare has contributed to our sayings All That Glitters Is Not Gold is from Shakespeare, all's well that ends. Well, you might be familiar with that one. I just crushing is the better part of valor. I didn't know that was Shakespeare. I thought that was some general somewhere eaten out of house and home is Shakespeare Fight Fire with Fire take a pound of Flesh wear your heart on your sleeve vanished Into Thin Air a wild goose chase that's all been given to us from William Shakespeare. I didn't know he was that quotable. I guess maybe I should read it more often. I don't know but the Book of Micah has the same kind of quotable verses that many of us know I think of Mike, 68 he's told you old man. And what is good? And what is the Lord require of you is having trouble speaking today but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God Micah 5:2, but you will Bethlehem ephrathah who are too little to be among the clans of Judah from you should come forth for me one who's from to be a ruler and Israel. Who's coming forth is from old from Ancient of Days. We hear that verse at Christmas time about the birth of our savior Micah 43. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their Spears into pruning hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation. Neither. Shall they learn War any more or how about Micah 7. I love this passage verses 18 and 19. Who is a God Like You pardoning iniquity. I'm passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance. He does not retain his anger forever because he Delights in steadfast love he will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all of our sin into the depths of the sea. I hope you discern the theme from the music this morning this afternoon that it was all about the mercy of God and his forgiveness even in the scripture reading that those handwriting of requirements that were against us because of our sin. They've been nailed to the cross. They've been removed Christ remove them having nailed him to the cross and what a glorious picture of our sin that it was nailed to the cross so that we bear it no more here in Micah that the author pictures God forgiving our sins like casting it into the deepest part of the sea never to be found again, and he easy pictures that is treading it underfoot to crush it. Where is heal so that it is absolutely destroyed and never going to rear its ugly head again. What a wonderful promise we have and in this is just by way of introduction now Micah himself was a profit from a small town of Moorish at we see inverse one, which was a part of Judah. It was about 20 miles Southwest of Jerusalem and Micah lived at the same time as the prophet Isaiah. And there's a superscription that's in the book. That was probably not part of the original Bible but was but was written down a very long time ago in the Hebrew that tells us it was in the last half of the 8th Century. So this would date Micah around the same time. As I said of Isaiah ministering under the the reign of Good King Uzziah Uzziah. The reason this is important. Is it brought very large economic prosperity in the development of the merchant classes we've seen and the some of the crimes that the people were committing against their neighbor was that the merchant class was taking advantage of the farmers The Agrarian class. And Micah calls out the people for doing this taking advantage of the farmers and Mike has the only one of these Minor Prophets that gives us his explicit reason for writing declaring that the purpose was to condemn the sins of Injustice and false religion that would result in destruction in Exile. So when we read the book of Micah sits seven chapters, it's a little bit longer in the Minor Prophets. We see that there are these contrasts These emphases that Micah has Yahweh for example is the god of Israel yet. He's also the God of all the nations Yahweh is Judge, but he's also savior Yahweh. Is Majestic in his wrath. But he's also a stone ashing in his compassion. He demands and executes justice, but he also promised his forgiveness he scatters, but he also gathers he destroys Zion, but he also rezurex Zion the city of God the god of Micah threatens the nation's with humiliation, but at the same time, he also offers these Nations Peace and Micah actually breaks up into three parts very nicely because each section begins with the Hebrew word hear or listen, so Micah chapter 1 verse to hear you people's all of you pay attention like a 3 chapter 1 hear you It's of Jacob's Jacob and rulers the house of Israel. 61 hear what the Lord says arise plead your case. So chapters one and two go together chapters 3 through 5 and then chapters 6 and 7 and like all of the Minor Prophets Micah condemns the scent of his people but he also offers hope he promised is a day when Israel is going to be purged from all the elements that caused her to stray from Yahweh and he speaks of a royal king Lee deliver from the line of David who's going to come the Messiah and so it demonstrates God's glory brought in bringing salvation through judgment. That's been this major theme in the Minor Prophets God's glory Bryce when he brings salvation through judgments. Tamika Yahweh is the god of Israel. But we're going to see Yahweh is also offering the same Nations Peace and he's the God of all the nation. Well, how is he going to do it? My outline is up behind me and it's it's the whole outline and I just want to read through each of the three points. So what Micah prophesize is that you always going to destroy and remake Jerusalem, he's going to replace Jerusalem's Leaders with his Messiah and this will fulfill his promises by filling Jerusalem with his faithful Remnant from every nation. The reason why I want to show you the outline straight away is this sure sounds like the New Testament this sounds like the gospel. Jerusalem is going to be remade don't we have a promise of a New Jerusalem that's to come that the leaders who were wicked and evil, even the best of them had ugly Parts. They're going to be replaced with King Jesus the Messiah who's going to rule and Reign forever and bring peace and this New Jerusalem is not just going to be filled with the nation of Israel. It's going to be a faithful Remnant from every nation tribe people and tongue and that's what we see in Revelation chapter 5 gathered around the throne at the end of the age from every nation tribe and people and tongue and I know I remind you of this a lot to Thousand Years Later here in Benicia. We're on the other side of the planet from Jerusalem were the ends of the Earth that the Lord has brought his mercy and Grace to Those of us has the fusion says who were without hoping without God God has drawn near in Christ and brought us near isn't that good news that we get to be part of this Kingdom forever that Will Never Be Shaken. So the first two chapters Yahweh will destroy and remake Jerusalem. Listen to chapter 1 the word of the Lord that came to Micah of more Chef in the days of jotham a has and Hezekiah Kings of Judah which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem hear you people's all of you pay attention to Earth and all that is in it and let the Lord God be a witness against you the Lord from his holy Temple for behold. The Lord is coming out of his place and we'll come down and tread upon the high places of the Earth. And the mountains will melt under him in The Valleys will split open like Wax before the fire like water is poured down a steep place all this is for the transgression of Jacob in for the sins of the House of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah is it not Jerusalem? Therefore I will makes the Marriott heat in the Open Country a place for planting Vineyards and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundation's all her carved images. She'll be beating the pieces all her wages shall be burned with fire and all her Idols. I will lay waste from the fee of a prostitute. She gathered them into the fee of a prostitute they shall return For this I will lament and way. Oh, I will go stripped and naked I will make lamentation like the jackals and morning like the ostriches for her wound is incurable and it has come to Judah. It has reached to the gate of my people to Jerusalem. Tell it not in gath weed. Not at all in Bethlehem fraud roll yourselves in the dust pass on your way inhabitants of shaffir and nakedness and shame the inhabitants of a non do not come out the lamentation of bess's they'll she'll take you take away from you. It's standing play for the inhabitants of morose wait anxiously for good because disasters come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem. Harness, the steeds to the Chariots inhabitants of licorice. It was the beginning of sins the daughter of Zion for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. Therefore you shall give parting gifts to more Chef gas the house of achziv shall be a deceitful thing to the Kings of Israel. I will again bring a conqueror to you and habitants of Mara Chef meresha, the glory of Israel shall come to our Delong make yourselves involved in cut off your hair for the children of your Delight make yourselves as bald as the eagle so they should go from you into Exile. What a what a graphic picture think about. What what God is picturing hear the path of sin coming down from Samaria in the north all the way to the Gates of Jerusalem so that the resulting path of judgment comes down from Samaria through the northern kingdom in chapter 1 any calls on all the nations to witness and verse to watch pay attention. He's been Patient now he's done he rises up and when did Israel see God rise up before will the last time he rose up was when he destroyed Egypt and delivered Israel through the Red Sea when he destroyed the Nations that were in Talla Stein the Canaanites and gave Israel to promiseland. And now he says I'm going to rise up and judge you Israel and Judah they knew what was coming God's judgments and he says in verse 3 in in verse five. He's going to shred down the high places in the context. This is their Capital Cities Jerusalem and Samaria. The city of Jerusalem in particular was supposed to be the highest mountain Mount Zion where God's glory dwelled among his people in the temple and the kings were supposed to represent God on Earth and in Jerusalem was meant to be a a picture of God's glory instead. Jerusalem was full of sin. And selfishness and so God's going to destroy the capital city verse 9 the sins of Samaria have reach to the Gates of Jerusalem and inverse 12, the corresponding disaster would come to the Gates of Jerusalem. Now I have to imagine that this would have been a really hard message for my cat a preach. He was from Judah Jerusalem was 20 miles away. He went often up to the city. to Worship in the temple back in verse 8. It says he's going to lament and wail. He's preaching through tears because in verses 9 and 10 the wound is incurable. Thus it is incurable has come to Judah and infected Judah and reach the Gate of Jerusalem. These are his people he loved the city. It was a place you would go as I said and worship God in the temple. This was not him taking Delight. This is him weeping over the sin of his people and for sins are highlighted in Chapter 2 verses 1 to 5. The first sin is that they oppressed the poor and defenseless. Look at a 2:1 woe to those who devised wickedness and work evil on their beds in the morning Dawns, they perform it because it's in the power of their hand they covet fields and sees them and houses and take them away. The oppressor man in this house a man in his inheritance. Therefore thus says the Lord will hold against this family. I'm devising disaster from which you cannot remove your necks and you shall not walk haughtily for it will be a time of disaster in that day. They shall take Bataan song against you and mon bit early and say we are utterly ruined he changes the portion of my people how he removes it from me to an apostate helots our fields. Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot in the Assembly of the Lord. So the wealthy and powerful and Israel. We're taking the land of their neighbors the farmers taking their inheritance. And God says I'm going to give you over to a wicked Kingdom. We know Babylon comes in and conquers the southern Kingdom. Here's a prophecy of it the second seed in verse 6. They oppose God's Messengers and his word for 6 do not preach this. They preach one should not preach of such things disgrace will not overtake us. They don't want to hear Micah's message. They they didn't want to hear any of the profits before him. They're saying don't preach it up don't tell us God is going to judge us tell us what we want to hear. Tell us good news. Tell us God is going to make us rich and healthy and happy. That's what we want to hear.

Their third sin. They practice evil 47 should this be settle House of Jacob has the Lord grown impatient are his deeds are these his deeds do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly but lately my people have risen up as an enemy you strip the rich road from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of War. The woman women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses from their young children. You take away my Splendor forever arise and go for this is no place to rest because of unclean is the Destroyers with Grievous destruction. Some of the people were taking up robbing and thieving assaulting wealthy people on the road who thought they were taking the safe way home. Not only that they were stealing women out of homes away from their children presumably to sell them as prostitutes and sex slaves 4th send they delighted in false prophets verse 11. If a man should go about and utter wind and lies saying I will preach to you of wine and strong drink. He would be the preacher for this people. They they wanted their profits to say you're going to enjoy the best of wine the best beer the best strong drink there is you going to have parties and live in luxury and enjoy yourself. Remember what I said at the beginning. This was a time of economic Prosperity. This is the reason that that Babylon comes in and sees the wealth of the nation and they say, hey, let's invade it and take all of it for ours. but even in this strong judgment against Jerusalem Yahweh does not judge in order to destroy but in order to purify and remake and restore Jerusalem, look at verse 12, I will surely assemble all of you owe Jacob. I will gather the remnant of Israel. I will set them together like sheep in a fold like a flock in its pasture a noisy multitude of men he who opens the breach goes up before then they break through and past the gate going out by it that their King passes on before the Lord at their head. Just as he went before his people and was their head as they Journey from Egypt to the promised land. He's going to go before them and his Remnant into the New Jerusalem that is going to be remade. Where do we see this again? We see this in the New Testament in the Book of Revelation chapter 21 and 22 the Apostle John sees the New Jerusalem actor Jesus the Messiah Second Coming that Jesus is going to rain and he's going to judge the nation's. And so you have this picture of Jerusalem in their wickedness getting judged, but God going to remake in and restore Jerusalem. Thank you. And so Yahweh is going to head up and go before his people verse 13 into the New Jerusalem. Just like he went before them when he led them out of Egypt.

The second message that there to here in chapters 3 to 5 is that you always going to replace Jerusalem's Leaders with his messiah in chapter 3 there's the failed leadership of Judah vs 12 for the leaders are condemned. That is the rulers of Jerusalem. He says 3:1 here you heads up Jacob rulers of the House of Israel. Is it not for you to know Justice? You hate the good and love the evil who tear the skin from off my people in their flesh from off their bones who eat the Flesh of My People in lay their skin from off them and break their bones and pieces and chop them up like meat in the pot. Wow. Graphic like flesh in a cauldron, then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time because they have made their deeds evil.

The rulers of Jerusalem or condemned and then in verses 5 to 10, the prophets are condemned buses the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray who cried peace when they have something to eat but declare war against him who puts nothing in their mouth. Hear this verse 9u heads of the House of Jacob and rulers of the House of Israel who detest Justice and make crooked all that straight who builds Ian with blood in Jerusalem with iniquity. So the rulers are guilty the profits are guilty and then in verse 11, the priests are guilty. They failed. It's heads give judgment for a bribe. It's priests teach for a price its profits practice divination for money yet. They lean on the Lord and say is not the Lord in the midst of us. No disaster shall come upon us the result in verse 12. Therefore because of you has Ian shall be plowed as a field Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins and a mountain of the house a wooded height. What a graphic picture and this is the height of the Judgment in the Book of Micah. There's going to be some more talk of judgment, but this is the the picture and we sometimes lose sight of you know, the the the story here because we don't live in Jerusalem, but imagine if we just replace this with our hometown. The God's judgment was going to come lay waste to the city and the nation was going to come in and Conquer and it was going to be left desolate because of our sin. As a people as we're hearing this Prophet, we would want to say what should we do? To avert this. What should we do to experience your mercy rather than your judgement? and he goes on in chapter 4 to say this is what I'm going to do so that you can experience Mercy 4:1 it shall come to pass in the latter days, but the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains and it shall be lifted up above the hills and peoples Nations shall flow to it many nations shall come and say come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the god of Jacob that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk In his pads proud of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples and she'll decide disputes for strong Nations far away and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their Spears into pruning hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation. Neither. Shall they learn War any more but they shall sit every man under his Vine and under is fig tree and no one shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord of hosts is spoken for all the peoples walk each in the name of its God, but we will walk in the name of the Lord Our God forever and ever and that day declares the Lord. I will assemble the lame and gather those who've been driven Away In Those whom I've inflicted in the lame. I will make the remnant and those who were cast off a strong nation and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore. And you owe Tower of the flock. He love the daughter of Zion. To you shall it come the former Dominion shall come kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem noticed that the characteristics of this coming Messiah who's going to restore Jerusalem verse 1 he is going to be exalted above all other rulers each. I'll be established as the highest of mountains Jerusalem to his law will reign supreme. The word of the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem out of Zion shall go forth the law versus three and four his reign will be characterized by piece. They're going to beat their plow their swords into plowshares versus 527. His people will walk in the name of Yahweh and verse 8 Jerusalem will have dominion as God's Dominion. Rather over God's kingdom will what in the world is Micah talking about We talkin about this King this defendant. He's going to mention later in chapter 5 who's a descendant of David who's going to rule and Reign forever? And this kingdom was inaugurated the exaltation of Jesus when he was seated at the right hand of the father. We see this in Acts chapter 2. We see it in Hebrews chapter 12, and it's going to be consummated at his second coming Revelation 11 Revelation 21 and 22. I I'm going to save my I'm not going to steal my own Thunder and go to those passages quite yet. We're going to get there in a moment. Back to chapter 4 of Micah judah's leaders couldn't save from invasion in Exile versus 9214 92. 13 of Micah chapter 4 but the Messiah can the Messiah can insult This Promise of his birth in chapter 5 First one that muster your troops o daughter of troops Siege is laid against us with a rod. They strike the judge of Israel on the cheek, but you oh Bethlehem ephrathah who are too little to be among the clans of Judah in other words in the context of Jerusalem being sacked and pillaged Bethlehem. Didn't have a large enough City to send a military force to help the defense. But out of Bethlehem is going to come 1/4 for me one who is to be ruler in Israel. Who's coming forth is from old from Ancient of Days. Will he is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world doesn't get any more ancient than that. He is the one who's going to rule and Reign verse for he shall stand in Shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the name of the Lord is God and they shall dwell secure for now. He shall be great to the ends of the Earth and he shall be their peace. Wow, what a promise. When you Siri and comes into our land and Treads in our palaces. Then we will raise against him Seven Shepherds and eight princes of men. They shall Shepherd the land of a cereal with the sword in the land of nimrod had its entrances and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land in shreds within our border. Then the remnants of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people's like do from the Lord like showers on the grass, which delayed not for a man nor wait for the children of man. The savior's coming from Bethlehem outside of Jerusalem out of steaming littleness and weakness. God has perfected strength and he is going to be a Shepherd verse for this goes back to Psalm 23, doesn't it? The Lord is my shepherd I lack no good thing this one who's coming it reminds us of John 10. I am the Good Shepherd. I lay down my life for the Sheep when he says, I'm the Good Shepherd. He doesn't mean good like our Ward good it it just is so elastic nowadays, right? I mean, I if you if you want to buy a used car good isn't even the Kelly Bluebook standard you want you don't want good that's like mediocre. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It doesn't mean that he's just mediocre know. He's the the shepherd par exsalonce. He's the he is he promised Shepherd who's been coming who is the shepherd appointing from old who is going to take and Shepherd is people into this Kingdom so that they will have peace forever. He is the Good Shepherd in the way. He does it is by laying down his life for the Sheep John 10. I mean buried and Rising again and being exalted to the right hand of the father and sitting at his right hand now all of his enemies are being made a footstool for his feet and The Last Enemy to be destroyed is death and he's going to bring in the kingdom and there will be peace forever. It'll be no more death will be no more. He's going to wipe every tear from our eyes. Sickness will be no more. What a day that's going to be. This is what Micah is prophesying. This is what he's talking about. This one who's to come? He's going to lead as a Shepherd. He's going to feed and protect and exercise authority over his own as a shepherd. He will be Invincible. I think about David the king. He protected the sheep from lions and bears. We know the story with his sling and then he was able to slay Goliath with his sling but this Messiah this one who's to come this descendant of David. He will be in doubt. It says with the strength of Yahweh. He's not just going to have the strength of man. He's going to have the strength of Yahweh. Why because he is Yahweh. He's not just a man. He is God. He's going to replace all of the leaders weather prophets or priest or King and Israel. And he is the prophet priest king who is to rule and Reign for ever giving us his law and his word giving us his prophecies interceding is our high priest Forever at the right hand of the father and the book of Hebrews gives us this wonderful promise that because he is our high priest. He lives and reigns forever is a high priest and we don't need another high priest which means all of our sins really are forgiven and Mike is going to get to that in chapter 7 there in the depths of the ocean floor there treasure under foot.

You always going to fulfill his promises by filling Jerusalem with a faithful Remnant that's chapters 6 and 7. So Michael returns to this judgment and he's pleading with Israel this depraved Nation. He says in chapter 6 you forgot Yahweh versus 125 versus 628 you've offered unacceptable sacrifices versus 11:51, you've taken advantage of the poor and the oppressed and as a result in verses 13 to 16. You are under Divine Wrath. And so the original inhabitants of Jerusalem are going to be taken away into judgements. but there is going to be a Remnant in Chapter 7. What was me verse 1 of chapter 7 fried become as when the summer fruit has been gathered as when the grapes have been gleaned. There is no cluster to eat. No first ripe figs at my soul desires The Godly has perished from the earth in there is no one up right among mankind. They all lie in wait for blood each hunts the other with a net. What a picture Remember what he had said in chapter 6 verse 8 the people were not doing it. He says I'm not pleased verse 7 of chapter 6 with all of your sacrifices because you're full of sin. What has he told you verse eight? Oh man. What is good? And what does the Lord require but to do justice and to love kindness Mercy, it's the word has said steadfast Covenant keeping loving-kindness and to walk humbly with your God will the the people work Wicked and they were not doing it. So he goes on in Chapter 7.

All The Godly have perished verse to the princess and judges conspire against the defenseless versus three and four divers three chapter seven their hands are on what is evil to do it. Well The Prince and the judge asked for a bribe in the great man utters the evil desire of his soul that they leave it together. The best of them is like a briar the most upright of them a thorn hedge the day of your Watchman of your punishment is come now, their confusion is at hand what a terrible thing when the judges and the princes the rulers even the best of them are like a briar because they're so corrupt. Makes me feel like what it's like to live in here sometimes with the corruption of the politicians and the judges and its causes us to cry out Lord. When are you going to bring Justice and righteousness upon the Earth verses 5 and 6 friends and counselors and family cannot be trusted but no trust in a neighbor have no confidence in a friend verse 5 guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms for the son treats the father with contempt the daughter Rises up against her mother the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a Man's enemies are the men of his own house. What a terrible picture when you can't even trust those in your own house. This is the state of Israel at this time, but Micah doesn't leave it there verse 7 is glorious look at this, but as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the god of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do you feel like sometimes living in this culture in this day and age that they're what I'm reading? It might as well be not ancient is real but America now how I do? And the Temptation is to be filled with fear. And anxiety. What is going on? What happens are we ever going to get back to a place? Like it used to be? Well Micah here is this man who loves Jerusalem. He's looking at the wickedness of the city knowing that God's going to judge it and here's what he says to himself. This is what he speaks to his own heart to council his own heart in any circumstances as for me. I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the god of my salvation. My God will hear me. It's trust. And how does God answer will the rest of the book is a promise of Jesus the Messiah? Bruce ate Rejoice. Not over me on my enemy when I fall I shall rise when I sit in darkness. The Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I've sinned against him until he bleeds my cause and execute judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I shall look upon his Vindication. What what an incredible statement Mica makes here. Yeah. I know I deserve judgment as well. But I have been one who's trusting the promises of God regarding the Messiah and what's going to happen is yes, he's going to punish me, but he's going to plead my cause and he's going to execute judgment for me and bring me out to the lights and I will see his vindication. This is the hope of the Christian. This is the promise we have in Jesus. Yes, we get punished what father doesn't discipline his child. The book of Hebrews says God is a good father and he disciplines us have you experienced that disciplining hand of God I have and I hate it. It's not pleasant. I don't want to experience it. But you know what, we have this promise that he disciplines us like a father not like a judge. He does it for our good in order to restore Us in order to make us more like him. He doesn't to remove skin from our life and to make us holy and righteous. Bonnie executes just as he does it to punish. My kid here says this is the god that I know the god that I'm pleading to. He's going to vindicate me. He's going to bring me out into the lights. My enemies are going to be put to shame verses 11 to 14. There is coming a day for the building of your walls in that day the boundary Shelby far extended Jerusalem and that day they'll come from you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt in from Egypt to the River from the sea to the sea in from Mountain to Mountain. But the Earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants for the fruit of their deeds Shepherd your people with your staff the flock of your inheritance who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land let them graze in but Sean and Gilead as in the days of old what a picture if we lose some of it because we're not there and we don't we don't see it. But what he saying is the walls of Jerusalem were going to be expanded the city's going to be more glorious and all the nations are going to fill it. Even the enemy Assyrian Egypt. Not only that the garden It's going to be restored what was lost in Eden will be restored because it's going to be in the midst of a garden land. I don't know if you've been to Israel. I haven't but I've seen pictures. There's not a whole lot of gardens there right now. It's a lot of desert and Hills but this picture is of the restoration of Eden the Garden and people are going to experience peace and the shepherd will be in their midst the flock of his inheritance. And you remember what Jesus said in John 10, not only am I the Good Shepherd. He says who lays down his life for the Sheep, but I have other sheep who are not of this fold Israel. I must go bring them that they will be one flock with one Shepherd. Micah prophesied this hundreds of years seven hundred years before the coming of Messiah that this would be the case nations would come and they would join into this. Holy revived New Jerusalem versus 15 to 17 Messiahs. Mighty deeds will be done in their midst as in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things the nation's top shall see and be ashamed of all their might they shall lay their hands on their mouths the Earth Shelby ears Shelby death. They shall lick the dust like a serpent like The Crawling things of the earth. They should come trembling out of their strongholds. They shall turn in dreads the Lord Our God and they shall be in fear of you. cast Revelation 19 the one who's riding on a white horse whose name is faithful and true who slays his enemies with the breath of his mouth and restores Jerusalem our King. Jesus was coming to vindicate and make right. And what do his people do they worship Him verses 18 to 20 who is a God Like You pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance. He does not retain his anger forever because he Delights and steadfast love he will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea, you will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. So the reason God is going to do this as he's keeping his promise to David and to Abraham into Jacob that he is going to send a savior has one of their descendants who would undo the curse and restore what has been fallen and the garden is going to turn into a Heavenly. Holy city the New Jerusalem and it's going to fill the Earth with God's present and every nation tribe and people in I will be in it. This is what Micah is talking about. This is what the New Testament reveals in Greater detail in this is what we're hoping for. So what are we see here in Micah just by way of conclusion. Yahweh. Our God is a god of forgiving love Verse 18 He pardons. He forgives he Treads our sin under his feet and hurls them into the depths of the sea. That's good news for giving love. He's also a god of redeeming power verse 19 just as the Lord Pharaoh's chariots in his armies into the sea. He's going to hurl our sins into the sea, you know scriptures as this glorious message about our sins. God not only puts our sins out of sight Isaiah 30:18 puts it behind his back. That place where you can't see or touch or feel? God puts our sins there. He puts them Out Of Reach like here in Micah 7 the depths of the ocean floor or Psalm 103 as far as the East is from the West. He also puts them out of mind Jeremiah 31:34. He will remember our Lawless Deeds no more. He puts them out of existence though. Your sins are like Scarlet. They will be white as snow Isaiah 43. He has removed them from us Colossians to the handwriting of requirements that were against us. He remove them having taken them out of the way having nailed them to the cross. That is good news.

I don't know about you, but I send this week. I use my Words As Weapons I could have spoken to my family better. I could have not been grumpy and not been irritable. I could have had thoughts that were always pleasing to God and not self-centered prideful thoughts. And what has God done with those sins. He's forgiven them in Christ. He's removed them as far as the East is from the West. He has remembered them no more. He's cast them into the depths of the sea. Why because he's a god of forgiving love and redeeming power and Perpetual faithfulness verse 20, you will show faithfulness. Hebrew word for faithfulness is a mess. It's sometimes translated true. He's also a god of steadfast love has said. I said in the mess. I know I sound like a broken record with these things. He is the god who is full of faithfulness and steadfast love. This is why John and John one when he saw Jesus and saw his glory said we beheld his glory glory is that the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth car is Kyle atha. This is translating has said in a mess. This is the same God the one who is faithful. The law was given through Moses John says in John 1:17 Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. And this is what God is promising in Micah to send has himself to be the shepherd descendant of David who would restore all things and make all things new. So in other words Micah is preaching the gospel beforehand to his people What a comfort this is been God's plan from the beginning. This isn't Plan B. This is a No-No the world's a mess. And what do I do? I need to come up with another plan know this is been his plan before the foundation of the world. Which means right where he has this today is his plan. He's Sovereign and he's over all things and we can trust him. Even when it's hard. When we don't see the good with its sorrow and grief and troubles and trials we can trust that. He is good and does good and all of his promises are yes, and amen in Jesus. So whatever you're facing today, whatever you're facing this week. God is good and he's faithful and he's giving you Jesus and if he hasn't spared his own son howling up with him freely give you all of the things and the all of the things is this home this waiting for us this Kingdom that will never perish and Will Never Be Shaken and Jesus is the king and all things are being put under his feet and he's coming back and he's going to make all things right. This is the message of Micah. Father thank you for this time and your word may you encourage our hearts strength in the hearts of your children my brothers and sisters. I know some of what they're going through and what they're facing they shared it with me father. I want to Bear their burdens. We want to be a church that bears one another's burdens and but we know father we can't bear some burdens the burden of sin. The burden of judgment we could never bear that not for ourselves and not for another. It's why Jesus came to bear our sins upon himself so that we could be forgiven.

Give hope to weary Hearts this morning. Remind them of their Savior and what's true in your word? That you will never leave them and you will never forsake them and you will never abandon them. And if you are disciplining them you're doing it as a loving father not as a judge. And they can remember that because all of the Judgment was placed upon Jesus At The Cross.

We love you in Jesus name. Amen.