Messiah and Judgment - Micah

Intro

Smoking pork shoulder. It finishes when the meat is done. I can’t make it done.

Need: We want God to move in our time. We think we can influence more than we can.

Micah 5:1-15

Main Idea: Hope will come God’s time (2-9)

Micah is prophesying to Judah here. Passage begins with hope of the coming Messiah. Verses 2. Bethlehem Ephrathah is city of David, Jesse, and Boaz. Ruler in Israel = why Jews struggled with Jesus being Messiah. Ancient days = likely referring to line of David. Verse 3 points to exile and return after the woman gives birth. Verse 4. Stand and shepherd = like a king. Dwell secure. To the ends of the earth. God is sovereign over the earth, so Jesus will rule over all creation.

Not immediate. God would send them to exile first.

Micah 4:10

Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.

Exp. Why? They haven’t learned yet. Judah is still overconfident. Verses 5-6. When they come to OUR land, WE will raise seven shepherds and eight princes. Did they miss the prophecy before? One messiah vs seven shepherds? God said Messiah would shepherd Israel, Judah said the shepherds would shepherd Assyria. Nimrod = land of disobedience.

God’s children haven’t learned this essential truth: Victory comes in God’s way, not man’s. Sovereignty belongs to God, not man. God orchestrated the Assyrian invasion, not man. God will orchestrate the Babylonian invasion, not man. God will deliver his people, not man.

App. How do you grapple with this truth? Frustrated? Frighten? Should lead us to fear. Awe.

Exp. Micah gets them back on track in Verses 7-9. Exile. God’s plan will not wait for man. His timing. Day of the Lord is coming. Only he knows when.

A hope will come, but we are still called to live right now.

Imperative #1: Beware of a false sense of security (10-11)

Exp. To counteract their overconfidence, God responds. Verses 10-11. Horses and chariots = military. Strongholds = protection. He’s not talking about Assyria. Judah. He will remove them so they’ll have to turn to God. They’ve become a false sense of security.

Ill. Like an ant running under a paper towel. He thinks he’s hidden. You just smash the paper towel, and its gone. False security.

App. Our places of security are like that. Fall back to our jobs, reputation, even family. “I can endure because I have these things.” What happens when they’re gone? Your joy becomes situational.

Let go of false senses of security. How?

Identify them

Remove them from their positions

Imperative #2: Beware of where you seek counsel (12)

Exp. He goes after who Judah has been listening to. Verse 12. They listened to those who were not sent by God. Wonder if their overconfidence came from incorrect fortunes. God doesn’t work through fortunes. God’s work is not random, but precise.

Ill. Modern day example is personality profiles. Most famous is Enneagram. At best: it gives clarity to your motives. At worst, it justifies us. “Well, I can’t do that because I’m a 9.”

Exp. Worldly wisdom can be just as dangerous. “Do what makes you happy.” “Follow your heart.”

App. What happens when they’re wrong? What happens when your profile stands in contrast to who God has called you to be? What happens when God calls you to a situation outside of your comfort zone?

Seek godly counsel. Stop living by worldly or irreligious counsel.

Compare counsel to God’s Word

Imperative #3: Beware of what you worship (13-14)

Exp. Finally, God gets to the heart of their worship. Verses 13-14. Carved images, work of hands = idolatry. Asherah = wooden pole for Asherah, Canaanite god. Security in military. Counsel from fortune tellers. Worshipping idols and false gods. How could they be overconfident? Turned away from God. Giving worth to the wrong things. That’s what worship is: giving something’s worth. Same root word. Ours aren’t as easy to spot as an Asherah pole in the temple.

App. What happens when they let you down? You figure out they aren’t worth what you gave them?

Stop worshipping everything but Jesus. Remove whatever is on the throne. How do we find them?

Look at where you spend your time

Look at where you spend your money

Resolve: Remove them before God does (15)

Exp. God gives a final warning to Judah. Verse 15. All the nations. He is sovereign. Including Judah. Would Judah obey the father?

Christ - Jesus is the only security for us. He is the foundation of the house we build. Matthew 7:24-27. Build your house on Jesus. To build on anything else will be direct disobedience. God will not bless a different foundation.

Christ - Jesus is the wonderful counselor. The perfect wisdom from God. There is no greater counsel than that which comes from God’s Word. God will not bless direct disobedience to his Word.

Christ - Jesus is the image of God. The one we worship. Redirect our hearts toward Jesus. We are teaching our children and other believers how to worship.

Christ - Jesus displays perfect obedience. Jesus follows the Lord’s plan perfectly. United with him, we can too.

App. Obey God’s design. Remove false security, remove ungodly counsel, remove false objects of worship. The alternative is what God is doing with Judah. He is removing them. Don’t let it get that far.

Conclusion

Let’s respond this morning.