When God Does Not Answer
Notes
Transcript
Page 776, between Jonah and Nahum.
A few weeks ago, I spoke to a woman who poured out her heart, and her troubles to me. She told asked me to pray for her grandson. At some point during the conversation she said to me “I pray and I pray and I pray, but it seems like God isn’t listening to me.”
Several responses, at that moment came to mind. One of which was “Maybe he isn’t.”
*PAUSE*
Now I didn’t say that, but not because I don’t think it’s a biblical response, but because it would not have provided me the route to speak to her about what I felt was most important. I wanted to encourage her, pray for her - but most importantly I wanted to share the gospel with her - not just shut her down.
But there is an important question to ask here…
On what terms do you think that God ought to listen to you?
In our text for this morning, we read of one of several texts in the Old Testament where God tells his people that he will not answer to their prayers.
And the sins that he will outlines here make clear that these people are far from God.
Micah chapter 3 is broken in to three oracles.
Verse 1-4, which deals with cannibalistic shepherds
5-8 deals with false prophets, who prophesy for money.
9-12 - describes the destruction of Jerusalem, and the absence of God.
This morning, however, we’re only going to deal with the verse 1-4.
The wickedness of the leaders
God’s Response
How that should either concern us, or comfort us today.
Micah speaking to the heads of Jacob, and the rulers of the house of Israel. So in this part of the book of Micah he is addressing both the Northern and Southern Kingdom.
But take note of the question that he asks them in this text… Is it not for you to know justice - now if you are familiar with Micah, then you might think of Micah 6:8 here and the charge to do justice… but this is a charge against them - that they do not do justice - they don’t even know justice. And he further explains, and demonstrates by means of graphic illustration how far from justice they are.
And it is in verses 2-3 that he gives that graphic illustration. He compares their sinfulness to cannibalism. Probably not literal… but rather he is making a statement concerning how terrible they are.
If we remember back to chapter 2 we see a description of what they are doing they are oppressing the elderly stealing their property - putting widows and orphans out of their homes and robbing their inheritance from them. In addition to that we see the presents of silencing the prophets and ignoring the word of God. And instead of listening to God’s true prophets, they listen to and prop up false teachers and false prophets as we read of last week in chapter 2 - and we see later in Micah 3.
So the Lord has used the illustration of cannibalism to demonstrate to them how wicked it is that they are taking advantage of other people.
Whenever we want to justify our sin as being better than it is - we would likely probably say “Well I’ve never killed anyone…” but murderers might defend themselves by saying “Well I’m not as bad as Jeffrey Dahmer.”
But imagine the defense of the people… “Hey we’re not eating people… we’re just… taking advantage of them and stealing their property and their inheritance, and violating the Biblical law concerning the property allotments, and silencing and ignoring God’s prophets.”
The goal of the accusation is to open their eyes.
So he has addressed the leaders, the shepherds of these people,
He states that they hate good, they love evil. They oppress my people. The Lord is making a distinction between these leaders of the people, and his actual people. And we already make this distinction when we think of the difference between Ahab and Jezebel and the people whom they rule over.
But we also see something like this in the Gospels and the book of Acts as well. There are the Jews who reject Jesus, and those who become the church and advance it and the gentiles are grafted into that Israel.
Or as Paul states in Romans 9:6, not all Israel is true Israel. But rather true Israel are those who profess faith in Christ Jesus, love him and obey his commands, or in the Old Testament those who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, love the Lord and obey his commands.
And then in verse 4, Micah reports to them something that ought to be sobering. They will cry to the Lord - but he will not answer. He will hide his face because of their evil deeds.
4 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.
I originally planned to cover all of chapter 3 today, but found myself hung up on this verse.. Because I want to be careful not to breeze past this, because this is one of those verses that though it is not the main point of the text, likely sticks out to many. You might hear or read this text, and think “I’ve never eaten a man but - I feel like God’s not listening to me. I’ve been praying for this issue, this person, this job, and it just feels like God isn’t listening.”
However, I do want to add that this isn’t necessarily the point of the text. The point of the text is that:
These people are committing wicked heinous crimes, and God’s punishment upon them is that when they cry out to him because he has brought judgment upon them - he will not listen. He will hide his face from them and he will not hear their prayers. That being said… I know that it would not be very pastoral of me to not touch on the idea that some of you may be feeling at times when you pray and pray and pray and it just feels like God isn’t listening.
Then you might continue to wonder if something is wrong with you or if God just doesn’t care.
Now it may be because you are in unrepentant sin but that may not be the only reason.
John MacArthur wrote an article outlining 15 reasons why God may not answer someone’s prayers. This morning I am only going to give 3 - mine are just more summarized than his:
It’s is one of three problems: Relationship, Repentance or Request.
Relationship: They have no union with him.
Repentance: They have sin that they need to repent of. Repentant Problem.
Request: They have the wrong request.
This mornings text deals most specifically with the relationship and repentance.
The reason that God is not listening to their prayers is because their relationship with him is non-existent. But also they have abundant sin in which they need to repent of.
However, it is also true that when they cry out for relief from Assyria and Babylon they will at that point have the wrong request.
However, it is important that we look at this verse in the lens of all of scripture.
I have mentioned before that Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries. And in Isaiah 1:15 read that that God will not listen to the prayers of the people of Judah because of their sinfulness. He says to them:
15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
In the whole chapter, God is outlining their sinfulness and demonstration that their sacrifices and their feasts are routine. They have lost their meaning - their worship is just a show. Their hands are full of blood because they sacrifice animals without concern for their own sin. They have forgotten the intent of the sacrificial system - where the animal would serve as a substitute for their sin. This animal died so that they did not have to… but they had forgotten that so they use the sacrifice as a license to sin, rather than a warning against sin.
And now before you think well that’s Old Testament… I would first remind you that God does not change… but also
1 Peter 3:7 gives a similar warning stating:
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
We know that God is not limited by space, and that God is all knowing… This is not a limitation of God - it’s a manner of God’s character.
The Bible does in several places - even in addition to those I’ve listed demonstrate that God’s judgment is often expressed by the sinner being cut off from connection with God.
This is what we read in Isaiah 59:2
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Additionally, in various Psalms we read of the Psalm asking God why he has hidden his face - or a request that God would not hide his face. This phrase means that God has withdrawn his favor and presence.
God has not promised to listened to all of the prayers of everyone. I know that some of you aren’t going to like that… but that’s why I said it after I read those verses.
God is not inclined to listen to the prayers of sinners.
We read Jesus telling us exactly that in:
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
Which is also in accordance with Proverbs 10:24
24 What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Though he is all knowing, it is the prayers of his people, righteous followers of Christ whose prayers will be heard.
Sometimes in God’s common grace he will hear and answer the prayers of a sinner…
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
The warning to the sinner who rejects God’s word, and lives in a manner contrary to the will of God and the law of God, is that they have no reason to expect that God will hear their prayers. God loves a broken and a contrite heart - not an arrogant and entitled one.
So when this woman told me she said that it doesn’t feel like God is answering her prayers - I told her that sometimes the Psalmist feels like that too - but in the back of my mind I know that God was not inclined to listen to her prayers if she is not in Christ.
But instead of shutting her down, what I did was repeat the gospel to her. I told her that we cannot come to God on our own, we do not have the ability to just stroll into the the throne room of God and grab the King’s ear. Our sins have gotten in the way, and separated us from God. So we need someone to draw us near to him. And that only one who can do that is Christ Jesus.
for those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as Lord and savior. Our prayers are heard.
But what about the Christian…
The one who has repented of their sins, the one who is following Jesus… What comfort to we have when we feel exactly like Paul the second time he asked for his thorn in the flesh to removed… - before he has closure to not ask again…
When you ask the Father for bread, he’s not going to give you a stone… but sometimes you the bread you are asking God for is moldy… so he doesn’t give it to you because it’s better that you didn’t have it.
But when we look through the Bible and consider how believers are taught to approach prayer there is an overwhelming sense of confidence.
Jesus instructing his DISCIPLES, teaches them that God knows what they need before they ask him.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
And I want to contrast that with John 14:13
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Jesus gives us confidence that his followers, when they pray in accordance with God’s will,
And Paul in Ephesians 2:18 teaches us that through Christ, we have access to the Father in the Spirit.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
No one comes to the Father except through the Son. But in the Son, have confidence that you have access to the Father.
So if you are in Christ - then even if IT FEELS like your prayers are just you speaking to the wall, or as if the clouds are impenetrable iron — when you are overwhelmed in your sins, through you trust in Christ, remember that you have an advocate before the Father. Though you are unrighteous… Jesus Christ is the righteous one.
And John speaking to Christians states
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
The theme of the book of 1 John is “How can we know that we are in Christ?”, and so when John writes this toward the end of his letter it is of extreme comfort. He is assert that for the one who is in Christ Jesus, you have confidence toward God. If we ask anything according to his will he hears us. That
God hears you.
The dividing wall of hostility that separated you from God is broken in Christ… that separation that we read of in Isaiah 59:2 it’s closed. There is no separation for those in Christ, there is no condemnation for those in Christ. God hears your prayers.
But sometimes he does answer the prayers but it is not in a way that we desire. Sometimes God answers our prayers with no. Consider Paul’s thorn in the flesh from 2 Cor 12:7-9, where 3 times the apostle asks the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh - and the Lord tells him No, Paul… and instead the Lord tells Paul “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God was working something better in Paul’s life by not answering his prayer in the way he wanted.
Paul was able to boast all the more gladly of his weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon him.
So sometimes when God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we desire, it is because he is working for something greater. He is shaping you more into the image of Christ by teaching you that in your weakness his power is made perfect.
In our prayers God is accomplishing his will. If we pray in accordance with his will, he will grant to us what we pray for. If not, then in our prayers, we have the opportunity to surrender our will to his.
Now, before I close, I want to remind you of Luke 18:1-8. The Parable of the Persistent Widow… If your relationship, your repentance, and your request all seem to be right - then do not lose heart in asking. Jesus tells the parable to encourage us to continue praying - the widow in Jesus’ parable continues to come to this unrighteous judge to demand justice, and because she came knocking day and night requesting justice he eventually gave in to grant her justice. And how much more does the Father who loves his children delight to hear them bring their requests to him.
God loves to give good gifts to his children so keep knocking.
But if you’re feeling weary from prayer… look at your relationship with God - is that right. Have you forsaken you sins and trusted in Jesus? If not, Jesus is the one way to the Father.
If so, are you refusing to repent of sins that grieve God? Are you refusing to turn from your sinfulness, yet expecting God to reward you in that? It’s very possible, your prayers are not being answered because God would rather you repent of your sins.
If your relationship is right, and your repentance is right, yet still have no answer - pray that your will and your requests be aligned with God’s will. If they are then keep knocking.
The leaders in this text were oppressing people to the point of putting them out of their homes, so God compares them to cannibals… they were devouring the kind of people that God cares for - so God warns them that when they cry out for his help, he will not answer, because they have not listened to his word. And they face judgment not long after coming from Assyria.
