The Mountain of the Lord
Notes
Transcript
I have lots of strong opinions. I assume that many of you know that about me by now. However, one of the areas where I have the strongest opinions is Christmas music. Many of them coming from the same songs annoying pop songs playing on repeat when I was working in retail.
For example, “Don’t They know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, and Last Christmas by Wham are terrible Christmas songs that should never ever receive any airtime. However, I would also go even further to so that any of the Beatles should have never made any Christmas music… ever. Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime is just annoying… but I also think it might be about witchcraft… however, more connected to our text for this morning is John Lennon’s “Happy XMas (War is Over)”. The song is supposedly a protest of the Vietnam war. However, the only reference to that is the refrain “War is Over if you want it, War is over now.” It was released in 1971 so the original context makes that clear
But the reason, I don’t like the song that it’s repetitive - and mostly that I don’t like John Lennon. However, there is an interesting idea in that song… War is Over… in Christ the war is over. But I wouldn’t imagine that Lennon would take notice of that.
And this text, gives us a gives us insight to who Jesus is as the Prince of Peace. In him nations will no longer war, or learn war.
But last week, the text that we looked at ended with darkness.
Looking at Micah 3:12 and you read that Zion shall be plowed as a field, that Jerusalem shall be reduced to ruins and the temple mount will be forsaken and a overgrown with weeds and branches. At this point in Micah it’s not a very Christmassy book of the Bible.
But I think it’s significant that in December, the darkest and coldest part of the year, is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World shining in the darkness.
And I have mentioned several times that in Micah, before we get to any glimmer of hope we need to see the darkness, we need to understand the consequences for sin. So while the end of the previous chapter leaves us with darkness, chapter 4 here gives us a resplendent light - as the reader is finally presented with hope.
To fill in some of the historical context, Micah writes of the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 but he also writes of the fall of the Southern Kingdom in 586. So the readers of this book would see the fall of Israel, and anticipate the fall of the Southern Kingdom. However, with the hope that is given in this text those who saw the Southern Kingdom fall would also anticipate the rebuilding of the temple.
And 70 years after the fall of the Southern Kingdom, the second temple is completed. So the wooded height that we read of in 3:12, would be cleared away, and Jerusalem has once again become a place where people would gather. Even though Micah has thus far been a book of a great deal of judgment, there is a promise of hope. This isn’t just a glimmer, or a spark, but a resplendent light.
Last week we read the prophesy from Isaiah 9, that the people who once walked in darkness have seen a great light - and this is the anticipation of that great light.
1 It shall come to pass in the latter days that 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 shall flow to it, 2 and 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 paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
The mountain of the house of the Lord refers to the temple mount in Jerusalem. In various instances Zion, or Mount Zion, refers to the city of Jerusalem, in other instances it may refer to the nation of Israel, and in some instances it refers to the Heavenly City or the Kingdom of God. And in the fulfillment of prophesy it often refers to the Church. This text, would be an example in which the reference to Zion refers to the people of God, the church.
Additionally, the text refers to the temple as being established as the highest of the mountains. In ancient Israel, the temple Mount on Mount Zion was the highest elevation point. In Modern day Israel, it is the Mount of Olives. Interestingly both of these mounts are significant to the ministry of Jesus.
But this prophesy promises to the people that from Jerusalem the word shall go forth
And in Haggai, 200 or so years after Micah, there is a promise that the latter glory of the second temple will be greater than the former temple. Even though Solomon’s temple would have been one of the great wonders of the ancient world. Better things are to happen at the 2nd temple, the temple that is completed in 516, but then continually build upon and added to by Herod. Micah 4:1-2 and Haggai 2:9 are anticipating the same thing. That though Solomon’s temple was destroyed and Jerusalem in ruins, there will come a time when people would gather there again. And we see this in second temple Judaism.
The greatest event to happen at the second temple was the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Where Micah anticipates that the Law shall go forth from Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem…
The word becomes flesh and dwells among man in the person of Jesus.
So when Jesus sends his disciples to go out from Jerusalem to be his witnesses in Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth… we see the law of the Lord, the Word of God, going forth from Zion.
And following this, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit after his ascending during the events of Pentecost - and God’s Spirit dwells in the people of God - those who belong to Jesus are a literal temple. (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19; Eph 2:21-22; 1 Peter 2:4-5).
Much of this text has found its fulfillment in the coming of Christ. In Acts 2, at the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, there were “devout men from every nation under heaven” present in Jerusalem.
Following Pentecost, we see from Jerusalem men from every nation going out to proclaim the gospel.
So when we see nations flowing to Zion, and the word going out from it we see a reference to where the Lord has begun his church and where they shall go out from.
In the second verse of our text for this morning, we read of the delight to go to the house of the Lord. Which sounds a lot like the beginning of Psalm 122.
1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
This is one of the Psalms of Ascent. Songs that were sung by the people of Israel when they made their pilgrimage to Israel for the feasts like Passover, the feast of booths and Pentecost. They delighted to be among the people of God, and in the presence of God.
But there are also similar themes in the Songs of Zion in Psalms 46, 48 and 87, among others. The Scriptures teach us that it is a blessing to be in the presence of God, and with the people of God.
But notice that it’s not just Israel singing this song, but it is many nations that are singing this refrain in verse 2. It is an anticipation of the great commission that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be extended to all nations.
But also in verse 2, take note of their purpose for going to the house of the Lord. It is for instruction.
2 and 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 paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
They go to the mountain of the Lord… so that he, The Lord, might instruct them in his word. They gather not only for worship of God, but also for instruction. Instruction in righteousness, in holiness, and certainly concerning the character of God. And it si the Lord who teaches them from him word. And the word goes forth through them from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
And the language that is used here in this text, is Messianic language, as it speaks of the Lord teaching the nations and judging the nations. And the language here also seems to draw a bit on Solomon as well. 1 Kings 4:34 reports that people from all nations came to hear Solomon’s wisdom. But of course, Jesus is a much greater King than Solomon.
3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall 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 anymore; 4 but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
Verse 3 - war will cease. Peace will grow. There will be no need for swords or spears so they will instead be repurposed for gardening tools. Return to the garden.
This verse is the polar opposite of Joel 3:9-10. In Joel, the Lord is coming to judge the nations. He calls them to war. He instructs the nations to take up arms against him. All those who are outside of the people of God. Joel is speaking of the Day of the Lord, when God pours out his judgment on sinners. And in that text, the nations are called to beat their gardening equipment into weapons. They will be at war with God and their only hope is to take everything they can find
It is the opposite of that in this text - there will be no war. The War is Over… The Prince of Peace will bring us back to the garden and our swords and spears will have no purpose… so we beat them into the tools to tend and expand the garden. There will be no war. It is a different aspect of what is in Joel 3. Where the sinners will be judged, but the church will be at peace
This is partially realized in the church and in Christ today. We do not war against others to expand the church. We do not advance the gospel through violence. Though it has been done a times, we ought to understand that the Kingdom of God is advanced not through violence, but through the proclamation of the gospel. Even where the threat of Radical Islam is a reality, the first response of the church is not to take up arms, but the first response is to take up the Word and proclaim the gospel. The offensive weapon which the church picks up is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
But think of this through the lens of modern world politics… and I wont go too far into that… but most of the time that there is a ceasefire the question becomes “how long until one of these countries breaks that ceasefire?” And while that is probably to some degree my attitude as the result of being a bit pessimistic… however, that is not what is happening in the Kingdom of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a unifier.
In the fully realized Kingdom of God, under the reign of the Prince of Peace all war has ceased. The war is indeed over in Christ.
Jesus has won the war on sin and death.
Jesus died and rose again.
But notice that verse 4 states makes further reference to agriculture. As there is reference to vegetation.
Both of these agricultural examples are symbols of security and prosperity. When Babylon lead the siege against Jerusalem they destroyed the vegetation and cut off the coming in of food, this resulted in famine (2 Kings 25). So the lingering promise of vines and fig trees is a promise of restoration, and of food where there was once no food.
The evidence of food is once again a sign of peace. Verses 3 and 4 are reinforcing that the Lord will bring peace.
And with peace comes a lack of fear - there is no reason for them to further fear as war has ended. And because The Lord has spoken. The title that is used by Micah is the Lord of Hosts, if you remember back when we studied Haggai a few years ago, you may recall that this is military title. The Lord of Hosts coveys the idea of God as the Lord who is the host of an army of Angels. The Conquering King has spoken. There is peace in him. This is a title that convey that God is King over all.
Then in verse 5, there is a return to the modern day, as Micah references the nations following their own gods, the hope of verse 2, has not yet arrived.
5 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.
Micah thus encourages a sort of rededication. That the people would walk in name of the Lord. Forever and ever. This introduces the remnant language that is common with many of the latter prophets, as well as will be a key to our text for next week. Micah’s comfort here is that even in light of everything that we have read from chapter 1 to here of corrupt priests, prophets and kings, God has maintained a remnant of his chosen people who will remain allegiant to his name. They will walk in his statutes, they will proclaim the mighty deeds of God, they will turn from their sin and turn to him.
And we see this come to pass in Christ Jesus.
And in Jesus’ great commission we see many of the promises of this text realized.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus’ disciples shall head to al nations to make disciplines and to proclaim the good news.
Baptizing…
Teaching to observe all that he has commanded.
And yet there is an encouragement that Jesus will be with us always.
Transition to Lord’s Supper
