Micah 4:1-5 | Kingdom Come

Intro

Last week Micah confronted the corruption of God’s people.

Corrupt rulers.

False prophets.

A city headed toward judgment.

This week…

Everything changes.

Micah lifts our eyes from Israel’s present…

…to God’s future.

Every generation asks the same questions.

Will things ever really get better?

Will injustice ever end?

Will war ever stop?

Will fear ever disappear?

Micah answers those questions with a vision.

Not wishful thinking.

Not political optimism.

But God’s promise.

Read

Micah 4:1–5 ESV

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, 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. 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; 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. 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.

Pray

Big Idea: King Jesus has begun His Kingdom, is gathering the nations by His Word, and will one day restore all things.

Setting Up the Passage

As we read this passage…

You probably noticed something.

Some of these promises seem like they are happening today.

The Kingdom has come.

The nations are coming to Jesus.

The gospel is spreading.

But…

Some of these promises clearly haven’t happened.

Wars still rage.

Fear still exists.

Justice is still imperfect.

So which is it?

The New Testament gives us the answer.

The Kingdom is…

Already… but not yet.

Jesus inaugurated His Kingdom at His first coming.

He will consummate His Kingdom at His second coming.

We live in between.

Between the empty tomb…

…and the new creation.

That becomes the lens through which we read Micah 4.

1. King Jesus Has Established His Kingdom

(vv. 1–2)

“It shall come to pass…”

Not possibility.

Promise.

God declares what He Himself will accomplish.

“The mountain of the house of the LORD…”

Mountains represented kingdoms.

Power.

Authority.

Rule.

Every nation trusted its own mountain (Power).

Micah says…

God’s Kingdom will stand above every kingdom.

Jesus Fulfillment

Jesus begins His ministry saying,

“The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

The King has come.

The Kingdom has begun.

The Church is the people of God, gathered through Christ as God’s promises continue to reach the nations.

People Flow to It

One beautiful picture.

People flow uphill.

Normally rivers flow downhill.

Grace reverses nature.

God draws sinners to Himself.

Application

I love the name of our church.

Ascend.

When the world around us is a mess… We look to something higher.

Questions

What kingdom am I building my life around?

What do I look to for all wisdom, Justice, rule, and peace?

Is Jesus truly King, or has something else quietly taken His place?

Transition

If Jesus really is King… and the kingdom is happening…

His Kingdom doesn’t just change just our eternity but every day.

It changes how we live today.

2. King Jesus Is Gathering and Transforming the Nations

Micah 4:2–3 ESV

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. 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;

Notice…

They don’t merely come for blessing.

They come to learn.

“Teach us His ways…”

Discipleship.

Transformation.

Obedience.

This is exactly what Jesus commissioned His Church to do.

Not simply make converts.

Make disciples.

Micah’s vision has already begun.

Out of Zion

“The law shall go forth…”

“The Word of the LORD…”

John tells us,

“The Word became flesh.”

Jesus is the fulfillment.

He is the true Temple.

He is the true meeting place between God and man.

The nations don’t ultimately come to a city.

They come to a Savior.

He Shall Judge

This is good news.

Justice finally belongs to a perfect King.

No corruption.

No partiality.

No oppression.

Every wrong will be made right.

Already…

Christ reigns.

Already…

His gospel is transforming lives.

Already…

The nations are coming.

Application

Notice why the nations come.

Not simply to be blessed.

To be taught.

To learn.

To walk in His ways.

Following Jesus has never simply been about believing the right things.

It has always been about becoming people who increasingly look like Jesus.

Questions

Am I simply attending church, or am I actually being discipled?

Am I allowing Jesus to shape the way I think, speak, and live?

Do I see myself as part of God’s mission to gather the nations, or am I simply consuming what the Church offers me?

Transition

One day…

That work of transformation will be complete.

3. King Jesus Will Restore All Things

Micah 4:3–5 ESV

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; 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. 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.

Now Micah looks even further ahead. This is the not yet.

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares…”

War ends.

Weapons become farming tools.

Creation is restored.

Human work returns to God’s original design.

Not escaping creation. Creation renewed.

“They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree…”

Security.

Rest.

Joy.

Home.

Shalom.

“No one shall make them afraid.”

Fear entered the world in Genesis 3.

Jesus repeatedly tells His disciples,

“Do not fear.”

One day…

Fear itself disappears.

Already… Not Yet

Has Christ won the victory?

Yes.

Has Christ defeated sin?

Yes.

Has Christ defeated death?

Yes.

Has Christ defeated Satan?

Yes.

Then why…

Do wars continue?

Why do we still suffer?

Why do we still battle fear?

Because we live…

Between the resurrection…

…and the restoration.

The victory has been won.

The fullness is still coming.

That is why Christians can have hope without pretending the world isn’t broken.

Application

We don’t ignore the brokenness of this world.

We don’t pretend everything is okay.

But neither do we lose hope.

Because our future has already been secured by Christ.

Christians are the most realistic people in the world.

We know the world is broken.

We also know how the story ends.

Questions

Where has fear been shaping my decisions more than faith?

What burden have I been carrying that I need to entrust to King Jesus?

Am I living like this world is all there is, or like Christ really is making all things new?

How would my priorities change this week if I truly believed Christ’s Kingdom is forever?

Gospel Landing

Every promise in Micah 4 finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

Jesus is the true Temple.

Jesus is the greater Mount Zion.

Jesus is the living Word.

Jesus is the righteous Judge.

Jesus is gathering the nations.

Jesus is our peace.

Jesus is restoring creation.

Jesus removes our fear.

Jesus will make all things new.

Micah saw the Kingdom from a distance.

We live in the middle of the story.

The King has come.

The Kingdom has begun.

The nations are gathering.

And one day…

The King will return.

Everything Micah saw…

Will become reality.

Closing Questions

Which kingdom am I truly living for?

Am I walking in the way of King Jesus or following the gods of my culture?

Where is God inviting me to trust His coming Kingdom instead of clinging to temporary ones?

What would it look like this week to live as a citizen of Christ’s Kingdom?

Prayer Prompt

Take a moment and ask God…

To help you seek His Kingdom above every other kingdom.

To make you an ambassador of His Kingdom to those around you.

To fill your heart with hope as you wait for Christ to make all things new.