Return To Zion Part 1 (Micah)

Me

I have found that the many chapters of my life all tell the same story but in different ways.

When it comes down to it, I am a terrible person, whose only hope for improvement is through God’s endless grace.

Story #1 - Failed Bible Worker

Excited to work out of college.

Story #3

Didn’t receive a call.

Became a Bible Worker.

Didn’t get enough baptisms.

Not rehired.

What I saw was my failure. What I failed to see was what God was doing in my life, while I was failing.

I was placed as a Bible worker in a church district.

I worked with family churches.

I was able to learn from a successful pastor.

It is possible to be so focused on our own failures, that we miss what God is already doing in our lives.

What I learned from that experience is that I’m a terrible minister without Jesus. But when I focus on Jesus and not my failures I can experience success.

We

In fact isn’t that how we all are? We all tell the same story but the details are different.

The same is true of the Bible. The Bible tells the same story over and over again but in different ways. Using different people in different places to drive home the same truth that we have all been struggling with.

To put it simply:

We are bad.

We can only become good, through God’s great love and boundless grace.

God’s vision for us is bigger than ourselves.

That’s the story all of scripture is trying to tell us. But in order for us to really get it, to really understand it, the story is presented in many different ways.

Because it’s not enough for us to understand the story, we must also live the story of scripture.

God

Lately, I have been spending quite a bit of time in the minor prophets, and what I have found there is astonishing. What I found was the gospel story, I found my story, and I’m pretty sure your story is there as well. Especially in the book of Micah.

Micah was a prophet in Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Throughout the book of Micah, the messages alternate between messages of judgement and hope.

Judgement because of mankind’s decisions and hope for God’s vision of the new world.

Humanity’s Evil and helplessness

In Micah’s time, evil was seen not just among the other nations, but also among God’s people. The wealthy oppressed the poor, both politically and religiously. Everyone lived in fear because of the rampant evil.

Micah 2:8–9 ESV

8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war. 9 The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever.

God’s people are not described as a friend but as an enemy. Judah is a place people want to stay away from. No one is safe.

This is why God has come down from his place to judge Judah.

Micah 1:3–4 ESV

3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. 4 And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.

Micah 1:3-

Micah tells us that God is coming down to judge Judah for its sins. God has taken notice of what is going on in Jerusalem and will not sit by.

What have you done this past week that causes God to stand up and take notice?

Micah then paints a picture of God’s power.

The mountains will melt under his power.

The valleys will be split open.

What does this all mean?

This is the lengths God is willing to go not to punish his people, but to set them in the right path.

Judgement is not about punishment its about correction.

Everyone needs correction from the religious leaders to the lowliest child.

God seeks to remake his people, which can only happen through God incredible love and grace.

God’s boundless love and grace

How are they to win God’s favor? How are they to get God to love them more?

They can’t. And neither can you. There is nothing you can do that will cause God to love you more. God already loves you and there is nothing you can do that will cause God to love you less. God’s love is steadfast and constant. Is He happy with your sin? Of course not, that’s where correction comes in. God doesn’t correct you from a state of hate, but that of love.

Micah asks God the question we are all asking.

Micah 6:6–8 ESV

6 “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:6-

No gesture of extreme piety will draw you closer to God. What does God require? Three simple things.

Do justice.

Love Kindness.

Walk Humbly with God.

The first two aspects are calling us to be like God. Justice and kindness are exactly who God is.

We are told to Do Justice. Not talk or think about justice. But to do justice. Justice can only be done when we are looking out for others and taking action.

But in light of all this justice that we are called to do, we are also told to Love Kindness.

What does it mean to love kindness? When you love something, its your focus, it controls your actions. Kindness should be the fuel that propels your choices in life. Does your actions paint a picture of your kindness?

All this is under the umbrella of walking humbly with God. All four of those words are vastly important.

Walk.

Walk with God. We aren’t called to run with God, but to walk. When we are running, we are focused on how fast we can get to the destination. Its about the destination, not the journey. So many Christians are running with God, but what God asks is to walk with Him.

When we walk, we experience each other. We get to behold our surroundings and really appreciate the one whom we are walking with. That’s what God wants. God wants to experience you and He wants you to experience Him.

Humbly.

We are to walk with God how? Humbly. Not with pride and shouting check me out. When we do anything humbly, no one tends to notice. You see God wants you to walk with him with your eyes fixated on Him.

When we walk proudly, our eyes are on everyone else to see if they are seeing what we are doing. But God wants us to be so into Him that Jesus becomes our ultimate focus.

God.

Hope in a New Jerusalem

God’s vision for His people doesn’t involve just them or us. It also involves a mountain and a king. God has a hope that one day all the peoples of the Earth will come and worship in one place, called Zion.

Micah 4:1–2 ESV

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.

Zion is this mountain city where people of all nations come to worship God. Within this new environment God teaches the people many different things like how to turn weapons of war into tools of prosperity.

War is erased.

Micah 4:3 ESV

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;

Micah 4:3

God promises a beautiful future for his people. Who will lead these people into this new nation of all peoples?

Micah 5:2 ESV

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

That’s right none other than Jesus.

Which is exactly what Jesus does many years later.

Jesus introduces us to the kingdom of heaven and tell us what Kingdom people look like.

Jesus says things like,

Matthew 5:43–44 ESV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:43-

Matthew 5:12 ESV

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:38–39 ESV

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 5:38-

Jesus’ mission wasn’t simply to die for your sins and mine but also to teach His people to return to Zion. Return to God’s presence.

You

God wants you to join Him on His mountain. In order to get there you don’t have to accomplish some big spiritual feat, God only asks of you three things.

Do Justice.

Love Kindness.

Walk Humbly With God.

We

Every church in the world is known for something. Wouldn’t it be great if we were known as the church. We have the potential to be a church that doesn’t turn a blind eye to wrong doings. We could be a church that loves kindness and mercy, in fact our actions are fueled by them. We could be a church that walks with God everyday.

But we always starts with me. It starts with you and me. When we put you and me together, they become we.