I Will Look To The Lord
Notes
Transcript
Intro: They say that the Mariana Trench, in the western Pacific Ocean, is the deepest oceanic trench on Earth. The maximum known depth is 10,984 metres (36,037 ft) (± 25 metres [82 ft]). That is deep.
You might wonder why my sermon would start with such trivia. Well, it is important when we are covering a passage that talks about the depths of the sea. We will finish today with a good look at this.
Theme: When times are bad we can look to the Lord for salvation!
Theme: When times are bad we can look to the Lord for salvation!
1Micah’s Misery 1-6
1Micah’s Misery 1-6
A.Woe and Misery fill Micah’s life when he sees what is happening in his country. 1-2
A.Woe and Misery fill Micah’s life when he sees what is happening in his country. 1-2
His poetry waxes eloquent as he again recounts the situation.
Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
They should be producing fruit for God but bring forth wickedness instead.
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Most people love fruit picking and eating fresh fruit. This week I picked my first 2 blueberries of the year, showed them to my wife and popped them in my mouth! Fruit - physical or spiritual is good and enjoyable!
But Micah is in woe because there is no fruit!
BHe sees the wickedness of the leaders. 3-4
BHe sees the wickedness of the leaders. 3-4
He starts with the princes , then the courts, and extends it down from there.
We already talked about the wickedness of these national leaders back in chapter 3
This is also why the New Testament lays out qualifications for Pastors, Elders, Bishops!
Political leaders in Micah’s day and in ours have evil desires!
C The time of God’s judgement. 5-6
C The time of God’s judgement. 5-6
It is bad when you can’t trust anyone, because it may be your close contacts that will dob you in!
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
For the record, I do not support, nor do I believe the Bible supports, dobbing in your neighbour to a corrupt and ungodly government.
2Micah’s Master 7
2Micah’s Master 7
But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
A”But as for me. I will look to the Lord...”
A”But as for me. I will look to the Lord...”
Micah makes a personal choice to follow God.
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
In the Hebrew, there is a pun here between the “watchman” in verse 4 and the “I will look” of verse 7.
Even when the politicians and judges are doing the wrong thing, We must still be the Salt and Light Jesus called us to!
B”I will wait for the God of my salvation...”
B”I will wait for the God of my salvation...”
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Waiting is hard! So hard! but we all have to do it.
C”God will hear me”
C”God will hear me”
Hundreds of times God has told us in Scripture that He hears us.
I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.
This is one of the greatest promises of Scripture. This alone can bring hope! There is nothing worse than knowing you will not be heard, and nothing more hopeful than being able to say what you need to say to a sympathetic ear.
I had a call from a person in the hospital on Friday night. He just needed a sympathetic ear, and an opportunity to know someone would listen to him in his distress. I listened, we prayed and his mood shifted.
3Mercy’s Message 8-13
3Mercy’s Message 8-13
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
A“I will arise...”
A“I will arise...”
This too is a promise from God. It happens over and over again in most of our lives. However, even if we fall in death, we know that we will rise at the last trumpet. We will arise, as Jesus arose, to be with god forever!
BUnderstand disipline over sins. v9
BUnderstand disipline over sins. v9
I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.
People have two choices:
We can bear God’s indignation ourselves and spend eternity in hell understanding how wrong we were to reject God’s gift of salvation.
Or we can accept the gift of God that is Christ taking God’s wrath for our sins. Then we can see His light, vindication, & righteousness!
CNote the return of the phrase: “In that day...”
CNote the return of the phrase: “In that day...”
11-13
This is a return to the prophetic aspects of Micah’s book. The rest of the book has a lot of prophecy. Some of these things have taken place and other aspects are still to come.
For example, verse 13 has been fulfilled during the exile brought about by Babylon.
Yet the land shall be desolate Because of those who dwell in it, And for the fruit of their deeds.
While verse 16 is still future!
4Marvellous Master 14-20
4Marvellous Master 14-20
First, notice what this section tells us about God!
First, notice what this section tells us about God!
Your People 14
Your staff
Your heritage
Your wonders 15
The LORD our God 17
Pardoning 18
Not always angry
Delights in mercy
Will again have compassion 19
Will deal with our sin (See Ex 34.6-9)
will give truth 20
Mercy again
Keeps His promises
B.Note the results of our Marvellous Master.
B.Note the results of our Marvellous Master.
The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.
People notice! People will fear because they did not repent!
Then there are those of us who do not fear because we are His.
He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
Conclusion: When times are bad we can look to the Lord for salvation!
Conclusion: When times are bad we can look to the Lord for salvation!
Last week we saw in 6.8 that God has shown people what is good and what is required.
Today we have seen how Dealing with our own sin has two options. We have also seen so much more about our God - who He is and what He has done, and will yet do.
All that we have seen should be driving us into a closer relationship with our merciful, pardoning God.
1.I believe Scripture teaches that sin around us should upset us. Does it?
1.I believe Scripture teaches that sin around us should upset us. Does it?
2.While none of us likes to be told to wait, How committed are we to waiting on the Lord?
2.While none of us likes to be told to wait, How committed are we to waiting on the Lord?
3.Are we good at spotting God at work and proclaiming His salvation?
3.Are we good at spotting God at work and proclaiming His salvation?
Reading: 7.7-20
VOTD 7.7