Judgment now, blessings later - Pt. II
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Micah (man, book, message)
Micah (man, book, message)
Micah a prophet to the Southern Kingdom (Judah) a contemporary of Isaiah. A brief reminder of what we have seen thus far.
The Background
The man
Micah means “Who is like Jehovah”
From: Moresheth-Gather (20-25 mi SW of Jerusalem)
A prophet of the poor and downtrodden
The book
His prophesies occured about 735 - 700 B.C.
Prophesies directed to Judah as well as Israel
Overall theme - “Present judgment; future blessings”
The messages
Coming judgment and promised restoration (Mic1:1-2:13)
Today, God’s condemnation of Israel; and future hope (Mic3:1-5:15)
Next week God’s indictment of Isreal with promise of forgiveness and restoration (Mic6:1-7:20)
Today
The condemnation (indictment)
The future exaltation (Messianic Hope; view)
The Condemnation (indictment)
The Condemnation (indictment)
While the message from Micah today has a great view to the Messiah, it starts with the condemnation (judgment) against the leaders of Israel, both the civil and religious leaders.
Condemnation / indictment of the civil leaders (Mic3:1-4)
Micah 3:1–2 (NASB95)
1 And I said, “Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice? 2 “You who hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones,
3 Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle.” 4 Then they will cry out to the Lord, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds.
The conduct of the rulers is they hate good and love evil. (v.2)
They metaphorically consume, the people (by oppressing them) (v.3)
The Lord will hide His face from them because of their evil deeds.
Question: Does society do this today? Hate good, love evil, oppress people?
Condemnation / Indictment of religious leaders (Mic3:5-8)
5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They cry, “Peace,” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war. 6 Therefore it will be night for you—without vision, And darkness for you—without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them.
7 The seers will be ashamed And the diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God. 8 On the other hand I am filled with power— With the Spirit of the Lord— And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.
Judgment on false prophets, those who lead others astray (v.5).
They have no true vision and shall be made to be ashamed (v.7)
Contrasted with Micah’s ministry that had power, the Spirit, justice and courage to make known the truth. (v.8)
Question: Do we have this problem today and do we have the same solution that Micah did?
A reinforcement of condemnation / indictment against leaders (Mic3:9-12)
9 Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight, 10 Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice.
11 Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord saying, “Is not the Lord in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.” 12 Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.
They abhor justice, they twist the truth (v.9)
They build on bloodshed in violent injustice (v.10)
The leaders, the priests, the prophets are in it for the money; even though claiming they trust the Lord.
The results will be, they will be like a plowed field, a heap of ruins (v.12)
Well, may we take just a couple of minutes to see the fulfillment of this prophesy? May we turn together to 2Chr36.
17 Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. 18 All the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon.
19 Then they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. 20 Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.
(Transition) While this maybe dark, dreary, alarming there still is hope that is coming, a glimpse into the future for them, and a reminder of our hope we have today.
Future exaltation and Messianic hope
Future exaltation and Messianic hope
The glory to come, the distress to endure and the promise of the coming. This is what we get to look at now.
The glory to come (Mic4:1-8)
What will happen (Mic4:1-5)
1 And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war. 4 Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 Though all the peoples walk Each in the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
In the last days, people of many nations will stream to the house of the Lord (v.1-2)
Coming desiring to be taught so they could walk in His paths (v.2)
There will be a peace, swords hammered to plowshares, speaks to pruning hooks (v.3)
They will no longer be afraid, while others walk in the name of their gods, they will walk in the name of the Lord our God. (v.4-5)
Isaiah the contemporary of Micah had this to say (this is not on your outline)
1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
isa2:3
3 And many peoples will 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 concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
What will be the fulfillment
There are some varying beliefs on this fulfillment.
The premilleniaslists believe it is all yet to come
The amillenialists believe it is all in the past
Others believe some past, some to come. I may come back to this and develop this more, but let’s see how we do surveying the rest of our passage.
Further description of what will happen (Mic4:6-8)
6 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will assemble the lame And gather the outcasts, Even those whom I have afflicted. 7 “I will make the lame a remnant And the outcasts a strong nation, And the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever.
8 “As for you, tower of the flock, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come— Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
In that day the Lord will make a remnant of the outcasts (v.7)
He will reign over them forever (v.7)
The former dominion are the Jews who have been given to Christ because of faith that are a part of Christ’s spiritual kingdom, who Jesus reigns over.
The distress to endure (Mic4:9-5:1)
9 “Now, why do you cry out loudly? Is there no king among you, Or has your counselor perished, That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth? 10 “Writhe and labor to give birth, Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth; For now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; There the Lord will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.
11 “And now many nations have been assembled against you Who say, ‘Let her be polluted, And let our eyes gloat over Zion.’ 12 “But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, And they do not understand His purpose; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, For your horn I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, That you may pulverize many peoples, That you may devote to the Lord their unjust gain And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. 1 “Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.
So from a hope for the future, a Messianic picture painted, back to the now, the immediate present.
Their agony will be a lie a woman in childbirth (vv.9-10)
There is captivity coming, but a rescue afterwards, a redemption from hands of enemies (v.10)
Many will come against them and will be used as God’s tool of judgment (vv.11-5:1)
The Future Exaltation
The Future Exaltation
In our next passage today we will see the future Messiah and the current state
The coming Messiah (Mic5:2-5)
2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” 3 Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.
4 Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. 5 Though all the peoples walk Each in the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
From Bethlehem of Judah, the One who will be ruler will come (v.2; consider Is9:6-7)
His going forth are from long ago (the beginning/eternity; Jn1:1-3) (v.2)
He will be their peace, will lead them in peace (vv.3-5)
prior to that they will be “given up” for awhile (Babylonian captivity; 70 years)
Then a remnant will return.
The current state (Mic5:5-15)
This was forthcoming for them
The Assyrian threat would avail nothing to Judah (vv.5-6; consider Isa36-37)
5 This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. 6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory.
There will be a remnant that will return (after Babylonian captivity) (vv.7-9)
7 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the Lord, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men. 8 The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to rescue.
9 Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off.
The Lord will cut off the things they relied on, as well as destroy and execute vengeance (vv.10-15)
Cut off horses, cities, sorceries, carved images
He will destroy chariots, fortifications, sacred pillars, their asherim and cities
He will execute vengeance in anger and wrath.
Now let me give you the passage
10 “It will be in that day,” declares the Lord, “That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots. 11 “I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications.
12 “I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. 13 “I will cut off your carved images And your sacred pillars from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands.
14 “I will root out your Asherim from among you And destroy your cities. 15 “And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath On the nations which have not obeyed.”
(Conclusion) Micah purpose as seen last week and today was two fold
TO warn to bring to repentance
To encourage and bring hope to face the hard times
May you consider these thoughts and please take the time to look at the scriptures.
Warnings for us to persevere so not to fall away (Heb4:1, 11)
Be encouraged, strengthen for what is ahead (2Pt3:13-14)
May the words of Micah bring us understanding and hope (Rom15:4)
(Prayer) (Exit )