Hope For the Hopeless: Micah 4

Introduction:

Hope is essential..

LOTR illustration about hope - Battle is darkest. Two Towers. Aragorn had been told to look for Gandalf and yet the battle is being lost and they are in the fortress… then he sees the light and hope springs up inside him as he remembers the promise and they ride out...

When you’re living hopeless there is great despair.

Proverbs 13:12 ESV

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Romans 15:4 ESV

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Chapters 1-3 are pretty discouraging. There’s a stark contrast as Micah begins chapter 4.

Micah had told Judah and Israel that God was going to come down and judge them because they had broken the covenant with Him. They should take this opportunity to repent and change their lives, yet they continued in their idolatry and their willful ignorance. And yet, there would be a faithful remnant. There was a group who would persevere through the coming judgment. They would be affected and suffer because of other people’s sinful choices. And here as the mood of the book changes, Micah gives them an amazing word of hope.

Micah 4:1–13 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. 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. 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. 6 In that day, declares the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted; 7 and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore. 8 And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem. 9 Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? 10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. 11 Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.” 12 But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor. 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; and shall devote their gain to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

PRAY

I. Messiah will rule and reign.

He will govern Israel by God’s laws. (v. 1-3)

When we look around at the world today, we see injustice everywhere. This was common in the days of Micah as well.

But Micah tells them about a day coming when all would be set right and God’s Messiah would reign and rule in Jerusalem.

God had already given His law to the people and they had rebelled against Him. Now, imagine the great hope it would have given those who remained faithful to hear that in the last days, God’s law would cover the earth. This refers to the last days when Messiah, Jesus reigns on earth.

And His reign will be supreme and eternal.

Those drawn there will be drawn no by any kind of outward compulsion but by a powerful, inward motivation. They will come willingly and will call on others to join them there.

This once again shows us that a truly converted heart desires to see as many people as possible come to salvation.

b. He will govern Israel as God’s leader. (v. 4-7)

Micah could look around the nation and see the rampant idolatry of the people. But Messiah would rule as God’s leader. He would lead the people to worship God and would rule perfectly. Justice will abound.

He will secure Israel.

He will reward the faithful among His people.

His rule will last forever.

Revelation 11:15 ESV

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

II. Messiah will govern Israel by God’s discipline. (v. 8-10)

Soon, they were going to be captured by a foreign power. God was using that event to draw the people’s hearts back to Him.

In this passage we see what we call a DOUBLE FULFILLMENT PROPHECY.

This refers to a prophecy that has a present day applicacation for the author as well as a future application for the saints.

Hebrews 12:7–11 ESV

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

James 1:2–12 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

III. Messiah will govern Israel by God’s power. (v. 11-13)

Surrounding Israel and Judah during Micah’s ministry were other nations who wanted to destroy them. These ungodly nations had no clue that God was using them as an act of discipline. God promised that he would redeem His people. He would restore and bring them back but it was much later. Pagan nations have never and will never understand God’s purposes for His people. It’s important to remember that though the people broke their side of the Abrahamic covenant, God never stopped honoring His covenant with them. God ALWAYS keeps his promises. If he promises something, it will come to pass. It might not come to pass in your timing but it will always happen when He intends it to. Bank on it. God will protect and preserve His people. There would be a remnant of faithful ones and God would not forget them. They would suffer due to the sins of those around them but they would not be forgotten.

Messiah will bring hope to hopeless lives.

HE will not forget his people.

Old Covenant - they had to go to a physical place to worship God

New Covenant - Jesus came and dwelt among us. Lived perfectly. Died in in my place, for my sin. Rose victoriously from the dead three days later. Trust Him. Repent and belive the Good News that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Only Jesus offers real, true, eternal hope.

Jesus brings hope to hopeless lives.

Jesus remembers.

God always keeps His promises.

Conclusion and Response

Don’t forget the hope we have in Jesus.

Repent of sin and believe the good news.

Share the hope that you have. Always be prepared to.

To help equip you for this: Hope Deeper - Our Discipleship Training Track (September 29 at 7pm)