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Devotional thoughts (Monday through Thursday mornings) from the pastor of Exeter Presbyterian Church in Exeter, NH // Sunday Worship 10:30am // 73 Winter Street

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Micah 1

Micah ministered to the Lord’s people as a prophet in the days of various important kings of Judah. He is often identified with the prophet Isaiah for obvious reasons that can be seen from the first verse of that larger book of prophesy: “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” Micah and Isaiah both served the Lord during the reign of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The first and third of these kings are noted as those that did what was right in the eyes of God. By contrast Ahaz did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. Micah (and Isaiah) served during a time of some variety because of differences in the reigns of these three kings. On the other hand the kind of problems that the prophet speaks about were surely things that happened during the reigns of all of these kings.

The Lord begins the book by saying something to all the nations and peoples of the earth. There is something in what God is saying about Judah and Israel that should be instructive to other peoples. The Lord is the God of His covenant people, the descendents of Jacob. Yet God is coming in judgment against them through the Assyrians, and later through the Babylonians. The problems that will come through foreign powers to the north and east are said to be troubles that have come from the Lord’s holy temple in the heavens. From that high place, God is coming down against the wickedness of His people. How is this instructive to other nations? If this is the way that the Lord will treat His own beloved flock, what will be the fate of the other nations who have also sinned against God? There is something here for the world to learn. We are in grave trouble. We cannot stand before this holy God.

All that is and will be happening against Israel and Judah is happening for a reason. It is on account of the sins of God’s people. Their capital cities have become centers of idolatry and immorality. If the nations of the world have also avoided their duty to worship the Creator, and if they too have ignored the teaching of natural revelation and conscience and given themselves over to what is wrong, will they fare well when the Lord comes in judgment against them?

It is a sad thing to have the sins of the covenant community on public display before the peoples of the earth. Micah laments deeply over his divine charge of showing the failure of the Lord’s people and the consequences of their sins. He says that the condition of Israel is incurable, and that this same wound has come to Judah. He uses the names of various places in order to reinforce the sure judgment that is coming upon the towns of Judah and Israel. He refers to their fate of some injury or destruction by using Hebrew words that sound like the names of the towns that would soon suffer these trials.

There may also be some specific indications of trouble identified here that are hard for us to understand now, but that kind of nuance is not the point of this chapter. The message here is as follows: Even Judah and Israel deserve God’s wrath, other nations also deserve this same wrath of God, and they would all do well to consider how the Lord’s own people have suffered justly from His holy correction.

There is much trouble for the inhabitants of this world as we swim through deep waters of overwhelming unrighteousness. From beginning to end there is deceit and idolatry everywhere. We have many reasons to mourn. We have great sadness over the loss of family members who are no more. Trial and death are all around us, and it might appear that there is no way out. If inclusion in the line of Jacob cannot save people from the wrath of Yahweh, what possible hope can there be for those who have no relation to the chosen people of God?

It should be very clear that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Yet God was not content to leave us without hope. He has set His affection upon His elect, not only from Judah and Israel, but also from the other nations. Through the words of prophets like Micah and Isaiah, we have come to see our own sinfulness as we hear the Lord’s indictment against His Old Testament people. Through the Law and the prophets we have a consistent story that proves to us that the way of peace with God must come from outside of ourselves.

The Lord Himself needed to work out our salvation. Only by His mighty hand could our rescue be accomplished. Through the cross of Christ we see displayed an ultimate and effectual exile that we deserved. Judah and Israel did deserve to be sent away from the Promised Land. As observers of their grief from various nations of the earth we must frankly admit that our sin deserves displacement from any place of blessing. But Christ was exiled for us. He was cast out of the holy city and nailed to a cross, though He had done nothing wrong. He was cut off of the Lord’s people that we might be brought in, together with many descendants of Jacob. We have been justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus.

posted by Pastor Magee @ 12:00 AM

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