FRIDAY 12-5-14 ~ OVERVIEW OF MICAH “I hate you!” she screams & runs from the room. Words from a child thrown as emotional darts. Perhaps she learned the phrase from Mom & Dad or maybe it just burst forth from that inner well of “sinful nature.” Whatever the case, hate & love have become society’s bywords, almost tired clichés, tossed carelessly at objects, situations & even people. The casual use of such words as love & hate has emptied them of their meaning. We no longer understand statements that describe a loving God who hates sin. So we picture God as gentle & kind – a cosmic pushover & our concept of what he hates is tempered by our misconceptions & wishful thinking. The words of the prophets stand in stark contrast to such misconceptions. God’s hatred is real – burning, consuming & destroying. He hates sin & he stands as the righteous Judge, ready to mete out just punishment to all who defy his rule. God’s love is also real. So real that he sent his Son, the Messiah, to save & accept judgment in the sinner’s place. Love & hate are together – both unending, irresistible & unfathomable. In seven short chapters, Micah presents this true picture of God – the almighty Lord who hates sin & loves the sinner. Much of the book is devoted to describing God’s judgment on Israel (the northern kingdom), on Judah (the southern kingdom) & on all the earth. This judgment will come “because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of Israel” (1:5). And the prophet lists their despicable sins, including fraud (2:2), theft (2:8), greed (2:9), debauchery (2:11), oppression (3:3), hypocrisy (3:4), heresy (3:5), injustice (3:9), extortion & lying (6:12) & other offenses. God’s judgment will come. In the midst of this overwhelming prediction of destruction, Micah gives hope & consolation because he also describes God’s love. The truth is that judgment comes only after countless opportunities to repent, to turn back to true worship & obedience – “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). But even in the midst of judgment, God promises to deliver the small minority who have continued to follow him. He states “Their king will pass through before them, the Lord at their head” (2:13). The king, of course, is Jesus & we read in 5:2 that he will be born as a baby in Bethlehem, an obscure Judean village. As you read Micah, catch a glimpse of God’s anger in action as he judges & punishes sin. See God’s love in action as he offers eternal life to all who repent & believe. And then determine to join the faithful remnant of God’s people, who live according to his will.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:21:39 +0000
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