 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
The Coming Destruction 2 Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. 3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. 4 And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. 5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? 6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. 7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return. 8 For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches. 9 For her wound is incurable, and it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. 10 Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourselves in the dust. 11 Pass on your way, inhabitants of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitants of Zaanan do not come out; the lamentation of Beth-ezel shall take away from you its standing place. 12 For the inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good, because disaster has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem. 13 Harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish; it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. 14 Therefore you shall give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel. 15 I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel shall come to Adullam. 16 Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children of your delight; make yourselves as bald as the eagle, for they shall go from you into exile. Meditation Corrie ten Boom was a Christian who helped many Jews escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II. A comment she once made from Micah helps Christians escape toxic shame to embrace God’s forgiveness and love. Ten Boom said, “God buries our sin in the depths of the sea and puts up a sign that reads, ‘no fishing.’” Micah concludes His prophecy with this promise (7:18-20): God pardons iniquity, passes over transgression, casts sin into the depths of the sea, and has compassion on His people because of His steadfast love and faithfulness. This is good news for God’s people, especially after the prophet begins by addressing the root of the problems Israel was experiencing- Sin and rebellion against God. Micah summarizes the root of the problem thusly: “All of this is for the transgression of Jacob…. the sin of Samaria” (5). “Transgression” is a word indicating rebellion, often used in political contexts to refer to revolt. “Sin” signifies a failure to meet God’s standard, missing the mark of holiness for which God redeemed His people. Specifically, idolatry is the indictment (6-7) and lamentation is the language of this section of the prophecy (8-18). Sin is the root of all struggle and lamentation is a path leading to hope. God forgives transgression and redeems rebels through the finished work of Jesus. Jesus took our sin to the depths of the grave so we can swim freely and forgiven in God’s steadfast love. There is no condemnation is Christ! Richly Dwelling -Are you free from the toxic shame coming from sin, knowing there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus? OR do you define yourself by your sin and failure? -How do you specifically rebel against God as King, rejecting His rule and authority? How do you miss God’s mark, falling short of His standard? -Receive God’s forgiveness and grace that comes only through the cross. Every sin you name Jesus takes to the depths of the sea. He paid the penalty so you can receive the promise of forgiveness. Key Verse 5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? Read The Week's Links Here Comments are closed.
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