Micah 1:1-16 It’s Coming
Micah brings word of destruction for both Israel AND Judah. He deals first with Samaria. Judgment, in the form of destruction IS coming.
There is very little that we are told about the prophet Micah himself. In our introduction to him, we learn that the Lord sent him, when he was sent, the regions he is sent to and the region he came from. God will speak through him to both Samaria and Jerusalem.
The time of Micah is just before the fall of Israel and may extend to a little beyond that fall. He will not be around to witness the fall of Jerusalem, by the KNOWS that God has passed judgment on them too.
Make no mistake, the coming disaster is from GOD. It was authored by Him. He chose the ‘weapons’, the order of warfare, and the outcome. Without this discipline, Israel would have ceased to be. God would NOT let them continue on the way they had been going. He would NOT stand by and do nothing.
God is NOT the parent who threatens His child with consequences and never follows through. His follow-through may seem like it is delayed, but His intention is to give His children EVERY OPPORUNITY to repent and mend their ways. He NEVER says, “This is your last chance” unless He means it. If His children would have repented, He would have responded to their changed hearts. As it was, He was responding instead to their hardened hearts. He WOULD follow through on the punishment He had decreed.
He cautions those He will use too. He tells them not to rejoice or mourn for Israel. Israel is getting exactly whey she has earned. But, be careful least you incur her God’s wrath on you for mocking over her least He turn His attention on you too!
We know the story. The other nations DID abuse and mock God’s people. And they earned their own just payment for their actions. They found joy in oppressing Israel AND Judah. God would ‘pay them back for their attitudes. Israel and Judah first though, with Israel leading the line of correction.
Micah doesn’t go into detail about the sin in the land. He does mention their idols and the “prostitute’ and her wages. ALL the idols they had built would be crushed. That alone should demonstrate to ALL who are watching that these idols that Israel was clinging to would fail them miserably. Their false gods could not stand against the Power of the REAL THING.
Father God, keep my eyes FIXED on You. YOU are the one who is worthy to be praised. I don’t want to give, even for a second, that which belongs to You. I also don’t want to gloat over the misfortune or judgment of others. Nor do I want to step in and ‘save them’ from the lesson You are working on within them.
I wonder what our world would look like today if Israel had listened. Their pain and rebellion is my gain. They rejected Jesus and that opened the way for me, as a gentile, to come to You. As HARD as it is to accept, EVERYTHING worked EXACTLY as You had planned. Even what still lays ahead will happen EXACTLY as You planned; including the judgment portions. It’s coming too!
