Micah 7:1-17 I Will Wait
Micah sees corruption all around, but he has not given up. He KNOWS that God WILL bring salvation. “I will wait for the God of my salvation” (verse 7b).
We ARE moving toward a time just like Micah describes. A time when even the “most upright” of men is like a “thorn hedge” (verse 4b). God tells us in Revelation that our world will be FILLED with hate, violence, lies, and all other things that spring from Satan running free of restraint.
Micah is speaking of what is happening in Israel during his time. Israel has all but abandoned God. They make a pretense of serving him through vain rituals, but their hearts are FAR from God. Even their “most upright” are worshiping at the feet of idols. It is enough to break God’s heart, but NOT His resolve. He resolves to correct His people. To bring them out of this dark place that they are in. And He will do WHATEVER it takes to get them there.
We know from history that it cost MANY lives, exile, and bondage to bring God’s people back to Him. This path also included MAN losing track of most of the tribes of Israel. In God’s earlier restoration of the Israel, only those associated with the southern kingdom of Judah returned from exile. But God NEVER lost sight of ALL of His people; both Jew and Gentile. God has a plan for ALL of them.
That plan is salvation. Micah would not see God’s final plan in action but he was willing to wait AS LONG AS IT TOOK for God’s work. That work was a process. It has MANY steps that have already transpired and MANY more to come before ALL stand before God for FINAL judgment.
The first steps in God’s plan, in the days of Micah, was to remove ALL the idol worship, divination, and corruptions of His Laws from the face of the land He gave His people. This meant removing HIS people too. First Israel then Judah. In removing them, He put them in a place where they would seek Him once again. A place where they would cry out to Him for help. And He would hear them after the rebellion had been pressed out of them.
Micah knew that it was only a matter of time before God brought about His salvation too. Micah had NO DOUBT that there was hope on the other side of the correction that lay directly in their path. That hope was God’s salvation.
I don’t think that Micah knew exactly what was to come that would bring about God’s salvation, but he TRUSTED God to complete what He had begun with the people. It actually began in the garden with Adam and Eve. He had been planning His salvation from the beginning of time. And Micah resolved to WAIT for that salvation.
Jesus is the salvation that Micah was waiting for. He is the salvation that ALL creation was waiting for. He has completed the work of salvation on the cross, but the earth is still in the cleansing process. Ons day ALL will be right again. Until then, we have to HOLD TIGHT to the salvation bought for us by Jesus. Proclaim the good news of God’s salvation. Work as if His return is imminent and He is counting on YOU to share His message of the good news of salvation as far and wide as possible.
Judgment IS coming. Salvation HAS come. Restoration WILL come!
Father God, help me to stand firm and ready for whatever lies ahead in Your plans for restoration. I LONG for the day when sin will be swept away! I especially want that in my life Father. I want to move through You in ALL that I do. I want the hope and joy of Your salvation to shine in my life at all times.
