MPC 13th June 2004.Micah 4, 5 - "Peaking Ahead"
Maurie Cropper MPC 13th June 2004.
The headline began: "If you won't listen to Steve Schreiber... you're probably already dead."
The article went on to introduce Steve as the Programme Manager for the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council. Steve talked about how difficult it is to convince people, that simply because everything looks so fantastic up on the mountain peaks, danger still lurks.
'Looks aren't everything, because danger is only one avalanche away', he said. Steve said the key to avalanche safety is training people to make the good choices and checking they have the correct equipment. The point is, that listening to Steve means you'll enjoy a long life of skiing and mountaineering.
In today's reading, Micah's also got a problem with people who won't listen.
I said last week that Micah's prophecy to the people of God was something like an obituary. An obituary being read to a complacent, self-contained, and self-indulgent people who were content with their present prosperity. Who thought that all that mattered was to be prosperous and enjoy life. You can almost hear them saying: What's wrong with that? Because who wants to have to struggle through life always broke? Why not have it all now?
Here's Micah approaching the people, as it says at the beginning of chapter one, with "The word of the LORD", and they're telling him: 'We're here to enjoy life, and enjoy it to the full. Don't concern us with your safety tips. About the dangers of things that will overwhelm us.'
Micah's task was a difficult one. And it isn't helped by his truthful response to the false prophets suggestion that everything was okay.
This is what Micah says in verse 3:12, "...because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill [will become] a mound overgrown with thickets."
Yet Micah isn't put off. He now turns his focus to a time ahead.
It needs to be said, that the prophets weren't men who sort of predicted the future by looking into a crystal ball. They were men who passionately delivered a message from God to the people of their day. And quite often their prophecies had implications for times way beyond their own time.
So when Micah speaks of times ahead, it's like he's looking way into the distance at a series of mountain ranges or peaks. One behind the other. The closest peak might be the imminent future. The next peak might be referring to the return of the people after being taken into exile. And the next peak might be referring to the time of Chist's coming, and so on.
So certain parts of Micah's prophecy may be referring to different peaks of time.
An example of this is in verse 1 of chapter 4 with the words: "In the last days". Micah's referring to a time beyond their present prosperity, beyond the time when Jerusalem will be flattened to a heap of rubble. It's a time when Jerusalem and the LORD's temple will once again be a drawcard for people and from where they will be taught of the ways of the Lord, and encouraged to walk in his paths.
Reading from Micah 4:1" "In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it."
We can imagine Micah looking up and gazing into the future. Peak after peak.
As it turned out he was absolutely correct when he said that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Because just over a century later the Babylonians demolished the whole city, including the temple. And those who weren't killed were taken into exile. He's also correct when he says that the temple would once again be established... and be a place where God's word would be taught and people would again be encouraged to walk in the paths of the Lord.
This contrasts with Micah's own day where those in authority of the temple trampled on the word of God. And because the false prophets handled God's word dishonestly, God's people ended up being deceived.
If it wasn't for faithful prophets like Micah they would never had known the truth.
So Micah speaks of a time when not only the remnant of God's people would return, but others would also come. Because as God's people once again take His word seriously, other people will be attracted to God and his ways.
Verse 2: 'Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD , to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.'
And Micah describes a time when people of all nations are reconciled to God. It's a description of peace and harmony. Where God will settle disputes, and instruments of war - like spears and shields, will be turned into farming implements. And there'll be peace.
It sounds a bit like heaven.
Maybe that's the furtherest peak that Micah can see.
Verse 3:
He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid ...
It's a beautiful picture of what Micah refers to as the "...last days".
But the irony of it, is this.
Because they are totally distracted by their God-given prosperity, the people of Micah's time are going to lose what they have... and it will be given to another generation.
Because they're not listening they don't see the avalanche approaching. They're living a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Don't hear me saying that we're not meant to enjoy the blessings that God gives us. Enjoy them by all means, but they're not meant to be idolised, or worshiped. Otherwise, like the people in Micah's time, you will have displaced God from the focus of your attention.
And be very careful not to attach your sense of identity or worth to what God has prospered you with. Things like your car, or your house, or your degrees or your job. Or even your partner, or your child's achievements; they aren't there to prop-up your sense of worth.
For the Christian, our identity and worth is to be found in Christ.
Because the greatest benefit of being one of God's people isn't enjoying the blessings he brings our way, it's knowing that when this life is over, the only thing that counts is our relationship with God in Christ.
The Apostle Peter puts it this way. 2 Peter 3:10-13:
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
Micah has is own succinct way of putting it.
Check out Micah 4:5:
All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
In no way does Micah's vision of a renewed Jerusalem involve the mixing and matching of different gods. His vision is totally dedicated to the worship of the one, true God. That matter is non-negotiable!
It's permanent, and as he says in verse 5, it'll be "for ever and ever".
God's also committed to the hurting remnant who he'll once again make strong.
Verse 6: "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation."
I wonder who Micah's referring to. Could it be simply just a reference to the ragged remnant returning after Babylonian exile? Or could he be looking further ahead?
Maybe he's referring to the 'great crowds coming to Jesus, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled... ' (Matthew 15:30) and all the others who were excluded and exiled from society.
And what of the parallels Micah's making? They should have been quite confronting to his listeners. Listen to them. Each time they begin with the words "As for".
'As for Micah and the faithful, "they'll walk in the name of the Lord forever."
'As for the lame, the exiled and the remnant, they'll also walk in the name of the Lord.
'AS FOR YOU!' my listeners, Micah says:
...you who are supposed to be keeping watch over the people of God. Here's a promise for you.
After your failure to keep watch over over the flock... and after they've been taken into exile, they'll return back to Jerusalem and a king will come and rule.
This is how Micah puts it. Verse 8. "As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem."
Micah's prophecy is that once again Jerusalem will be ruled by a king. It's like Micah's peering at one of those distant peaks.
And because the Bible says that Israel never had another earthly king after the time of the prophets, we can assume that Micah's prophecy is looking ahead to the time of Jesus.
And that seems to be confirmed by his reference to Bethlehem, the birthplace of both King David and of Jesus.
So despite the on-going disobedience of so many, God will again bless his people.
Listen to how Micah puts it in chapter 5. Beginning with the promise of a future king in verse 2, a king who's been around since the creation of the world.
But you, Bethlehem... though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they [God's people] will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.
Then, from verse 5 to 15 in chapter 5, Micah speaks of the Assyrian invasion just around the corner, followed by the time when the remnant will be rescued and the Assyrians will be destroyed by God because of their reliance and use of "witchcraft, casting of spells, carved images, sacred stones", anything and everything that has become a god to them.
This should have been yet another wake-up call to those listening to Micah's prophecy. After all, the false leaders and prophets, and their supporters, were the ones who'd made the alliance with Assyria and their gods.
As I said earlier, Micah's prophecy is like looking at many different peaks, or times. Close and far away.
And it's not always clear which time he's specifically referring to. Or whether he's referring to more than one at any one time.
He simply refers to: "The last days". Or, "In that day".
He might be prophesying about the time when God's people will return from exile.
Maybe from our perspective Micah is referring to a later time. When Jesus will draw people to his teaching and they will turn from their ways and follow God's ways.
Or maybe there's even a reference to the day's of the early Christian church when people are drawn to Jerusalem from many nations, and commit themselves to following God.
In the end I don't think it matters which peak it is.
Because no matter what time period Micah's prophecy is referring to, his own, that of the exile, that of Jesus, or ours... people everywhere need to turn from relying on their prosperity.
They need to accept that material things won't go beyond this life. And are certainly of no value or purpose in the next life.
Possessions, prestige, or power don't last forever. And they certainly don't cut it with God!
Money might have bought off the false prophets and brought the people favour with their unscrupulous leaders and rulers, but it won't buy any favours with God!
If that hasn't sunk home to you by now let me read you a story that might help. Luke 16:
19There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets [including Micah], they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'
The question today is this: "Have you been listening to what the prophet Micah has been saying? Have you been convinced to turn to Jesus, who died for us, and has come back from the dead - to rule as King over his people for ever and ever?"
If you haven't, then like the people that Micah spoke to, or the rich man, you're in danger of ending up in exile. Permanently separated from God.