DOCSLIB.ORG

CORRUPTION (Micah 7:1-7) As Christians, Sometimes We Might

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CORRUPTION (Micah 7:1-7) As Christians, Sometimes We Might CORRUPTION (Micah 7:1-7) As Christians, sometimes we might think we should be shaded from the realities of life that everyone else has to face. However, the plain truth is, - with a slight alteration of the old saying, - while we are not of the world, we are still in it! … Micah was still in the world, and he had to face up to what was happening around him. Now, there are two main ways he could have dealt with this: he could either have absconded into the wilderness, found a cave, and hid there for the rest of his life … or, he could have stayed where he was and been true to God, even in the midst of a godless people. He did the latter. … If God does not call you away, He means for you to stay where you are to serve Him. He does not separate His people from reality. In fact, His people are to be lights in a dark place … not to be hidden under a bushel but to be, - as it were, - lifted up and set into the candlestick so the light would shine and that men would see our good works and glorify our Father Who is in Heaven (Mt. 5:15,16). Indeed, that is what we are to do … Is. 44:8 Ye are even my witnesses … Mt. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations … 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you However, the great problem with facing up to the issues is that we come to realise how far removed our standards, - the standards of Scripture, - really are from the benchmark the world prescribes. When we were growing up, - generally-speaking, - the levels of decency and morality were what you would expect from a civilised country, but in the past couple of generations good standards and principles have taken a real battering! Consequently, if you are intent on being faithful to Christ today, - in your work, in your school, in your home, in the community, and even among some other Christians, - you will very often find yourself standing alone. It is not that you are being ‘odd’, or thinking you are better than anyone else … but you are different because you are pursuing obedience to the Word of God, and that is how it should be when you are born again of the Holy Spirit. And so, Micah is rightly lamenting over the state of his people. However, his lament does not direct him into despair, but it brings him before the throne of God. He brings the heavy and weighty problem of his people and his country to the Lord because he knows there is nothing he can do about it himself. Without God, he is powerless and hopeless. And so he approaches the Lord concerning the state of the land, its leadership, its present generation, and the generation growing up under the ‘smog’ of such spiritual pollution. … 2 And so, at the same time as the lament, there is also an overwhelming expression of his confidence in the Lord. Despite all he was experiencing he believed God was still in control … God was sovereign. Here is how Micah surveys the scene …In verse one through to verse six we have the lament, Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. 2 The good [man] is perished out of the earth: and [there is] none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge [asketh] for a reward; and the great [man], he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them [is] as a brier: the most upright [is sharper] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies [are] the men of his own house. Then in verse seven we have his confidence, Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Sometimes we are so prone to get ‘the picture out of focus’ and in so doing we lose something of our confidence in the Lord! We say we trust in Him for our salvation which is for time and eternity … and yet, we live as if we are not too sure if we can trust Him for time! … Does God know for certain He will welcome me into Heaven? Yes, He does because He sent His Son to die for me, and His death for me on the cross paid the penalty for my sin so I won’t have to pay it, and I am no longer under His wrath so when I leave this earth He will bring me to Glory, II Tim. 1:12 I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. I’m saved because of the eternal covenant God signed in Christ’s blood. Now, I am depending upon that eternal covenant so therefore, why should I doubt Him concerning what will come my way between now and then … during this period we call ‘time’?! He has it all covered for no matter how hard it gets, and even if and when my faith becomes weak, underneath and above it all I know that, as Job said, 23:10 He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold … 13 he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. 3 And so, especially in these opening four verses of chapter seven, Micah wrote about the spiritual and moral decay of his society. Yes, we have to face up to what is going on around us … and that was what Micah was doing. Notice how his words are particularly addressed to Jerusalem. God was speaking to them loud and clear. In the previous chapter we read, 6:9 The LORD'S voice crieth unto the city. So, it is Jerusalem who must listen, 7:1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. … It is like the scene in the Book of Ruth where after the harvest the wheat has been gathered and brought into the storehouses, … but some of the wheat has been left at the corners and around the field for the poor people to come and claim. But it was the sad reality that when God went looking for the summer fruits and the grape gleanings of the vintage He couldn’t find anything because there was nothing there! As Job said, 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came [unto me]: and when I waited for light, there came darkness. That was how bad the spiritual situation in the land had become! I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage. … They had ignored God’s word and how He had directed them … They had changed His laws! God was looking for the fruit of righteousness among His people but it wasn’t there! Isaiah prophesied at the same time as Micah, and he said also, 5:7 the vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. … That was the same message Micah was bringing! God expected spiritual fruit, but there was none to be found, there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. In the Song of Solomon, describing the love God had for the nation of Israel, He said, 2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. … But there was no longer any fruit left in Jerusalem because the people had turned away from their God! How tragic! And just in case some of the people were not understanding what God was saying through Micah, the message was made abundantly clear, The good [man] is perished out of the earth: and [there is] none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. It was as if there were no good people left! This was the consequence of God’s judgment upon their land. They had abandoned His law … What He called sin, they had given a new name in order to make it acceptable. 4 Instead of evil being recognised as evil, it had become the norm, - it wasn’t called evil any longer … and the protestations of God’s true people were no ridiculed, mocked and despised.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Micah 1:1 1 Micah 1:7 the Superscription to Micah's
    Micah 1:1 1 Micah 1:7 Micah The Superscription to Micah's Sermons 1 The LORD's message which came to Micah of Mor- sheth in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The visions he saw about Samaria and Jerusalem. The Lord's Judgment on Guilty Samaria and Judah 2 Listen, all you peoples! Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the earth! For the Lord GOD will be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple! 3 The LORD is coming from his holy place, he descends and treads on the heights of the earth, 4 so that the mountains melt beneath like wax in the presence of the fire, and the valleys break apart like water poured down a steep descent. 5 All this is because of the crime of Jacob, and for the sin of the house of Israel. What was the crime of Jacob? Was it not Samaria? What is the sin of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? 6 “I will make Samaria a ruin in an open field, and a place where a vineyard is planted, I will hurl down her stones into the valley, and lay bare her foundations. 7 “All her images will be shattered, Micah 1:8 2 Micah 1:16 and all her statues will be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay in ruins. For they were acquired by prostitution, and to prostitution they will return.” 8 This is why I will mourn and wail, I will go barefoot and naked, I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the desert owl.
    [Show full text]
  • Micah 7:1-10 (GW) 1 Poor Me! I Am Like Those Gathering Summer Fruit, Like Those Picking Grapes
    Micah 7:1-10 (GW) 1 Poor me! I am like those gathering summer fruit, like those picking grapes. But there aren't any grapes to eat or any ripened figs that I crave. 2 Faithful people are gone from the earth, and no one is decent. All people lie in ambush to commit murder. They trap each other with nets. 3 Their hands are skilled in doing evil. Officials ask for gifts. Judges accept bribes. Powerful people dictate what they want. So they scheme together. 4 The best of them is like a briar. The most decent person is sharper than thornbushes. The day you thought you would be punished has come. Now is the time you will be confused. 5 Don't trust your neighbors. Don't have confidence in {your} friends. Keep your mouth shut even when a woman is lying in your arms. 6 A son treats his father with contempt. A daughter rebels against her mother. A daughter-in-law rebels against her mother-in-law. People's enemies are the members of their own families. 7 I will look to the LORD. I will wait for God to save me. I will wait for my God to listen to me. 8 Don't laugh at me, my enemies. Although I've fallen, I will get up. Although I sit in the dark, the LORD is my light. 9 I have sinned against the LORD. So I will endure his fury until he takes up my cause and wins my case. He will bring me into the light, and I will see his victory.
    [Show full text]
  • Micah- 7 Bible Studies on the Minor Prophets
    Bible studies on the Minor Prophets Lesson #1 Micah 1:1-16 Vivienne Stacey, Paphos, 1 May 2003 Reading: Read the whole book of Micah and Micah 1:1-16 in particular Questions 1. What have you learned about the prophet Micah from reading his book? Micah 1:1-2 - Introduction 2. How do we know that Isaiah started prophesying before Micah? 3. Why does Micah not mention the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel? See Hosea 8:4. 4. What other prophets start their prophecies with the same words: 'The word of the Lord came to…? See Micah 3:8. 5. How does Micah make clear that God is the Lord of the world? Micah 1:3-7 - Judgment against Samaria and Judaea. 6. What do Samaria and Jerusalem signify? Micah 1:8-16 - Micah's lament over the fall of Judah. 7. Identify 7 towns known today under other names. They form a circle with a radius of 14 km around Micah's home town. 8. Name Micah's home town. 9. Give 3 examples of word-plays of the names of the towns and their predicted doom. 10. What proof is there that Micah preached judgment with love? 11. What echoes are there of the experiences of David? See 2 Samuel 1:20, 1 Samuel 22:1; 2 Samuel 23:13. Is there a Messianic reference in Micah 1:15? Bible studies on the Minor Prophets, Lesson #2, Micah 2:1-14 Vivienne Stacey, Paphos, 8 May 2003 Reading: Micah 2:1-14 Questions Micah 2:1-5 - Corrupt land barons sentenced to exile 1.
    [Show full text]
  • LIGHT in the DARKNESS Sunday, July 12 Reading: Micah 7
    MICAH: LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Sunday, July 12 Reading: Micah 7 Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. 8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. 9 Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the LORD’s wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. Micah 7 begins with a cry of hopelessness and despair. Having expressed God’s verdict and the coming judgment, Micah once again mourns for his people (7:1). The prophet describes how the godly have disappeared and the people’s only inclination is to sin and violence (7:2-6). Like a watchman sounding the alarm, Micah warns that the day of God’s visiting in judgment is at hand (7:4). But all is not lost! The prophet will wait for God’s salvation. Though dark days lay ahead, God would shine His light in the darkness. He would turn His judgment on Israel’s enemies “In that day” when Messiah rules, all nations will come to worship God in Jerusalem (7:7-13). God will be their SHEPHERD (7:14). God will shepherd Israel because they belong to Him (“Your inheritance”). Bashan and Gilead were fertile pasture lands east of the Jordan River. They were often used as symbols of abundance and prosperity.
    [Show full text]
  • A PATH to EFFECTIVENESS Micah 7:1-7; 18-20
    COMMITMENT: A PATH TO EFFECTIVENESS Micah 7:1-7; 18-20 Objective: To be faithful to the Lord regardless of the situation or circumstances. I remember reading a booklet several years ago about time management. It was about how to get more done with the available time you have. One of the points the author made was with regard to the need to be committed to and focused on the objective and not be distracted as you carried out a particular task. If a farmer set out to repair his fence, he might notice the weeds in the garden and take a few minutes to clean that up. As he proceeded to get the tools and wire to fix to the fence, he might see that the tool shed needed sweeping and that would take just a few minutes to do. Eventually, he might get around to working on the fence or not. His lack of focus or lack of commitment to the task at hand made him ineffective because he did not get the job done. Some people can have a goal in mind and they will operate with single-minded purpose in accomplishing that goal. Others are easily distracted and it seems they never get anything done. They may have fifteen projects underway, but nothing ever gets finished. It is easy to make the argument that commitment (focus, dedication, faithfulness, single mindedness, or whatever we call it) is a key to being effective. While commitment is a key, we must make sure that we have the right goal and the right objective before making a commitment.
    [Show full text]
  • Micah Commentaries & Sermons
    Micah Commentaries & Sermons JONAH NAHUM RESOURCES ON MICAH Commentaries, Sermons, Illustrations, Devotionals MICAH - WHO IS LIKE JEHOVAH? Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission OVERVIEW OF MICAH: WHO IS LIKE JEHOVAH? Micah 7:18 RETRIBUTION KINGDOM WORSHIP Micah 1:1-2:13 Micah 3:1-5:15 Micah 6:1-7:20 First Message: Second Message: Third Message: Judgment Blessing An Indictment of Sin & Will Come will follow Judgment A Promise of Blessing Judgment Promise Judgment Promise Judgment Promise Micah 1:1-2:11 Micah 2:12-13 Micah 3:1-12 Micah 4:1-5:15 Micah 6:1-7:10 Micah 7:11-20 Sin Hope Controversy and Judgment and Comfort and Pardon The King & His Kingdom Sin & It's Outcome Inevitable The Lord & His Justice Incurable First Coming - Mic 5:2-3 Inescapable Second Coming - Mic 5:4-15 Message of Destruction for Samaria Message of Doom Message of & Judah & Deliverance Denunciation God Gathers to God Judges Rulers and God Brings Indictments and Judge and Deliver Comes to Deliver Ultimate Deliverance Question 1: Question 2: Question 3: Is God Responsible for the How Do We Know What Does God Destruction we face? God is with Us? Want from Us? About 25 Years 735-710 BC Approximated (Click and go to page 23 for chart of Rulers & Prophets during Micah's day) Ryrie: The Prophet Whereas Hosea prophesied to the northern tribes of Israel, and Isaiah to the court in Jerusalem,M icah, a Judean from Moresheth in the SW of Palestine, preached to the common people of Judah.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline of the Book of Micah
    Outline of the Book of Micah “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God” Micah 6:8 Introduction: Little is known about the prophet Micah. He is referred to as a “Morashtite” (Micah 1:1) which indicates his home place of Moresheth-gath in Judah. The books of Jeremiah (Jer. 26:18 / Micah 3:12) and Matthew (Matt. 2:6 / Micah 5:2) have quotes from Micah. Said associations indicate the authenticity of Micah’s place in the cannon of scripture. Micah prophesied during the days of Jotham (740 – 732 BC), Ahaz (732 – 716 BC), and Hezekiah (716 -687 BC), kings of Judah (Micah 1:1). Samaria was destroyed by the Assyrians at 722 BC. Micah speaks of this event in the future tense at Micah 3:6 and thereby the book must have been written before this date sometime during the days of Jotham. The days of Micah were evil times (Micah 2:3). There was scarcely a godly person to be found (Micah 7:2). Dependable and trustworthy people could not even be found among one’s own family (Micah 7:5-6). The wicked spent their time devising sinful deeds against the impoverished people around them (Micah 2:1). The wealthy had no conscience when coveting, planning, and taking possession of another’s field (Micah 2:2). God’s people were guilty of idolatry (Micah 1:7), witchcraft (Micah 5:12), and possessing a haughty spirit (Micah 2:3).
    [Show full text]
  • God Shows Clemency
    26 July 2015 God Shows Clemency Bible Background • Micah 7:11–20 Printed Text • Micah 7:14–20 Devotional Reading • Psalm 13 Aim for Change By the end of the lesson, we will: LEARN of God’s mercy even when punishment seems in order; REFLECT on experiences when God’s mercy and compassion were more than expected; and CARRY out acts of mercy and compassion. In Focus Lane and Lin were twin sisters. Since their childhood, they had dreamed of buying a house together after graduating college. After graduation, they both saved enough for the down payment and found a builder. The twins had to have doors that reminded them of their grandfather’s farmhouse. The builder was not sure if he could have the doors manufactured according to the ladies’ request, but he needed the money, so he assured them there would not be any problems. A week before their move-in was scheduled, the twins went to take a peek at their home. They immediately noticed the doors were not customized to their request. Without hesitation, Lane called the builder and explained the actions she would pursue based on what was outlined in the contract. Lin stopped Lane, took the phone, and allowed the builder to explain. Once he was finished, she informed him that if he could build a shed behind the house that looked like their grandfather’s farmhouse, all would be forgiven. While consequences are essential to maintaining order, they are not always necessary to maintain relationship. In today’s lesson, we learn of God’s unexpected mercy and compassion.
    [Show full text]
  • Old Testament – Student Guide
    Village Missions Website: http://www.vmcdi.com Contenders Discipleship Initiative E-mail: [email protected] Contenders Bible School – Survey of the Old Testament – Student Guide Old Testament Village Missions The Hebrew Contenders Discipleship InitiativeVillage Missions Scriptures Contenders Discipleship Initiative The Law The Prophets The Writings Survey of the Old Survey of the Old Testament Testament Local Instructor Guide Local Instructor Guide Contenders Discipleship Initiative – Old Testament Survey – Local Instructor Guide TRAINING MODULE SUMMARY Course Name Survey of the Old Testament Course Number in Series 4 Creation Date March 2017 Created By: Cliff Horr Last Date Modified August 2018 Version Number 4.1 Copyright note: The Contenders program is provided free of charge and it is expected that those who receive freely will in turn give freely. Permission for non-commercial use is hereby granted but re-sale is prohibited. Contenders Bible School was a tuition-free two-year ministry equipping program started in 1995 by Pastor Ron Sallee at Machias Community Church, Snohomish, WA. It is now run as a tuition-free online equipping ministry by Village Missions. The full Contenders Discipleship Initiative program with pdf copies of this guide and corresponding videos can be found at www.vmcontenders.org. Copyright is retained by Village Missions with all rights reserved to protect the integrity of this material and the Village Missions Contenders Discipleship Initiative. Contenders Discipleship Initiative Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in the Contenders Discipleship Initiative courses are those of the instructors and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Village Missions. The viewpoints of Village Missions may be found at www.villagemissions.org/doctrinal-statement Village Missions may be found at www.villagemissions.org/doctrinal-statement LOCAL INSTRUCTORS using the CDI in a classroom setting are encouraged to fill in any gaps and add to the discussion of content provided by our ONLINE INSTRUCTORS.
    [Show full text]
  • MICAH: Hope in the Face of Hardship Guilt & Punishment and God's
    MICAH: Hope in the Face of Hardship Guilt & Punishment and God’s Mercy & Grace Micah chapters 6 & 7 Layne Lebo November 20, 2016 Your nation is in a difficult place. People have strayed far from God and many who do worship Him worship Him with words and with religious rituals, but not with their lives. Your leaders have failed you by not leading well. They’ve neglected the poor and oppressed. They lead because it benefits them and makes them prosperous, not because they want to serve those they lead. As a consequence for the sins of your people and your leaders judgment is coming. But don’t lose hope, God always has a remnant—a small group of devout followers who embrace righteousness when all around them people are falling away. Eventually God will bring deliverance through his promised leader. Those words summarize the prophet Micah’s message to Israel and Judah 2,700 years ago, but there is a lot of truth in those words that applies to the United States and to the church in the U.S. in 2016. This morning we’re wrapping up our 3 week study of this small book called Micah that is tucked into the back of the Old Testament. I suspect that few of us are familiar with Micah and its message, but it’s a powerful little book. In a commentary on Micah the authors Copass and Carlson say this about this book: “Of all the Old Testament prophecies, Micah’s is the most exquisitely ordered, the most compact.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk
    Understanding the Anger of God A STUDY OF MICAH, NAHUM, AND HABAKKUK i in and out® KINGS AND PROPHETS SERIES Course 9 Understanding the Anger of God A Study of Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk ISBN 978-1-62119-882-6 © 2019 Precept Ministries International. All rights reserved. This material is published by and is the sole property of Precept Ministries International of Chattanooga, Tennessee. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Precept, Precept Ministries International, Precept Ministries International The Inductive Bible Study People, the Plumb Bob design, Precept Upon Precept, In & Out, Sweeter than Chocolate!, Cookies on the Lower Shelf, Precepts For Life, Precepts From God’s Word and Transform Student Ministries are trademarks of Precept Ministries International. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org 1st edition Printed in the United States of America ii CONTENTS PAGE I NTRODUCTION 1 Before You Begin We Want You to Know . L ESSONS MICAH 3 LESSON ONE: Micah Overview 11 LESSON TWO: Micah’s Second Message 19 LESSON THREE: Micah’s Final Message NAHUM 25 LESSON FOUR: Nahum HABAKKUK 33 LESSON FIVE: “But the righteous will live by his faith” 41 LESSON SIX: “In wrath remember mercy” A PPENDIX 48 Explanation of the New American Standard Bible Text Format 49 Micah Observation Worksheets 67 Micah at a Glance 69 Nahum Observation Worksheets 77 Nahum at a Glance 79 Habakkuk Observation Worksheets 89 Habakkuk at a Glance 91 Cities of Micah and Habakkuk Map 93 Assyrian Empire Map iii iv Understanding the Anger of God Before You Begin BEFORE YOU BEGIN WE WANT YOU TO KNOW .
    [Show full text]
  • Calvary Chapel of El Cajon Women's Bible Studies
    Gleanings of Grace Micah 7 Lesson 39 The prophet Micah spoke of the fall of both the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel. He lived during the time of the fall of the Northern kingdom. The book of Micah begins with the warnings of the punishments God is about to send upon His people. It ends with the grace that God will one day extend to His people. Micah 7, the concluding chapter, reminds the people of the incredibly glorious character of our God. OBSERVATION: Micah 7 1. Read Micah 7 using the Observation Worksheet (the last page of this homework). After reading through the chapter, what would you say to someone if they asked you what it is about? 2. Key words help us to better understand the verses. We have listed below key words. Mark each one in a distinctive way (either with a symbol, highlighting, or some form of boxing, circling, or underlining). Mark each of the key words each time they are used in the text. Remember to mark any personal pronouns/titles that refer to LORD. Key Words: LORD and will/shall 3. The term of conclusion, therefore, is used in Micah 7:7. Mark the word and record what the conclusion is based upon. 4. The contrasting word yet is used in Micah 7:13. Mark the word and record what is being contrasted. Jericho Road Christian Fellowship Women's Bible Studies 2016/2017 5. Using the key words will and shall, make three lists as the words relate to Micah, the LORD, and Israel’s enemies (she/nations).
    [Show full text]