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LIGHT in the DARKNESS Sunday, July 12 Reading: Micah 7

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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. They are a picture of God’s restored blessings on His people. God will be their DELIVERER (7:15-17). Just as in the exodus from Egypt, God would show His wonders to the nations. When Messiah returns and brings Israel back to their land, He will humble the pride of the nations and take away their power to hurt His people anymore. The nations will be speechless and ashamed as they are forced to submit to the Lord. God will be their SAVIOR (7:18-20). Here we see the loving heart of God. Though He brings judgment, He will pardon and forgive. God does not delight in judgment, but loves mercy and compassion. He will “hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” POINTS TO PONDER: 1. “I Wait for God My Savior.” Instead of looking at the wicked society around him, the prophet chose to look up to the Lord. Notice the personal relationship Micah had: “my Savior…my God.” See his confidence that God will hear his prayer for salvation. Perhaps Micah 7:7 is a verse you should memorize. It is a reminder of the hope we have in God. When things look their worst, God is still the God of hope (see Romans 15:13). 2. “Though I Sit in Darkness, the Lord Will Be My Light.” This verse describes our world today very well. The darkness of sin seems to have the upper hand. It has a stranglehold on the governments and people of every nation. This verse is God’s promise that it will not always be that way. One day God’s light will shine “from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.” When we realize that God is still in control…when we place our faith in Him…when we turn our faces from the plots of this world to praising our God, His light will shine in our darkness and give us hope to carry on. .
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