Micah 6:3-4
“O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”
It is not uncommon to hear people complain. If the sun is out, we find it to be too hot, if the clouds fill in, we complain that it is muggy, overcast or dreary. We often sound like Goldilocks, who thought things were too hot, too cold, too hard or too soft. When things pass from being uncomfortable to unmanageable, it is common for our complaints to turn against God. We accuse Him of being unfair, distant, uninvolved or even unloving. Like the disciples in the boat, we think God is asleep and does not care about the storm we are currently enduring. Micah draws our attention to a different grievance; this passage reveals the complaint God has against His people.
“For the Lord has a complaint against His people, And He will contend with Israel.”
After declaring that He has a complaint, God asks them to consider what He has done, and questions why they would reject Him. He reminds them of how they were delivered from bondage and carried through the wilderness. When we face the obstacles of life that cause us to question the character and the promises of God, it is a good idea to look back at what He has accomplished for us. Like Israel, we were in bondage and without any hope of rescue. They were enslaved in Egypt and forced to serve a harsh task master, while living under the fear of death. We were enslaved to sin and its consequences. We lived separated from God, and under the penalty of the curse of sin. In that condition, we not only lived in this life without the benefits of knowing God, but we were also on course to live eternally separated from God. It was at the cross that Jesus paid our debt and made our redemption possible.
When difficulty strikes, we need to look back at what God has accomplished for us and allow His Word to direct our thoughts, rather than our circumstances. Circumstances and emotions are very poor guides. Since they are always changing, they do very little to provide stability in life. Instead, we should look at the unchanging promises of God to guide us when our circumstances are difficult and our emotions are crying out.
Pastor Jim
Several years ago I went to Orlando International Airport to pick up a young man whom I had never met. We had talked numerous times on the phone, but had not yet met in person. Before making the hundred mile drive to an airport that has almost thirty five million customers every year, I wanted to be sure I’d be able to pick my friend out of the hundred thousand people milling about. I asked him how I would recognize him. He responded by telling me, he had blond hair and was six feet, six inches tall. A few hours later, I walked into the airport and found him among the masses. Two characteristics were enough to distinguish him from the crowd.
Two things caused Micah to stand out from the false prophets who filled the pulpits of ancient Israel. First, he had received a message from God and second he was energized by the Spirit of God. These are as necessary today as they have ever been. If we want to effectively serve the Lord, we need a message from God and the power to deliver it. The question to ask is, where will I find these things?
Micah prophesy’s specifically about the cause of the fall of the Judaean city of Lachish. Lachish was the second most important city of the Judah. It was located about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem and was designed as a stronghold to protect the nation against invasions. It was situated on a hill, surrounded by hills and fortified with great walls and gates. This seemingly impenetrable city would suffer a great defeat when, under the leadership of Sennacherib, the Assyrian forces attacked. Micah declares that the cause of their defeat was sin. The inhabitants of Lachish seemed to have introduced many of the sinful practices, rampant in Israel, to the people of Judah. Their sin would be the cause of their fall. It is worth noting, no high walls or trained army can protect a nation that turns from God.
I have heard a a lot of exercise mantras designed to motivate behavior. They often read a bit like Micah’s declaration,
As we approach Christmas day, we cannot help but be reminded of the great promise surrounding the birth of Christ. The prophet Isaiah declared the Messiah would be a prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) . The angels filled the skies with exuberant praise as they sang, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace toward men” (Luke 2:14). Later, we read that kings came from distant lands to crown the young Child, as heaven’s gift and earth’s highest king (Matthew 2:1-2, 11).
Jim Gallagher 