A little encouragement for a big job — Zechariah 10-12

Posted on November 25, 2011 by parklinscomb

Today’s reading in Zechariah 10-12 has some difficult sections that well respected commentators have a hard time agreeing about, but I think that it is helpful to remember that one of Zechariah’s primary missions (what he is noted for in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14) was to encourage and motivate the returned exiles and their leaders to finish the work of the Temple. This would be a multi-pronged effort to: 1) strengthen their faith that building the Temple in violation of the king’s order would not result in their deaths; 2) strengthen their faith that they would have resources enough to complete the work; 3) reassure them that their political enemies (Samaritans), who opposed their work, wouldn’t succeed; 4) rekindle their zeal and willingness to work in the effort; and 5) warn them about lapses into paganism’s snares. With this mission in mind, let’s plunge into the text for a few principles and interesting passages.

Their enemies would be punished

Although it might be a little confusing at first, it’s important to remember that the symbol of a shepherd refers not just to Jewish leaders, but any king who had reign over God’s people. In this case, it would not only be the Persian king, but the more local governors and officials, who were not only trying to compromise the Jews religiously, but also throwing out every obstacle they could muster (political, economic harassment, and even violence) to block the completion of the Temple. Such “shepherds” had no concern for the flock of God (as chapter 11 makes clarifies even further). But God, the Good Shepherd, would protect those who had returned and punish the oppressive authorities.

There’s encouragement for us, too. God’s eye is on His people, those trying to do His will. He knows only too well how Satan and his servants try to waylay the good deeds, projects, and intentions of Christians. The tools are often the same: religious compromise and secular oppressors. But God will bring them to justice now or later. Our job is merely to do our spiritual job in faith, zeal, and perseverance.

A doomed flock?

There are a number of thoughts out there about what the prophecy of the doomed flock might be. There are those who will propose that it references the Jews who chose to stay in the diaspora rather than return to Judea — and that God’s favor was going to be withdrawn and their union with the returnees would be broken. Others propose that the doomed flock has much more to do with the death of the Messiah, especially since this passage includes…

“I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. Then I cut in pieces my second staff Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.” Zechariah 11:12-14

a reference to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and the return of the money to the high priests upon Judas’ regret of his betrayal of the Master. And that therefore, because of the death of the Messiah, God’s favor would be withdrawn and Israel’s union be broken. Either way, it is a prophecy of doom for the disobedient, and even an expression of final impatience with a perpetually resistant nation.

The lesson for us? Don’t become a perpetually resistant people. Israel always thought that God’s way wasn’t right, that the nations’ ways were right, and that obedience to the LORD’s way optional at best but more often just scorned. Isn’t that they tale of so much of modern day Christendom? “We just feel that God would approve our wonderful new way of doing things. It’s so beautiful and meaningful. After all, it fits so much better with today’s sensitivities and inclinations — after all, we don’t want to be out of step with the modern world with such ancient laws and ways of doing things. We certainly don’t want people to take a look at us and say, ‘They just don’t get it!'” Ezekiel’s prophecy (18:25) said it well, “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?”

They will look on Me whom they have pierced

Lastly, we can look at one more clear prophecy of the Messiah, Zechariah 12:10, “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” God’s word always comes to pass, always.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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God prefers obedience – Zechariah 7-9

Posted on November 24, 2011 by parklinscomb

Today’s Thanksgiving Day. I hope you are enjoying your time with family, but even more I hope you are really counting your blessings. Not only is it good in God’s sight, but it is good for us. Unthankful people are unhappy and discontent. Do yourself a favor and take the time to be thankful.

There are three things that I want to observe and comment on briefly today in Zechariah. First, in answer to a question about fasting (7:1ff), God gave them an answer they they probably didn’t expect – I’d rather have obedience. Fasting generally implies sorrow and mourning – often about sin. Instead of fasting, concentrate on obedience. Sorrow for sin is always warranted, but sadly our sorrow doesn’t always result in the changes we need. God wanted the changes more than He wanted the external demonstration of fasting.

Second, if you’ll really change your lives, you can also change the days of fasting into feasting and the nations will stream to you (8:14-23) to get what you have. Instead of straight-jacketed slavery, which is how Satan frames obedience to God, God is promising joy and something so good that all men will want a part of it – and it is so!

Third, what a wonderful Messianic prophecy is found in 9:9,10 – the prophecy of the triumphal entry of Jesus just prior to his sacrifice. God’s prophecies always come to pass. No matter how impossible they may seem, that’s only how things look, that’s not really how they are. Bank on it! Death isn’t the end. The resurrection is sure. All things work together for good to those who love God.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Never despise the day of small things — Zechariah 4-6

Posted on November 23, 2011 by parklinscomb

Zechariah continues to use symbols and metaphors in his apocalyptic book. Almost every new section uses a new symbol: the menorah for light of the Lord, olive trees for fruitfulness, a personification of Wickedness taken away to Babylon, etc. But it’s not just a parade of symbols; they each have meaning for the returned exiles to encourage them in their work to rebuild the Temple.

Never despise the day of small things

Here’s an example of the encouragement to rebuild the Temple. Amidst symbols of God’s light and faithfulness and the fruitfulness of God’s servants Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Joshua) is a called to avoid dismissing the small beginnings of the work of rebuilding. Sometimes great, great works are begun with very small resources and skills. It would appear that the beginning efforts of the Jews to rebuild the Temple were, well, underwhelming; and it had resulted in discouragement. We know that there were some older people present who had seen Solomon’s Temple before destruction and who now wept at the considerably lesser glory of foundation for this rebuilt Temple (Ezra 3:12,13). Perhaps the enemies of Israel, those who wanted to see them fail, had pointed out the pitiful outcome of their efforts. But the point here that it is a mistake to judge the final outcome of an effort on the basis of its beginning.

As I noted a number of times in this blog over the past months, God seems to be especially attracted to small, underwhelming people and projects, because His power and might is especially easy to see when they succeed beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. God wanted these discouraged Jews, and discouraged future generations, to remember that small and inglorious starts don’t count — great and glorious finishes do. In the case of the second Temple, Solomon’s great Temple was not going to be architecturally equalled, but the second Temple’s worship and worshippers would far excel Solomon’s. And the church, the Temple of the New Testament, may have started with a motley collection of fishermen, tax collectors, and women, but grew greatly and grandly to be a glorious Temple of the Lord. And the same might be said for any good work of God’s people. God’s people, above all other peoples, must always remember to avoid despising the day of small things.

A huge flying scroll

The judgment of God upon a wicked mankind was not small. The enormous size of this declaration of judgment (5:1-4) — 30 feet long and 22 feet wide — speaks of the thoroughness of what God had seen and what He would punish among men. This needs to warn us and all mankind of God’s thoroughness and in “cleaning the dish of mankind” one day in judgment. No one and no one’s sin will be able to slide under God’s radar or otherwise go unnoticed. Not our little sins, not our “white” lies, not our covetousness, not our lust, not our hatred.

A crown for the “Branch”

The Branch (in 6:11, in 3:8, and also in Isaiah and Jeremiah) is another name for the Messiah. And in the midst of encouragements about the building of the Temple, it is noted for us that He will build a grand Temple indeed. This may have been a mystery to the Jews who lived prior to Jesus, but for those on this side of the cross, it is clearly a reference to the Christ who did build the glorious Temple of His church, and who reigns as both King and High Priest (Hebrews 7).

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Rebuking Satan — Zechariah 1-3

Posted on November 22, 2011 by parklinscomb

Today’s reading takes us to the book of Zechariah. He was contemporary with Haggai and a relative contemporary of Malachi (within the early post-exilic era).

Zechariah is filled with what is known as apocalyptic language. That doesn’t mean that it’s all about the destruction of the world — our common definition of the word apocalyptic. Rather apocalyptic literature is filled with symbols. It was often used in times of persecution or oppression, when it would be dangerous to overtly prophesy the fall of a powerful empire; so it was expressed in terms that “insiders” would understand, but “outsiders” would not. Sometimes its symbols were intended as metaphors or “shorthand” for the character of a king or empire or power. And at other times, the symbols seem to be deliberately hiding details from men, while revealing the basic outlines of some significant event, until the proper time. Interpreting the Bible properly must always take into account the kind of literature that you are reading — law, history, poetry, letters, apocalyptic? Each has its own nuances as one reads the different kind of literature — we apply this method of interpretation continually in everyday conversations. So, in regard to apocalyptic literature, one must not read it literally, like you’d read a newspaper; it uses lots of symbolism — don’t let it throw you here or in places like Revelation.

But let’s see what Zechariah had to say…

Did not My words…overtake your fathers?

Zechariah’s mission was, like the other prophets, to call the people back to faithfulness to God. Although Israel was certainly more faithful to the Lord than their fathers had been, sin and laziness were always ready to ambush God’s people — they had grown comfortable with not rebuilding the Temple, you might recall from yesterday’s blog. So the Lord was calling them, yet again, to return to Him, so that He could return to them (1:3). But in emphasizing this, He also reminds them with a powerful question: in the struggle between Israel and God, who finally won? God’s word had overtaken their fathers and they had been forced to admit, “As the LORD of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.” So it will be today and tomorrow and forever. We can’t wear God down or change His mind through perseverance. His word will wear us down, overtake us, and judge us

Jerusalem inhabited without walls

Here’s something that would have gotten the Jew’s attention — Jerusalem without walls (2:4,5)? But the prophecy was about the universality of the new Jerusalem, the church including the Gentiles, and reminds us of what is later revealed in Revelation 21,22 — the new Jerusalem, the church, with God in the very midst of it all. God’s is a kingdom against which the gates of Hades cannot prevail! No walls needed.

Now, that’s not to say that Satan has no intention of attacking. He is, after all, the “Accuser”, and he loves plying his “trade” — the next passage that I’ll address makes plain. He’ll just fail.

The new Jerusalem rebukes Satan

Chapter 3 is really interesting; among other things, Satan is rebuked! In a number of passages in the Bible, we’re warned about reviling or rebuking Satan or other angelic majesties — Jude 1:9 “But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”. Basically, we humans don’t know what we’re messing with, like a toddler pulling a tiger by the tail. But the very Kingdom of God, Jerusalem (including the new Jerusalem), by its very existence, rebukes Satan! Paul later tells us, (Ephesians 3:10) “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” The Accuser’s accusations that men are incurably unfaithful, self-centered, materialistic, sinful, and apathetic towards God’s great love are proven to be empty and false! Rebuked!

But this leads to an important question, Is the church, your congregation, rebuking Satan or merely confirming what he likes to say about mankind? Are you faithful to what God says or to what men like? Are you active or inactive? Do you love one another enough to make the world take notice?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Moving on — Haggai 1-2

Posted on November 21, 2011 by parklinscomb

Haggai was a prophet during the days of the return of the exiles from across the Fertile Crescent to the Promised Land. His ministry and that of Zephaniah was to prod and motivate the remnant of Israel to return to the building of the Temple. Construction of the Temple had been stopped by the king of Persia through the lies of local Samaritan politicians for persecution and oppression (Ezra 4:17-21), despite an earlier command by an earlier Persian king (Ezra 1:1ff). Haggai’s commission from the LORD was to light a fire under the Jews to restart and complete this important work, and he was successful. Let’s see how he did it.

Consider your ways

Some of the Jews had taken the opportunity that the Persian work-stoppage had given them to concentrate on their own houses, farms, and prosperity. And sadly when Haggai’s call for Israel to take up the work again in defiance of the work-stoppage, some Jews were actually arguing that the time for rebuilding the Temple had not come. The LORD’s response was convicting: “is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate? Consider your ways!” Haggai’s prophecy goes on to point out how all the efforts of the Jews had been and would continue to be fruitless as long as they were going to put God’s work on the back burner. He says that they would be putting wages into “purses with holes”. And there are serious considerations here for us to, aren’t there?

While it is certainly important to attend to essential matters like the work that pays the bills, housework, and parenthood; there’s also God’s work, building the spiritual temple, the church, that the faithful Christian must attend to. But putting God’s work on the back burner is generally easy to do; busyness, professional ambition, distractions, pursuit of greater material success, and the extra things that others can impose on us can just overwhelm us. Is it time for us to build up our wealth, get ahead in business, or have a model home at the expense of the health and progress of the Kingdom? Are we getting overloaded and putting the em-PHAS-is on the wrong syl-LAB-le?

The silver and gold is Mine

Can’t you, then, hear the next objection? “Where will the money and resources for this project come from? We’re just poor folks!” God’s response (paraphrased): “Honor Me and My house and I’ll make resources available to you that you can’t even imagine! I own — I made — the silver and the gold!”

This is not, of course, to say that we should foolishly presume that God will back any cock-eyed idea just because we’re doing it in the name of the Lord; but it is to say that we shouldn’t abandon important works on the basis of resources. Walk by faith; God owns the silver and the gold! It’s never about our ability; it’s about our trust, despite how impossible it looks — and God’s ability.

A holiness question

But there’s one more consideration in big works, our holiness. Doing a holy work doesn’t necessarily make the workers holy, but impure workers can defile a holy work. The Lord, through Haggai, uses a logical application of the ordinary laws about purity and defilement — that a holy object doesn’t transfer “holiness” through intermediate objects, but defilement or impurity will transfer its impurity. The point for them and for us is that whatever work for the Lord we are involved in — we must remember that the good work doesn’t make us anything special, but our sin can sink (defile) that good work.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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When God’s not happy… — Zephaniah 1-3

Posted on November 20, 2011 by parklinscomb

Can you imagine being God and being privy to absolutely everything that goes on in the world. Sure that would be a lot of good stuff — but a lot more bad, really bad, stuff. Police officers often have a rather cynical, dark view of the world, because they are constantly cleaning up some of the criminal garbage off the street and otherwise taking care of unpleasant things that you and I really don’t want to even know about. You know, sometimes I get discouraged and just have to stop paying attention to the news; I wonder how much, much worse it must be for God. Today’s reading seems almost like God has been checking out what was going on the world and just wanted to erase the chalkboard — blow the whistle and say, “Everybody out of the pool!”

In the day of Josiah?

Josiah was a good-guy king, but he seemed to have met a surprising end, dying in battle against the Egyptians (2 Kings 23). But when you read about what was going on in Judah and Jerusalem despite Josiah’s best efforts to reform things, it begins to make better sense. Josiah was good, but apparently not everyone else was; and God was getting fed up. Good men can make a good start by taking out the “high places”, but unless they change the heart of men, their good efforts will not change much for the long run. There’s an old saying that you can’t legislate morality, and I think it’s true. You can pass laws, but you can’t forcibly change men’s hearts. That takes persuasion and reasoning — and even so, sometimes it doesn’t work, witness Israel.

But there was much more going on…

Judah wasn’t the only one misbehaving; they had plenty of company among the Gentile nations. The Philistines, Moab, Assyria, and others. And God was weary of it. Serious destruction was coming their way. But destruction is only part of God’s plan, building and restoration was the larger plan. And it’s something for us to remember regarding our own lives.

A number of years ago a fellow I was trying to study the Bible with told me that he didn’t really think, upon giving it some thought, that he wanted to become a Christian — there’s too many things to give up. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wasn’t to be dissuaded. I’ve thought about that conversation often and it seems to be me that it’s not unlike this demolition – restoration thing that God was planning to do with Israel. The object of demolition never like the demolition, but it’s always necessary if we are to improve. That’s why the old man of sin has to die — so the new man in Christ can be transformed. Before we can put on the new self, be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Eph. 4:22), we must lay aside the old self.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Hallelujah anyway! — Habakkuk

Posted on November 19, 2011 by parklinscomb

OK, now into one of my favorite Old Testament books, Habakkuk. Not only is the name cool (ha), but the theme is one that most of could really relate to, especially in times of difficulty and hardship. “Why, God? What are You doing?”

The book starts with Habakkuk calling upon God to save him from all the wrong doers in Israel, the corrupt and immoral and hateful (1:1-5). Ever been there? All this stuff is going on around us in society, in our government, in our families, and sometimes even our churches and we look for rescue from it all. I’m reminded of the folks who call out Maranatha (“Our Lord, come!”) too thoughtlessly.

“I know,” says the Lord (I paraphrase here), “I haven’t been asleep. I’ve been planning something for a while that you won’t believe even after I’ve told you. Here we go; here come the Babylonians (Chaldeans)! You know them; fierce and impetuous, dreaded and feared, violent” (vv. 5-11).

Habakkuk responds: “Oh, wait, Lord; that’s not what I meant; I mean, they’re worse than the bad people around here! Surely you wouldn’t let these pagan Babylonians overcome us righteous Israelites, would you? What do you say, Lord?”

The Lord responds: “Don’t worry, Habakkuk; the righteous man will live by his faith, while the proud evil doer of Israel will pay for his evil. And by the way, I won’t leave bloody, foolish, pagan Babylon unpunished for the things they do. What has gone around will come around to them. And their so-called gods won’t be able to stop Me. They are, after all, mere stone and wood, while I am the true God who is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Me.”

Habakkuk responds in humble prayer: “I should have known, Lord, that Your answer would be so great! Things too wonderful for me! I am astonished! I am in wonder! I can only tremble as I await your great judgments. But now, regardless of what may happen, knowing your greatness and righteousness and wisdom, I will always exult in You; I will always rejoice in the God of my salvation who is my constant strength! I will say ‘Hallelujah anyway!'”

We may not always understand the evil circumstances around us, how God could let this or that happen, but never, ever doubt that He’s paying attention and putting together a plan to rescue His people. Like Job, we can only see the material side of the greater scene; the spiritual side of the equation is hidden from our eyes. So, like Job and Habakkuk, we sometimes think that God doesn’t know what He’s doing, that He isn’t concerned about us, or He’s letting things get out of hand. Let these glimpses that we see in Scripture shore up your faith in the God who is always on watch, always has our best interests at heart. So we can, no matter what the situation is, say “Hallelujah anyway!”

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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A certain punishment for the scourge of the middle east — Nahum

Posted on November 18, 2011 by parklinscomb

The Assyrians weren’t nice folks. Although they weren’t the first to invent the idea, they perfected (at least for their day) the strategy of terrorism. Their kings’ throne room was decorated with what could only be described as super-Goth: decapitations, impalements, gory scenes of conquest, ghastly scenes of leading captives away by hooks — all in bas relief. The purpose, to impress on every visitor (ambassadors from any part of the world) what the Assyrians had done and were capable of if you and your people don’t surrender and obey. They were going to be the rod of God anger against the northern kingdom of Israel, but their zealous cruelty would not be overlooked by the Lord, who still cared about His people.

The guilty will no be left unpunished

This was God way of telling both Israel and Assyria that they weren’t the powerful ones — it was God. That both their sins would be addressed. Israel would be punished by Assyrian’s army and exile. But Assyria would be punished by their crushing defeat and erasure: “The LORD has issued a command concerning you: ‘Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will cut off idol and image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, For you are contemptible.’” Nahum 1:14, NAS95..

There would be no strategy to avoid it: “Whatever you devise against the LORD, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice.” Nahum 1:9, NAS95.

There would be no numbers to overwhelm God: “Thus says the LORD, “Though they (Assyria) are at full strength and likewise many, Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you (Israel), I will afflict you no longer.” Nahum 1:12, NAS95.

No matter how powerful they would be, God would defeat them: ““Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of hosts. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”” Nahum 2:13, NAS95.

No matter how much glorified history was behind her, Assyria would be taken down: “Are you better than No-amon (Egypt), Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea? Ethiopia was her might, And Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers. Yet she became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her small children were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with fetters. You too will become drunk, You will be hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.” Nahum 3:8-11, NAS95.

And the take-away for us?

No matter how “bad” (to use the vernacular of the streets for toughness) you think you might be, you won’t defeat God. Period. Assyria thought that they were pretty “bad”, and the “badder” they were the more invulnerable they thought they were. No one is “badder” than Hell. No one is greater than God — even Satan has found this out. Obey the Lord rather than butt heads with Him — you’ll always lose, always. Obey the Lord rather than butt heads with Him — you’ll be eternally glad you did.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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But as for you Bethlehem Ephrathah — Micah 5-7

Posted on November 17, 2011 by parklinscomb

Micah’s prophecy, like many of the other prophets, is interlaced with many passages of both condemnation and hope. One great passage of hope in the reading today is a famous one about the Savior.

From you One will go forth

Little Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-4), who would have thought that anything significant would come out of you? You’re small-town Israel, a farming community, your name means “house of bread” for the grain fields around you. But from you came the great king David, the man after God’s own heart, and from you would come the Savior, the Messiah, of the world! “This One will be our peace!”

Is your church too small, is your bankbook too small, are you too insignificant, to do anything important? Think again. You may be just the person God has been looking for. God seems to like “too small”, “too poor”, “too insignificant”, “too weak”, nobodies to do His world-changing, mind-blowing things.

What does God require?

We’ve seen the essence of what is called the “heart of the prophets” twice already and in Micah 6:8 it is spoken again: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8, NAS95. It isn’t a complicated formula; none of the things that God has commanded are. Remember back in Deuteronomy 30:11-14?

““For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.”

We need to remember this, when we’re faced with temptation. Instead of crying out, “It’s too hard,” let’s have a little reality check and realize that it really isn’t. Yes, sometimes things do get complicated, and yes, our flesh is sometimes rather powerful, but “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13, NAS95.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

Despite the fact that Israel was full of such rotten fruit (7:1-6) Micah stands as a great example of the faithful life — waiting on the Lord’s salvation. And that’s not always easy, when even those close to you may be wronging you; the impulse to get revenge or to fight fire with fire is great. But Micah knows that the Lord will hear and rescue, and so he tells even his enemy to not claim victory so quick. “Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.”

I’m reminded of Paul’s crescendo in 1 Cor. 15: “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:25, 26, NAS95. and ““O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”” 1 Corinthians 15:55, NAS95.

Who is a God like You?

Micah knows how to end on a high note:

“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18, 19, NAS95.

Praise God!

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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You’ve been served! — Micah 1-4

Posted on November 16, 2011 by parklinscomb

The beginning of Micah, our reading today, is in the form of a lawsuit in the ancient world. God has a serious legal issue with Israel: a covenant broken — perhaps we’d call it breach of contract, although covenants are far more serious than contracts. So let’s open up this legal proceeding…

Let God be witness against you

Kind of an ironic twist isn’t it? Usually men are called upon to swear by God as they witness for or against someone, but here God Himself is called as a witness against someone. God, the One under Whom the mountains melt and the valleys split, has a real problem with you, Israel and Judah. The whole idea is terrifying, if we let the gravity of it all sink in! And yet… if you are a Christian by New Testament standards, you, too, are in covenant with the Lord — a “contract” that must never be broken making material things our new gods, by ignoring the Lord’s commands, by abusing His grace with unrepentant sin. God could be witness against us, too — “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.” Hebrews 10:26, 27, NAS95.

Puns with a point

The ancient Hebrew culture loved a good play on words; among other things they make things more memorable. In His fury God rolls out a list of puns with painful twists:

  • Beth-le-aphrah (“house of dust”) roll yourself in the dust.
  • Go on your way, inhabitant of Shaphir (“pleasantness”), in shameful nakedness.
  • Zaanan (“going out”) does not escape
  • Beth-ezel (“house of removal”): He will take from you its support.
  • Maroth (“bitterness”) Becomes weak waiting for good, Because a calamity has come down from the LORD To the gate of Jerusalem.
  • The houses of Achzib (“lying foundation”) will become a deception To the kings of Israel.”
  • “Moreover, I will bring on you The one who takes possession, O inhabitant of Mareshah (“possession”).
  • The glory of Israel will enter Adullam (a cave where David once hid).

You have to speak up

The indictments of some of the evil that Israel and Judah are listed in Micah 2, essentially scheming theft (sometimes through official channels — think Ahab taking Naboth’s vineyard) and false prophecies. In fact, true prophecies are seriously out of favor (v. 6a), and “ear ticklers” were far more popular: “If a man walking after wind and falsehood Had told lies and said, ‘I will speak out to you concerning wine and liquor,’ He would be spokesman to this people.” Micah 2:11, NAS95. But God’s plea with them was: “‘…But if they do not speak out concerning these things, Reproaches will not be turned back…Do not My words do good To the one walking uprightly?” Micah 2:6, 7, NAS95.

The point here is that good men must not keep silent. God’s word is what saves men — not good examples (as necessary as they are to “set the table” for evangelism), not good intentions, not unending tolerance for evil. It is crucial to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), whether you’re a preacher, an elder, a rank-and-file Christian, a neighbor, a parent, or a friend.

The problem, the prediction, the promise, and the path to it

Micah 3 and 4 is a panoramic view of what was in Israel’s present and future. The folly of Israel’s rulers was typical of the whole nation: “Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, “Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.”” Micah 3:11, NAS95. And as a result of their foolishness “…Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.” Micah 3:12, NAS95. But there was hope…

“And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war.” Micah 4:1-3, NAS95.

But the way to the promise and hope was Babylon. “Babylon?!” Yes, Babylon.

I talked with a lot of people over the years who’ve managed to make a pretty big mess of their lives and the lives of others. I want to offer them hope, so that they won’t get too discouraged about their situation, but everybody wants everything to be OK now — with as little pain and sweat as possible. The truth is, however, that when we’ve messed things up, often (almost always) the path to the hope is through a lot of work, hard times, suffering, time, and — well — Babylon.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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