September 27 - Micah 5-7
In this passage we see how God used the prophet Micah to reveal the place of Jesus' birth and a clear message about what God expects from us. Both of these gems are very important in understanding God and understanding His Word. I hope you can take some unhurried time to reflect on both of them.
Micah 5 tells us that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the future ruler of Israel. We can see that this is not talking about any ordinary king, because it describes Him as the one "whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." That means literally "the days of eternity." This is a special ruler. In verse 5 Micah reveals that "this one shall be peace." Now we know that even the Jewish leaders believed this to be talking about a future king of Israel, because when the magi came to Jerusalem after seeing the star, they were directed to Bethlehem. In other words, we are not reading too much into this passage when we say it clearly points to Jesus. Of course, the Jews were hoping for an earthly ruler to deliver them from Rome, but God sent His Son to lead them into a greater peace than that. Anyone who comes to know Jesus as Lord and Savior can know the Prince of Peace and experience His peace in his or her life forever.
Then, in Micah 6:8 we read the second gem that ties this all together. What does God require of us? What is He looking for in our lives? Micah reveals a threefold principle. God wants us to "do justly." This means to act or live in a righteous manner. He wants us to reject sin or repent of sin and to realize that we must follow His way, instead of sin. Then, He wants us to "love mercy." This word mercy is full of meaning. It has the idea of "covenant faithfulness." Many times it is translated "lovingkindness." Why is God loving, kind, and merciful to us? He wants to be faithful to us, and He wants us to be faithful to Him, because He wants to be our Father. He wants us to love Him and His covenant relationship with us. When we do, He lavishes His love, mercy, and kindness on us. Then, finally, He sums it up by saying that He wants us to "walk humbly with your God." This is a great picture. To walk together shows agreement and fellowship. To walk together shows an on-going relationship. To walk humbly shows that we have submitted to His Lordship. Therefore, this phrase means essentially what we tell people to do to be saved today. A person must repent of sin, enter a covenant relationship with Christ by faith, and surrender to Him as Lord of his life. All of the elements are here in this Old Testament verse, because this has always been the road to salvation. The only difference is that before Christ came God had not revealed Himself in totality. Now, we see that Christ is the full revelation of God and the One who died for us on the cross, so we put our faith in Him and not just in God. If you have never come to know God in this way, I urge you take this verse to heart. Follow Christ as Savior and Lord. If you have questions, I will be happy to answer them.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nahum 1-3.
Micah 5 tells us that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the future ruler of Israel. We can see that this is not talking about any ordinary king, because it describes Him as the one "whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." That means literally "the days of eternity." This is a special ruler. In verse 5 Micah reveals that "this one shall be peace." Now we know that even the Jewish leaders believed this to be talking about a future king of Israel, because when the magi came to Jerusalem after seeing the star, they were directed to Bethlehem. In other words, we are not reading too much into this passage when we say it clearly points to Jesus. Of course, the Jews were hoping for an earthly ruler to deliver them from Rome, but God sent His Son to lead them into a greater peace than that. Anyone who comes to know Jesus as Lord and Savior can know the Prince of Peace and experience His peace in his or her life forever.
Then, in Micah 6:8 we read the second gem that ties this all together. What does God require of us? What is He looking for in our lives? Micah reveals a threefold principle. God wants us to "do justly." This means to act or live in a righteous manner. He wants us to reject sin or repent of sin and to realize that we must follow His way, instead of sin. Then, He wants us to "love mercy." This word mercy is full of meaning. It has the idea of "covenant faithfulness." Many times it is translated "lovingkindness." Why is God loving, kind, and merciful to us? He wants to be faithful to us, and He wants us to be faithful to Him, because He wants to be our Father. He wants us to love Him and His covenant relationship with us. When we do, He lavishes His love, mercy, and kindness on us. Then, finally, He sums it up by saying that He wants us to "walk humbly with your God." This is a great picture. To walk together shows agreement and fellowship. To walk together shows an on-going relationship. To walk humbly shows that we have submitted to His Lordship. Therefore, this phrase means essentially what we tell people to do to be saved today. A person must repent of sin, enter a covenant relationship with Christ by faith, and surrender to Him as Lord of his life. All of the elements are here in this Old Testament verse, because this has always been the road to salvation. The only difference is that before Christ came God had not revealed Himself in totality. Now, we see that Christ is the full revelation of God and the One who died for us on the cross, so we put our faith in Him and not just in God. If you have never come to know God in this way, I urge you take this verse to heart. Follow Christ as Savior and Lord. If you have questions, I will be happy to answer them.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nahum 1-3.