God's megaphone
Throughout the book of Micah, we read these words: Hear! Pay attention! The Lord is trying to say something to the Israelites - they need to listen and obey. It is urgent!
This is the same Voice who spoke the universe into being, who created order out of chaos, who created light out of darkness - stop everything that you’re doing right now and listen - "the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it." (Micah 6:9 KJV).
Unfortunately, listening to God’s Word and obeying it has long not been a priority to the Israelites. They have been worshiping false gods, listening to false prophets, electing corrupt leaders, mistreating the poor and weak - the list goes on. That doesn't sound too foreign now, does it?
Just look at the world and the news of today - people are idolizing money, careers, sport, diets, drugs, alcohol, themselves, health....hand-sanitizer. Almost every week you will find sensational news about one or the other prophet or pastor asking his congregation to drink petrol or eat grass. Or perhaps you have read somewhere recently that you will not be infected by the Corona virus if you simply have faith and pray enough.
The false prophets in Micah’s time similarly preached that they would be spared any disaster - "Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us." (Micah 3:11 KJV).
The Lord can speak in many ways, and when Israel doesn't listen to His Word, the God of the universe causes destruction to make them listen:
"For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place." (Micah 1:3-4 KJV)
First, the Assyrians invade Samaria and are taken into captivity. Jerusalem stands out like a hut in a field of cucumbers (Isaiah 1:8), but judgement is coming to her as well. It is into this time that the prophet, Micah, is born. He warns the Israelites that it won't be long before the Babylonians seize Judah and take the people into exile (Micah 4:10).
Do you think that God still speaks like this today, through destruction and suffering? C.S. Lewis said the following about suffering in his book, The Problem of Pain: “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Is God perhaps trying to say something to us through this world pandemic, namely COVID-19?
What was God saying to the Israelites in Micah’s time? Because of Israel’s relentless disobedience and sin "the Lord hath a controversy (indictment) with his people, and he will plead with Israel" (Micah 6:2 KJV). Consequently, the Israelites would become insatiable, empty and despicable in all of their frantic labours. Imagine a family in Spar, frantically hoarding groceries into their trolley, to prepare for a possible quarantine or food shortage. But the more they buy the less satisfied they are; the more they hoard, the less peace they have.
Is there anything that can save me from this judgment? Shall I pray more? Give more money to the church and the poor? Read the Bible each morning? Get baptized? Even though these things aren't bad in and of themselves, this is not what the Lord requires.
He tells us exactly what He requires and it isn't something new - "to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God" (Micah 6:8 KJV). In the New Testament, it would translate to "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15 KJV). Are you trusting in Jesus? Do you believe His gospel? Now is a great time to give your life to Jesus.
Perhaps you are already a believer, but you are feeling drowned and anxious in the midst of this world pandemic. Even while people are suffering, criminals are taking advantage of that. Where is the love? Is there any hope? What can we do?
Let’s say this together with the prophet, Micah:
"Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness." Micah 7:7-9 KJV
Questions for reflections:
1) What is your biggest fear surrounding COVID-19?
2) What is the biggest sacrifice you have to make because of the current restrictions?
3) How does Micah 7:7-9 bring you hope in your current circumstances?
4) Read Micah 7:7-9 every morning this week at the moment when you wake up.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:1-4 KJV
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10 KJV
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 KJV
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV
“But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 KJV
“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 KJV
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 KJV
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 KJV
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."