You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
Open your Bibles, wherever it is found, to Micah.
This morning we're going to be looking at chapter 5.
Micah chapter 5, we're going to read through from verse 1 through 15.
So follow with me as we read God's inspired word of truth.
Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops.
Siege is laid against us.
With our rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
But you, O Bethlehem, Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who was in labor has given birth.
Then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure.
For now he shall be great to the ends of the earth,
and he shall be their peace.
When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men.
They shall shepherd the land of Assyria with a sword,
in the land of Nimrod at its entrances.
And he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land
and treads within our border.
Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples,
like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which delay not for a man, nor wait for the children of man.
The remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through,
treads down and tears in pieces,
and there is none to deliver.
Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.
And in that day, declares the Lord,
I will cut off your horses from among you,
and will destroy your chariots.
I will cut off the cities of your land
and throw down all your strongholds.
And I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes.
And I will cut off your carved images
and your pillars from among you,
and you shall bow down no more
to the work of your hands.
And I will root out your Asherah images
from among you and destroy your cities.
And in anger and wrath,
I will execute vengeance on the nations
that did not obey.
Let me lead us in a word of prayer
as we approach the study of God's word.
Father, your word is truth.
Your word is given to us as a gift.
Your word is real food for our souls.
But we need your help.
We need your spirit
that we might,
that it might taste sweet to us.
That we might long for it
to be planted deep in our hearts.
So would you come
and speak to us through your word this morning
by your spirit?
And would you draw us into
your great heart
of mercy
and grace?
And we pray this
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Now I've been excited about this journey
we are taking through
several of the minor prophets.
I love the Old Testament.
I love the minor prophets.
But I also know,
especially when we get
into some of these places,
it can create some confusion.
If, you know,
we read,
the confusion can come
when we read
God promising to his servants,
God promising to David,
promising to Abraham
that his people will be his people,
that God will be their God,
and nothing will take them
out of his hand.
He tells David
that you shall never lack
a king who sits on the throne.
And then we come
to the minor prophets.
And we're told
how God is basically
going to uproot his people
and throw them out.
The kings will be,
in a sense,
removed.
The Assyrians
will come
and rule.
And for all intents
and purposes,
for hundreds of years,
Israel will be
wiped
off
the face
of Palestine.
So how are we supposed
to read that?
Which is true.
Is it the unconditional promise?
Or is
what we see?
Well, when we read
the prophets,
we have to read it
on two different levels.
On one level,
there is more
of the individual
level,
where God deals
with individuals
within his nation
who are disobedient,
who reject his covenant,
who prove themselves
to be
not covenant keepers,
and those individuals,
God brings his wrath
and his anger
and destroys them.
Which he's about
to do here
in Jerusalem.
But there's
another level.
Because Israel
is often,
is spoken of
in the prophets.
We see it
in Isaiah
62.
Israel
is spoken
of as his bride.
Back in
Hosea 11,
Israel is spoken
of as his
son.
And when he
deals
with Israel
as a nation,
it's one entity.
In a sense,
they are
representative
of us.
And that
son
and that
bride,
though he may
deal with
harshly,
he will
never destroy.
He will
never cast
off forever.
But he
will come
and he
will deal
with them
and his,
it is his
loving kindness
for his
son and
for his
bride that's
actually driving
him
here.
So when
we read
Micah,
don't just
read,
this God
is ticked
off and
now he's
coming to
bring retribution.
Read this
from a
lover
who will
go to
no lengths,
who will
go to
any length
necessary
to bring
his true
love back
to himself.
Micah is
a letter
of love,
not anger
and hate.
So as
we read
Micah,
and we're
going to
see that
in particular
in this
chapter.
So let's
look at
this
situation.
We get
a glimpse
of it
in the
very first
verse.
It's a
tragic
situation.
In the
first verse,
we are
told that
siege is
laid in
Jerusalem,
the
Israel's
judge is
struck on
the cheek
with a
rod.
Basically,
what we
have is
David's
heir,
Hezekiah,
on his
throne,
who is
being abused,
belittled,
shown contempt
for by the
Assyrians.
And not
only Hezekiah,
but God
himself,
but Israel's
chosen,
Israel's
rightful
king,
the heir of
David,
is being
put to
shame
by these
Assyrian
hordes.
And so
this is
this dire
circumstance,
and so
what is
Israel to
think?
When you
think about
the covenant
promises,
when you
think about
what God
has promised
them all
these years,
so what
are they
to think?
So this
is the
situation,
and to
this,
then we
see God's
promise of
a coming
Redeemer.
The coming
Redeemer,
we'll walk
through this a
bit last
week, so we
won't go into
it in a whole
lot of detail,
but that
Redeemer is
going to
come,
he's going
to come
from very
humble
circumstances,
but he's
going to
come and
save his
people,
and he is
going to
come,
and reestablish
his rule,
and that
rule is
really going
to involve
two things.
One, it
is going to
restore
kingship
over his
covenant
people,
and it
also is
going to
involve
reclaiming
his
chosen
bride.
So let's
look at
what we
see here.
First, let's
look at how
he comes
to restore
his rule
over his
people,
reclaiming
the throne.
In verses
two through
six, we
see, again,
after that
situation, we
see the
salvation is
coming, and
what he makes
clear is the
king is going
to come and
save them.
But again, as
we read the
prophets, you
have to read
it, in a
sense, on a
couple of
different levels.
one, he
mentions the
Assyrians in
particular here
in these
verses, and
we see what
God is going
to do to
Assyria, and
Will alluded
to that.
We're going to
see, you see
it spelled out
in Isaiah, but
also in
Kings, how
over
180,000
Assyrians
are going to
be dead,
and Israel
didn't lift a
finger.
The Assyrians,
at least at
this time, will
not set foot
in Jerusalem
because her
king is going
to do battle
and restore.
But Micah is
also pointing to
something else
much greater.
God is
not just a
human king,
but a
redeemer is
going to
come and
establish
ultimately
God's
rule over
all things.
He will
bring security,
and I like
what he says
there in that
fifth verse,
he says,
and he will
be their
peace.
He will be
their
shalom.
I love
that word
shalom because
it basically
says that God
is going to
restore things
and make them
be what
they're supposed
to be.
That Israel
will be
protected and
live security
the way she
should.
And all
her enemies
are going
to be put
down
and destroyed.
In fact,
they will
themselves come
and worship
at the feet
of Israel.
And when I
see this,
I mean,
this is such
good news.
You know,
as Peter
mentioned a
while ago,
you see all
these events
that are going
on in Hong
Kong.
But we
know that
in China,
if you've
followed any
reports of
how the church
is being
treated in
mainland China
over these
last year or
so,
you know that
they have been
put under
heavy stress,
a lot of
persecution,
elders,
pastors,
members have
been jailed
simply because
they're elders
and pastors
and church
members.
And China
is doing
their best
to destroy
and put down
the influence
of the church.
church.
If you read
stories through
the Middle
East,
you will see
similar things
where people
who have the
name of Christ,
they get
baptized in the
name of Christ
and they're put
to death.
We might even
feel it here
in our culture
sometimes where
we feel like
society has
just laid
the church
under siege,
where we are
pushed out
of society.
We're pushed
out of the
marketplace.
We're pushed
out of
respect
everywhere
within our
culture
so that we
are ridiculed,
we are
at best
ignored.
But if what
Micah says
is true,
all these
nations
and cultures
and people
can fight
against God's
people,
but a
day is
coming
when the
king will
restore
order,
the order
he intended.
The king
will put
down every
nation,
every force,
everything
that would
stand against
his people
and raise
up his
people
as those
who are
now ruling
over all
things with
him.
We see
in this
text where
God is
going to
raise up
a shepherd
which is
redeemer,
but he also
says there
are going to
be other
shepherds
that are
raised up
with him
and are
going to
be ruling
and shepherding
with him.
And the
church will
take its
rightful
prominent
place
and we'll
have peace.
We will
have shalom.
No more
threats,
no more
insecurity,
no more
pressures,
no persecution.
the king
will be on
his throne
and the
nations will
come,
but not to
threaten.
They'll come
to bow
in worship,
in homage
to the
true king.
Would that
day come
soon?
We long
to see that
day because
we long
for shalom.
So for
God's people
that is
going to
be a
glorious,
glorious
day.
For the
unbeliever
though,
and that
may be
some of
you,
you don't
have that
promise.
We are
told in
many places
like in
Philippians
2 that
every knee
shall bow
and declare
him Lord.
Every knee.
And so
when the
king comes,
we will
bow in
worship
either with
glad
rejoicing
or under
compulsion
that we
cannot
resist.
And he
will be
king.
And so
what Micah
is doing
here and
what God
is doing
here through
him is
showing us
his mercy
and kindness
by giving
us this
warning.
Here's the
trailer of
what's to
come.
And we
can see
it.
And we
can repent.
repent.
Repent of
our rebellion.
Repent of
our resistance.
Repent of
our self
determination.
And come
to the
one who
is opening
his arms
to all
who would
come to
the king.
Because in
him and
him alone,
though he
will come
to judge,
he also
comes to
all who
come to
him with
shalom and
peace.
So the
king, the
redeemer will
come to
restore, to
reclaim his
throne.
But that's
not all he's
going to do.
He also is
coming to
reclaim the
heart of
his people.
people.
The
enemies of
God's
people are
not just
out here.
I think
the worst
ones are
in here.
When we
get to
verse 10
of this
text,
sometimes you
continue to
read this
as simply
more of
God's judgment
on his
people and
he's going
to tear
down their
cities,
he's going
to do
all this
stuff.
But that's
not what's
going on.
If we take
a little bit
closer look,
we see
the pursuit
of loving
kindness for
his beloved.
And as we
get to verse
10 and 11,
the focus is
on how God's
people have
turned from
him and
towards
counterfeit
sources of
security,
their chariots
and their
fortresses.
And God
says,
I will
destroy
your
chariots
and I'm
going to
tear down
your
fortresses.
These are
these false
security
places that
you think
are going
to save
you.
And then
he gets
to verse
12 and
points to
the fact
that they're
trying to
get understanding
and they're
trying to
get a
knowledge of
reality through
their sorceries
and so forth.
And God
says,
no more.
going to
cut them
off.
Then in
verse 13
and 14,
in some ways
he points to
the core
of the
problem.
And twice
there it's
mentioned,
it says,
you will
no longer
bow down
to the
work of
your hands.
Jesus.
And this
is the
insanity
of
idolatry.
They go
cut down
a tree
with their
hands,
they carve
it to make
an image
that is
somehow
attractive
to them
in some
way.
And then
they set
it up
in a
temple
and they
go bow
the knee
to it
thinking
that
image
is going
to give
them
security,
going to
give them
help,
it's going
to save
them from
the day
of trouble.
That image
is what
is going
to give
them peace.
Yeah.
But we're
all insane.
Because that
is the heart
of idolatry.
things that
we make
with our
own hands,
things that
we achieve
by our
own efforts,
things that
we erect
by our
own
abilities
to give
us security,
to give
us peace,
to give
us hope,
to give
us identity.
All of
these means
of idolatry
are produced
by our
own hands.
But when
the king
comes,
he's going
to restore
his rule,
but he's
also going
to restore
and reclaim
his bride.
He's going
to reclaim
the heart
of his bride.
And before
he can do
that,
his bride
must be
purified.
he is not
going to
enter into
a marriage
with her,
an intimate
marital
relation,
while her
rivals are
still present.
They have
to be
removed.
And that's
what he's
talking about
in these
verses.
see,
here's
the great
truth of
repentance.
One of
the great
truths of
repentance
is that
repentance
will not
and does
not originate
with us.
Repentance
comes because
of the
initiative that
our true
love takes
to win us
back to
him.
And here
we see
this great
picture of
it.
He's coming.
He's going
to root
out these
enemies in
our heart.
And these
enemies,
these idols
are so
deeply rooted
inside us,
we can't
root them
out.
We won't
root them
out.
We don't
even know
what to
root out.
Because
these are
the things
we trust.
This is
where we
get our
sense of
security.
And I'm
not going
to throw
that away
unless
I'm
convinced
that there's
a better
way.
And this
is what
the Redeemer
does.
He comes
to declare
war on
our idols.
He's coming
to set us
free from
the deadly
effects
of those
idols.
And when
he does,
sometimes
it feels
like death.
It feels
like he's
trying to
do us
harm.
All the
while,
he's winning
us back
that we
might know
in the
fullest extent
possible,
his deep
love and
affection
for us.
You know,
I can look
back on all
these years
of my
life,
particularly
over this
last 20
or so,
and I've
seen some
really hard
times.
I've been
through a lot
of hard
times.
And when I
get in the
midst of
those hard
times,
the first
thing I
want to
do is
to blame
God.
I go to
him in
prayer and
say,
what are
you doing
to me?
I thought
you loved
me.
And then
he says,
I do.
And that's
why I'm
doing this.
Because he's
willing to do
hard things
to show his
real goodness
because he's
not interested
at all in
some facade
of goodness.
goodness.
He's not
interested in
some surface
relationship.
He doesn't
want just a
little bit of
me.
He wants
it all.
And he
wants to
bring shalom
to me.
And in
order to do
that,
he's got to
start uprooting
and cleaning
house of
all of
these
rivals.
All of
these other
things.
So what's
going on in
your life
right now?
It might
feel like
punishment.
You're having
some hard
times and you
think,
well,
God is now
giving you
what you
deserve because
you've done
some bad
things or
you've got
habits you
can't quit.
I had a
guy in my
church years
and years
ago that
he and his
wife were
infertile.
And he
just knew
that God
was making
that happen
because of
his pornography
addiction.
God was
punishing him.
Well,
here's the
question.
Is that all
there is to
punish?
Is that the
only idol?
Is that the
only problem?
What about
all the other
sins that you
don't know
about?
What about
every...
listen,
if God
is going
to come
and punish
you for
your sins,
you have
no hope.
Because when
are you ever
free?
When do you
ever have a
moment,
a thought,
where you
love God
with all
your heart,
all your soul,
all your mind,
all your strength?
when is
there ever
a time
like that?
So when
God comes
to us,
it's never
punitive.
It is
always
corrective.
And he
picks and
chooses.
And he
starts working
and starts
cleaning
house and
breaking our
grip that
we have on
these idols
so that we
would be set
free.
Let's
picture it
like this.
When we
come to
Jesus in
repentance,
it's like
we're coming
to him and
in our hand
is this
big
rattlesnake.
and we
don't have
a hold of
it by
the head.
We've got
a hold of
it down
in the
middle.
But for
some reason,
we think
this rattlesnake
is going to
give us
some sense
of security
and in
some way
it's going
to be a
help.
Well,
I guess
it would
give you
some sense
of security
because nobody's
going to
get close
to you
if you've
got a
big old
rattlesnake
in your
hand.
But we're
gripping
this snake
and clinging
to it.
all the
while it
is biting
us.
It is
causing
pain to
us,
though the
Redeemer
himself is
actually
guarding us
from a lot
of that.
But when we
come,
he says,
throw it
down.
Throw it
down.
You don't
need this.
It's
killing you.
But we
can't
because we're
putting too
much stake
in this
snake and
so we
cling to
it.
And so
what he
does then
is maybe
allow the
bites more
and more
to get
through.
Maybe we
feel more
and more
of the
pain
that that
snake
creates.
or maybe
he grabs
our fingers
and starts
to peel
him back.
And that
hurts.
We think
he's killing
us.
He's
setting us
free.
He's
setting us
free from
the very
thing that
will destroy
us.
And he's
unwilling to
do that.
And so he
comes.
And sometimes
it feels like
hell itself.
But his
work,
even in the
pain,
is the
path to
our freedom
and joy
and shalom.
This is
what he
comes
to bring.
This
is the
love of
our
redeemer
for us.
He's not
against us.
He's
fighting
for us.
How do
you know
that you
can trust
him to
do that?
As Paul
wrote in
Romans 8
32,
he who
did not
spare his
own son,
but gave
him up
for us
all,
how will
he not
now with
him
freely
give us
all
things.
Why can
we trust
him,
let go
of these
idols,
and let
him do
in us
whatever
he needs
to do?
Because
he's already
done it
to himself.
We are
not going
to be
punished
for our
sins.
He
was.
paid.
I don't
have to
pay the
price for
all of the
times I've
failed.
He paid.
All of
God's anger
directed towards
my idolatry
and sin and
unbelief
was poured
on the
innocent
one
who loved
the father
with his
whole heart.
And he
was glad
to take
it
so that
I would
not have
to bear
it.
This is
how he
can say
to us,
come to
me,
come in
repentance,
come throw
your idols
down.
They're
killing you.
Come to
the one
who has
loved you
to the
nth degree
and he
will
cleanse
you
and
purify
you
and make
you into
the beautiful
spotless
bride
that he
intends you
to be.
This is
the promise
that we
have as
believers.
We have
a redeemer
who is
going to
come
and fight
for us
to set us
free from
all of our
enemies but
also to set
us free from
the internal
enemies that
we might
be made
his and
his
alone.
But for
those who
are not
in Christ,
that's not
the promise
you have.
The pain
you feel
is not
necessary,
may not be
his working
to cleanse
you,
it may be
the beginnings,
the foretaste
of what
is yet
to come.
In
his mercy,
he is
allowing you
to feel
his
judgment.
But in
doing so,
in warning
you,
he's
inviting
you,
come.
Don't
pay this
yourself.
Come.
Come to
the one
who has
already
stood in
for you.
Come.
You're
desperately
trying to
find shalom
and peace
in all of
the wrong
places.
Come
to me.
All who
are weary
and heavy
laden,
I will
give you
rest.
And I
will give
you
peace.
Do you
want peace?
Do you
want to
know
shalom?
Hear
the
invitation
that the
prophets
give us.
Come
to the
Redeemer
who will
save
to the
uttermost
and destroy
all of
our
enemies.
and make
us the
beautiful
bride
ready
for her
bridegroom.
Come.
Let's
pray.
Oh,
Lord Jesus,
would you
come?
Would you
work in our
hearts?
Would you
give us
understanding
that it's
not going
to come
from us?
We are
too,
we're
clinging
too tightly
to all
of these
things.
Would you
break our
grip?
Would you
come?
Set us
free?
Break
the
stranglehold
and give
us peace.
Give us
peace in your
lovingkindness
and grace
and mercy.
In Jesus'
name,
amen.
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