Thursday, February 22, 2018

Micah 4:1

Micah 4:1 says, But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.  After predicting the destruction of what were thought of as holy places of God, due to their corruption by the religious leaders, Micah proclaims a coming restoration of God's people.  The old order of the law had failed due to the continued rebellion of God's people, but that was not the end of hope.  God was again going to establish His church, built by faith in Christ alone.  God's house, those who accepted salvation through Christ, would be exalted in the high places.  I believe that this means that we as followers of Christ are to be a beacon to the lost.  We are never to hide in fear, but are to boldly proclaim Christ to the world.  Verse two adds, And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  When God's people are following Him, then people will be drawn to Him.  Before, under the Mosaic law, the Jewish people were viewed as being God's people, and others were viewed as being not God's, or Gentiles.  Now Micah said many nations would come to worship God.  The Jewish people had been charged with bringing others to God, but they had failed.  We as followers of Christ today are charged with carrying the gospel to all people, and we cannot be selfish in doing so.  The gospel is for all people, not just a select few.  Verse three continues, And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.  Micah said there was a coming time of peace.  There was coming a time when people would make farming implements instead of war implements.  We also know that this time of peace, if it comes, will never last in this world, but will be the nature of life in the world to come.  Still, I wonder how much we should invest in the implements of war versus the implements of peace.  Verse four declares, But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.  Micah said that when this time of peace came that people could live content and without fear, not because of their strength, but because of God.  Only God can bring true and lasting peace to people, and His peace will last forever.  As followers of Christ, we should already have that peace in life.  Even if the world is filled with war and hatred, we are secure in our relationship with God forever.  Verse five adds, For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.  I believe that this cannot just totally apply to heaven, because there no one will follow after any false god, but will only follow the One true and living God.  The main point is that even if people follow other gods, we as followers of Christ are to walk in the name of our God forever and ever.  This does not mean someday, but from the day that we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.

No comments:

Post a Comment