Micah 7:1

Micah 7:1 says, Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.  Micah felt nothing but woe because of the sins of God's people.  When we today see those who call themselves followers of Christ living strictly by the standards of the world, we should feel a sense of woe.  Micah said that he desired the first fruits and not the gleanings.  We should likewise desire the first fruits that come from following God's will.  Everything else, no matter how good it may look, will only be a gleaning.  Verse two adds, The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.  We need to remember that Micah was speaking to God's chosen people.  Micah said that all the good men had perished and that none walked upright.  We know that there has always been a remnant that remained faithful to God, but we are not called to preserve the remnant but to make disciples.  We may see the world as almost totally evil, but our calling is not to give up in despair, but to witness boldly for Christ.  Verse three continues, That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.  Micah said that those in power only wanted what would bring them rewards. He said they did evil with both hands earnestly.  The leaders and judges really didn't even make a pretense of fairness.  When we see corruption and greed in the world today, we should not be surprised, but neither should we give up in defeat.  Verse four states, The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.  Micah said that the best of God's people were like a brier, ready to snare anyone who came in contact with them.  Matthew Henry asks if these were the actions of the best, then what could be expected of the worst.  This was indeed a sad state for those who called themselves God's people to reach.  Verse five adds, Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.  Micah said that they were not to put their trust in anyone, even those the closest to them.  When it comes to salvation, we today can put our trust in no one but Christ.  Hopefully we can trust at least those closest to us to only want what is best for us, but this is often not the case.  Ultimately, our faith must be in God alone.  Verse six continues, For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.  This sounds a lot like what we hear about in the world today.  Verse seven declares, Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.  Micah concludes what I had just said, and that is that we can ultimately rely on God alone for deliverance.  We must wait on God for His timing to be right.  Verse eight adds, 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.  This is a warning to those of the world who rejoice when a Christian stumbles.  What they need to realize is that through Christ our victory is assured.  Verse nine continues, 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.  Like Micah, we can only accept God's judgment when we sin against Him.  As followers of Christ, God will raise us up to an everlasting relationship with Him.

Micah 6:10

Micah 6:10 says, Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?  In verse nine, God had said judgment was coming, and now He begins to tell why this was true.  Micah was speaking to God's chosen people when he spoke of these things.  We might expect the wicked to have treasures derived from their wickedness, but we should never expect it from God's people.  Verse eleven adds, Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?  Having been called on to walk justly God asks if His people should count themselves as pure when they were cheating others.  We as followers of Christ must always attempt to deal fairly with everyone we come into contact with.  We cannot cheat others and still follow Christ.  Verse twelve continues, For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.  I don't believe that this was an indictment against rich people as such, but was instead an indictment against the way they had become rich.  They had cheated others to obtain their riches.  God said that they, those who were called His people, had spoken lies and were full of violence.  We today as Christians must follow God's leadership in all things.  If we do, then we will never be guilty of cheating others for our own gain, nor will we have a violent nature toward others.  Verse thirteen states, Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.  God said He would make His people desolate because of their sins.  We must remember that this is really what they really were before entering into the covenant relationship with God.  All God really had to do was remove His protective hand from them.  We today were lost in desolation and sin before we accepted Christ as Savior and Lord.  Then we came under God's protective hand.  Though we may be secure forever in our salvation, we may lose that protection of God if this world if we fail to follow His will for us.  Verse fourteen adds, Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.  God said that they would eat but not be satisfied. We can either take this to mean that there wouldn't be enough to eat to satisfy them, or that no matter how much they ate they would still not be satisfied.  God also said that everything they had would be given up to the sword.  We know that when we are outside the will of God as followers of Christ that nothing will ever satisfy us and that everything gained outside of God's will shall never last.  Verse fifteen continues, Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.  God said that His people would not profit from things done when living under the dictates of sin and idolatry.  The same is true today in terms of our works being of everlasting value.  Though we may profit temporarily, in the coming judgment things done outside of God's will can never be of profit to us.  Verse sixteen concludes, For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.  God's people were living under the laws and works of the world instead of living under the law and leadership of God.  We cannot allow the teachings of the world to become the law of the church, otherwise we will bear the reproach of the world and God.  If followers of Christ proclaim to live under His leadership but are no different than the rest of the world, then we should not be surprised if we are ignored or ridiculed.  God calls us to a different standard.

Micah 6:1

Micah 6:1 says, Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.  God calls on His people to hear His voice.  If the people didn't listen, then Micah was to still boldly proclaim the word of God to the mountains and hills.  If we are to represent God in the world today, we must first hear His voice.  We are to continue to proclaim His word even if it seems that no one is listening.  Verse two adds, Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.  God called on the earth to bear witness to the fact that He had a controversy with His people.  We can be sure that when God has a controversy with His people that God is not at fault.  When God's people are not following His will the whole world suffers.  Verse three continues, O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.  God asked His people what He had done against them that they would not follow Him in faith.  We today should ask the same question when we feel that the world is overwhelming us, or when we begin to put all our faith in material things and ignore God.  God might rightly ask what He has done to cause us to act in such a manner.  Verse four states, For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.  God reminded the people of what He had done for them.  They were His people because He chose them and since they were His people He had delivered them from the powers of the world.  God brought them out of captivity in Egypt and gave them religious leaders to follow.  We as followers of Christ today are so because God has chosen to deliver us from the power of sin by our faith in Christ.  Verse five adds, O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.  Micah reminded them that when Balak had desired to destroy Israel that he was led to bless God instead.  The righteous of God will ultimately always prevail.  Verse six continues, Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?  When we are in rebellion against God, we would do well to ask how we can be restored to Him.  Of course, the answer is the same as when we first came to God, and that is through repentance and acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ through faith.  We can bring no offering that will bring restoration.  Verse seven says, Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  I believe that the meaning here was that we can bring nothing material, no matter how much it might be, that will make us right with God.  God's forgiveness cannot be bought, but is given by our faith in Christ.  Verse eight adds, He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?   Micah said that God had already shown them, as He has shown us, what He expected from them. They were to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.  I believe when we walk humbly with God through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, that we will automatically do justly and love mercy.  Notice that there was nothing said about bringing anything material to be in the right relationship with God.  Verse nine continues, The LORD’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.  God said that since they would not follow Him that judgment was coming.  Anytime we, as followers of Christ, fail to follow God in obedience to His will we can expect our actions to bring judgment.

Micah 5:7

Micah 5:7 says, And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.  The church today, those who believe in Christ as their Redeemer, will be scattered, but the gospel will go forth to refresh those who accept it.  Like the dew the gospel will not go forth with great might, but will simply come without a great display of power.  As the dew quietly refreshes the land, so does the gospel of Christ quietly refresh those who believe.  Verse eight adds, And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.  This was not a promise of a great military victory, but of the fact that followers of Christ are to carry the gospel with the boldness of a lion.  When we present the truth of the gospel then all false teachings will be torn to pieces.  Verse nine continues, Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.  Once more, this is a promise of what God will ultimately do to all the enemies of Christ.  We may encounter a lot of suffering at the hands of the rulers of the world today, but we are everlastingly secure by the power of God.  Verse ten states, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:  God's people had been looking for safety in military power, but God said He would destroy their horses and chariots.  When we as God's people begin to look for safety in anything in this world outside the will of God, then we may face the same fate.  This is not to say that this is always the case, but it is the ultimate outcome.  Verse eleven adds, And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds.  We may not have strong holds as such today, but wherever we look for safety will be cut off from us when we disobey the will of God.  Verse twelve continues, And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:  Micah begins to list some of the sins of the people that God said He would cut off.  They were guilty of witchcraft and soothsaying, or fortunate telling.  When we look to the stars to foretell our future, for example, we are guilty of the same thing, and our actions will not please God.  Verse thirteen says, Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.  God said their idols would be destroyed and they would no longer worhip the work of their hands.  When we allow our job and the things that it gets for us to become more important than our relationship to God, we need to realize that one day all these things will be cut off.  Verse fourteen adds, And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.  Micah was speaking for God to God's chosen people, and God said that their groves, or farms we might say, and their cities would be destroyed.  There would be no safe place that they could hide from God.  Verse fifteen continues, And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.  If God would destroy all that His people relied on, imagine how much worse it would be for those who did not acknowledge Him.  When Christ returns to deliver His church, all that has been done outside the will of God will be destroyed.

Micah 5:1

Micah 5:1 says, Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.  This likely refers to the fall of Israel before the coming of Christ.  God's people were already divided, and it should be no surprise that they would fall when they attempted to live by their own strength.  If we, as God's people are divided today instead of being united through the Holy Spirit, then we should not be surprised when our plans fail.  Verse two adds, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  This is a direct reference to the coming Messiah, Who had been the only way to salvation from the beginning of time.  Instead of coming from one of the cities of power, the Messiah was to come from lowly Bethlehem.  God does work in His own way, which we often fail to understand, yet we must always put our faith in His plan.  Verse three continues, Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.  Micah did not promise an immediate restoration of God's people, but he promised a certain one for the remnant to return to Jerusalem.  I believe the remnant were those who remained true to God no matter what.  Even though there is little evidence of it in the world today, God's kingdom is coming when He determines the time is right. We simply need to remain true to our commitment to Him.  Verse four states, And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.  Those who are followers of Christ can rest assured in His strength and live for the majesty of God.  Christ has assured those that follow Him that He will be with them forever.  Verse five adds, And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.  This verse promises that God will be with us when we are under attack in the world.  The Assyrians were powerful in Micah's day, but they were no threat to God.  Satan has some powerful people at work for him in the world today, but they are no threat to the everlasting peace that we have if we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse six continues, And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.  Micah did not promise that God's restored people would become a great military power, but that God Himself would deliver them.  We today cannot look for peace anywhere but in following God's will for our lives.  Even if we are persecuted, we must continue to proclaim the gospel of Christ.

Micah 4:6

Micah 4:6 says, In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;  We know that the nation of Israel in Micah's day had become weak, because they did not follow God's will for them. When this says that God had afflicted them, I believe that the affliction was a result of losing God's protection as a nation.  When we refuse to obey God, we should not be surprised that we suffer afflictions from our lack of obedience.  We also know that God calls all people to be assembled by faith in Him.  Verse seven adds, And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.  God promises to maintain a remnant and heal them and make them strong.  Some would apply this to the nation of Israel today, but since they still refuse to acknowledge Christ as their Savior and Lord, I believe that it would apply more to the church, those who are followers of Christ.  Verse eight continues, And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.  I believe that this refers to the coming of Christ, Who did indeed come first to the people of Israel.  Verse nine states, Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counseller perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.  God through Micah asked since the people of Israel, or Judah, had started to live by their own will instead of following the will God, why were they crying out to God when things were not going well for them.  He asked if they did not still have a king and if their counsellor had perished.  When we as followers of Christ are outside the will of God, even if everything in life seems the same, we will find no true peace and purpose in life.  Verse ten adds, Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.  Instead of promising a deliverance from God at that time, Micah said the people were going to be taken away captive until God delivered them.  God was not leaving them without hope, even when they rebelled against Him.  If we begin to follow our own will and rely on our own strength today, we should not be surprised if we are taken captive by sin.  Still, if we are truly God's by faith in Christ, we can be certain of our ultimate deliverance.  Verse eleven continues, Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.  Just as in Micah's day, there are many nations aligned against God's people.  There are even many within the nation that calls itself a Christian nation that are aligned against God.  Verse twelve says, But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.  Micah proclaimed that those who thought they could defeat God's plan did not understand His council.  God said He would gather His people together again.  Verse thirteen adds, Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.  Just as God's people were told in Micah's day, we should arise under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit.  When we follow God's will, nothing can defeat us.

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.