Nahum 1:1

Nahum 1:1 says, The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.  We have heard of Nineveh once before being a burden to God.  About a hundred years before Jonah had gone to Nineveh reluctantly to prophecy their doom due to their evil and sin filled nature.  Though they had repented at that time, they had returned to their old ways.  Though their repentance was real, they evidently did not ground themselves in following and teach God's word.  When we repent and turn to God today, we must become grounded in His will and proclaim His gospel.  Matthew Henry says the name Nahum means comforter, and states that all God's prophets came to bring ultimate comfort to those who are His people and who follow His will.  Verse two adds, God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.  God expects those who claim to be His to follow His will.  Nahum says that God is a jealous God.  We often think of jealousy as a negative thing, but here it means that God wants those who claim to be His to be faithful to Him because it is what is best for them.  God's wrath is reserved for those who refuse to accept His mercy. I do not believe that we can conclude that God is simply waiting for someone to fall out of His will so He can show His wrath to them.  As with Ninevah, God had already shown His mercy to them and when they returned to their evil nature, they were to experience God's wrath.  We cannot allow sin to enter into our lives as followers of Christ and expect it not to bring consequences.  Verse three continues, The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.  God is slow to anger, but sin will be punished ultimately.  We can either accept Christ Who bore our punishment for us, or we can suffer the penalty ourselves.  Though God has power over the universe, He still chooses to reach out to people with love and forgiveness.  Verse four states, He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.  When God chooses, He can dry up the land.  He does not do this arbitrarily, but as a way to bring people from sinful actions to His will.  Verse five adds, The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.  This is a continuation of proclaiming God's power.  Still, with all the power in His hands, God is slow to deal with people out of anger.  Verse six continues, Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.  The answer to the question is that their is no one who can stand before God in His anger.  Fortunately, we can stand before God in His gracious forgiveness through Christ.  Verse seven says, The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.  As followers of Christ, we can withstand the trials and tribulations of this world because God is our fortress.  There will never be a time that we cannot trust God if we are His followers.  Verse eight adds, But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.  Just as those who put their faith in God can be assured of their everlasting security, those who refuse to accept God's gift of salvation can be sure of their destruction.  The choice is always up to each individual.

Micah Review

We will now look at some of the lessons that we learn from Micah.  The first thing we have to acknowledge as always is that this is not just a book of history, but the lessons still apply today.  The Bible is the guidebook for God's people for all time.  That said, we can then state that just saying we are God's people is not enough to bring God's redemption and protection.  We must live by faith in God and not go our own way proclaiming to be His while living by some other standard.  In Micah's day, those who were called God's people were living in sin and idolatry, looking to the powers of the world for protection.  There are those people today who profess to be Christians but live in the same manner as the rest of the world.  As God's people, we are called to a higher standard.  Like God's chosen people in Micah's day, we are called to proclaim God to the world as we serve Him.  We cannot allow our relationship to God to allow us to feel that we are somehow superior to other people, deserving of God's redemption and protection because of the family we are born in to or because of any righteousness of our own.  We also know that those who deny the very existence of God will one day encounter Him.  Unfortunately for them, it will be an encounter with God without the intervention of Christ on their part.  We also know that God's word is not just for a particular group of people at a particular time, but that it is recorded so that we can learn from it today.  We also see that hypocrisy only leads to destruction.  If we allow idols, which is really anything that we place between God and us, to enter our lives as God's people, then we cannot effectively serve God.  One day, even though we are saved, those things that come between God and us will be destroyed.

Micah 7:15

Micah 7:15 says, According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.  Micah had asked for a simple restoration of God's people.  He asked that they be allowed to return to their own land.  In answer, God said that He was going to show them marvelous things that were even greater than their deliverance from Egypt.  Even though all that we can ever really hope for is salvation from our sins, God stands ready to do marvelous things in our lives.  The beginning of these marvelous things was the everlasting salvation that would come through Christ. The deliverance of God's people out of Egypt was a temporary deliverance.  It was a mighty work in the eyes of the world, but it was nothing compared to what Christ did, not just for the Jews, but for the whole world.  Verse sixteen adds, The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.  Though Christ did not come in great military power, He did and still does confound all the might of the world.  Their is nothing else to hear nor proclaim except salvation through Christ.  This does confound many people because it only requires acceptance of this salvation through faith.  Verse seventeen continues, They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.  Those who refuse to accept Christ as Savior and Lord are condemned as was the serpent in the garden of Eden.  Though they may feel powerful, ultimately they will crawl before God in fear of Him.  To be in God's presence unredeemed is a scary place to be.  If a person finds himself or herself in that situation, it is always their choice.  God has made salvation available to all.  Verse eighteen states, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.  The question of who is a god like unto God is answered simply- no one.  God pardons our iniquities if we only accept His pardon through faith in Christ.  God does not desire to relate to people in anger, but in mercy.  Verse nineteen adds, He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.  Micah said that God would come to them again in compassion.  Their sins may have temporarily come between God and them, but He was still ready to restore the relationship when their sins were subdued.  When sin is finally, ultimately dealt with, it will be buried forever.  Verse twenty continues, Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.  Micah said that God's people would once more be true to their covenant with God.  If we allow sin to enter our lives as followers of Christ, it must be dealt with, but we never cease to be God's children if we have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord.

Micah 7:10

Micah 7:10 says, Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.  Micah said that after he waited patiently on God his enemies would eventually be brought to shame for questioning God.  Those who deny the existence of God and ridicule His people will one day bow to Him.  Verse eleven adds, In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.  Micah said that in the day of restoration that His decree of destruction would be far removed.  We, until we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, are under God's decree of destruction, but once we accept Him we are restored and God builds up walls of protection between our enemies and us.  Verse twelve continues, In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.  Micah said that when God's redemption came to people that those who had lived by the power of the world or by their own might, would come to those who were redeemed through Christ.  We know that the Bible proclaims that one day every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  For some, unfortunately, it will be too late to confess Him as Savior.  We may witness to the world, but only God can grant salvation.  Verse thirteen states, Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.  God said that because of the sins of people, especially the sins of His chosen people, that the land would be desolate.  Sin, even when we are saved by Christ, still brings consequences.  We cannot just claim that since all our sins are forgiven through Christ that they no longer bring consequences.  Verse fourteen adds, Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.  This is a prayer that God's people would be returned to their own land as in the days of old.  When we stray away from God, we need to repent and ask for restoration to our former status as followers of Christ.  Though our salvation is assured, we may suffer in this life if we follow our own will instead of God's will.

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.