Thurs.’s Devo - Micah

Read: Micah 1:1-4:13; Revelations 6:1-17; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 30:1-4 Micah was from Judah and prophesied during the kings of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He spoke to both Israel and Judah. He prophesied before and during the life of Isaiah. Micah’s name means “who is like Jehovah” which was a question to the people who had turned from worshipping Jehovah to worship all sorts of other gods. He was from the town of Maresheth which bordered on Philistine land and meant “possessor of a wine-press. A wine-press was a picture of how God would squeeze his chosen people to see what was inside them. Micah began his words to the people of the world meaning the people of his world, his chosen people. He described the leaders as mountains and the lowest of the people as valleys. They would all be judged the same. He put the blame of Israel and Judah on their capital cities of Samaria and Jerusalem. Samaria’s sins were going to be exposed for all to see. All her wealth would be taken away. Her sins had spread to Jerusalem. The enemy towns around Jerusalem would have no pity on Jerusalem; the same judgement was coming to them also. Lachish was distinguished as being the first city in Judah to follow in the Israels idolatry which led Judah to sin also. Lachish means “walk of a man” as opposed to walking in the Spirit of God. This was where Sennacherib put his headquarters. The enemy would take their inheritance from everywhere but in heaven. Micah begged Judah to repent for the sake of their posterity. What they were doing would greatly affect their children and their children. They lived their lives cheating one another out of their family’s inheritance instead of standing as a national family supporting one another. Their pride would be brought down and the would be left desolate. They would lose everything they owned including their land and their inheritance to an enemy nation. The people who heard Micah’s prophecies begged him to stop saying such curses against them. Micah countered that if they did what was right, God would say encouraging things to them, but they chose to sin instead. They had taken their own people’s homes from them and now theirs would be taken and they would go into exile. One day, God would raise up a leader among them who would bring them back to their land. At present, their leaders hated good and loved evil. The prophets were false and led them astray. They took bribes and punished those who wouldn’t feed them. Their visions were about to end. They would end in disgrace and shame. In contrast to the false prophets, Micah was confident because he got his words from God. God’s spirit had filled Micah with justice and strength to boldly prophesy Israel’s sin and rebellion. The false confidence that Judah had was about to come down on top of them. In the last days, God’s mountain will be Jesus Christ. All people will stream to him and be taught his ways. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying the fruit of their labor. There will be nothing to fear. God’s weak remnant will become a strong nation with the Lord ruling as their king. Jerusalem will be restored. Enemy nations will rise up as one against God’s people but they won’t understand that it is God that is gathering them together where they will be beaten on God’s threshing floor. The wealth of many nations will become the Lord’s. In Revelation, John watches as the Lamb broke the first seal. John was called to come and watch. He beheld a white horse. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He went to win battles and gain victories. The second seal brought another horse. This one was red and its rider was given a mighty sword and was given authority to take peace from the earth. He brought war and slaughter. The third seal was opened and a black horse appeared. Its rider was holding pair of scales in his hand. It was to weigh the cost of wheat and barley for bread. The fourth seal brought forth a horse that was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth to kill with the sword, famine, disease and wild animals. The breaking of the fifth seal brought a scene of the altar. Under it were the souls of those who had been martyred for the word of God and for their faithful testimony of Christ. They cried out for judgment on the world and for God to avenge their blood. A white robe was given them and the were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters that would be martyred had joined them. When the Lamb broke the sixth seal, a great earthquake happened. The sun became black and the moon red. The stars fell to the earth and the sky was rolled up like a scroll. All of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. All the kings and leaders of the nations fled and hid in the caves. They cried out for death. It was the day of wrath. We have been going through a mock ‘day of wrath’ on the earth but this is not the end. The riders of the horses were types of antichrists bringing war, famine, disease and calamity. We are about to experience a great die off of people but the end is not yet. We are not in the day of wrath. God is exposing sin like never before and judging the leaders of the world but we must be patient and not lose hope. Our redeemer is orchestrating everything and we have to put on our white robes and be patient. We have been crucified with Christ so we are a living martyrs. God is shaking everything that can be shaken and seeing what remains. We will remain as his remnant and we will inherit the land if we hold on and trust in God’s plan. Lord, help us to know what to do in the days we are living. Help us to give hope and joy to those who need assurance and strength. May we bring peace and light to the dark world we live in.