I felt God leading me to read the book of Micah during the bus ride from Thailand to Cambodia…it is rich with promises for the future and is centered around a theme of social justice. I just wanted to share with you a few of the things God spoke to me through this book.
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” (4:1-2)
Those verses paint a pretty spectacular picture in my mind – people from all over the earth coming together to learn about God and praise Him together.
They will beat their swords into plowshares…Nation will not take up sword against nation. (4:3-5)
What a cool promise – there will be peace. War and fighting will end. People will be coming together to grow in knowledge of God, not to fight with one another. Not only will there be no fighting, there will also no longer be instruments to fight with if the nations are beating their swords and spears into farming tools. God promises peace for the nations, and knowing the histories of some of the countries we’ve been/are going to, that is a pretty amazing promise.
“In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation.” (4:6-7).
Definitely got the chills reading these verses. God is going to bring together those who have been the outcasts, those who were rejected by their peoples and displaced from their homes, those who have endured many injustices… He promises to gather them together – to bring justice and freedom and restoration to those who haven’t been able to experience those things.
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (6:8)
That’s probably the most quoted verse from the book of Micah, but it sums up so well what the central theme and message is: social justice. Act justly, love mercy – it sounds so simple. But still, we forget about bringing justice to the oppressed, about working to set the captives free. So it’s a good reminder, especially as I’m traveling and seeing so much injustice and oppression and captivity. I can feel God moving through Southeast Asia, bringing freedom and justice and mercy to those who have been oppressed here.
Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears ill become deaf…They will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you. Who is a God like you…You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. (7:16-18)
God is going to show His wonders and everybody will be in awe of what He does. I guess I haven’t really thought about that very much – how God does these amazing and miraculous things and how He continues to do them even now so that people can see His power and come to know Him. Then it talks about how God delights in showing mercy and compassion – tug on my heartstrings more. Wow. I wish I could understand God’s mercy. I wish I could have His heart of compassion.
