The Minor Prophets: Micah

Along side, within and even parallel in development there has existed “The City of God” also outlined, detailed and celebrated by Augustine in his great classic defense of what God is always doing in our midst and planning for eternity. The nature of this great “spiritual kingdom” is similar in its context to the prophetic expectation of the Old and New Covenant writers. Michael Bentley outlines this spiritual scenario: “As we read [the] prophecies, it is not easy to distinguish between those prophecies which refer especially to New Testament times, and those which are yet to be fulfilled. In other words, many prophecies have different perspectives. They refer to the prophet’s own times, to the gospel age, the glories of the Second Coming of Christ and the days of eternity.”

I had mentioned earlier the “esoteric” nature of the mind set that earnestly believes that world peace can come about through the power of enlightened legislation and the establishment of a new world order. I did indeed look up the word to make certain that my introduction this morning could all the more easily swing from the interests of the city of man to those of “The City of God.” The Oxford American Dictionary defines “esoteric” in this manner: “intended only for people with special knowledge or interest.”

And as Rush Limbaugh has carefully defined the religious element of modern liberalism – their true religious affinity is to bring in their utopian dream of one world at peace and happily ignorant of any divine Broker of truth, justice and fair play. The liberal administrators of this worldly program would substitute their basic humanistic dreams for every religious doctrine that divides spiritual truth from error. And in order for their utopian new world order to come into being, every religious, social, governmental, judicial and educational endeavor must be transformed to serve their higher goal of secular humanism finally achieved. This is why the Iraqi nationalists attacked the buildings and offices of the United Nations. And, if the truth be known – this is why some Iraqi nationalists resist the forces of American secular objectives as well. Of course, the Islamic terrorists are engaged in that same struggle. Just as we understand our own spiritual kingdom’s overlapping that of the secular states, so too would the forces of militant Islam endeavor to spread the power and might of their Dark Lord – Satan himself. Like the problematic struggle for China during World War Two – there are ongoing struggles three organizational mandates in the Middle East and indeed to a lesser militant sense in our own fair land.

All three world views in that context and contest are “esoteric” by nature – either one accepts the fundamentals of Christianity, Islam or Secular Humanism. The great difference between them is how the opposing forces may be converted to agree to any dominant world order. The followers of Mohammed historically have converted the populations under their control by the force of arms. Either you become one with them or be destroyed. The atheistic forces are not immune to using force and persecution, but by their very cowardly nature work best indirectly in the court room and legislative circles to impose the “reasonableness” of their authority and power. Christianity is and must always be the odd man out. God does indeed work in and through history, but it is by the power of spiritual conversion only. Certainly, whenever His people are empowered to do so, freedom to achieve justice and prosperity are imposed graciously and kindly – if the proper submissive spirit in doing so is recognized and allowed: God’s kingdom may then overlap the judicial, legislative and executive domains spiritually. But, we should always have a humble spirit in these matters, because the “Kingdom of the Spirit” does not come by worldly might and power, but always and forever as a blessing given through the kindness and mercy of our heavenly King.

Development: The worldly humanists always misrepresent and misunderstand the spiritual nature of God’s Kingdom here on earth. As one of our university students has observed, the liberal textbooks and instructors can only imagine that the Pauline doctrines are aimed at a social revolution of some sort, and that the success or failure of Christianity must always be measured by worldly standards instead of God’s own measure in every endeavor and regard.

The passage before us is not only God’s outline of revival to come in Judah, and a mandate for eternity, but also marching orders for Christ’s Church as well. Because of the faithfulness Micah’s and Isaiah’s prophetic ministry – the Word thus proclaimed penetrated the human hearts of their generation by and through the power of God’s Holy Spirit: a great national revival under the leadership of King Hezekiah is faithfully recorded in the Old Covenant record. But we are left with an essential question: Were Micah and Isaiah, as the world would imagine: properly described as agents of change? In the same sense, we could ask if Luther, Calvin, Knox and the other Reformers were agents of the great spiritual, social and economic revolutions that followed their own Reformational period of history?

Absolutely no,t in any worldly sense at all! These were all men in every instance, called by God to proclaim His righteous and revealed word. Everything that flows in the extension of the Kingdom of God is allowed, accomplished and achieved through His higher will and purpose. Even as Shakespeare would allow: “all the world’s a stage,” and the Great Script Master Himself has provided the parts for His servants to play and even as the Bible allows, has given them the words to move the hearts and minds of men as they are interpreted by the Spirit Himself.

Theologian A.A. Hodge puts this in a theological perspective when he examines how our hearts are changed. The Westminster Confession in Chapter Ten teaches: “All those whom God hath predestined unto life, and those only He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His word and Spirit.” And further in the second paragraph we should learn that: “This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.”

Passive indeed is the whole of mankind in spiritual things, but extraordinarily active in the material context and according to God’s word, the life span of men was limited so that unlike the ante-deluge population, there would be less and less opportunity for all manner of mischief and sin. But, while man is active in his sinful nature, in order that men might have every opportunity to come to the Lord, the Creator God is extremely patient in waiting. While God allows every manifestation of human wickedness and while He remains passive when it comes to human sin; but, whenever it suits His perfect will and purpose, suddenly the Kingdom of the Spirit shines brighter in the ongoing reformation and revival of His saints and their spiritual institutions.

As we have examined earlier in this series, the Lord God had a purpose to achieve through the prophetic word given to Micah and Isaiah. And in the resultant religious revival Mount Zion shone all the brighter for a time and a season. Unfortunately, with the passage of time another generation, ready to execute the prophet Jeremiah – had to be reminded that he was speaking in the same words of Micah. And thus, Jeremiah was spared, but ignored. The Kingdom of God, which was associated with the people and geography of Judah, saw their holy hill leveled and the Temple itself ruined. But yet, another generation passed and the people were restored, a new but smaller Temple was built and prophets spoke again of the glories of Israel’s God and King.

But, the people again forgot their calling and the words and voices of the prophets ceased altogether; until in the fullness of time, the Lord’s own Son descended to earth and appeared in His own Royal City. There, He was crucified and before that generation was completely gone, their beloved Temple and its surrounding precincts were destroyed again and that destruction has lasted until our very own day. The Age of the Church, as some would call it had dawned, we may know that age as the symbolic millennium which lasts from the first Advent of Christ until His second coming in glory at the end of the age.

Application: All of this and more is hinted at in the glorious poetic prophecy given through the words of Micah. Commentator Michael Bentley meditates on the thematic purposes here: “if the Lord himself rejected the temple, and all of its religious ritual, why does Micah speak in such glowing terms of it here in chapter 4? It is because he is speaking, not of the literal Jerusalem and Mount Zion, … but of a better mountain and a more holy temple.”

Bentley refers us to the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17 where we read: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” Some years ago, one of the Croft Puppets observed in a brilliant one liner that “Your body is not an amusement park, but a temple” to the living God (as we might add the last three words). This is an important lesson for all of those called into the Kingdom of the Spirit, and as we all endeavor as the fourth question for membership frames it: “Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?” Earlier, we had spoken of God’s active work in us and again we are reminded of our ongoing need to rely upon the grace and leading of the Holy Spirit to live lives worthy of our calling. In the ongoing celebration of our second birth, and in the warm and wholesome witness to which we are now apportioned – thereby the worldly may sense the work and wisdom of Christ. And however flawed our broken mirror image may in reality be, still the glories of Zion are revealed and the word of God goes forth to shine upon the hearts of still others being called into “The City of God.”

Hopefully and prayerfully, it is this city that visitors may sense in the presence of God’s people whenever time is transcended spiritually and the real promise of the kingdom to come is realized in the worship of God’s people. I have often said, that especially in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper – we have in the same sanctuary: one foot in heaven and the other on earth and for an all to brief time period the circles of the city of man and that of the City of God coincide so that we like Micah can almost foretaste the incredible glories to come. May this be your experience of the word given in and through Micah. And may God graciously allow the sweetness of our worship to transcend time and place, even as His Holy Spirit moves within us day by day. Amen.

PREACHING RESOURCES

Bentley, Michael. Balancing the Books: Micah & Nahum.
Boice, James Montgomery. The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary 2.
Hodge, A.A. Outlines of Theology.
Smith, George A. The Expositer’s bible: The Book of the Twelve Prophets.
Waltke, Bruce. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Micah
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.
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