Micah 1-4
One of the challenges reading the minor prophets is to pay attention and try to understand what makes this messenger unique. After a while, it just seems like "Blah, blah, blah, blah, oh, blah, blah, blah, blah, sickness sorrow and despair, people dying everywhere, blah, blah, blah, blah, oh, blah, blah, blah, blah." Reading the Bible every year gives you the basic events. What we don't often understand is the working behind those events. For example, Cyrus sent the people back to Jerusalem to build the temple. But when you put Daniel, chapters 5&6, next to that event, you understand how God moved Cyrus to do that.
The same is true with Micah. Micah has some "stand-alone" bright spots, that is, a few verses dealing with Jesus' birth and one passage dealing with devotion to God. Yet we have something in Jeremiah that shows us how God actually used Micah and his messages.
Jeremiah 26:18 "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: `Thus says the LORD of hosts, Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.' 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD repent of the evil which he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great evil upon ourselves."
So, you wonder how it was that Hezekiah was ready to stand against the massive force of Assyria threatening Jerusalem. It was Micah. It might also have been God working in Joel and the grasshoppers. Hezekiah had Isaiah close at hand too, but it was definitely the influence of these messages by Micah that helped Hezekiah. These seven chapters are full of judgments, but they also have some great promises to the future glory of Israel. In that sense, they fit nicely with our reading in Revelation.
Micah 1
This message is mainly to Israel, the northern kingdom, but notice how God says that their sickness has infected Judah and come to Jerusalem.
V. 2 What do you think about this call to all the peoples of the earth? Notice that the temple is immediately in view.
V. 5 This seems to say that both of these cities are guilty.
Vs. 6-9 This judgment of Israel by Assyria will come to the gate of Jerusalem. We know that it did, but just to the gate.
Vs. 10-16 When Assyria swept Israel away, they also came into the kingdom of Judah and took cities and villages. The names of some of these places were in Judah, but God only allowed Assyria to come to the gate of Jerusalem.
Micah 2
Now the message, perhaps years later than chapter one, came during the time of Hezekiah and was aimed at Judah.
Vs. 1-11 This seems to cite some of the sins of the people, probably the rich.
Vs. 12-13 This is not only a note to future blessing, but within it, it is a threat that only a remnant of them will be saved.
Micah 3
Vs. 1-4 This is God's judgment of the rulers of Jerusalem and Judah.
Vs. 5-7 Naturally, this disrespect of God was powered by false prophets.
V. 8 This must have gotten Micah's blood boiling.
Vs. 9-12 This is what was quoted in Jeremiah 26 and was directed to King Hezekiah. Like the king of Nineveh, but unlike the kings of Israel, Hezekiah took this to heart and repented.
Micah 4
Because of the salvation to Jerusalem that Hezekiah's response would bring, God discloses this future blessing.
Vs. 1-4 You not only have the Messiah, but also peace and prosperity. Notice how the Messiah is associated with the Word.
V. 5 This is a present contrast between the moment Micah was writing and what the future will hold for Israel.
Vs. 6-8 God will take weak Israel and make them a witness and leader for the nations.
Vs. 9-12 This is a very quick confirmation that Judah will go into exile in Babylon, but also be returned, not only to Jerusalem, but to usefulness for the Lord.
V. 13 I guess you could title this "Victory in Jesus."
So, remember that the force of this really convicted Hezekiah. If you look at the context of the passage in Jeremiah, if the events were similar, Hezekiah might even have been moved to anger. If so, Hezekiah humbled himself and obeyed the Word that the Lord spoke through Micah.
Revelation 6
For me, the best way to understand Revelation is chronologically. That seems to be the way things are laid out by the Spirit. You have the church, then the introduction of the Ancient of Days, then comes the Lamb to take the scroll and then He opens the seals, then come the trumpets and then the bowls, etc…. And then comes the end.
Since I'm not God and since no one really fully understands this book, I'll suggest some order to things, but I reserve the right to change my mind later as the Spirit makes things clearer to me.
Vs. 1-2 So though we know what the white horse means, we don't really understand how it fits to the tribulation. Since this sounds a lot like Jesus in chapter 19:11, I'm going to suggest this could be the Lord taking the church. The church finishing its mission would be considered conquerors. The church gets taken sometime at the beginning of the tribulation and this guy doesn't seem to have negative connotations or to be inflicting disaster on the earth. This is just a guess.
Vs. 3-4 Now this second seal and horseman do create disaster on the earth. This could be the anarchy created after so many believers from every country are removed.
Vs. 5-6 The third seal and the black horse bring financial chaos and famine on the earth. This will make what's happening in the US and in Europe look like a picnic.
Vs. 7-8 A very simple thing like a plague, a flu, a divine something, will wipe out a quarter of the earth's population. That would be about 1.75 billion people. And imagine the disease and disorder that will come from that. We humans think we are so big.
Vs. 9-11 This fifth seal is a call for justice, or God's vengeance, I believe it is from those martyred for Christ since His resurrection to that day. What will follow in the tribulation will be the slaughter of God's people, the tribulation saints, because they name the name of Christ and or protect the Jews.
Vs. 12-16 This is only the sixth of seven seals. Whether this is a result of the call for justice from those saints or whether this is a stand-alone curse on the earth, it will be natural and from the earthquake and maybe volcanic ash the atmosphere of the earth will be changed. It looks like the heavens and the stars are affected too. The result will be so devastating and make people feel so helpless that they will wish for death and they will understand that this is from the Lord.
Now as a note here, somewhere in all of this are the actions of the two witnesses. They might come after the sealing of the 144,000. They will be like Aaron and Moses, walking around in Jerusalem and being the human agency that calls down the wrath of God on the earth.
Psalm 134
This looks like a song of the pilgrims approaching Jerusalem to inspire the priests and the Levites who would stand before them and the Lord.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5tMcbpY868
Proverbs 30:1-4
While claiming he is too human to have wisdom, Agur suddenly says something that is very amazing. You kind of wonder who that son is that Agur mentions. Here is something Jesus said. This is pretty cool.
John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
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