seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Micah 7:1 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;
not one upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait to shed blood;
they hunt each other with nets.
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;
not one upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait to shed blood;
they hunt each other with nets.
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.
7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,
until he pleads my case
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see her downfall;
even now she will be trampled underfoot
like mire in the streets.
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,
until he pleads my case
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see her downfall;
even now she will be trampled underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[a]
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in days long ago.
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[a]
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in days long ago.
15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.”
I will show them my wonders.”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors
in days long ago.
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors
in days long ago.
a. Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel
This is from studylight.org.
Micah lamented the circumstances of his day. In his vain search for an upright person, he compared himself to the vinedresser who enters his vineyard late in the season and finds no fruit. The leaders conspired together to get what they wanted. No one could be trusted.
Verse 7: This is a statement similar to the following.
Joshua 24:15 "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Israel confessed her faith in the Lord, warning her enemies that she will rise again. She confessed her sin, acknowledging the justice of God’s punishment and anticipating His restoration.
Micah again spoke, recounting the many blessings awaiting the faithful remnant in Messiah’s millennial rule. It would include unprecedented expansion (Zech. 2:1-5), and massive infusion of immigrants (Isa. 11:15-16). For those who defied Messiah’s millennial rulership, their land would become desolate (Zech. 14:16-19).
This is from the easy English site.In this chapter, Micah continues to describe the situation in Jerusalem. But in his vision (dream), Micah seems to see even further into the future. He writes about a time when people become even more evil. In fact, it seems that nobody good remains. Everyone is a thief and a murderer. And God is ready to punish them all.
The Bible describes a terrible time which will happen before Jesus’ return. Jesus spoke about that time in Mark chapter 13. And in Mark 13:12, Jesus seemed to refer to Micah 7:5-6. But that terrible time will not last for a long time. God will act (Revelation 19:11-21). He will punish wicked people and their ruler (that is, the devil). And then God will rule as king.
Micah ends the book in a special way. He uses words in the form of a song. The song starts with a declaration that shows confidence. It has three main parts:
- The people in Jerusalem confess their sin. They declare their belief in the LORD. They declare it to their enemies (verses 8-10). In the Hebrew in these verses, it is as if Jerusalem (with its people) is a lady. And it is as if the enemy, too, is female.
- Micah gives a promise to Jerusalem’s people. Jerusalem will become like a field that has sheep in it. Its people will be like the sheep and the LORD will be their shepherd. The world will suffer God’s punishment. Israel’s people will help the other nations. They will show to the other nations how to have a right relationship with God. The other nations are now God’s enemies. But in the future, they will be able to become his friends.
- The third section consists of prayer. These events will give to Israel new confidence in God.
The book ends with a declaration of thanks to God. The people praise God because of his immense power. He can remove (forgive) all their sins. It is as if he would throw those sins into the sea. He can make all his promises become true. He will act again as he acted with Abraham. He also dealt like that with the nation’s other heroes.
IMHO.... there is a big difference between God's children and the rest of the world. Micah saw it and talked about it. But in the end.... after the peace agreement, and the world wide massive earthquake..... the only people left on earth will be the people who know that God is in control of everything and everyone. IMHO.... Micah is telling the people that there is going to be a time when everyone.... every single person on earth.... or in a space ship or space station orbiting the earth.... will have to pick a side. Back in the second chapter.... Micah was talking about how the rich were destroying family life. Micah said the families had little or nothing to eat, they were not safe, even in their own beds. Based on all the talk about cloaks being held by debtors.... they didn't even have a blanket to cover them at night. There hasn't been a lot of talk about the daily lives of babies in the Old Testament. A lot of them were sacrificed to the god the people called molech. It was made of metal.... they would heat it up until it was glowing white hot.... and then they would throw a baby on its lap and sing to drown out the screams of pain. Micah took the time to bring up the babies.....
It says here..... "Now is the time of your confusion"...... I think that means that people won't know what to do.... or who to listen to....
In the days of Micah.... men who claimed to be leaders, priests, and prophets were telling the people a bunch of lies. Being lied to in church is really terrifying. The leaders, priests, and prophets were lying..... so where were the people supposed to find the truth? What were they supposed to teach their children? What message was being passed down?
The telephone game came to mind while I was writing that last paragraph. Playing the telephone game is fun.... and telling.... people set in a circle... the first person whispers something in the next person's ear.... that person repeats it to the next and so on and so forth...... until the last person tells everyone what they heard. Violets are blue might become violence for you..... get it?????
IMHO.... Micah was making a real statement here..... with all the lying and twisting of the message in churches, chapels, meeting halls, and synagogues these days.... what message are the children taking from all this? Are we confusing our children or teaching them that there is only one True Living God and He is their only salvation?
