Series in Micah - The Light of God Breaking Through Part 1
The Light of God Breaking Through Part 1
Micah 7:7-10
So too, we have seen the darkness of sinfulness ever encompassing this world, but there is a piercing of God’s brilliant light through the darkness that has enveloped our world. The prismatic rays of the Light of His Word are kaleidoscoping through the daunting darkness that has covered mankind.
So let’s read the first portion of the text. “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. 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. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause.”
We left off with Micah rejoicing in the faithfulness of God. God is his hope and stay, his anchor among the storms of debauchery, iniquity, and transgressions that have brought judgment upon the people who had hardened their hearts and minds to the ways and commands of God. He knows that God will keep and honor His promises and covenants to the remnant of the faithful, and He will bring deliverance for He is the Savior to those who eagerly look to Him and know that He hears their prayers. “In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” (Ps. 18:6 NKJV)
Micah also senses the enemy's breath ever enclosing upon the people, and that God has allowed this just judgment to be pronounced that He Himself will be vindicated by the wrath that they will and have been experiencing. In this Micah confesses his sins and his shortfalls and for the nation, for none are without sin. The enemy is taunting, jeering, and gloating over those who have spoken boldly yet are bound by the besetting sin of the beginning. Mankind has fallen, but this is not the end. Though Micah sits in darkness, there is still hope and light in God. In His mercy, Micah will bear the wrath and he places himself in the hands of the merciful and compassionate God who lifts up and binds the wounds of the remnant who have held up the cause of God. (Micah 7:17-18)
Yet Micah rejoices in the light of God’s grace, mercy, and love that is abundant and satisfying to his heart and mind. “Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” For this grace justifies Micah by God’s merciful power of pardoning his iniquity.
Application - Oh how we can relate to the despairing milieu of sinfulness that has enveloped our world and its societies, where good is called evil and evil is called good, were the righteous are defamed with gloating and jeers and they are accused as the problem with their antiquated morales and religion. The wicked believe the remnant needs to be eradicated or at least progressively updated. But the remnant has hope, rejoicing in our God who will never leave us nor forsake His children. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deut. 31:8 NLT)
He hears and sees us at all times, and is very near to us when we pray to Him.”The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Ps. 145:17-18 NIV) But we also know that He will punish people and nations for their sinful acts: injustice, violence, greed, and the always existing immoralities of the flesh to name a few of the atrocities against God and people in our world. As the Word of God says, people love darkness and hate the light. “The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light.” (John 3:19 CEV)
And as I heard in many lessons on why people do this, they first are blinded to the truth and the gospel by the god of this age. “They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4 GNT) Second, Satan masquerades as an angel of light, impersonating good with a deceptive message of evil, for he is the father of lies. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires…not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” “...the whole world is under the control of the evil one.(John 8:44; 1 John 5:19 NIV)
And we know that God will justly judge this world and bring His wrath upon it. In a sense, God has brought a type of His wrath already by turning us over to the depravity of our minds, hearts, and bodies. “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused…So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires…Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” (Rom. 1:21,24-26,28 NLT)
And the remnant awaits the blessed appearance of the Lord for His blameless and spotless bride. For He promised that the body of Christ wouldn’t go through the final wrath of the end. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thes, 5:9 NIV)
Last, Micah has like other men and women of God of the remnant confess the nation's sins, so let’s read the final portion of the text. “He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. 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.”
Micah knew that God had created a way, a lighted path, for the faithful to bear the wrath through the captivity of the enemy’s darkness. “You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.” (Ps. 18:28 NLT) It is God’s righteousness and steadfast love as Micah will proclaim later. “Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.” (v.18)
Micah, trusting in the light of God’s Word and righteousness, now stands firm against the enemy’s taunts, accusations, and slander. “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.”
Micah knowingly stands firm in his faith, enduring and persevering through the coming captivity which will ultimately bring him rejoicing in the salvation and restoration by His God. For God will bring shame upon the enemy and judgment upon their sins as well. For God’s eyes are ever on His children, “But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.” “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.” (Psalms 33:18; 34:15)
Application - Oh the joy and rejoicing in the hope we have in our Lord and God. For those who love Him and walk in the light as He is Light, we will see His righteousness. “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 NLT)
And the critical condemning eyes and tumultuous mouths over the millennials will be silenced when they stand before the righteous One. Their shame will be evident as they see the glorious coming of Christ the King, the everlasting God, “‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’ So shall it be! Amen.’” Rev. 1:17 NIV
They will know and see that God is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and righteous and sovereign. Though He allowed the trampling of Israel by the gentile kingdoms, and has had His name trashed by the people he loves before the world because of their apostasy. But God will restore His name and restore His land and His people.
(To be continued)
As always, I want to end with presenting the gospel in the form of the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.
First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,
B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third,
C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."
Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.
If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com
Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis
I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com
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