My Thoughts on COVID-19

Like everyone else in the whole world it seems, I have heard little more than the words "Corona Virus" for the past week.

My sister posted a photo the other day, with a caption about all of the hype. One line that stood out to me in her post was this,

"The troubling thing to me is that it seems there are only two stances you can take and they’re very opposing sides: You either are taking it very seriously and are therefore overly paranoid, or you’re brushing it off like it’s nothing and therefore burying your head in the sand and contributing to the problem. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground, at least not where social media is concerned. Can we just accept that this is a thing and it IS serious and should be treated as such? But can we also be rational and promote rational thinking and actions instead of absolute mayhem and a survival-of-the-fastest-to-the-toilet-paper-aisle attitude?" -Deborah Kakoz

I haven't been overly vocal about this whole thing, mostly because I feel like I'm not quite educated enough to "pick a side." The optimist in me wants to brush it all off like it's nothing, but the realist in me pauses, unsure what to think.

I think Deborah said it well, "Can we just accept that this is a thing and it IS serious and should be treated as such? But we can also be rational..."

As I have mulled it over, I've had one passage in the bible that has stayed almost constantly in my mind.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

I'm not trying to prophesy that the Church will not be affected by the Corona Virus. But I am trying to point out that the Church has NOTHING to fear. God has complete control over the Corona Virus, and He is completely on our side.

I didn't really realize that passage was in my head until about the sixth time I thought of it, and then I thought, "Why don't I put together a blog post about what the bible has to say about fear?"

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,

And called from its farthest regions,

And said to you,

‘You are My servant,

I have chosen you and have not cast you away:

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isaiah 41:9-10)

My intent in this post is not to tell you all what you should think or do about COVID19, but just to point out what the bible says, and what people who have been through hardship before us have said.

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:5-9)

From the Netherlands, 1982:

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” -Corrie Ten Boom, "Clippings from my Notebook"

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (or what toilet paper shall we use?) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:31-34)

In all of my mulling, I keep coming back to this: That we have nothing to fear because Jesus loves us, AND because He has created us for a purpose. The Church exists in every historical moment to be a light in the darkness, which means YOU exist in THIS moment for a purpose.

From Belfast, 1948:

“This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb*, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. It may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but it need not dominate our minds.” -C.S. Lewis, "On Living in an Atomic Age"

*C.S. Lewis was writing about the Atomic Bomb, but you may substitute "Corona Virus" for "atomic bomb."

"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

From Germany, Early 1500's, concerning "the Black Death:"

"I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God."

-Martin Luther, "The Annotated Luther, Volume 4: Pastoral Writings, page 404."

From The United States of America, 2020:

"We are more likely to lose a relationship due to neglect than to a virus." -Mercy Hope (my good friend)

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)

Goodnight my friends! I hope none of us catch Corona, but more than that, I hope we become better Christians because (not in spite) of it.

Let's be Priests

Hello everyone! Guess what? I'm still alive!

Not only have I not written in a long time, but I also just recovered from having Chicken Pox, so I feel pretty happy to be alive and well.

That said, I have discovered a really cool Bible-reading-combo. If you are looking for something to read, I would suggest reading Malachi alongside Hebrews.

This post has nothing to do with Hebrews, but I am reading the two alongside each other currently, and it's pretty cool. Alright, let's talk about Malachi.

Today, I read Malachi 2:1-9.

And now, O priests, this command is for you. (Malachi 2:1)

Malachi, like the other Old Testament Prophets, was there to show Israel the harsh reality of what it meant to break covenant with God. In addressing the priests, he is speaking to the Levitical priests of the old covenant.

But Jesus did say,

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17)

Everything in the OT that was meant for the benefit of people who lived in that time, is also meant for our benefit. When I read, "O Priests, this command is for you," I thought of 1 Peter 2:9.

 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

So, Priests, read this for yourselves.

If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. (Malachi 2:2-3)

It's easy for Christians, (at least for me) to read this and think it sounds pretty harsh, and we're under grace, so it doesn't really apply to me. In dismissing the punishment, I dismiss the warning.

But think about it this way. If God felt strongly enough about a command that He would curse, rebuke, and humiliate whoever didn't follow it, would His feelings change? Maybe the standard is easier to live up to because Christ took the curse for us, but isn't it worth considering that the sin was bad enough to merit a curse in the first place?

Moreover, He specifically addressed the priesthood. If we are specifically called priests, we bear whatever responsibilities priests of the New Covenant should bear.

What is the responsibility He's warning about? That they did not "take it to heart to give honour to (His) name."

This is not a command that's unfamiliar to us, but it is one that we don't tend to talk about this seriously. We talk about giving God honour as a privilege, (which it is) but not as a responsibility with consequences. (which it also is)

In a more familiar-to-Christians passage, 1 Peter 2 says the same thing:  

"...a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9b)

"O Priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart..."

I have been praying recently that Jesus would show me how to be closer to Him. It struck me so strongly when I read this, that I MUST take this seriously. If I claim to be a Christian, then I am claiming to be a priest, and what God required of priests, is now required of me.

So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 2:4-7)

"My covenant with Levi," He describes as something founded on Levi's right understanding of God. This is what the priesthood is all about, and we would be foolish to call ourselves priests without understanding it.

Levi's right understanding of God, was this: That Levi feared God, that he stood in awe of His name, that he spoke truth, that he walked with God in peace and uprightness, and that by his influence, other people turned away from their sin.

This is held up as an example for all other priests to follow, concluding with this statement.

For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 2:7)

As a priest, do your lips guard knowledge? Do people seek instruction from you? You are the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

I've heard the saying thrown around that "You are the only bible some people will every read."

In other words, you are the only messenger of the Lord of hosts some people will ever meet.

I looked back at 1 Peter to see if there were more parallels between the instructions given to Old Testament Levitical Priests and New Testament Christian Priests, and here is what I found.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:10-12)

Once, we were not a people. We were not priests. But now we are God's people, and His holy priesthood. Beloved, (this command is for you) I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Instead, fear God. Stand in awe of Him. Keep instruction in your mouth, and no wrong on your lips. Walk with God in peace and uprightness among the Gentiles, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds, hear knowledge and instruction from the Lord of hosts, glorify God, and turn away from their iniquity.

This is my first post of 2020. This year, let's you and I take our calling seriously. Let's not just sing "All glory, honour, power is Yours, amen." But let's live, "All glory, honour, power is Yours, amen."

Let's take to heart to give honour to His name. Let's learn to fear God. Let's stand in awe of Him. Let's abstain from the passions of the flesh that are waging war on our souls, and instead let's fill our minds and words with the knowledge of God. Let's become priests who are worthy of the title. The kind that people come to for instruction, and follow into the presence of God.

Amen?

Birth is Not the Beginning

I feel that it's only fair to warn you that the following is a really weird analogy. If you feel uncomfortable with topics like pregnancy and birth, feel free to flee the scene right about now.

Recently, I was thinking about one of Jesus' conversations.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Nicodemus is justifiably confused, so he asks, and gets a... sort of explanation, of what Jesus means.

My thoughts took a different turn than Nicodemus's this time around. I've heard many a sermon and spent many a day thinking on what it means to be "born again," but that isn't what I thought of this time. Instead, I reasoned that God doesn't do things that are incomplete. God doesn't need to be educated on basic biology, He knows that birth is not the beginning of life.

If God doesn't do things that are incomplete, is there more to this analogy than comes out in their middle-of-the-night conversation?

If birth is the beginning of a new Christian's life, then what is conception? When is conception? Does the 9-month timeline, or the 3 trimesters, have any reflection in "spiritual pregnancy?"

I don't have answers to all of these questions, although I imagine God does. In the Old Testament, the analogy of "a woman in birth pangs," is used quite frequently. Usually the idea is that someone is going through something terrible and hard, but eventually it will end, and the result will make the difficult process worth it.

Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in birth pangs. For now you shall go forth from the city, you shall dwell in the field, and to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. (Micah 4:10)

A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. (John 16:21-22)

The birth analogy is not new to the Jesus' mid-night conversation, although He approaches it from a different angle. If we examine both angles together, we see that the deliverance that is always either explicit or implicit in labour analogies, has a final fulfillment in Christ. Nicodemus, being a Pharisee well versed in the scriptures, would likely have recognized the connotation of "rebirth" right away.

Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals and a mourning like the ostriches, for her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; It has come to the gate of My people—To Jerusalem. (Micah 1:8-9)

Throughout the bible, God shows His grief over sin, and not just because He is offended, but because He is grieved for the sinner. I mention this because if there is a "spiritual pregnancy" resulting is "rebirth," then God is the one carrying the child, and God is the one who experiences the "birth pangs."

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:9-10)

Jesus comes and shows that the pain of grief was not in vain, but like a difficult labour, it will eventually end, and new life will be the result. Jesus says that He came to "seek" and to "save that which was lost."

The seeking is the painful part, the saving is the joyful part. So it would seem to follow that the seeking is the pregnancy, and the saving is the birth.

This has a few connotations which I think are cool. Firstly, after a child is born, she is largely cared for by her mother, but she may be passed off to others around, to help. As the body of Christ, we can take the baby and help care for her. But before the child is born, she cannot be passed off to anyone else, the mother is the only one who can care for her. In a way, it's a relief for us, because it shows that God is the one responsible for that person's salvation, we don't have to try to bring it about.

 ...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you (conception?) will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6 - my note added)

That being said, we are also "the body of Christ," and unlike in an actual pregnancy, this person is visible to all of us, among us all the time. So if we are not the ones responsible for their salvation, what is our responsibility to this "pre-born Christian?"

Let's start with this question, What does a pre-born child need for a healthy pregnancy? The proper nutrition, and the proper environment.

In Matthew 5, Jesus says,

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

We are called to be "salt and light." Salt is a nutrient, and light is a part of an environment. Salt is a preservative, it makes you thirsty, and it helps to retain water. Spiritually, this is an easy parallel to draw, since the One Who brings salvation gives "Living water." (I'm not going to get into what Light is all about, Matthew 5 did a pretty good job of summarizing.)

So it seems to me, that just as natural birth is a complicated, but beautiful process, so is spiritual birth. 

Conception, in both cases, is God's work. Natural pregnancy is a time in which the child is prepared for birth, and nutrition and environment are essential to the health of the child; Spiritual pregnancy is a time in which God is seeking and preparing His child for rebirth, and we, as nutrition and environment, are essential to the spiritual health of the new child of God. 

Both kinds of "pregnancies" can be very painful for the one carrying the child, but the end result is worth the hardship.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:15)

Jesus' Thesis

I've had a thought developing in my mind for a couple months, and I'm not sure how well I'll be able to articulate it, but here it goes.

Let's start with this.

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.' “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.” (Isaiah 45:22-25)

This is God. The one who created everything by words, who formed man with His hands, who breathed life into man for the very first time. God, who looked at His creation and said that it was good, and after creating humanity, said that is was "Very good." The very first relationship that ever existed in humanity was between God and man, and the second was between God, man, and woman. From that moment, to the present, God has shown us how He values these relationships. Even in His description of who He is, He included us. His relationship with humanity is a defining feature for Him, He thinks of us when He thinks of Himself.

 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

Meet man. Only a few generations after the man that God had declared, "Very good," humanity had managed to become something so evil, they were not even capable of thinking good things. This theme is not unique to Noah's time, we see shadows of the evil tendencies of mankind throughout history.

When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. (2 Samuel 11:26)

Why did all-creating nature 
           Make the plant for which we toil? 
Sighs must fan it, tears must water, 
           Sweat of ours must dress the soil. 
Think, ye masters iron-hearted, 
           Lolling at your jovial boards, 
Think how many backs have smarted 
           For the sweets your cane affords. 
(Excerpt from "The Negroe's Complaint," by William Cowper)

It is not truth that matters, but victory. -Adolf Hitler

The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it. -Margaret Sanger

Somehow, God was able to see beyond inexcusable evil, and love souls that were created by Him, for Him. Somehow, God knew He could change them, and bring beauty from the madness. So, though He was always with humanity, perceiving their every hurt, fear, and heart's desire, He came close to them in a way that they could perceive. He became like them, left His throne, and was born the way the most humble of them were born.

Why?

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

In order to be fit to judge us, He wanted to understand fully what it was like to live in the world that we live in. Wasn't that good of Him? Surely, coming to live in fallen humanity, He now must understand how incredibly difficult it is to be perfect. Surely, knowing, He must see that we are really not to blame, we're victims of our environment. Products of an evil system called "sin nature." This explains why the conclusion of that thought was, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace."

Or... Isn't that what He would discover?

Now that I think about it, I can't exactly blame Adam for everything I have done. I definitely bear at least some responsibility for my actions. Oooh. As I think about it more, I am starting to remember plenty of times when I definitely had a choice, and I chose the wrong thing. Even after I became a Christian... Isn't that what Hebrews talks about, "trampling on the Son of God?" Have I "put Him to an open shame?"

No, now that I think about it, I can't blame my "sin nature" for things that I did willingly, any more than King David can blame his "sin nature" for the things He did. I don't deserve the grace of God, I deserve whatever the consequence of my sin is, even if it's hell.

Maybe it's worse that Jesus came to be like us, He experienced the same temptations that I did, "yet without sin." He chose the right thing, I chose the wrong thing. I think, having come and endured the same hardship that I have struggling against sin, He more likely would have come to the conclusion that I should receive the full consequence for my actions, nothing spared.

I may as well have yelled, "Crucify Him!" My actions sure did.

I should be numbered among the ones that said, "Let His blood be on us and on our children!"

So what was His actual conclusion?

After the Perfect God, creates men that rebel and spit in His face, comes to see for Himself why, and discovers that they have no excuse and are fully responsible for their actions, His conclusion is this:

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34a)

I'll be honest, I didn't plan an ending for this one. When that thought occurred to me, I was literally speechless, and even now, I have no explanation to offer, just the suggestion to... think. About that.

What goes through my mind, (and again, this is not an explanation, just thoughts) is that He definitely was not suggesting to God that they (or us) were truly ignorant. They were literally the most learned men of the day, if anyone would have known the magnitude of what was being done, it should have been them. 

There's something more, that's all I can say. There's always something more to be found in Jesus. "They know not what they do," are old, old words. But I don't have any confidence that I know what they mean anymore. I think I "know not what (they) did," either.

Micah 7: Near the Sinners

Woe is me! For I have become
    as when the summer fruit has been gathered,
    as when the grapes have been gleaned:
there is no cluster to eat,
    no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. (Micah 7:1)

Micah has written, "Woe" to many a person throughout his short book. "Woe to the oppressors..." "Woe to those who devise iniquity..." "Woe is me," is a decidedly new angle.

Micah is the voice of reason amidst voices of chaos, the voice of God in a land that has put its hands over its ears and turned its eyes away from heaven.

This barren vineyard is a picture of how spiritually dead Israel has become. It's like everything that was good about Israel is in the past, it's been harvested, and all that's left is a shrivelling vine. Micah makes this picture personal, using it in reference to himself. 

It reminds me of the way we sometimes pray for our country. "Lord, forgive us..." "God, we have sinned..." "We are sorry Father, for turning away from You." We take on the faults of those around us, knowing that a nation is made up of people; and as a part of it, we have, if not a hand in the problem by neglect, at least a responsibility to change it.

He goes on to say that there is "no one upright among mankind." The corruption, he reiterates, is about as bad as it gets.

Put no trust in a neighbor;
    have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth
    from her who lies in your arms;
6 for the son treats the father with contempt,
    the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
    a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
    I will wait for the God of my salvation;
    my God will hear me. (Micah 7:5-7)

I love this. Micah's words go into the homes of the people he's talking to, the people he just identified with. They show how rejection of God breeds the distrust they experience on a regular basis... and then declare that God is still trust-worthy.

While this vicious cycle of corrupted relationships goes round and round, one corrupted relationship is eager to be restored.

Micah started by identifying himself with these people, taking on the responsibility of their sins. When he speaks of broken relationships, these are relationships that he's in the midst of, that he's been burned by like everyone else. When he says that he will wait for the God of his salvation, and states with confidence that God will hear him, he is not far off from the people, and so neither is his God.

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
    when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the Lord
    because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
    and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
    I shall look upon his vindication.
10 Then my enemy will see,
    and shame will cover her who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?” (Micah 7:8-10a)

Here again, Micah declares with humble confidence that though he is deserving of God's judgment, he knows that his attitude of submission will be honoured by God, and He will save him from being treated unjustly.

For fear of repeating myself, I almost don't want to clearly outline my conclusion, but...for fear of not getting the point across, I will.

Because Micah started the chapter off in humility, taking the sins of Israel on himself, every confident statement he makes concerning God's willingness to work on his behalf and not against him, is an invitation to everyone else.

Now, I have a concern.

When I set out to learn more about the book of Micah and the prophet by that name, I first read through the whole book quickly. My impression was that it was all very confusing, boring at best, depressing at worst.

I was keenly aware though, that there was LOTS to be discovered under this surface. In writing this series, I wanted to point out to you a few themes that I "unearthed."

My first concern was that in reading the book of Micah, one might completely miss the implicit themes of grace and character amidst the more explicit themes of sin, wrath, and judgment. My second concern is that in reading my series, one might completely miss the contextual and historical themes (the explicit ones) amidst my musings over God's ever-faithful love for His people. (the implicit ones)

Both are very important in understanding this book, so I don't want to overpower one in an attempt to show the importance of the other. I hope, as you've been following along, that you have been reading the book for yourself.

That being said, I am jumping over a few verses now. (Which you will notice if you are reading Micah 7.)

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
    and passing over transgression
    for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
    because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
    into the depths of the sea.
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob
    and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
    from the days of old. (Micah 7:18-20)

"Who is a God like you?"

Just think about that for a moment.

Remember the wickedness of Israel. Remember the stubbornness of Israel. Remember how God said that He wailed and lamented over their sin. No one else is a God like Him, Who never changes. Yesterday, today, forever, remember?

Now imagine Jesus, experiencing unimaginable pain, hanging by nails on a cross. Remember that next to Him hung a man who had earned that place? Remember what the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Holy One of Israel, Who visits the iniquities of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generations, said to him?

"Today you will be with Me in paradise."

To everyone who avoided associating with sinners because they were trying to be holy, that God would hang next to one, sharing in his suffering, and "pass over his transgression," was shocking.

But didn't Micah tell them? Jesus came and showed them what God was like, but they could have known before Him, if they had only bothered to understand what Micah and the prophets were saying when they said things like, "He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot."

I asked the girls in my bible study to recite John 3:16, a verse most of us know very well.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"Do you think you understand what that verse means?" I asked.

All of the sweet and brilliant girls in my class nodded their heads, while one of their teachers, sitting in the back listening, shook her head.

I had to laugh. I'm pretty sure as a Christian, you inevitably reach points in your faith where you think you know everything, and then a little while later realize you know nothing. The very things you thought you understood end up meaning more and more, until you realize just how little your mind is able to comprehend.

"For God so loved the world," Stop.

How can God love the world? We just went through a brief, 7 chapter summary of how evil humanity can be.

They covet fields and seize them,
    and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
    a man and his inheritance. (Micah 2:2)

But lately my people have risen up as an enemy;
you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly
    with no thought of war. (Micah 2:8)

If a man should go about and utter wind and lies,
    saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”
    he would be the preacher for this people! (Micah 2:11)

you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin from off my people
    and their flesh from off their bones,
3 who eat the flesh of my people,
    and flay their skin from off them,
and break their bones in pieces
    and chop them up like meat in a pot,
    like flesh in a cauldron. (Micah 3:2-3)

Its heads give judgment for a bribe;
    its priests teach for a price;
    its prophets practice divination for money;
yet they lean on the Lord and say,
    “Is not the Lord in the midst of us?
    No disaster shall come upon us.” (Micah 3:11)

Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
    the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
    thus they weave it together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,
    the most upright of them a thorn hedge. (Micah 7:3-4a)

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son," Stop.

Because God had been wronged, He decided to be the one to endure the pain of loss.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10)

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life." ....Stop.

Throughout the summary of the wickedness of humanity, we have also seen a summary of the constant longing that God has to be in relationship with His people. The same longing that caused Him endless grief over sin, caused Him to go so far as to create a way for us to simply come to Him.

His way to come to us was not simple, nor was it easy. But He did it "that whosoever believeth..." Can you hear the emphasis on the word that? Somehow, that had to be accomplished. 

Can you imagine the joy that God has when someone decides they will be like Micah, the lone voice in chaos, simply trusting in God? When He has worked so hard, the least we can do is what He calls us to, trust.

"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

'For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:24)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)


I hope you enjoyed this series, thanks for reading!