Micah 1:1-4:13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 30:1-4
Just 7 more books in the Old Testament and then we are done.
D.O.N.E.! That’s very exciting. Yay for us!
Today we read the first portion of book of Micah. Not much
is known about Micah – he is quoted in Jeremiah (Micah 3:12 appears in Jeremiah
26:18) and we know that Micah is from a Judean town about 25 miles southwest of
Jerusalem. He is a contemporary of Isaiah, and, like Isaiah, Micah prophesied
about the Assyrian destruction of the Northern Kingdom and the later defeat of
the Southern Kingdom by the Babylonians (Bible
Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, pg. 1475). He prophesied in the 8th
century, during the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Like many other
portions of prophetic literature, the book is written in poetry form.
Micah’s book has three major messages, each taking a section
of the book (Bible Knowledge Commentary,
Old Testament, pg. 1476).
- First Message: Judgment is Coming (chapters 1-2)
- Second Message: Blessing Will Follow Judgment (chapters 3-5)
- Third Message: An Indictment of Sin and a Promise of Blessing (chapters 6-7)
Similar to what my mom and sisters have said, while there is
lots of doom and gloom in Micah, there is still the promise of blessing with
obedience. God is nothing if not consistent, right? Yes, the theme of judgment
is prevalent, but so is restoration, if only the people will choose God.
In our New Testament reading, we’re picking up again on the
theme of judgment. The Lamb opens six of the seven seals and out of four of the
seals come a horse and its rider, bringing various forms of judgment on the
earth. The 5th seal reveals the souls of Christian martyrs and the 6th
seal opens to reveal a great earthquake and a dead sun. If you’ve been around
Christian culture for a while, then you know there is a ton of speculation about
the horses and their riders. Does the phrase “Four Horseman of the Apocalypse”
ring a bell for you? Generally speaking, theologians agree that the four horses
represent the following (in order of appearance): Conquest, Pestilence, War,
and Famine. So I’d say we’re pretty heavy on the judgment side today. The last
verse in our section today reads, “For the great day of their wrath has come,
and who can stand?” (Rev. 6:17)
Obviously, this isn’t the platform for us to hash out and
draw a hard line on what all the symbols in the book of Revelation mean. I’m
not even sure such a platform exists. Some things are for us to know and some
are for us to stand in awe and wonder at the great “otherness” of God. But I do
know Jesus is coming back some day and I want to be counted among those who
have been witnesses of God and his word (Rev. 6:9). Don’t you?
Help us to be faithful, Jesus, amidst all the distractions
and temptations of this world. We know that you are the true Lamb of God. Amen!
- Esther McCurry
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