The Twelve

A Transformational Journey Through The Minor Prophets

Parker Bradley

• Editore: Parker Bradley
• Anno: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781636254272
• Edizione: 1
• Argomento: Theology & Religion
• Categoria: Religion

Drawing from the insights of the Minor Prophets in the Bible, The Twelve is an encouraging but also challenging resource for followers of Jesus and anyone wanting to honestly understand how God reveals Himself in Scripture.

A Bitter End But Also A New Beginning

Deepest Sorrow, Greatest Joy

I have to admit that before attempting this writing, Micah was the Minor Prophet I connected with the least. His words seemed repetitive and, aside from the Messianic parts and a familiar verse or two, didn’t really grab me. Boy, was I wrong! He’s not an easy one to get on the first try yet his book is filled with life-giving treasures. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that I finally keyed in to what Micah was saying and how he was saying it. After that, I was able to hear his powerful words the proper way. Really understanding Micah requires two things: bitter tears and shouts of hallelujah.

Here in Micah’s prophecy we witness the final days of the Northern Kingdom, Israel. It was a terrible end to a rebellious and wicked house. Many of Micah’s words are no less than a heartbreaking lament for the collapse of what could have been wonderful through the faithful work of a faithful people to a world that desperately needed to know the Living God. But God’s people yearned instead for what the unbelieving world had to offer and cheapened themselves through generational rejection of God’s righteousness to pursue lesser gods in sinfulness and cruelty. The judgment of God had to come, though He had patiently called out to them over and over. Some of Micah should be read through tears and loud cries for this bitter loss. Also, many of Micah’s words look beyond this event to something new that God was doing to redeem and reconcile not only His own children but the whole world as well. Micah looked forward to One who would come as a ruler, shepherd, and the embodiment of peace. The passages that anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ the Redeemer should be read with shouts of hallelujah! Micah expressed both the deepest of sorrows and the greatest of joys. Things could not go on as they had, not under a just and loving God. But God is also merciful and works for the salvation of all who believe. A kingdom built on the Messiah who was to come was now in view through Micah. And that kingdom “shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace” (Micah 5:4-5).

Time Machine

Let’s say we could build a time machine and go back to any time in history we wanted. I’ve thought about that. Of course, I’d want to go back to hear Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount. It might be cool to be a knight for a week in the Middle Ages. I probably couldn’t last more than a week of that. There are all kinds of things that would be fun to witness and see as they happened. Micah’s day is one of those times you would not want to visit with a time machine. His day was one from which you’d want to time machine right outta there, especially if you lived in Israel.

At the beginning of his book Micah listed the kings who reigned in the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the days that he was a prophet. He didn’t list the kings of the Northern Kingdom. There was a reason why. Although Micah spoke to both kingdoms, the outcomes were very different for them. In short, one eventually listened and one didn’t. Let’s take a quick look at the Northern Kingdom (but not stay long) with Samaria as its capital.

Getting a running start into Micah’s day, we’ll start with Jeroboam II who reigned in Amos and Jonah’s time a bit earlier. Because things were in kind of a lull in the ancient world at that time, Jeroboam II was able to regain some territory that was lost and enlarge the borders of Israel. He was, however, recorded in Scripture as doing what was evil in God’s sight and as keeping the Northern Kingdom of Israel on the bad road spiritually and morally that led them to ruin. He had a son named Zechariah who lasted six whole months as king of Israel before he was murdered. The guy who killed him was named Shallum. Shallum took the throne and lasted one month before he was murdered by another guy. That guy’s name was Menahem who wanted the throne so badly that the people who refused to help him get there had their hometowns sacked and burned. In those towns he also had the pregnant women’s bellies ripped open as a measure of revenge and cruelty. He lasted ten years and died. His son was Pekahiah. With that kind of example and winning personality as a father, how well do you think he survived in that toxic political environment? Two years. The captain of his own guard conspired with some other men and murdered him. You seeing a pattern here? The new king’s name was Pekah (no relation), and he rode that ruinous wave for twenty years as leader of Israel. In his day, Assyria rose to be a dominant power and began to conquer the area. How did Pekah respond? Well, he got murdered, surprise, surprise. A guy named Hoshea saw an opportunity and took it. He was the last to see the Northern Kingdom in existence and presided over its doom. See what I mean? Time machine me right out of that place. What do you think it was like to live under that kind of leadership? These murderous gluttons of power were setting the tone, making the laws, buying and selling influence, and seizing what they desired with no thought of what was right. It had to have been awful to be alive then. Sadly, that kind of environment exists in the world today. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as others who are forced to endure these kinds of conditions in many countries. I see now why Micah was called to say what he said to the powerful and why God did what He had to do. As Micah made clear, the Northern Kingdom did not listen to what God had to say in his message.

The Southern Kingdom of Judah had highs and lows. Jerusalem was its capital. In fact, some of these kings did what was right in God’s eyes. Many others did not. One guy in the middle named Ahaz went off the rails big time and likely was the reason God had Micah say what he said. But the next guy, Hezekiah, was different. He could have gone the way his father Ahaz had gone in lust for power and political alliance with pagan nations instead of trusting in the promises of God, but he didn’t. He listened to Micah and to Isaiah. He sought the Lord. And the work God did in his day to keep His promises rippled through human history in a powerful way. In turning to God during a time of great national crisis, God answered this faithful king and decimated the Assyrian army in a single night through supernatural action. The Greek historian Herodotus even recorded this event on the pages of world history, though his version is a little different. Nonetheless, Jerusalem was spared. Assyria began to decline internally after that time and faced the many enemies it had made, suffering losses instead of victories. Time was running out for that cruel nation. The faithful expressions in Micah are strong encouragers through tough times even in our own day. Micah was a mighty, mighty...