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Sermon #24 Micah Series
Title: Living for God In the Worst of Times
Text: Micah 7:1-20 Subject: Living by Faith Date: Tuesday Evening — April 3, 2012 Tape: Micah #24 Readings: Don Raneri and Merle Hart Introduction:
We are admonished in the Scriptures to do all things for the glory of God. It is our joy, as believers, to seek the honor and glory of God our Savior.
In all things we want to glorify our great God, to be led by his Spirit, to the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior, living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world.
You can’t live for God if you do not know him. I know that some of you are yet lost, without life, without faith in Christ, without God, without Christ, without hope. I urge you to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot honor God without faith in Christ. — “Without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). You cannot live for God if you do not trust Christ.
If you do know him, if God has saved you by his grace, if you are washed in the precious blood of Christ, if you are born of God, if God the Holy Spirit has given you faith in Christ, I am sure of this: — Nothing is more important to you than living for him. You know that you are not your own. You’ve been bought with the price of Christ’s precious blood; and you want to live for him.
Is that right? Do you desire to live in this world for the glory of God? If you do, I have a message from God for you. You can find it in the 7th chapter of the book of Micah — Micah 7:1-20. My subject is Living for God in the Worst of Times — Micah 7:1-20. Let’s read God’s message as it has been delivered to us by his prophet Micah. Then I will make a few comments on it.
1 ¶ Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. 2 The good [man] is perished out of the earth: and [there is] none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge [asketh] for a reward; and the great [man], he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them [is] as a brier: the most upright [is sharper] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth 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 ¶ Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness. 10 Then [she that is] mine enemy shall see [it], and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. 11 [In] the day that thy walls are to be built, [in] that day shall the decree be far removed. 12 [In] that day [also] he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and [from] the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and [from] mountain to mountain. 13 Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.”
14 ¶ Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily [in] the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed [in] Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. 15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous [things]. 16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf. 17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.
18 Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth [in] mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. (Micah 7:1-20)
Proposition: If we would live for God in the worst of times, we must live by faith, trusting him alone, looking to him alone for all things, in all circumstances.
Divisions: Let me call your attention to six things in these twenty verses. Here are six words of instruction from God for you and me.
Wicked World
First, God’s people live in a world of wickedness (vv. 1-6). —— In these first six verses God’s prophet speaks of his day as we might speak of our day, lamenting the horrid condition of the world around him. Both the church and the world were filled with wickedness. When idolatry rules wickedness rules. Wherever you find men and women worshipping the works of their own hands moral decadence is rampant. Will-worship always results in lascivious behavior.
“1 ¶ Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. 2 The good [man] is perished out of the earth: and [there is] none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge [asketh] for a reward; and the great [man], he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them [is] as a brier: the most upright [is sharper] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies [are] the men of his own house.” (Micah 7:1-6)
What sharp, strong expressions of gloom. Yet, they are the very things our Lord Jesus warned us of as well (Matthew 10:21, 35-36; Luke 12:53; 21:16). The fact is we cannot safely trust anything to be sure and abiding except God’s salvation. And we cannot trust anyone with our souls, with our lives, except God our Savior.
Like Elijah, we often imagine that true faith has vanished, that we alone walk with God; but that is never the case. That was just what Micah thought, as he beheld his generation and the church of God in his generation.
Only Refuge
Second, in the worst of times as in the best of times, our only refuge is the Lord Jehovah, the God of our salvation (v. 7)
“Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)
Oh, what a blessing it is to be able to look to the Lord our God, the great Jehovah, when all creature confidence is gone! Blessed are the trials and disappointments, troubles and sorrows, afflictions and adversities, whatever they may be, that sweetly force us to look to God our Savior for everything!
Trials make the promise sweet; Trials give new life to prayer; Trials bring me to His feet, Lay me low, and keep me there!
Good Hope
Third, in the worst of times, we have every reason to expect our God to undertake for us and do us good (vv. 8-10).
“8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; —— when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me. —— 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, —— until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: —— he will bring me forth to the light, —— [and] I shall behold his righteousness. —— 10 Then [she that is] mine enemy shall see [it], and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.” (Micah 7:8-10)
It is a truly blessed thing to be able to look at every foe (spiritual and carnal) and every adversity through the eyes of faith in Christ. Robert Hawker wrote…
“Times of darkness are times for faith to be in lively exercise. It is of no real consequence in what state of exercise a believer is placed in, if faith be in action. His safety is always one and the same. And dark seasons are equally favorable with bright seasons, in respect of his everlasting security. His comfort may vary; but his security cannot.”
Assured Deliverance
Fourth, in the worst of times, we are assured of deliverance (vv. 11-13). —— These are the words of God by his prophet to encourage and comfort his church and kingdom in such dark times as these.
“11 [In] the day that thy walls (the walls of Jerusalem and the Temple — the walls of Zion — the walls of Christ’s church) are to be built, —— [in] that day shall the decree be far removed (The Decree of God Ordering Their Captivity and Darkness). —— 12 [In] that day [also] he shall come (Cyrus — Christ!) even to thee from Assyria, and [from] the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and [from] mountain to mountain. ——(The Savior shall come from everywhere and in all things!) —— 13 Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.” (Micah 7:11-13)
Bless God for his promise of deliverance! Yes, the land must be desolate because of sin until the time appointed; but at the time appointed God shall perform his promise! He shall perform his mercy!
Marvellous Things
Fifth, in the worst of times, let us remember that our God does marvellous things for us (vv. 14-17). —— Here is God’s word to his Son, his Servant, the great Shepherd of Israel to take care of his sheep, especially in trying times and scattered in solitary places.
“14 ¶ Feed thy people with thy rod, —— the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily [in] the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed [in] Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. 15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous [things]. —— 16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: —— they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf. —— 17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: —— they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.” (Micah 7:14-17)
(Psalm 98:1-3) “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. 2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
Hear me now, sons and daughters of the mighty God. — The sons of Jacob have the privilege of pressing peculiar claims upon God when our outward circumstances appear to be unfavorable (Genesis 32:9-12).
“9 ¶ And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, [and] the mother with the children. 12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” (Genesis 32:9-12)
Astonishing Grace
Sixth, in the worst of times, let us remember God’s astonishing grace upon us and worship him (vv. 18-20). —— Here Micah lifts his heart with his voice in praise to the Lord God, the only true God. — He who is God alone is solitary in his majesty as God. How I delight to know something about the solitariness of God! He is God alone…
Micah seizes upon this one great attribute of our God and says to himself, to God’s people, and to God: — This what makes God God. — This is what distinguishes God as God! — “He delighteth in mercy!” Behold the astonishing goodness, grace, and mercy of our God!
Here is grace, and abounding grace, the exceeding riches of his grace. — “If the iniquity of Israel be sought for, there shall be none; and the sins of Judah shall not be found” (Jeremiah 50:20).
“18 Who [is] a God like unto thee, —— that pardoneth iniquity, —— and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? —— he retaineth not his anger forever, —— because he delighteth [in] mercy. —— 19 He will turn again, —— he will have compassion upon us; —— he will subdue our iniquities; —— and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. —— 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” (Micah 7:18-20)
Oh, may God give us grace to live for him in the worst of times, following the example and instruction Micah has left for us in this chapter! Instead of lamenting that we are constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have our dwelling among the tents of Kedar, we ought to look upon our circumstances as opportunities unique to us. · Proclaiming the name of the Lord. · Looking to the Lord. · Waiting on the Lord. · Anticipating God’s mercy!
(Jude 1:21) “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Amen.
Don Fortner
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