COMMITMENT:

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• COMMITMENT
• A Path to Effectiveness
• Micah 71-20

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INTRODUCTION

• Theme for March - May Live for God Today
  (Isaiah Micah)
• Unit 1 Maintain Spiritual Health (March 2009)
• Isaiah 1 39
• Unit 2 Affirm Spiritual Certainties (April 2009)
• Isaiah 40 66
• Unit 3 Choose Spiritual Paths (May 2009)
• 10 May Micah 1 2 (Rebellion A Path To Ruin)
• 17 May Micah 3 (Corruption A Path To Nowhere)
• 24 May Micah 4 6 (Hope A Path To
  Fulfillment)
• 31 May Micah 7 (Commitment A Path To
  Effectiveness)

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Overview

• We live and work in an ungodly and immoral
  world/culture. Government, educational
  institutions, and media do not support a
  Christian worldview.
• Some Christians surrender to the temptation to
  compromise their faith in order to advance or
  just get along with their unspiritual friends or
  partners.
• Others make a conscious decision to live
  faithfully for Christ no matter what the cost,
  financially or socially.
• The Lesson Passage for this week is part of
  Micahs description of being a godly man in an
  ungodly world.
• Micah succeeded in resisting the temptations of
  his day, and through a deliberate choice of
  dedication to the Lord, he was effective in his
  God-given ministry .

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Assyrian Attack Israel 722 BC
Assyrian Dominance 740BC
732BC
686BC
715BC
750BC
Jotham
Ahaz
Hazekiah
Isaiah / Hosea / Micah / Amos (?)
Judah was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC,
but a remnant returned (see 312, 713)
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BACKGROUND

• Micah Who is like Yahweh
• His ministry span over the reign of 3 kings
  (Jotham, Ahaz Hezekiah)
• His prophesies addressed Samaria (capital of
  Northern Kingdom, Israel) and Jerusalem (capital
  of Southern Kingdom, Judah)
• In his time, there are many political and
  national crises.
• The Assyrian Empire nominated the region about
  740 BC.
• In 722 BC, Israel came under the attack of
  Assyria.
• Micahs messages revealed much about the decay of
  the society of his day.

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BACKGROUND

• The 3 oracles of Micah, proclaiming the
  retribution against Israel
• Condemnation against the sins of Samaria and
  Jerusalem (11-9)
• Condemnation against the corruption, injustice
  and the lying prophets (Chapter 2)
• Condemnation against the leaders for their
  wickedness and abuse of their power (Chapter 3
  6)
• Although they did not quit believing in the God
  of Judah, but they compromised and combined their
  worship with the worship of other gods (510-15)

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BACKGROUND

• Micah attempted to correct this misconception by
  arguing that God was not interested in just the
  physical act of making sacrifices but is
  supremely concerned with obedience that extends
  to their daily lives (66-8)
• Though pronouncing the impending judgment of God,
  Micah also at the same time proclaimed messages
  of hope (41-13, 714-20)
• God will ultimately bring a Ruler (Jesus) who
  would allow the people to live in peace (51-5)
• As we come to the last chapter of Micah, we will
  once again hear his lamentations over the
  conditions of the society then. But the prophet
  also anticipated a time where God would show His
  great mercy to His people

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Passage in ContextMicah 71-20

• Micah 71-3 - the prophet lamented the increase
  in wickedness in his culture. People disobedient
  to the Lord increased and the magnitude of their
  sins increased.
• Micah described a society growing more and more
  violent. People treated one another as animals of
  prey.
• The prophet also lamented the lack of order in
  society and the corruption of officials who
  failed to uphold justice.
• Micah also condemned religious leaders who failed
  to act as watchmen .

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Passage in ContextMicah 7 1 - 20

• Micah, however, pledged loyalty to God and
  obedience to His Word (Mic. 74-7).
• Micah 78-13 - Micah spoke as if the judgment on
  Judah already had occurred. He addressed the
  enemies of the nation and warned them of future
  judgment by God.
• Micah 714-20 concludes the chapter by calling on
  the Lord to shepherd the people of Israel.
• Micah prophesied that the nations who opposed a
  regenerated Israel would be humbled and forced to
  submit to the Lord.
• Micah marveled at the grace of God in forgiving
  sinners and praised God for His faithfulness and
  love for His people.

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OUTLINE

• Depressing Culture (vv 1 6)
• Determined Choice (v 7)
• Distinct Confidence (vv 8 20)

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1. Depressing Culture (vv 1 6)

• A Final Lament reflects the internal despair of
  the prophet.
• Gleaning See Leviticus 199-10 23 Deut.
  2419-21 Ruth 21-23) Under the Mosaic Law,
  the land owners were supposed to leave some of
  the crops of the fields (vineyards and orchards)
  for the poor and the stranger.
• In v.1 we find that the rich owners stripped the
  fields bare leaving nothing for the poor. This
  desolation symbolised the spiritual poverty of
  the people.
• Vv 2 4 give the final account of the peoples
  sins

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1. Depressing Culture (vv 1 6)

• The faithful man has perished from the earth
  (2a)It appears that the sinners are in the
  majority and the righteous have disappeared!
• They lie in wait for blood (2b)Society seems
  to get more violent. They use deceptive means to
  pounce on their victims!
• They may successfully do evil with both hands -
  (3a)Wickedness has reach its greatest heights.
• The great man utters his evil desire (3b)
  Officials, judges and powerful people formed
  wicked alliance to take advantage of the weak!
• The best of them is like a brier (4)They
  brought upon themselves the curse of sin (Gen
  3 17 18) producing fruit of sin instead of
  Fruit of Righteousness

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1. Depressing Culture (vv 1 6)

• The day of your watchman (prophet) is in parallel
  to the day of judgment. Micah was aware that as
  one who warned and pronounced the judgment of
  God, he too would suffer rejection and ridicule
  because of his faithful warning to the nation.
• V 5 Sin inevitably would destroy relationships.
  Greed produces selfish and self-centered
  attitude that could trust no one not even a
  friend, companion, wife .
• V 6 The breakdown of trust and relationships
  leads to the breakdown of families son
  dishonoring father daughter opposing her mother
  daughter-in law against mother-in-law and you
  find enemies in your own house.

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1. Depressing Culture (vv 1 6)

• What Micah encountered in his day is a reflection
  of our society today!
• The worldly views and values have infiltrated our
  world in governments, education, entertainment,
  business..
• Christians are being isolated, Christian values
  are being set aside as being irrelevant
• The workplace has become increasingly challenging
  environment for godly Christians. Some may be
  tempted to compromise their convictions.
• Jesus had warned his disciples in John 17 15
  18 that although they are in the world, they are
  not of the world.

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2. Determined Choice (v 7)

• Therefore I will look to the LORD I will wait
  for the God of my salvation My God will hear
  me.
• When confronted with worldly pressures and the
  temptation to compromise, Micah turned his eyes
  to the Lord!
• The phrase My God will hear me reveals Micah
  was a man of intense and persistent prayer. He
  called on the Lord for strength and help in those
  difficult days.
• Christians today are facing similar pressures
  and temptations. However, the question is how do
  we respond to it?
• Paul in Romans 121-2 urged believers to
  surrender their bodies as living sacrifices and
  not to conform to the world!

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2. Determined Choice (v 7)

• Christians can take courage that we are not alone
  in this battle. We have heroes such as Micah who
  have set the example. Others in the Scriptures
  who have withstood trials and temptations Noah
  Abraham Joseph Moses Daniel, etc. (see Hebrews
  11)
• The best Model is our Lord Jesus Christ Hebrews
  415For 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.
• Read also Romans 6 - 8

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3. Distinct Confidence (vv 8 20)

• Against the environment of sinful generation,
  Micah made a Determined Choice to trust in the
  Lord and possessed a Distinct Confidence to live
  for the Lord!
• V 8 10 The reconciliation of JerusalemMicah
  compared Jerusalem to a disgraced woman (v 10).
  She has fallen into shame and darkness, but the
  Lord will plead her case, bring her light,
  justice and her enemies will be trampled down.
  (c.f. Hosea)
• V 11 13 The restoration of JerusalemGod
  promised to rebuild the city after it had been
  trampled by the Babylonians. The renewed city
  will stand as a monument to the Lords justice
  and mercy. (c.f. Nehemiah)

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3. Distinct Confidence (vv 8 20)

• V 14 17 The Preservation of JerusalemAfter
  the Babylonian Captivity, God promised to
  shepherd His people. The flock will graze in a
  land like a great garden, and God would disgrace
  the enemies.
• V 18 20 A Crescendo of Praise to Gods Mercy
  Love
• The analogy of the Passover (v 18)See Ex. 11
  12 Because of His great mercy God promised to
  spare Jerusalem from the final judgment that
  would fall on the nations a manifestation
  inherent in Gods character!
• The analogy of treading iniquities under foot
  (19a)God promised to discard the nations sins
  like a man would throw the refuse into the sea!

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3. Distinct Confidence (vv 8 20)

• The analogy of the sea (19b)For ancient Jews,
  sea denotes a frightful, mysterious place. Hence
  to cast the nations iniquities into the sea
  means the final removal of Judahs sin.
• The analogy of the Abrahamic Covenant
  (20)Finally, Micah focused his attention on the
  promises God made to the Patriarchs. Gods love
  for Israel was not new rather His love for His
  people is rooted in the covenant He had with
  Israel from its beginning.
• Today, God has demonstrated His covenant love
  through His Son, our Lord Jesus. Jesus made
  possible the removal of our sin through His life,
  death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
• We can therefore live confidently (though going
  through pressures and temptations), knowing God
  will reward those who remain faithful.

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Summary

• As we live our lives in a world that seems
  ungodly, increasingly violent and unjust, let us
  not despair or become discouraged.
• We can persevere in living for the Lord trusting
  in His grace and mercy
• We can choose to wait patiently for His help.
• We can live for the Lord by confidently and
  consistently praising Him for who He is what He
  has done and what He is doing
• Romans 8 31 39If God is for us, who can be
  against us