Main Idea: The Day of the Lord will bring about God’s just judgment.

A Quick Backdrop:

Zephaniah came on the scene as a contemporary of King Josiah in Judah (Zeph. 1:1) around the year 622 B.C. ^[1] While Josiah is well-known for his religious reforms, apparently, there were still many who refused to change.

Zephaniah brought a message of coming judgment associated with “The Day of the Lord” against all of those who had rejected God, either in word or in deed.

A Look at the Text:

Getting straight to the point, the prophet Zephaniah predicted a coming day of judgment that would even supersede the flood judgment from the days of Noah (Zeph. 1:2-3). Notably, God had set His face against His own people, Judah, for their many sins (Zeph. 1:4).

While Israel had already been conquered by the Assyrians around 100 years beforehand, the people of Judah still followed syncretistic practices. Priests were known for their idolatry (Zeph. 1:4). The people engaged in astral worship of false deities (Zeph. 1:5). Even more, some people were entirely uninterested in the Lord altogether (Zeph. 1:6).

To this, there came a clear pronouncement of coming judgment. The Day of the Lord was near (Zeph. 1:7). The Lord was going to search out Jerusalem, and everyone who thought God was indifferent would learn otherwise (Zeph. 1:12).

It was a dark day, a day of wrath, a day of war against fortified cities (Zeph. 1:15-16). It was a day that held no hope for sinful people.

Bringing it Home:

The Bible presents in countless stories a God who is both holy and loving. He is both gracious and He is just. This in mind, He would faithfully judge sin, even if judgment was delayed (see Ecc. 8:11). God’s justice is inseparable from His person.

There were people in Jerusalem who believed, “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill” (Zeph. 1:12). Essentially, they thought God was indifferent. He didn’t care about how they lived. He wasn’t going to bring judgment. That was just a fallacy. All of God’s warnings in the covenant were empty threats; He wouldn’t own up to them at all.

In the same way, there are many in the world today who pay no heed to God, for they believe that their sins will just go unchecked. They think God will not repay good with good nor evil with evil. They think He’s entirely disinterested or even that He is not there at all.

We must always remember that the delays in God’s judgment aren’t due to His negligence, but mercy (see 2 Pet. 3:9). Delayed judgment gives a window of opportunity for people to repent of their wicked ways and obtain forgiveness. Yet just because judgment is delayed doesn’t mean that it isn’t coming.

Let us never fall into the trap of believing that God will not act for good or for evil. He most certainly will—simply in His time.

Challenge:

Do I ever associate delay with disinterest?

^[1] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).

Main Idea: God’s people should look to the past to build faith for the future and worship Him in the waiting.

A Look at the Text:

The final chapter of Habakkuk opens with the prophet’s response to God’s response to his complaint. In essence, the prophet prays for God to act once again (Hab. 3:2) in light of God’s past actions. Using symbolic, beautiful language, the prophet recapped various works of God from creation to the crossing of the Red Sea to the stopping of the sun in the days of Joshua (Hab. 3:3-15).

Then, seeing that God was faithful, the prophet determined to wait for the day of trouble to visit the Babylonians (Hab. 3:16). He trusted that God would do things right, and he responded in worship.

Even if everything naturally speaking wasn’t going well—the fig and olive trees were barren, and there were no animals in the stalls—the prophet would rejoice in the Lord:

God’s perplexing ways initially brought the prophet to despair, but eventually they drew him to worship.

Bringing it Home:

The book of Habakkuk teaches us to trust the God who is unfigureoutable.

Habakkuk begins with questions and ends in worship. He was no longer going to accuse God of malpractice as God. He was going to trust that the same God who acted in history would act again. Then, in the meantime, he would rejoice in his faithful, promise-keeping God.

As believers in the modern age, we likewise can look to the past to build faith for the future. We can look to the myriad examples in Scripture, in our lives, in our churches, or even the testimony of friends and family, and see that God is an acting God. He is not uninterested in His creation. No, He governs it faithfully day by day.

Yet His actions are oftentimes hard for us to understand as human beings. We question God when evil is on the rise or the cupboards are bare. Yet in both, Habakkuk the prophet determined to trust—even more, to worship.

He would rejoice in the Lord, even if things were going off the rails, because He knew the nature of the God in whom He trusted. As such, He was willing to walk by faith.

How about for us? Will we be faithful to worship in the waiting? Will we trust that God will do what is right even when things seem backwards in the present?

Though Habakkuk’s exact situation is far removed from our present experience, his dilemma is readily understandable because we serve the same God whose ways can elude us.

Challenge:

What is my default response when I don’t understand God? Do I charge Him with malpractice, or do I respond in worship, seeing that He is far greater than I am?

Main Idea: The righteous one lives and awaits God’s promises by faith.

A Look at the Text:

The text yesterday left off with the prophet’s second complaint. First, Habakkuk wasn’t able to see what God was doing. Then, when he was told, he didn’t like what God was doing.

So, the prophet determined that, like a watchman on a tower, he would stand and await God’s response (Hab. 2:1).

To this, the Lord replied:

Habakkuk was commanded to write down God’s revelation and to write it clearly so that you could read it while running. While some may live by pride, the one righteous in God’s sight would live by faith (Hab. 2:4). Faith, by implication, is humble for it looks to another. God would be faithful to His promise. He would be faithful to His nature. His actions were merely going to come in His time.

God was going to deal with Judah first (Hab. 1:6-11), but then He was going to deal with Babylon too (Hab. 2:6-17). There was coming a day when God’s glory would be undeniable (Hab. 2:14). Yet that day was not yet. In contrast to idols, the Lord was the living God (Hab. 2:18-20)—certainly, He would act. It just awaited His time.

Bringing it Home:

The Christian is not only justified by faith (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8; Gen. 15:6), but we are then expected to walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). The Christian never moves beyond faith until this earthly life is swallowed up with life eternal.

The prophet Habakkuk’s dilemma is a great example to us of trusting God in the waiting. God’s promises to us are certain. He will keep His Word. We must simply believe Him in the in-between.

Let us always remember that every individual in God’s story has found themselves somewhere between promise and fulfillment. We can look back at history now and see God’s hand in bringing judgment upon Judah, upon Babylon, upon countless nations and at “the fullness of time” sending His Son to die for sins (see Gal. 4:4).

If we can see the faithfulness of God broadcast in every Bible story, etched into every page, can we not trust Him in the twenty-first century when things still seem so crooked?

Challenge:

Do I trust God’s promise-keeping nature even when the promise seems impossible or far off?

Main Idea: God is a sovereign, mind-boggling God who acts as He pleases.

A Quick Backdrop:

The prophet Habakkuk came on the scene sometime near the end of Assyria’s dominance, yet before the full rise of Babylon. Presumably then, his writing took place during the latter portion of the seventh century BC.^[1]

A Look at the Text:

Habakkuk’s writing begins with a very brief introduction and then a complaint leveraged by God’s prophet against God Himself. The Lord wasn’t answering the prophet’s pleas (Hab. 1:2). Even more, God seemed completely indifferent to the sins of His people, Judah (Hab. 1:3-4).

If He was a just Judge, why was He seemingly asleep at the wheel?

To this, God responded:

Essentially, God told Habakkuk that He was going to blow his mind—the Babylonians were being sent as His instrument of justice (Hab. 1:6-11). They were a powerful and merciless people, and they would afflict Judah for their sin.

In response, the prophet was confounded (Hab. 1:12-17).

The Babylonians were even more wicked than Judah was! His understanding of God was being shattered as God was going to use people even more wicked than Judah in judgment against them (Hab. 1:13). God was certainly not acting according to Habakkuk’s preconceived ideas concerning Him, and Habakkuk didn’t like it one bit.

Bringing it Home:

Habakkuk’s short book should be of great encouragement to us as we live in a backwards world suffering the effects of sin. We probably can all relate to his complaint, yet we shouldn’t ever discount what God is doing. Truly, He is a mind-boggling God. He is a God that we simply cannot put in the proverbial box.

Habakkuk’s conversation with God should challenge us to remember that just because we can’t see what God is doing does not mean that He is not active. Even more, if we can see what He is doing and we don’t like it, this does not mean that He is not good.

God is ruling His creation as He sees fit. We must trust that He will do what is good in His eyes. His ways and thoughts are much higher than ours (Isa. 55:8-9). He is a God who blows the minds of prophets.

The Almighty is not some neat, tidy, easily understandable, and fully comprehensible companion. He is God. He is transcendent. He stands above His creation and rules it as He pleases. Can we not trust that He is doing it right?

Challenge:

Do I ever limit God’s ways to my ability to reason or understand?

^[1] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).

Main Idea: The wicked will reap what they have sown.

A Look at the Text:

The final chapter of Nahum opens with an indictment against the Assyrians for their sins (Nah. 3:1). They were a bloody city, full of lies, plunder, and prey. In response, they would one day reap what they had sown. In return for their many sins, the Lord was against them (Nah. 3:5). Their destruction was certain.

Just as the Assyrians besieged the great city of Thebes in Egypt, destroyed their children, and carried them captive (Nah. 3:8-10), so they also would be exiled. They would seek refuge without a place to hide.

God was against them; there would be no turning Him away. None could ease their hurt, and all would rejoice at their downfall (Nah. 3:19). While God had extended grace in the days of Jonah, now the time had come for judgment.

Bringing it Home:

The concept of sowing and reaping is a consistent theme in the Bible. The apostle Paul once put it in these terms:

One day we will have to give an account for how we lived our lives before God, and the books will be opened (Rev. 20:11-15). That is a fearful thing for those who are outside of Christ. Yet, for those in Christ, we needn’t fear (1 John 4:19), for Christ has already borne the consequences of our rebellion upon Calvary. One day, all sin will be paid for, either through the blood of Christ or by the sinner themselves bearing the penalty.

That final day of reaping will come, even if it seems a long way off. While the wicked might prosper in the present, God will not be mocked. He will act justly. Even more, while those who faithfully serve God might suffer in the present, God will not be mocked. There is a day of reaping to come.

If people have rejected Him for their entire lives, one day they will own up to that rejection just as the Ninevites did. Yet for those who have found their refuge in Him, it is a day of deliverance and a day of hope.

Challenge:

How does looking to the future change my outlook on today’s sowing?

Main Idea: None can stand before the sovereign power of the Lord of Hosts.

A Look at the Text:

Nahum 2 begins with a call to battle. The Ninevites ought to get ready and get ready quickly (Nah. 2:1) for the Lord was coming to restore His people (Nah. 2:2). Nahum predicted a great army that was to come that would certainly overwhelm Nineveh (Nah. 2:3-9).

The Assyrians were certainly mighty, and their kings often likened themselves to lions.^[1] Now, with dramatic irony, Yahweh revealed that He would plunder the lion’s den and devour its young (Nah. 2:11-13). Even the great hunter, the apex predator, could not be safe in its own lair. For it was the Lord of Hosts who was against them:

Bringing it Home:

The utter destruction of the Ninevites, though seemingly impossible at the time, was undeniable. Not because the coming power of Babylon or the Medes could have been predicted, but because the word of Yahweh could be trusted. He was the One who was against the Assyrians. As such, His decree stood fast.

Before Babylon was feared as a superpower, its role against the Assyrians was fixed in the sovereign plan of God. Ultimately, it has always been God who is behind the scenes, orchestrating history

The Assyrians have been gone for a long time, wiped off the map for millennia. Though at the height of their power they were unparalleled in the ancient world, none could stand before the power of the Lord of Hosts.

While Judah looked forward to God’s decree in hope of deliverance, we can look back and see its fulfillment. This should encourage our hearts to trust the sovereign power and wisdom of our God, who raises up and puts down kingdoms as He pleases.

Truly, there is only one King who will never leave the throne. In this Sovereign, we can trust, no matter who is reigning on earthly thrones today.

Challenge:

Do I trust God’s plan on the world stage?

^[1] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 157.

Main Idea: The Lord will surely bring judgment upon His enemies and peace to His people.

A Quick Backdrop:

The prophet Nahum came on the scene during the height of Assyrian dominance. Historically, this would have been sometime between 664 and 612 B.C. ^[1] During that time, the northern kingdom of Israel had already fallen to the Assyrians, and they were a perpetual problem for the people of Judah.

Previously, God had sent Jonah the prophet to the Ninevites about a century before, and they had repented of their wicked ways. Yet, by the time of Nahum, the scene had shifted drastically.

Their empire was built upon massacre, torture, and bloodshed like the world had never seen.^[2] With this ruthless superpower on the world stage, the prophet Nahum came with comfort for the people of God, as his name itself means “comforted.”^[3]

A Look at the Text:

After a short introduction, without mincing words, the Lord spoke through Nahum of coming judgment upon Nineveh, Assyria’s capital city.

Though God is slow to anger, that does not mean He does not get angry. He was patient with the Ninevites in the days of Jonah. Yet, now their sins had piled up before Him.

While the Lord is good to those who take refuge in Him (Nah. 1:7), for His enemies, the story is entirely different. His coming would be fearful, and a complete end would be made of them (Nah. 1:8).

The news of Assyria’s destruction was given to comfort the people of God (Nah. 1:12-15). Though Assyria was at the very height of its power, God assured His people that the Assyrians would be cut down and their threat would pass away (Nah. 1:12).

Bringing it Home:

Things are not always as they seem. In Nahum’s day, the people of Judah were probably greatly afraid of the Assyrian threat. Yet even when that empire was at its zenith, God had already assigned an expiration date.

The wrath of God against His enemies is a fearful thing, but for those who have found their refuge in Him, this is a comforting truth.

We live in a world that can frequently seem backwards. The wicked prosper. People get away with murder (literally or figuratively) all the time. Christians can suffer at the hands of godless people. Yet, to this, we must remember that God is not absent from the story.

Though the wicked prosper in the present, the end is what matters most. In light of this truth, the apostle Paul once counseled:

God is a just God. We can trust that He will do what is right as the Judge of all the earth. If things seem horribly wrong in the present, let us rest assured that the present isn’t the end of the story.

Challenge:

Do I trust God’s justice when the wicked are prospering?

^[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1709.

^[2] ibid., 1709.

^[3] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 151.

Main Idea: A God of incomparable mercy, love, and compassion is worth waiting on and trusting in.

A Look at the Text:

Things looked bleak for the people of God. The previous chapter ended with the promise of desolation for the wicked. Certainly, the whole situation was discouraging to those who walked uprightly. Micah lamented the absence of the godly (Mic. 7:1-2) and the overabundance of the wicked (Mic. 7:2-6).

Yet, in the midst of these sin-stained and broken circumstances, the prophet found hope:

Micah took heart through faith in God, for the story wasn’t over yet.

His God would hear his plea. The enemy wouldn’t mock forever (Mic. 7:10). God would still be a Shepherd to His people (Mic. 7:14). Even more, God would again shower His people with compassion and faithfulness, for He is a God of incomparable mercy and love (Mic. 7:18-20).

Bringing it Home:

Micah lived in a day that was seemingly hopeless. The godly had perished. The people were standing under God’s just judgment. Nothing was going right. But darkness is never the end of the story for the God who said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3).

Centuries later, there was an even darker time. From Friday to Sunday, the Son of God lay entombed, but the enemy wouldn’t rejoice forever. There was a grand day of resurrection to come.

One day, death itself, as the last enemy, will be defeated (1 Cor. 15:54-55). The Lord of Life triumphed over the grave. One day, we will share in His victory.

That said, just as Micah found hope in the midst of a sin-stained world by looking to the Lord and waiting on the God of his salvation, how much more should we be able to place our hope in the living God now that we know the whole story?

While our world is vastly different than Micah’s in many ways, it also shares quite a few similarities. Cultural degeneration is a real reality. To some degree, morality is self-determined, as it was in the days of the judges (Judg. 22:25).

Yet the Scripture is filled with encouragement for those who will fix their gaze heavenward.

All the sorrows and suffering of this life aren’t the end of the story. The enemy might rejoice in the present, but that rejoicing won’t last forever. The Lord will have eternal compassion on His people.

Even death itself will not have the final word or the last laugh—God will.

Challenge:

Do I find myself downtrodden with the present state of the world, or hopeful in the promises of God?

Main Idea: In light of God’s great goodness, He desires His people’s whole-hearted devotion.

A Look at the Text:

In Micah 6, we see God call creation to witness against His people and their many sins. Essentially, what we have here is a courtroom scene.^[1] Though apparently the people felt wearied by God (Mic. 6:3), He had been especially kind to them.

God delivered them from Egyptian slavery by a gift of His grace (Mic. 6:4). Even more, when His people were on their way to the land of promise and met opposition, God blessed them.

Balak, the king of Moab, tasked the prophet Balaam with cursing God’s people. To this, God had already commanded the prophet, “You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed” (Num. 22:12; Mic. 6:5). God’s disposition towards them was unequivocally good. Yet, it apparently wasn’t enough.

It appears that it is the people who respond in verses six and seven with essentially the unreasonableness of God’s demands. Bringing the nicest sacrifices, a myriad of sacrifices, or even their firstborn child, none of it would be enough.

To this, the Lord reveals through Micah that this wasn’t what He was looking for at all:

At the end of the day, God wanted them.

He wanted them to be just in their dealings with others. He wanted them to love kindness or steadfast love and to pursue it as He gave it so freely to them. He wanted them to walk humbly, faithfully with Him. He wasn’t tasking them with impossible demands—especially if they would consider how good He had already been to them in the past.

Bringing it Home:

Throughout the pages of Scripture, we see the Lord’s indictment of His people who failed to walk in His ways while offering some form of worship to Him.

Israel’s first king, Saul, was corrected by the prophet Samuel for this very reason. After he disobeyed God’s command, using worship as an excuse, the prophet told the truth plainly to him: “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22).

God’s desire first and foremost is not to have worship but to have the worshipper. Rather than bringing sacrifices, it is best to bring yourself. To be, as Paul puts it, “a living sacrifice” (see Rom. 12:1-2) in light of God’s unfathomable mercy towards us.

What does that look like? In Micah’s understanding, it was doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God. Essentially, that their walk with God would be genuine and would impact their dealings with their fellow humans.

In a very similar fashion, the Lord Jesus once made it plain that all the commandments of the law hung on but two: love God, and love your neighbor (see Matt. 22:37-40).

We can quickly overcomplicate these things, but at the end of the day, God simply wants us—whole, entire, and fully devoted to Him. This will be proven through our walk with Him and our treatment of others.

Challenge:

Do I try to cover up a lackluster zeal for God in my day-to-day life with Sunday worship?

^[1] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Mic 6:1.

Main Idea: God’s reign would be established through a coming ruler from Bethlehem who would shepherd God’s people.

A Look at the Text:

While the future was a hopeful time for Micah and his contemporaries, it was still an awaited time. Yet Micah predicted that the little town of Bethlehem would produce a ruler who would shepherd God’s people (Mic. 5:2-6). In that final day, Israel would no longer trust in their military might (Mic. 5:10). No longer would they turn to fortune tellers or idols (Mic. 5:12-13).

Instead, the Lord would reign supreme. Many would flow into Jerusalem (Mic. 4:2), but every nation that opposed Him would be destroyed (Mic. 5:15). All of this hinged upon this coming King.

Bringing it Home:

The New Testament reveals without even the slightest doubt that this Ruler is the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 2:1-6). Through godless human leaders, our sovereign God directed Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, thus fulfilling Micah’s prophecy about the birth of the Christ (see Luke 2:1-7). He did so at “the fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4), just as He ordained.

Though this was foretold hundreds of years in advance, God faithfully executed His plan with a tiny baby in a manger.

Jesus Christ is the final one in the lineage of David, in whom the Davidic Covenant is fulfilled (2 Sam. 7:16). He is both the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 17:14). He is both gentle and just.

One day, He will finally establish the reign of God on the earth. All will bow—whether they want to or not (see Phil. 2:9-11). As one scholar has noted about the coming Davidic King, “There is no refuge from Him, only in Him.”

We can humbly bow our knees to King Jesus today, or one day we won’t have a choice. Just as God fulfilled His promise in the days of Caesar Augustus, so He will again in the future. Even if that day is yet awaited 2,000 years later.

Challenge:

Do I believe in God’s ability to orchestrate the future and fulfill His promise as He has directed history thus far?

Main Idea: The future is filled with hope and peace for the people of God.

A Look at the Text:

In Micah 4, the scene shifts drastically to “the latter days.” While Jerusalem would be turned to a heap of ruins in the near future (Mic. 3:12), that wasn’t the end of the story. One day, the mountain of the house of the Lord (Jerusalem) would be established as the highest of all mountains (Mic. 4:1).

The nations, rather than seeking to destroy it, would flow into it, seeking to know God’s law (Mic. 4:2). In that day, war will cease. Swords will be turned to plowshares, spears into pruning hooks (Mic. 4:3). The Lord will reign over them forevermore (Mic. 4:7). While Babylonian captivity was most certainly on the horizon, their rescue by God’s hand was just as certain (Mic. 4:10). God’s plan of final peace and blessing would prevail. One day, He would bring it to pass.

Bringing it Home:

While God’s Word will at times confront us, at other times it should comfort us. Yes, we need correction for our sin, but we likewise need encouragement for the weary soul. God’s Word contains both. It reveals to us both the diagnosis and the cure.

As we look at this passage today, we are reminded that the end of the story ought to bring great comfort to the people of God. For that coming day is a day of salvation for all who have put their trust in Christ. It is a time in which we should hope.

The present is filled with uncertainties. Our fallen world is fraught with war, and every tragedy is broadcast before a watching world in an unprecedented way. If our eyes are fixed on earthly things, we have good reasons to be discouraged, depressed, and downtrodden.

Yet, there is still to come a day when war will be no more. A day of perfect peace. A day when God’s rule will be finally established. While the afflictions of the present are very real, so is God’s promise of a future weight of glory that is beyond all comparison (see 2 Cor. 4:18). In that promise and in the God who always keeps His promise, we can hope.

Challenge:

Is my focus today on earthly problems, or my heavenly hope?

Main Idea: God cares about how His people live.

A Look at the Text:

The prophet Micah served during a time when many were self-deceived. The rulers in Judah should have known justice (Mic. 3:1), and instead they hated the good and loved the evil (Mic. 3:2). They mistreated their people and still thought God would come to their rescue (Mic. 3:2-4).

This was largely due to the failure of the religious leaders. The prophets would cry “Peace” in exchange for food (Mic. 3:5), and both prophet and priest declared, “No disaster shall come upon us” (Mic. 3:11).

Yet, the priests should have been the first to know that the people had broken their covenant with God!

There were curses for covenantal disobedience that God had clearly laid out in His law (see Deut. 28:15-68), and yet they ignored His warnings. In their folly, they leaned on God for security when they had actually abandoned Him. In response, He had hidden His face (Mic. 3:4).

Their evil deeds had separated them from their God, and He wasn’t going to come running to deliver an unrepentant people.

Bringing it Home:

The people of Micah’s day wanted to lean on God as Savior, but they weren’t willing to submit to Him as King. They wanted all the benefits of a Sovereign without any of the sacrifice. They were self-deceived. God was not mocked. They would reap what they had sown. Like Samaria, Jerusalem would be plowed as a field and turned to a heap of ruins (Mic. 3:12).

In the same way, many today profess to know Christ, but deny Him by their works (Titus 1:16). They like Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. To this, we must know that we cannot pick and choose the aspects of Christ that we like or do not like.

If our lives are full to the brim with unrepentant sin, we cannot pretend to be right with God. God’s grace, while sufficient for all of our sins, has never been nor will ever be a license for sinful behavior (see Rom. 6:1). Instead, God’s kindness is intended to draw us to repentance (see Rom. 2:4).

While we all know and confess that we will not be perfect and sinless in this life, we likewise have to be honest with ourselves as to whether or not we are abusing His grace. God does care about how we live our lives, even as saved-by-grace people.

He will not be mocked. In the words of R.C. Sproul, “Jesus is either Lord of all, or He’s not Lord at all.”

Challenge:

Do I see God’s grace as a doormat to walk on or a treasure to cherish?

Main Idea: God’s Word should bring comfort to the obedient and conviction to the sinner.

A Look at the Text:

After disaster was predicted, in today’s text, we see one of the reasons for this coming judgment. The wealthy amongst God’s people were taking advantage of the poor. The powerful coveted the possessions of the weak and would then steal from them (Mic. 1:1-2).

So God promised through His prophet that exile would come. Yet, that wasn’t a message the people wanted to hear. Like Amos, Micah was told to stop:

Yet God’s Word shouldn’t have been a concern to those who obeyed it (Mic. 2:7). Sadly, the only preacher Micah’s audience wanted was one who would tell them of the blessings of wine (Mic. 2:11).

They wanted to hear of prosperity, not disaster—regardless of what was actually true.

Bringing it Home:

One of the perennial problems of the human race is that we don’t want to be told our sin is sinful. Many don’t want to hear the truth simply because it can be upsetting. This was a problem in the Old Testament, and it was predicted to happen again in the future (2 Tim. 4:3). The word “sin” is even offensive to modern man.

Let us always remember that while there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1), that does not mean conviction is no longer applicable to the people of God.

Sometimes the truth might hurt. If it does, we should rejoice that our hearts are still open to the truth! For, at the end of the day, if we claim to have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8). None of us will be sinless on this side of eternity.

That said, we should strive to obey God’s Word but likewise welcome it when it corrects us. The new covenant hope was that God’s law would be written on the human heart (Jer. 31:33) and that our hearts’ desires would be shaped to love and serve Him (see Phil. 2:13).

Conviction of sin is one marker of that healthy heart. Godly grief leads to true repentance and salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). Let us then humbly submit to God’s Word when it afflicts us. Even more, let us gratefully rejoice that God has softened our hearts to His Word that we might obey.

Challenge:

What is my response to conviction of sin? Do I humbly repent, blame my sin on others, or ignore the conviction altogether?

Main Idea: The Lord of Heaven will certainly bring judgment in response to sin.

A Quick Backdrop

The prophet Micah came on the scene as a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah and overlapped with Hosea as well. His name means, “Who is like Yahweh?”^[1] and his writing upholds the incomparability of his God.

He was from the southern kingdom of Judah, and he prophesied of the coming destruction of both the northern and southern kingdoms. He lived through the Assyrian conquest of Samaria, but the fulfillment of his words against Judah came much later.

A Look at the Text:

After a brief introduction, the Lord speaks through Micah concerning the disaster that was soon to come. Though enthroned in His holy temple on high, Yahweh would descend, coming out of His place (Mic. 1:2-4). Yet, He wasn’t coming down to bless, but to curse. He was coming to bring about disaster.

The Israelite transgression was going to bring an end to Samaria (Israel’s capital city), for God promised to make it “a heap in the open country” (Mic. 1:6). Even more, her idols would be burned with fire and laid waste (Mic. 1:7). The living God wasn’t tolerating competitors anymore.

In response, the prophet lamented the destruction that would be drawing near (Mic. 1:8-16). He references many Judean cities that wouldn’t remain. In 701 BC, the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, would destroy much of Judah, although by divine miracle Jerusalem was spared.^[2]

While the Assyrian threat was great, the truly frightful news was that this disaster was actually coming from the Lord (Mic. 1:12).

Bringing it Home:

The Scripture presents very plainly that sin is serious to God and that the consequences for human rebellion are certain.

God’s people broke covenant with Him. In response, God upheld the warnings of the covenant (see Deut. 28:15-68) and brought about the curse of destruction. The Assyrians—and later the Babylonians—were merely God’s instruments of divine justice against His wayward people.

The Most High is inescapable (see Jer. 23:23). We cannot hide our sins from Him and His righteous wrath. We need atonement, we need an advocate, we need a substitute to bear the holy indignation of our Creator. All of these needs were met in our Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 John 2:1-2).

He was the One who bore the curse of the law on our behalf (Gal. 3.13) that we might experience eternal blessing. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,” the apostle Paul concluded, and this was for God’s gracious purpose, “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

The surety of God’s just judgment reminds us of our need for mercy, a need that is only supplied in Jesus Christ.

Let us then cast ourselves wholly on Him in personal trust and hope of final salvation. Apart from Christ, we don’t stand a chance before the justice of God. But in Christ, we do not need to fear (see 1 John 4:17-18).

Challenge:

How has Christ changed my fear of divine judgment and my hope for that final day?

^[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1693.

^[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1697.

Main Idea: God’s people must remain reverent of His word as they await the fulfillment of His promise.

A Look at the Text:

As the book of Isaiah draws to a close, the future is still in focus. Once again, we see a final day approaching, filled with both blessing and dread. The key to the difference is how one responded to God’s revelation.

Yahweh, as the exalted King over His creation, didn’t need His temple or His people’s service (Isa. 66:1-2). As the One who fashioned the heavens as the work of His fingers (Isa. 66:2; Ps. 8:3), He has never depended upon human beings for anything.

Yet, He offered a future of hope for those who would respond to His revelation. Through Isaiah, He issued a promise for those who are humble and contrite in spirit, those who tremble at His Word (Isa. 66:2).

Again, He wasn’t interested in some façade of religion with people following their own ideas (Isa. 66:3-4). He wanted His call answered (Isa. 66:4) and for His people to tremble in reverence at His word (Isa. 66:5).

There was a glorious future coming for those who belonged to Him (Isa. 66:7-14). Yet, the future was dreadful for those who refused Him. He would come with fire and judgment (Isa. 66:15-16), a fire that would not be quenched Isa. 66:24).

A day was coming when He would be glorified among the nations (Isa. 66:18-19), and those who responded in proper reverence of Him would enjoy new heavens and a new earth (Isa. 66:22).

Bringing it Home:

The future day that Isaiah saw is still to come. There will be a final day of judgment and salvation. There will be a grand day of recreation. The time is yet to come when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14).

Yet, many struggle to believe this today. To this, we can rest assured that even in the days of the apostles, a day of scoffing was predicted (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Even more, we must remember that although these promises have tarried for thousands of years, in the sight of God it hasn’t even been a week yet (2 Pet. 3:8).

While we await God’s promise, we must remain ever humble and submit to His Word with reverence.

In the midst of a day and age when skepticism is popular and cynicism is celebrated, let us always take God at His Word. We must, in reverence, tremble at His Word, acknowledging that He is the Creator, and we are the creature. He is the Sovereign, and we are His subjects.

His promises will come to pass, even if they seem delayed to us. Let us then always keep our hearts with vigilance (Prov. 4:23) and keep them in humility. If God says it, that settles it.

Challenge:

Do I take God at His Word?

Main Idea: God’s people should plead with Him because of His faithful nature.

A Look at the Text:

Yesterday’s text put forth the certainty of God’s promise and the importance of pleading the promises of God. This concept is then backed up by the faithfulness of God.

The prophet Isaiah, in prayer, called for God to rend the heavens and come down (Isa. 64:1). He desired to see God act. This prayer of faith was rooted in God’s steadfast covenant-keeping, faithful love (Isa. 63:7). He is a God who is gracious and compassionate in His nature. He is good. He is a God worth waiting for:

There were promises yet to come. New heavens and a new earth (Isa. 65:17). A return to Eden (Isa. 65:25). No longer would the world be characterized by violence, but peace would be the end of the story. The same God who made these promises was certain to keep them, for He is a God in whose nature it is to keep His promise.

Bringing it Home:

The consistent testimony of Scripture is that of a God who both makes and keeps His promise. Though He delays, He will act.

He is not indifferent or aloof as regards His creation. He is intricately involved in its details and sovereignly overseeing its governance. He will bring His plans to pass.

When we see not only God’s power but His nature, this should invite us to pray. If God weren’t all-powerful, there would be no need to pray, for He wouldn’t be able to do anything about our requests. At the same time, if God were wishy-washy and unreliable, there would be no reason to pray, for He might change His mind and fail to keep His promise.

Yet we see that God is a God who is not only powerful enough to answer our requests and faithful to fulfill His promise, but also a God who is Himself love (1 John 4:8). He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). His disposition towards His people is fundamentally gracious.

If these things be true, why would we neglect to take our requests to Him and to remind Him of His promises?

He is a God worth praying to, and a God worth waiting for. In His timing, He will act, and He will fulfill all He has promised to us.

Challenge:

Do I fail to connect God’s nature to my prayers?

Main Idea: God’s people should plead His promises as they await the final day of His action.

A Look at the Text:

As the great book of Isaiah draws near to its close, the focus is still on the future. There is a clear hope for the people of God (Isa. 62:1-5, 10-12) and, likewise, unmistakable destruction coming for the nations (Isa. 63:1-6). That coming day is a day of both blessing and cursing. As scholar David Jackman notes, “Always, in Scripture, judgement and salvation are the two sides of the one coin, which is divine intervention.”^[1]

Though Israel was going to be facing complete and utter destruction in the near future, “Forsaken” and “Desolate” weren’t going to be the final words to describe His people. They were going to be God’s delight, married to Him (Isa. 62:4).

In light of these coming promises, watchmen were appointed to call on God:

God had issued a promise (Isa. 62:8), and it is in light of His promise that they were to call on Him. That future day of salvation for His people and destruction for the godless was certain to come, as His people pleaded His promises.

Bringing it Home:

The Scripture continually reassures us of that coming day. There is a day when the new Jerusalem will come down from heaven above (Rev. 21:2). Yet, that day is still awaited thousands of years later.

Delays can often bring discouragement. Waiting can bring questioning, but let us know today that God’s promises are surer than the coming dawn. They simply await His appointed time.

Let us then do our part in giving God no rest until those promises are fulfilled. As our Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray, so we should pray:

There is a day when that prayer will finally be fulfilled. A day when Christ descends from heaven. A day of salvation and vindication. A day of judgment and destruction. A day that has been promised by our promise-keeping God.

Do we pray for that day? Do we plead God’s promises?

While it is certainly right and good to bring our personal supplications to the Lord (see 1 Pet. 5:7), let us not forget His Kingdom agenda that is much larger than ourselves. We are part of an eternal Kingdom that will one day crush all opposition (see Dan. 2:44; Rev. 11:15).

Challenge:

Do I ever lose sight of the grandeur of God’s eternal Kingdom because I am consumed with the temporary matters of this life?

^[1] David Jackman, Teaching Isaiah: Unlocking Isaiah for the Bible Teacher, ed. Robin Sydserff, Teach the Bible (Ross-shire, Scotland; London, England: PT Media; Christian Focus, 2010), 280.

Main Idea: The future is filled with hope for the redeemed.

A Look at the Text:

In light of God’s salvation (Isa. 59:16-20) there was a future hope for the people of God. Though the present was a tumultuous time, there was coming a day when the glory of the Lord would shine upon them (Isa. 60:1).

Though at present He had struck them in His wrath, there would be a time of great favor and mercy (Isa. 60:10). A day when God’s glory as Savior would be forever revealed:

Even more, this reversal would have cosmic implications. No longer would there be a need for the sun, for the Lord Himself would be a light for them (Isa. 60:19-20).

Good news was on the horizon from a special God-sent herald (Isa. 61:1). There would be hope for the poor, liberty for the captives, an opening of prison for those who were bound (Isa. 61:1-2). Instead of ashes and mourning, there would be a beautiful headdress and oil of gladness (Isa. 61:3). Instead of a depressed spirit, there would be praise (Isa. 61:3).

While the present was filled with bad news, the future was fundamentally good.

Bringing it Home:

The New Testament reveals without even the slightest doubt that this future hope comes through Jesus Christ. In Luke 4, the Lord Jesus opened the scroll of Isaiah to the text from 61:1-3 and announced its fulfillment through Himself.

In Christ there was and is hope for the hopeless and broken. Being poor and destitute, blind, sorrowful, and faint needn’t be the end of the story. For Christ came to restore the broken. He came to heal the hurting. He came with an easy yoke for the One who would turn to Him (see Matt. 11:28-30).

This is the case because Christ is not only the herald of good news, but He is the very content of the good news. The gospel message of reconciliation with our Creator and the hope of a new creation hinges upon Jesus Christ.

Just as Isaiah saw, there is yet coming a day when the sun will no longer give its light (Rev. 21:23). Yet this won’t result in perpetual darkness, but it will simply be because the glory of the sun will be forever outshone by another in the new Jerusalem:

The Spirit through the Son testifies of this coming day of blessedness. In this, all the redeemed can hope, even if our present experience is utterly miserable.

Challenge:

Does present misfortune or bad news ever cause me to lose sight of the good news that will not change?

Main Idea: God desires true heart-level devotion, rather than superficial religion.

A Look at the Text:

Once again, the prophet Isaiah was tasked with confronting the unrighteousness of Judah. God gave him the commission of lifting his voice as a trumpet to declare the transgressions of God’s people (Isa. 58:1).

This certainly would have come as a shock to those who thought they were righteous. They claimed to seek God daily (Isa. 58:2). Yet, their pursuit of God was just a show. The same people who were fasting were also oppressing others.

Even more, these same people actually complained to God that He was ignoring their fasts (Isa. 58:3). To this, the Lord simply replied, “Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure and oppress all your workers” (Isa. 58:3).

It wasn’t that God was inept or unkind, it was that their appeal was utterly unappealing to Him.

The sad truth of their situation was that their righteousness was actually a form of unrighteousness! What appeared to be a pursuit of God on the surface was actually just a personal pursuit.

Yet, God, in His grace, gave them hope with an open invitation. If they would cast aside their superficial religion with a genuine fast, He would reverse their fortunes (Isa. 58:6-14). In that day, if they were to call, God would readily answer, “Here I am” (Isa. 58:9).

They might complain about God, but ultimately the ball was in their court.

His hand was not shortened and unable to save, nor was His ear dull and unable to hear (Isa. 59:1). It wasn’t because of His inability, but it was the result of His people’s sin that He had hidden His face from them.

Bringing it Home:

A perennial problem in Isaiah’s day, in Jesus’ day, and even in our day is people who would honor God with their lips while their hearts are far from Him (see Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:8).

It can be easy to practice our righteousness to be seen by others, but genuine, heart-level devotion to God is what He desires. He has no interest as to whether we appear pious before men.

This in mind, the Christian’s sole aim should be the glory and pleasure of God. To one day hear, “Well done,” from the One we are truly serving, no matter what men might say today.

Let us remember that God’s power is never limited. His ear is never deaf. He is simply looking for those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him (see 2 Chr. 16:9). If He seems distant, perhaps the problem doesn’t lie with Him, but with us.

Challenge:

What is the true aim of my service to God?

Main Idea: Those who come to God ought to live uprightly while they await His salvation.

A Look at the Text:

With the future still in view, the scene shifts ever so slightly in Isaiah 56. It is no longer the future day of blessedness that is primarily in focus, but rather living in anticipation of that day.

In light of that coming salvation, the Lord admonishes His people through Isaiah, “Keep justice, and do righteousness” (Isa. 56:1). Even more, they were to honor the Sabbath, rather than profaning it, while keeping their hands from evil (Isa. 56:2).

The door of salvation was open to all. The House of the Lord was to be a house of prayer for all nations (Isa. 56:7). God would receive both the eunuch and the foreigner who put their faith in Him (Isa. 56:3-8). Yet, at the same time, there were still ethical implications for His people.

As one scholar has noted, “obedience to the law and ethical righteousness is the mark of receiving God’s saving grace.”^[1]

God was searching for the humble and contrite to dwell amongst them (Isa. 57:15). All of those who would turn from their wicked ways and find their refuge in Him could certainly have a hope for the future.

Bringing it Home:

God has always been a God of mind-boggling grace.

In both the Old and New Testaments, salvation precedes works, although it differs slightly in its application. Yet, whether one was saved from Egyptian slavery under the leadership of Moses or saved from sin through the lordship of Jesus Christ, there is still a clear truth that God’s saving acts precede His expectations of His people.

That said, the Scripture is abundantly clear that grace was never meant to be a license for sinful behavior. The same grace that saves is a grace that shapes. With the blessed hope of a future for Zion through the ministry of the Suffering Servant, there was still a desire on God’s part for His people to do righteousness.

In similar fashion, the apostle Peter once tied eschatology to ethics as well:

Let us then magnify God’s grace, not only through our words but through our works. Remember, we might not be saved by good works, yet we are saved for good works (see Eph. 2:8-10).

If one is genuinely brought into the family of God, there ought to be some family resemblance (see 1 John 3:9-10).

Challenge:

How has my life been changed and shaped by Christ? Or, in other words, what fruit has the Spirit been growing in me?

^[1] David Jackman, Teaching Isaiah: Unlocking Isaiah for the Bible Teacher, ed. Robin Sydserff, Teach the Bible (Ross-shire, Scotland; London, England: PT Media; Christian Focus, 2010), 254.