THE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE MOLTEN UNDER HIM, AND THE VALLEYS SHALL BE CLEFT. Micah 1:4.

WE must stay to admire the sublimity of these words. Of course, it is a very human way of describing the movements of the Eternal: but how forcibly the prophet's words suggest the interest of God in human life. He comes out of His place to deliver His own, and to judge the ungodly: to remove obstacles to the fulfillment of His purposes.

Are you looking out to-day on a range of mountains that block your passage and screen off the rays of the sun? Do your difficulties seem to have accumulated till they act as insuperable obstacles to the fulfillment of your most cherished purposes? Perhaps, divided from your friends; hemmed and blocked in from the fair sunny lands of the vineyard and the goldening corn; despairing of tunnelling or scaling the Himalaya and the Alps. It is a sad and drear prospect, enough to daunt the most courageous spirit, and break down the most heroic courage. But look again at this text.

"Behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place. He steps forth from His pavilion, intent on some great and glorious project. He treads on thy high mountains as on the furrows of a ploughed field. They are nothing to Him. Beneath His tread the mountains melt, and the valleys cleave. Wax melting before the fire is the simple but sublime image of the instant subsidence of whole ranges of difficulty. Wilt thou not walk with Him? Dare to believe that He can make His mountains a way. Who art thou, great mountain before Zerubbabel? Thou shalt become a plain.

"For whom the heart of man shuts out,
Sometimes the heart of God shuts in;
And fences them all round about
With silence 'mid the world's loud din."

Micah 1:1-16
TODAY IN THE WORD

It's a scene straight out of a Leave It to Beaver rerun. Two brothers are misbehaving, both equally at fault. But when Dad arrives he ignores one of the boys and heads for his brother, saying something like, ""I saw what you did!""

In the meantime, the first brother breathes a quiet sigh of relief, thinking dad was overlooking his part in the fiasco. His relief melts away when his father suddenly turns to him and says, ""And now for you, young man!""

The kingdom of Judah may have felt relief when God miraculously delivered Jerusalem from Sennacherib, king of Assyria (2 Kings 18:13-19). This occurred in 701 B.C., a full twenty years after Israel and its capital had fallen to Assyria.

But God had a message of judgment for Judah as well. One of the prophets charged with delivering that message was Micah, a messenger to the common people. He served as a prophet during the reigns of three kings.

Jotham was generally a good king, although he failed to remove Judah's ""high places"" where God's people practiced idolatry (see 2 Kings 15:35). God would take care of these evil places Himself when He came in judgment (Micah 1:3).

Jotham's son Ahaz, a wicked man, inherited a kingdom that was strong both militarily and politically. But Ahaz greatly corrupted God's people, adopting the evil worship practices of the northern kingdom.

Ahaz's son Hezekiah was one of Judah's greatest kings. He turned the nation back to serving the Lord.

Although Micah prophesied primarily to Judah, his frequent references to Israel show that God had given Micah a word of warning for the entire nation.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Americans are fond of pointing to 200 years of God's blessing as evidence that He will not really judge us in the same way He judged His ancient people. .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Micah 2:1-13
TODAY IN THE WORD

We all have those times when we hear only what we want to hear, not what we need to hear. Sometimes the refusal to admit the truth has relatively small consequences. At other times, however, it can be the prelude to disaster. One example that continues to stand out in history is the Flood during the days of Noah. Imagine the people jeering and laughing at Noah and his family as they built an ark--on dry land! They probably brushed aside his claims that there would be a flood. But in the end, all but Noah and his family were destroyed.

The prophet Micah must have seemed like a ""wet blanket"" in Judah, a stubborn naysayer who refused to paint a rosy picture of the nation's future. There was no lack of prophets to say what the people wanted to hear. ""Do not prophesy about these things,"" the false prophets said. ""Disgrace will not overtake us"" (v. 6). Those who prophesied good things for the nation were the people's choice (v. 11).

But God's Word leaves no doubt about who was right. Judah was too much like her sister Israel for God to ignore her sins. In today's verses, we are introduced to one of Judah's great sins: terrible injustice. Those in power, both socially and in the government, defrauded their brother and sister Israelites of their land (also see Micah 3:1-4).

Taking away a man's land in an agricultural society meant sentencing him and his family to poverty. The coveting of the powerful for the land and homes of the powerless was a direct violation of God's law. The word covet (v. 2) is the same as the one used in the tenth Commandment (Exod. 20:17). To defraud a person of his land portion was also to rob his children of their future, because an Israelite's land was his inheritance.

Throughout Hosea, we have seen God's indictments against Israel set in the context of the Mosaic covenant. To break the covenant was the height of sin against God. Now we know that Judah was also cursed by covenant-breakers.

What would be an appropriate judgment against those who seized the land of others by violence and fraud? Their land would be taken away by foreign invaders (Micah 2:4).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It is so human to hear only the good things people have to tell us. But it's a temptation we need to guard against. .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

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Micah 2:1

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! - Micah 2:1

Dr. Robert G. Lee, a great Baptist preacher, once delivered one of the most famous sermons of this century when he spoke on the subject, "Payday Someday!." The sermon, three hours in length in its original form, is a spellbinding retelling of Ahab's and Jezebel's wicked reign and gruesome end. Dr. Lee's title captures perfectly the principle of God's certain justice, played out in the lives of Israel's infamous king and his pagan wife.

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Micah 2:1-5; 1 Kings 21

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak . . . he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. - Psalm 10:2, 3

TODAY IN THE WORD
The vineyard had been in the family forever, or so it seemed. Although others might have been tempted by the king’s offer to pay a good price for the land, Naboth was shocked that Ahab would even suggest that he sell the family inheritance--even to a king. How could a price be put on such a precious possession?
The evil king sulked away--pouting like a child who hadn’t gotten his way. Seeing him in such a despondent mood, his wife naturally wanted to know what was wrong. Never at a loss for what to do, Jezebel--even more evil than Ahab--arranged for a sham of a trial whose outcome was fixed to ensure that her husband would get what he wanted.

Righteous Naboth was falsely accused by two scoundrels, was quickly found “guilty,” and was executed. The king was finally able to have the object of his greed--Naboth’s vineyard.

God’s severe condemnation and just anger made it quite clear that such blatant evil could not go unpunished (1 Kings 21:19–24). This divine indictment humbled Ahab (v. 29)--for a while at least.

As we saw yesterday, the well-being and preservation of a family was integrally tied to its land inheritance. Naboth was entirely right to refuse to sell his land. Moreover, the law specifically forbade the sale of land (Lev. 25:23; see Nov. 9). As king, Ahab should have known that family land was not to be sold. Instead of protecting those over whom he ruled, he greedily exploited them.

Today’s passage from Micah seems to describe Ahab and Jezebel perfectly! Although Micah prophesied at a much later time (Mic. 1:1), this passage applied to any number of kings during this sad period in Israel’s history, for abuse of power and injustice against the poor was widespread.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
You’ve probably never fallen asleep plotting an evil act (Micah 2:1), but you may have drifted off nursing a grudge.  .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

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Micah 2:11 False Prophets are Characterized by...

Characterized by:
1. Adultery (Jer. 23:14)
2. Lying (Micah 2:11)
3. Treachery (Zeph. 3:4)
4. Opportunistic (Micah 3:11)
5. Drunkenness (Isa 28:7)

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Micah 2:13
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

THE BREAKER IS GONE UP BEFORE THEM. Micah 2:13 (R. V.)

THE mind of the prophet conceives of the people as captives in a foreign city, surrounded by lofty walls and frowning gates. Like impassable barriers, these lie between them and liberty. There seems no hope of their being able to break forth; but all suddenly a Breaker appears, who, summoning them to follow, breaks through the opposition of armed men and of mighty bulwarks. With resistless might, He breaks His way through; and they that follow Him are described as having broken forth, and passed on to the gate, and gone out thereat. First the Lord, then their king, and then hosts of men.

No finer description could be imagined of the resurrection, which we celebrate as the first day of every week recurs. Looking forth from heaven at the mystery of the resurrection, when the triumphant Lord stepped forth from the restraint of watch, and ward, and stone, and demon hate, and the grim fortress of the grave, the angels might fitly have appropriated these words, "The Breaker is gone up" before His redeemed ones. See! they too are breaking forth, and passing on through the gate--their King passing on before them.

This is also true of every new era of time and novelty of circumstance. Circumstances, like prison walls, may confine us; but our Breaker is always preceding us, breaking down opposition and strong ramparts of apparently impassable difficulty; breaking down the suspicion and hatred of men; breaking down the mailed force of hell. Keep close beside Him, as the armor bearer behind Jonathan. Let there be no perceptible interspace. The iron gate of the city will open of its own accord, through which you shall pass into perfect liberty.

Micah 3:1-12
TODAY IN THE WORD

One of the most telling criticisms against America's growing scourge of government-sponsored lotteries is the evidence that many who regularly play the lottery can ill afford to do so. The lottery, as one critic has pointed out, has become like an extra tax on the poor. By selling the fantasy of a life of ease and luxury with just one ""lucky"" play of the lottery, governments across this country are defrauding their citizens. And it's all legal.

But legality has never been the only test of justice. It's possible to know what is right and yet do the opposite. Consider the question the prophet Micah asked the leaders of Israel: ""Should you not know justice?"" (v. 1).

Micah 3:1 begins the prophet's second of three messages, this one extending through chapter 5. This and the other two messages (chaps. 1-2 and 6-7) are introduced either by a call to ""Hear"" or ""Listen.""

The prophet was speaking to ""Jacob"" (Micah 1:5), a synonym for the twelve tribes of Israel. Although Micah's primary emphasis was on the southern kingdom of Judah, he spoke to the nation as a whole in many portions of his prophecy. That's also evident in Micah 1:5 when the prophet refers to both capitals, Samaria and Jerusalem.

Israel's leaders come in for condemnation in Micah 3:1-4. They may have known justice, but they certainly weren't interested in practicing it. These verses offer a stark image--leaders devouring their people as if they were wild animals instead of God's appointed guardians of righteousness and justice. People like this need not expect God to answer their cries for help when invaders come to take them away.

Next, the Lord speaks through Micah to the prophets who had also abandoned their true calling. They were ""for hire,"" saying whatever the people wanted to hear if the price was right. Their judgment would be appropriate (vv. 6-7).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
History is littered with people who compromised their character when a promised pleasure or payoff looked too good to pass up.
Are you being tempted to compromise your Christian character and testimony in some way? It doesn't have to be something ""big"" like bribery or blatant dishonesty. It may be something as small as what you allow yourself to watch on television, cutting a little corner at work, or any one of a dozen other temptations .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Micah 3:8
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

I TRULY AM FULL OF POWER BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD.
Micah 3:8

NOTHING needs more of the Spirit of God than the preaching which declares to men their sins. No one is so thoroughly hated as the candid friend. Just because conscience attests the truth of our utterances, the soul of the sinner resents our plain speaking. You may condemn sin generally as much as you like; but when your hand comes near the broken bone, or the diseased flesh, then there is at once a violent outcry. Nothing is more needed in the present day than particular preaching, the careful analysis of motive, the discrimination of shades of wrongdoing; but the ministry of John the Baptist is only possible to those who come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

We need power like that with which the apostles gave witness to Jesus Christ. And it is not difficult to discern when a man is dealing with sin in the power of the eternal God. We need judgment to detect graver and lighter offences, and trace the connection between sin and its consequence. We need might to withstand the opposition we shall inevitably meet.

But all these may be had with the filling of the Holy Ghost, which is the privilege and right of every child of God in this the age of the Holy Ghost. Our ascended Lord received of the Father the fullness of the Spirit, that He might communicate Him to all who believe; but we, in our turn, must receive. Do not be content with a few drops at the bottom of the bucket; ask to stand always beneath the flowing spring and be filled. The disciples were filled suddenly on the day of Pentecost; but they were being filled perpetually (Acts 13:52, Gr.). The fullness of God for you is only limited by your capacity to receive.

Darwin Or Micah?
Micah 4:1-8

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. --Micah 4:3

Charles Darwin's famous On the Origin of Species was subtitled The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. Darwin viewed human progress as inevitably tied to conflict, where the strong overcome the weak.

This was the basis for Nazi ideology. Because Adolf Hitler believed that Aryans (non-Jewish Caucasians) were superior to all others, he sought to eliminate all non-Aryans.

Marxism promotes the struggle between classes, in which the proletariat (the working class) must destroy the bourgeoisie (the property owners). Some refer to this as "social Darwinism."

The prophet Micah rejected any idea of a super race. He envisioned the day when the blessings God poured upon Israel, a nation favored with a special relationship to Himself, would be shared by all people everywhere. God's one purpose in revealing Himself to the Jews was to convey His life-transforming message of salvation to all nations.

Christians must deplore the suppression of any class of people. We must desire and pray that all people, even those who hate us or defy God's laws, will believe on Jesus Christ and share the wonderful salvation He offers. --H V Lugt (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

The righteousness of Christ is free
To those of every tribe and race;
The Savior died that all may see
The boundless reaches of God's grace. --D J De Haan

No one is too good or too bad to qualify for salvation.

Micah 4:1-5:1
TODAY IN THE WORD

On the grounds of the United Nations headquarters in New York City is an impressive statue crafted by Russian sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich. The sculpture, a gift to the UN from the then-Soviet Union, depicts a man with a huge mallet raised in his right hand. His left hand holds a sword, which the man is beating into a plowshare. The piece is called, not surprisingly, ""Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares."" It was designed to echo the main purpose of the United Nations.

If you read today's text, you know that the artist got his inspiration from Micah 4:3. Whatever we may think of the United Nations' attempts to achieve world peace, the goal is a noble one. And it will be achieved some day, but it will require a far greater King and a far greater kingdom than any this earth has ever seen.

The portion of Micah's prophecy we are studying today and tomorrow describes that King and His kingdom. The prophet's second message, comprising chapters 3-5, begins with judgment but ends with a promise of restoration.

People have been quoting Micah 4:3 for generations, expressing their wish for the day when weapons will not be needed because ""nation will not take up sword against nation."" That day will come ""in the last days"" (v. 1). In this glorious millennial age, Jesus Christ will return to establish His 1000-year reign with Jerusalem, here called ""Zion,"" as His throne (v. 2).

One reason that swords will no longer be necessary is that peoples and nations will stream to the house of the Lord to be taught His ways and to walk in His paths. Israel will then be a place where every person will be able to live in safety, free from fear (v. 4). Any rebellion against Messiah the King will be dealt with quickly and completely.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As God's people, we look forward to the day when Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, will return and establish His true peace on earth. .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Micah 4:1-5
A World At Peace
READ: Isaiah 2:1-9

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. --Isaiah 2:4

President Woodrow Wilson was a staunch idealist whose hope for world peace was deeply embedded in his thinking. Therefore, when he declared war on Germany in 1917, his decision cut to his very heart. It is said that when he returned to the White House, he put his head down on a table and sobbed.

World War I was seen by many as "the war to end all wars." Wilson himself became the leading advocate for the League of Nations, which he hoped would ensure peace. But World War II and many subsequent wars have dashed such hopes.

So the question remains: Can this world ever know true peace? The Bible answers, "Yes!" Two Old Testament prophets describe a future disarmament unlike any in man's history (Isaiah 2:1-4; Micah 4:1-5). And Revelation 20 declares that Satan will be bound and unable to deceive the nations when Jesus Christ comes to reign in righteousness.

What about right now? When individuals trust Jesus as their Savior, they are reconciled to God and are motivated to be peacemakers in their own world of relationships—even with their enemies. God's peace in believers' hearts is a present reality, and the Lord's return to earth is the world's only hope for lasting peace. And it will come! —Dennis J. De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

God gives me peace and I long to share it—
With Christ's gospel message I'll go;
I'll speak of His grace and joy that He gives me
Till He comes, then world peace we'll know. —Cetas

Only the Prince of Peace can bring lasting peace

Micah 4:1
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

IN THE LATTER DAYS IT SHALL COME TO PASS. Micah 4:1 (R. V.)

THESE words are repeated in Isa. 2:2-4. The holy men that wrote the Bible lived upon the inspired words of their predecessors. Amid the dark night this promise of God shone like binary stars.

No doubt they have been fulfilled in the Gospel dispensation. In a deep and true sense it has come to pass that the Lord's house has been established in the top of the mountains, and has been exalted above the hills. The Church is a conspicuous and influential object among the forces of the world; and peoples are flowing toward it. In very many cases whole nations have flung away the religion of their ancestors, and gathered within that Christian temple which has been built upon the foundations of Judaism. Out of Zion there has gone forth the law; and from Jerusalem the Word of the Lord. In Jesus, the Jew is still the centre of the world's vision.

But the full accomplishment of these words waits behind the curtain that is so soon to be rent at the coming of our Lord. Then holy influences will proceed from the chosen people (those in Israel) who shall have been led to recognize Christ as their Messiah. From these the Gospel shall go forth unto all the world. Beneath the hallowing influences of that age swords shall be beaten into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks; the cannon shall be as obsolete as the tomahawk; the explosives of war shall be stored in museums; whilst schools for training the art of war shall be used as missionary seminaries.

There shall be no war, because there shall be no fear. "None shall make them afraid." And there shall be no fear, because universal love shall reign toward God and man.

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The passage, found in Isaiah 2 and in Micah 4, where “swords” will be made into “ploughshares,” is inscribed on a stone wall facing the U.N. building in New York.

Khrushchev saw a figurative fulfillment of the prophecy when he visited the John Deere factory near Des Moines, Iowa: The plant was built early in World War II for manufacture of machine-gun bullets. Today it produces farm implements.

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Micah 5:1-15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. - Luke 2:11

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free.
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King.
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious Kingdom bring

These words, based on Micah 5:1–5, were penned by Charles Wesley, the famous evangelist and composer of over 6,000 hymns. Many theologians think this Scripture passage is the most important prophecy in the Old Testament since it distinguishes Christ’s human birth from His eternal existence (v. 2). The words “from ancient times” could also be translated “from days of eternity.” Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem, but He had existed throughout all time.

The sentence, “They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod” (v. 1) probably refers to Zedekiah, the last king in the line of David to rule in Judah. King Zedekiah was captured by the Babylonians and hauled off in bronze shackles after seeing his sons murdered just before his eyes were put out (2 Kings 25:7). Many Jews feared that the line of David had come to an end with the Babylonian captivity and wondered how the promise God made to David, that one was to come in his line and reign forever, could ever be fulfilled.

Since there were two Bethlehems, “Bethlehem Ephrathah” (v. 2) is used to distinguish between them. The word ephrathah means “fruitful.”

King David and his line had come from Bethlehem, so it was well respected. Yet, after the dispersion of the Jews, no descendants of David lived in Bethlehem. One family in the line of David, however, did live in the town of Nazareth, about 80 miles away. And a decree issued by Augustus Caesar, one that fit perfectly into God’s plan, brought Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her husband, Joseph, to Bethlehem.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In the midst of foretelling of death and destruction, God encouraged His people through the prophet, Micah, by offering the hope of a Savior and the promise of peace.

Because of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem and His death on the Cross we, too, have the opportunity to experience peace with God with no fear of retribution. Our sins are forgiven; our slate is wiped clean. .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Micah 5:1-5
"What If?"

When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law. - Galatians 4:4

Several years ago a group of historians authored a book called "If - Or History Rewritten." Some of the "ifs" those scholars considered were these: What if Robert E. Lee had not lost the battle of Gettysburg? What if the Moors in Spain had won? What if the Dutch had kept New Amsterdam? What if Booth had missed when he shot at Abraham Lincoln? What if Napoleon had escaped to America?

The attempt to reconstruct the past on the basis of these "ifs" was only a historian's game. But apply it for a moment to the central event in history - the birth of Jesus Christ. It was foretold with pinpoint accuracy hundreds of years before by the prophet Micah. The greatest "if", therefore - the most startling question to the imagination - is, "What if Jesus had not been born as predicted?"

Such an "if" staggers the mind. It is like imagining the earth without a
sunrise or the heavens without a sky. Yet this "if" must be taken seriously, especially at Christmas, because our world is oblivious to
the true meaning of Christ's coming.

On the first Sunday of Advent, try to think of the world without Christ.
What would history have been without Him? And at a personal level, what would your life be without Him? Thank God that there are no "ifs" in history. - Haddon W. Robinson (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

If Christ had never left His throne
To enter time and space,
We'd have no hope beyond the grave,
No knowledge of His grace.- Sper

A world without Christ would be a world without hope.

Micah 5:2
Our Daily Bread
Born In Us
READ: Micah 5:1-5

Bethlehem Ephrathah, . . . out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel. —Micah 5:2

During a visit to England's picturesque Stratford-upon-Avon, I was struck by how a town's identity and future can be affected just because someone was born there. Every year, half a million people come to visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare, whom some consider the most influential playwright in the English language.

And what about Bethlehem? With the birth of Jesus, Micah's prophecy of significance was fulfilled: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). Bethlehem is defined by Jesus' birth.

Isn't the same true for us? When Christ comes to live in us, we are changed. No longer just ordinary human beings, we become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Our identity and destiny are marked by Him, just as surely as a town becomes known for the significant person who was born there.

Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate the presence of Christ in us, and the change He brings to all who invite Him in. —David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in-
Be born in us today. -Brooks

God came to live with us so we could live with Him

Micah 5:2
The Place Of Going Forth
READ: Micah 5:1-4

Bethlehem . . . , out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel. —Micah 5:2

A lot of attention was suddenly focused on the small town of Bethlehem. Jews from many parts of the world came to be counted in a census. Mary and Joseph traveled there from Nazareth. Shepherds came from the fields to see the Baby lying in a manger (Luke 2:15-16) after a multitude of angels had come to announce, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (vv.13-14).

Every Christmas, in our imagination, we go to Bethlehem to celebrate Jesus' birth. But we cannot stay there; we must leave. The angels returned to heaven. Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem, then sought safety in Egypt.

The shepherds' exit gives a clear message to us. They left the stable and told everyone about the holy Child. "And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds" (v.18).

It's appropriate for us to do the same. Micah prophesied that from Bethlehem would go forth a Ruler of Israel, the eternal Maker of the world, who had come to save mankind from sin (Micah 5:2). This season, let's join those who have gone forth from their visits to Bethlehem to proclaim the good news of Christ, who came to save us.—David C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere—
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born! —Traditional

The gospel is one gift you can keep and still pass on to others

Micah 5:2-15
TODAY IN THE WORD

Abraham Lincoln's humble beginnings have become part of American lore. But one historian says that the most difficult part of young Abraham's life came not during his early years in a Kentucky cabin, but after Thomas Lincoln moved the family to Indiana in 1816. The family arrived in Indiana during early winter, needing immediate shelter. Thomas and his son built a three-sided log shelter called a ""half-faced camp,"" the only protection on the fourth side being a fire that burned day and night. The Lincolns began building a log cabin after finishing the shelter, and the family moved in during February, 1817.

Many of the world's great rulers came from humble beginnings, but none more so than earth's rightful Ruler, Jesus Christ the Messiah. Actually, Micah's famous prophecy in verse 2 speaks both of Jesus' earthly beginnings as the Son of Man and of His eternality as the Son of God.

This great verse is like an early touch of Christmas joy, since it is so much a part of the Advent story. But the prophecy is even more glorious in its context of the coming judgment and ultimate blessing. The Ruler from Bethlehem of Judah will one day reign in power and majesty over His millennial kingdom.

Of course, the fifth chapter of Micah does not end with verse 2. That's good news, because the remainder of the chapter outlines a half dozen items on the Messiah's list to accomplish at His Second Coming and the establishment of His kingdom.

First, He will reunite the nation of Israel (v. 3). Second, He will rule His people as a caring and protecting Shepherd (vv. 4-5a). Their security and peace will never be in doubt.

What about Israel's enemies? That's the third item on Micah's list. They will be routed before the Messiah (vv. 5b-9), never to rise up again. Therefore, fourth, Israel will no longer need to rely on military might, but only on the Lord (vv. 10-11).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Yesterday we praised God for the peace we can enjoy today as His children.

We urge you to praise God for the coming peace of His kingdom. Remember, we who know Christ will rule with Him in the Millennium! Our strife-filled world makes universal peace seem like a pipe dream. On the contrary, it is a wonderful reality recorded for us in the pages of God's Word .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Believing Christ died—that’s history
Believing Christ died for me—that’s salvation.

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MICAH 5:2

Isaiah, Micah, and many of the other prophets foretold many details of Jesus' birth, life, and death hundreds of years before they were fulfilled. The likelihood of these events occurring exactly as they were prophesied is too remote to explain away the phenomenon by calling it coincidence.

In Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies. He said,

"The chance that any man might have...fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in ten to the seventh degree. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000."

Stoner said that if we took that many silver dollars and laid them across Texas they would cover the state two feet deep.

Since Christ's first coming was the exact fulfillment of many prophecies, we can expect the same of His second coming. —D. J. De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

PROPHECY IS HISTORY WRITTEN AHEAD OF TIME.

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Micah 5:2 - Mary Had The Little Lamb

Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth;
Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth.
Micah 5:2

Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall --
Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the Fall.
Isaiah 7:14

Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God;
Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod.
John 6:38

Mary had the little Lamb, crucified on the tree
The rejected Son of God, He died to set men free.
1 Peter 1:18

Mary had the little Lamb -- men placed Him in the grave,
Thinking they were done with Him; to death He was no slave!
Matthew 28:6

Mary had the little Lamb, ascended now is He;
All work on Earth is ended, our Advocate to be.
Hebrews 4:14-16

Mary had the little Lame -- mystery to behold!
From the Lamb of Calvary, a Lion will unfold.
Revelation 5: 5,6

When the Day Star comes again, of this be very sure:
It won't be Lamb-like silence, but with the Lion's roar.
Psalm 2:12, Revelation 19:11-16

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MICAH 5:4

Can meekness and majesty exist in the same person?

Amazingly, they co-existed in the God-man, Jesus.

He was humble and meek. He didn't insist on luxury or seek for material possessions. In fact, He didn't own or possess any property except for the clothes He wore. In terms of pursuing fame and glory, He walked away from more crowds than He called together. He was the leader, but He knelt to wash the feet of His disciples (John 13).

Yet, with such beautiful humility, there was also an awesome majesty about Jesus. One word or look from Jesus could quiet a crowd, calm a storm, or make a disciple weep. Thousands followed Him as He lived and taught with unequaled power and authority. Although He died bearing our sin and shame, He rose from the grave in glory. One day He will return in majesty as King of kings and Lord of lords, vanquishing His foes and judging the nations. —D. C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

THE HIGH AND HOLY ONE BECAME THE MEEK AND LOWLY ONE.

Micah 5:4-5
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

AND THIS MAN SHALL BE OUR PEACE. Micah 5:4-5 (R. V.)

HE that comes from Bethlehem Ephratah, leaving a trail of light that conducts the eyes of all generations back to the little village, "the least amongst the thousands of Judah," is the Everlasting Jehovah, whose goings forth have been from of old.

What majesty is His! He shall stand amid the swirling waves of change, the shifting quicksands of time, and the drifting cloud wrack of revolution; erect, unchangeable, unmovable. And not He alone, but His flock which has gathered around Him out of the windy storm and tempest. No common majesty mantles that gentle form; it is the majesty of the Name of Jehovah, the glory that He had with the Father before the worlds were.

What tenderness is His! He feeds His flock like a shepherd, and gathers the lambs in His arm. Though He is great to the ends of the earth, He is the Prince of Peace. He makes peace; does His work calmly and tenderly; lays the foundations of peace by yielding His life to the death of the Cross without resistance or complaint.

What strength is His! Strong with the original strength of Deity, with the acquired strength of perfect obedience, with the strength that accrues from the successful prevalence over His foes. His strength is ours, because He loves us perfectly; and it is the boast of the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to seek its own.

And this Man is our Peace.--He came and preached Peace to them that were far off, and Peace to them that were nigh. He has made Peace by the Blood of His Cross. He is the Prince of Peace to loyal and loving hearts. He sheds abroad in our hearts His own Peace, which the world cannot take away.

Micah 6:1-16
TODAY IN THE WORD

Despite the mind-numbing brutality of the Joseph Stalin regime in the Soviet Union, his propaganda machine did its job well. Many Russians hailed him as a hero and a savior, including a young school girl who was chosen to greet Stalin on one occasion.

Years later, this woman recalled Stalin taking her onto his lap, smiling like a loving father. She was starry-eyed, and she cherished the moment for many years. Only later did she learn that during this period, Stalin had her parents arrested and sent to the labor camps, never to be seen again.

Such deceit staggers the imagination. Regarding the Soviet regime, we could say: what else could we have expected from leaders who denied the existence of God and sought to stamp out His memory?

But it's harder to explain away the deceit and treachery on the part of God's chosen people. The prophets Hosea and Micah catalogued the nation's sins, with Micah carrying a particular burden for the cruel injustice that marked the nation in his day.

We have already learned that when God issues an indictment against an individual or a people, there is no answer and no defense. Here in 6:1-5, God issued another such indictment. These accusations are not those of an impersonal prosecutor assigned to a case by the courts.

Instead, they comprise the plea of a loving and caring Father, innocent of any wrongdoing. Talk about ungrateful children. God, of course, had done nothing to earn their disobedience. Rather, He delivered them from slavery in Egypt, gave them the great leader Moses, prevented the false prophet Balaam from cursing them, and brought them by a miracle across the Jordan River (Josh. 4:18).

In response, the people proposed to approach God with sacrifices (Micah 6:6-7). But unless accompanied by justice, mercy, and humility--which would evidence genuine repentance-- Israel's sacrifices were useless.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Integrity seems to be a topic that keeps coming up this month--and it's no wonder, given our subject matter.

One aspect of integrity we have not discussed yet is that of accountability. One way we can help to keep our lives in line with God's requirements is by developing a relationship with another person who can help keep us accountable.  .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Micah 6:8
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

DO JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, AND WALK HUMBLY WITH THY GOD? Micah 6:8

THE perfunctory sacrifices of lambs and rams, rivers of oil, and of tender children, were eagerly practiced by the surrounding nations, such as the Moabites, but were abhorrent to God. What to Him is the outward rite without the holy purpose; the child's form of obeisance, apart from filial love! Grave questionings as to the utility of mere ritualism suggested themselves in the old-world religions. It appears that the questions of this chapter were put by Balaam; and the words before us were uttered by the Divine Spirit to his heart. But however that may be, it is matter for our adoring gratitude that God has stepped out of the infinite to show us what is good, and what He requires.

To do justly is to preserve the balance of strict equity: if an employer, treating work-people with perfect justice; if a manufacturer or salesman, making and selling what will thoroughly satisfy the just requirements of the purchaser; if an employee, giving an exact equivalent of time and diligence and conscientious labor for money received.

To love mercy is to take into consideration all those drawbacks which misfortunes, which enfeebled health, or crushing sorrow may impose on those who owe us service or money, or in some other way are dependent upon us.

To a walk humbly with God implies constant prayer and watchfulness, familiar yet humble converse, conscientious solicitude, to allow nothing to divert us from His side or to break the holy chain of conversation. We must exchange our monologue, in which we talk with ourselves, for dialogue, in which we talk as we walk with God. Ask Him to make these good things the ordinary tenor of your life.

Micah 6:8
Let Right Be Done
READ: Micah 6:1-8

What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. --Micah 6:8

An engaging family film, The Winslow Boy, tells the story of a 13-year-old who is accused of stealing and is expelled from a British military school. The father believes his son is innocent and marshals all his resources to defend him. As the case attracts public attention, many people rally behind the boy with the slogan "Let right be done."

There is something within us that longs for justice for others and for ourselves. But there is only one aspect of justice that is fully within our control, and that is our behavior toward others.

To a people who hurt the Lord deeply by their selfishness and unjust treatment of others, the prophet Micah said, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8). What does the Lord long for from us? He wants action ("do justly"), affection ("love mercy"), and association ("walk humbly with your God").

As Christians, instead of demanding "Let right be done to me," may our rallying cry become "Let right be done by me." Great things can happen when we say, "In my family, in my community, in my workplace, in every relationship, let right be done by me!" —David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill;
O may it all my powers engage,
To do my Master's will! --Wesley

Justice is accomplished one right at a time.

Micah 6:8
Our Daily Walk
F B Meyer
GOD'S REQUIREMENTS

"What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."-- Micah 6:8.

MICAH WAS a man of the people, and a true patriot. In his day, the political outlook was dark in the extreme, and the prophet felt that one thing only could save his country, and that was a deep and widespread revival of religion. To the inquiry of the people as to whether Jehovah desired the sacrifice of animals, or little children, who were immolated by the heathen people around in order to rid their consciences from sin, the answer came that God required something more spiritual and searching: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, etc."

Let us make this threefold message our own. To do justly, giving not a fraction less than can be rightly claimed from us. Every one of us must acknowledge the righteous claims of our home-circle, and of our neigh-bouts, and we must adjust these claims, giving each his due.

Let us love mercy. There are some who have perhaps forfeited all claim on our mercy--the prisoner, the fallen, the helpless, our enemies--we must help all these not grudgingly, but cheerfully and willingly. Do not try to love mercy till you begin to show it. Dare to step out into a life of unselfish beneficence, and as you do so, you will come to love it. St. James insists that pure religion as much consists in visiting the widow and fatherless in their affliction as in keeping oneself unspotted from the world.

Let us also walk humbly with God, not lagging behind, nor running before, but walking with Him, hand in hand. All down the ages, from Enoch onward, there have been those who walked with God in unstained robes. It is not in sacrifices, or rites, or church-going, or almsgiving, though these will follow afterwards, but in holy and humble living, that the heart of true religion is realized.

Is that all? No! What is to be done for those who have tried and failed, who are conscious of guilt and sin? In the closing verses of this book is the answer. There we learn that God will not only forgive, but will subdue our iniquities. He will turn again and have compassion upon us, and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. He delighteth in mercy! Who is a God like unto Thee?

PRAYER
O Lord, may Thy all-powerful grace make me as perfect as Thou hast commanded me to be. AMEN.

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Micah 6:8

According to a 3rd century rabbi, Moses gave 365 prohibitions and 248 positive commands. David reduced them to 11 in Psalm 15. Isaiah made them 6 (Isaiah 33:14, 15). Micah 6:8 binds them into 3 commands. Habakkuk reduces them all to one great statement: The just shall live by faith.

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Micah 7:1-13
TODAY IN THE WORD

Another victim of Joseph Stalin's communist regime in the Soviet Union (see yesterday's study) was author Alexander Solzhenitsyn. In his unforgettable book, The Gulag Archipelago, Solzhenitsyn described the fear of life in a nation where no one could trust a neighbor or even a family member, much as the prophet Micah says of Israel in today's reading. Solzhenitsyn was caught in the web of Stalin's secret police and sent into the Soviet leader's dreaded Siberian prison camp system known as the gulag.

As Solzhenitsyn details his ordeal and that of other innocent Soviet citizens, the picture quickly emerges of a system utterly devoid of either justice or mercy. Ultimately, the Soviet Union collapsed from the collective effects of its moral and spiritual bankruptcy, and we were witnesses to its fall.

Micah was not around to witness the southern kingdom's fall to the Babylonians, which occurred more than a century after Micah's life. But he witnessed to the event in advance through his prophecy; and he also addressed the much more imminent collapse of the northern kingdom, Israel.

Micah expressed his despair at his people's sinfulness by saying Israel was devoid of any good fruit (v. 1). This is similar to someone's saying today, ""There's not a good apple in the bunch."" Israel and Judah were inhabited by the ungodly--the kind of people who would lie in wait to ambush a brother.

Such evil had led to sin in which everyone, from the greatest to the least, was involved. The nation's sin also manifested itself in unnatural ways as friends and neighbors, husbands and wives, and parents and children devised treachery against one another.

Was there any hope in the midst of this mess? Yes, there was--and Micah expressed it in the conclusion of his third message (chaps. 6-7) and his prophecy. Today's verse is the demarcation point between despair and hope, between judgment and salvation.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Isn't it great to know that no person or situation is hopeless as long as God is in the picture? That means it's too early to give up on that difficult person or that immovable circumstance.  .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Micah 7:8
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer

REJOICE NOT AGAINST ME, O MINE ENEMY: WHEN I FALL, I SHALL ARISE. - Micah 7:8

THOU art glad, O child of the darkness, that the child of God has fallen into the pit: thou laughest derisively and in scorn. But wait to see the end of the Lord, for He is very pitiful. Thy rock is not as our Rock, and of this thou shalt be the judge. Our God will chastise with many stripes those of His children who persist in wrongdoing. He will withdraw the light of His face. He will permit the backslider to bear His indignation. But He does not keep His anger forever, or allow the enemy and avenger to wreak all His vengeance. He may use the stripes of the children of men to a certain point; but immediately they exceed it, and take unhallowed license, He steps in and delivers His beloved, enabling the returning and restored soul to use these words.

Wait, O soul; thy God will presently arise to plead thy cause, and execute judgment for thee; do not put forth thine hand to save thyself; wait on Him, He will deliver thee; He will bring thee forth to the light, and thou shalt behold His righteousness in the ordering of thy life. Only acknowledge thy sin; cast thyself on His mercy; and accept what He may appoint by way of chastening.

What an exquisite word is here for those who sit in darkness from any cause: from the waning of human love; the darkening of increasing physical weakness; the withdrawal of beloved faces, one by one, from the family circle. Look unto the Lord; wait for the God of your salvation; when you sit in darkness, He will be a light.

"In darkest shades, if He appear,
My dawning is begun;
He is my soul's sweet morning star,
And He my rising sun."

Micah 7:14-20
TODAY IN THE WORD

During the 1884 presidential campaign, the Republicans charged Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland with evading military service in the Civil War. They claimed that he had hired a former convict to serve in his place. The accusation was eventually proven false--and since Cleveland's opponent, James Blaine, was not a Civil War veteran either, the issue was soon dropped.

Serious charges against leaders in high places, whether just or unjust, have become a normal part of the American landscape. The nation of Israel was the bearer of some very serious charges, too. But these accusations were just, because they originated in the court of heaven. Throughout this month, we read God's legal brief against His people.

However, Micah's prophecy ends on a high note. The day will come when God will not make any charge of sin against His people. Their sins will be pardoned, trampled under foot, and thrown into the sea (v. 19). Neither will God tolerate any charge against Israel from other parties.

This glorious era is, of course, the millennial kingdom age when God's Messiah-King, Jesus Christ, will rule in total righteousness. In response to the prophet's plea, ""Shepherd your people with your staff"" (v. 14), the Messiah promises to show wonders just as God did when He brought Israel out of Egypt.

The Egyptians could only look on in wonder and horror as God displayed His power. In the same way, the nations will be reduced to trembling before God's mighty power and will come shaking to the Lord.

Verse 18 is a wonderful question with which to end the book of Micah and our study. The obvious answer is that no god is like our God. He alone can pardon sin and show compassion to His people. Praise God--He does not stay angry with His people but delights in showing mercy.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We've been finding some great encouragement this week from the pages of Micah's prophecy.

Today's text suggests another encouragement. No charge laid against us and no sin on our part will stand in the way of God's presence (Rom. 8:33-34). As it will be for Israel in the Millennium, so it is for us today in Christ. Obviously, this does not mean that we can be careless about sin. In Romans 8, Paul is not talking about our day-to-day condition, but about the security of our standing in Christ. .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

Micah 7:14-20
TODAY IN THE WORD

You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. - Micah 7:18b

While pleading for a man’s life in William Shakespeare’s drama, The Merchant of Venice, one of the characters says:

“The quality of mercy is not strain’d.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.
Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown. . . .
It is an attribute of God Himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice.”

These classic lines make a good introduction to our month’s study of forgiveness and more specifically, to our discussion today of God’s pleasure in extending forgiveness. Our God is a God who delights to show mercy and to forgive sin. According to today’s reading, part of His greatness lies in the very fact that He forgives!

That’s where we’ll begin this month–with God and how forgiving love is part of His character. Then we’ll take a brief look at the biblical foundations of forgiveness, such as Old Testament sacrifices and the Cross. Thirdly, we’ll examine how to seek forgiveness, including the spiritual discipline of confession. Finally, we’ll discuss when and how to offer forgiveness to others. Though our topic is quite practical, we want to stress that this is a biblical study, not a psychological one.

In our reading today, the prophet Micah asked, “Who is a God like you?” (v. 18). None–He’s incomparable! The proof is that He pardons and forgives. His anger is replaced by compassion. He rejoices to show mercy. He doesn’t forgive grudgingly or even matter-of-factly. Rather, it’s something He loves to do, something that gives Him great pleasure.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Spend some time today meditating on the perfection and mystery of God’s forgiveness. When He forgives, sin is gone–as far as the east is from the west. The Lord puts it behind His back and tramples it underfoot. He hurls it into the depths of the sea. You can search the whole world, but you won’t find it. It’s not lurking somewhere, waiting to pounce. It’s gone. When God forgives, it’s 100 percent! Not only is His forgiveness perfect in erasing any trace of our sin, it’s a joyous act of mercy by God who delights to forgive His people. .  (Copyright Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)

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Micah 7:19
The Sea

Although space exploration has received much publicity, there is another world, equally intriguing, the exploration of which has not received so much attention. Although much closer to us, the world of the sea still contains many mysteries. One remarkable conquest took place early Saturday morning, January 23, 1960. History was made that day as a two-man crew descended to the deepest known point on the Earth’s surface. The Challenger Deep, 35,800 feet below the surface, had been conquered. Were the highest mountain to be dropped into this trench it would still be covered by over one mile of water. T P F (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

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Micah 7:19
Trampled Under Foot

Jonathan Goforth (1859-1936) and Rosalind Goforth (1864-1942)  were missionaries to China. It is said of Jonathan that "when he found his own soul needed Jesus Christ, it became a passion with him to take Jesus Christ to every soul." For many years Rosalind often felt oppressed by a burden of sin, feeling guilty and dirty as she nursed an inward sense of spiritual failure. One evening she began to scour her Bible to find out God’s attitude toward the failures, faults and sins of His children. Wherever she found a verse that spoke to this topic, she would write across the top of the page "What God Does With Our Sins". Here is what this dear saint of God found regarding her (and our) sins if we are believers (and if not let this list encourage your to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and your sins will be washed away and you will be as white as snow)...

1. He lays them on his Son—Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:6

2. Christ takes them away. John 1:29

3. They are removed an immeasurable distance—as far as East is from West. Psalm 123:12

4. When sought for, they are not found. Jeremiah 50:20

5. The Lord forgives them. Ephesians 1:7

6. He cleanses them ALL away by the blood of his son. 1 John 1:7

7. He cleanses them as white as snow or wool. Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 51:7

8. He abundantly pardons them. Isaiah 55:7

9. He tramples them under foot. Micah 7:19

10. He remembers them no more. Hebrews 10:17

11. He casts them behind his back. Isaiah 38:17

12. He casts them into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

13. He will not impute us with sins. Romans 4:8

14. He covers them. Romans 4:7

15. He blots them out. Isaiah 43:25

16. He blots them out as a thick cloud. Isaiah 44:22