Micah 1 ✒️ A Loving Message

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Micah 1 ✒️ A Loving Message

October 24, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the LORD from his holy temple.

3For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

4And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.

5For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

6Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.

7And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.

8Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

9For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

10Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

11Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.

12For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.

13O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

14Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

15Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.

16Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Micah

Date Penned: BC 742-687

Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7)

Theme: The Trial of the Captives (c 1-2)

Message: Grief Over Samaria and Jerusalem (v 1-16)

Micah 1 Commentary

(1:1) Micah and Isaiah lived at the same time, about 750-680 BC and undoubtedly know of each other. Micah directed his message mainly to Judah, the Southern Kingdom, but he also had some words for Israel, the Northern Kingdom. Judah enjoyed great prosperity at this time. Of the three kings mentioned, Jotham (750-735) and Hezekiah (715-686) tried to follow God (2 Kings 15) but Ahaz (735-715) was one of the most evil kings ever to reign in Judah (2 Kings 16)

(1:3-4) Jerusalem was the capital city of Judah (Southern Kingdom) and Samaria was the capital city of Israel (Northern Kingdom). The destruction of Samaria was literally fulfilled during Micah's lifetime, in 722 BC (2 Kings 17) just as he had predicted.

(1:5) There are two sins identified in Micah's message - the perversion of worship and injustice toward others which was rampant in the capital cities. Thes sins infiltrated and infected the entire country

(1:9) Samaria's sins were beyond healing and God's judgement on the city had already begun. Its sin was not like a gash in the skin, but more like a stab wound in a vital organ, Sin had caused an injury that would soon prove fatal (Samaris was, in fact, destroyed early in Micah's ministry) Tragically, Samaria's sin had influenced Jerusalem, and judgement would come to its very gates. This probably refers to Sennacherib's siege in 701 BC (2 Kings 18)

(1:10-12) Micah declares God's judgement on city after city because of the people's sins.

(1:13) The people of Lachish influenced many to follow their evil example. We often do the same when we sin. Regardless of whether you consider yourself a leader, your daily actions and words are observed by others more than you suspect, and they may choose to follow your example, whether you know it or not.

(1:14) Moresheth-gath was Micah's hometown

(1:15) This verse can also be translated "the glory of Israel will enter Adullam" The terrain surrounding Adullam had numerous caves. Micah was wearing that when the enemy approached, Judah's proud princes would be forced to flee and hide in these caves.

(1:16) Micah pictured the devastating sorrow of parents seeing their children taken away to be slaves in a distant land. This happened frequently in both Israel and Judah. most horribly when each nation was completely conquered - Israel in 722 BC and Judah in 586 BC

LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we start the book of Micah with Chapter 1. In our text today we see Micah delivering the word of the Lord to Judah and Samaria explaining the Lords disapproval of their sin just as a lawyer would in a Court case. In making application we see that the Lord still hates sin but loves the sinner warning them to repent before it is too late. In making application we see the Lord is still delivering His loving message through the pages of the Bible telling us of our sin and to repent before it is too late. How about you? Do you see the warning of the Lord through His Word, the Bible. Let us learn from our text today and the Message of the Bible where the Lord explains how He loves us, how we are sinners, and Jesus-Christ who has paid the price for our sins if we would call on him to be saved.

Micah 7 ✒️ Everyone is Doing it

October 30, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. 2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 7 Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. 8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. 10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. 11 In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. 12 In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. 13 Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. 14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. 15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things. 16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. 17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee. 18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Micah Date Penned: BC 742-687 Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7) Theme: The Trial of the People (c 6-7) Message: God Promises Eventual Restoration (v 1-20) Micah 7 Commentary (7:1-4) This chapter begins in gloom and ends in hope. Micah watched as society rotted around him, Rulers demanded gifts, Judges accepted bribes, corruption was universal but God promised to lead the people out of darkness of sin and info for his light. Then the people would praise him for his faithfulness. God alone is perfectly faithful. Micah could not find an honest person anywhere in the land. Even today, real honesty is difficult to find. Society rationalizes sin, and even Christians sometimes compromise Christian principles in order to do what they want. It is easy to convince ourselves that we deserve a few breaks, especially when "everyone else" is doing it. But the standards for honesty come from God, not society, We are honest because God is truth, and we are saved, the Holy Spirit abides within us, and when we yield to the Spirit we will do His Will and be Honest too. (7:5-6) Sin had affected the government leaders and society in general. Deceit had even ruined the family to the core of society. As a result, the only way to the left to purify the people was God's judgement. This would draw the nation back to him and restore them from the inside out. (7:7-8) Micah showed great faith in God as he proclaimed that He would wait upon the Lord because God hears us, Micah proclaimed that the Lord would bring him through tough times, out of the darkness, and protect him from his enemies. We too can have this same relationship with the Lord to have Micah's assurance and faith to walk in victory. (7:9) Micah realized that the people would be patient and obedient when they were being punished. God would forgive them and show his goodness again. (Lamentations 3) Punishment does not mean rejection. The nation of Judah was being punished in order to bring the people to God, not send them away from him. When you face trials because of your sin, do not be angry with the Lord or be afraid that he has rejected you, Instead turn away from your sin and turn to the Lord. (7:18) God loves to be merciful! He does not forgive grudgingly, but is glad wen we repent and offers forgiveness to all who come back to him. Today you can confess your sins and receive his loving forgiveness. Don't be too proud to accept God's free offer. (7:20) In the age when religion was makin little difference in people's lives, Micah said that God expected his people to be fair just, and merciful. He requires the same of Christians today, in a world that is unfair, we must act justly , in a world of pride and self-sufficiency , we must walk humbly with God. Only when we live God's way will be begin to affect our homes, our society, and our world. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Micah with Chapter 7. In our text today we see how Micah could not find an honest man anywhere in the Land to finish the book with the Lord bringing eventual Restoration. In making application we see that honesty is hard to find as even those who claim to be Christians fail to be truthful. With the wide spread sin it is easy to fall into the trap that "Everyone is Doing it" How about you? Do you compromise on sin due to others around you? Let us learn from our text today and the warning of Micah to not compromise on sin because of others around us doing it but rather obey the Word of God because restoration is coming and the Lord is Just.

Micah 6 ✒️ Living Sacrifices of Obedience

October 29, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. 2Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. 3O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. 4For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD. 6Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 9The LORD's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. 10Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? 11Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? 12For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. 14Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword. 15Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine. 16For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Micah Date Penned: BC 742-687 Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7) Theme: The Trial of the People (c 6-7) Message: God has a Complaint Against His People (v 1-16) Micah 6 Commentary (6:1) Here Micah pictures a courtroom, God, the Judge, tells his people what he requires of them and recites all the ways wronged both him and others. Chapter 4-5 are full of hope while chapters 6-7 proclaim judgement and appeal to the people to repent. (6:2) God called the mountains to confirm the peoples guilt. The mountains would serve as excellent witnesses, for it was in the "high places" that the people had built pagan altars and sacrificed to false gods (1 Kings 14, Jeremiah 17, Ezekiel 20) (6:3) The people would never be able to answer this question because God had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had been exceedingly patient with them, had always lovingly guided them, and had given them every opportunity to return to him, If God asked you this question, how would you respond? (6:5) The story of Balak and Balaam is found in Numbers 22, Shittim (Acadia) was the Israelites campsite east of the Jordan River just before they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 2) There the people received many of God's Instruction about how to live. Gilgal, their first campsite after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4) was where the people renewed their covenant with God (Joshua 5) These 2 places represent God's loving care for his people, his willingness both protect them and to warn them about potential troubles. In Micah's day the people had forgotten this covenant and its benefits and had turned away from God. (6:5) God continued to be kind to his forgetful people but their short memory and lack of thankfulness condemned them, When people refused to see how fortunate they are and begin to take God's gifts for granted, they become self-centered. Regularly remember God's goodness and thank him. Remembering God's past protection will help you see his present provision. (6:6-7) Israel responded to God's request by trying to appease hem with sacrifices, hoping he would then leave them alone. But sacrifices and other religious rituals aren't enough. God wants change lives. He wants his people to be fair, just, merciful, and humble. God wants us to become living sacrifices (Romans 12) not just doing religious deeds, but living right (Jeremiah 4) Hebrews 9) It is impossible to follow God consistently without his transforming love in our hearts. (6:8) People have tried all kinds of ways to please God but God has made his intentions clear, He wants his people to treat others as themselves with mercy and grace forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven us through salvation. (6:16) Omri reigned over Israel and led the people into idol worship (1 Kings 16) Ahab, his son, was Israel's most wicked king (1 Kings 16) Their following this leadership left Israel in bad shape as a nation. We need to follow the Lord and not the rulers of the day. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Micah with Chapter 6. In our text today we see that God had a complaint with the people of Israel and in their response to people tried to appease the Lord with sacrifices when He wanted them to present themselves as living sacrifices of obedience. In making application the Lord wants the same of us today. Once saved He wants us to present our bodies as living sacrifices that allow the Spirit of God to live in us and through us. How about you? Are you presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to the Lord? Let us learn from our text today and the relationship between Israel and the Lord to see that He wants us to be saved and then to present ourselves to as living sacrifices of obedience to the Lord.

Micah 5 ✒️ The Bible Stands Alone

October 28, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 3Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 4And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. 5And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. 6And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. 7And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. 8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 9Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. 10And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: 11And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: 12And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. 14And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. 15And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Micah Date Penned: BC 742-687 Overview: To Warn God's People of Judgement and to Repent (c 1-7) Theme: The Trial of the Leaders (c 3-5) Message: A Ruler will come from Bethlehem (v 1-15) Micah 5 Commentary (5:1) Jerusalem's leaders were obsessed with wealth and position, but Micah prophesied that mighty Jerusalem, with all its wealth and power would be besieged and destroyed. Its king could not save it. In contrast, Bethlehem, a tiny town, would be the birthplace of the only king who could save his people. This deliverer, the Messiah, would be born as a baby in Bethlehem (Luke 2) and eventually would reign as the Eternal King (Revelation 19) This judge was probably King Zedekiah who was reigning in Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city (2 Kings 25) Zedekiah was the last of the Kings in David's Line to sit on the throne in Jerusalem. Micah said that the next king in David's Line would be the Messiah, who would establish a Kingdom that would never end. (5:2) This ruler is Jesus, the Messiah, Micah accurately predicted Christ's birthplace hundreds of years before he was born. The promised eternal King in David's line, who would come to live as a man, had been alive forever - "From of old, from everlasting." Although eternal, he entered human history as the man, Jesus of Nazareth. (5:3,4) Micah's prophecy of 7 shepherds and 8 princes is a figurative way of saying that the Messiah will raise up many good leaders when he returns to reign, In sharp contrast are Micah's words in chapter 3 about Judah's corrupt leaders, "The Assyrian" symbolically refers to all nations in every age that oppose God's people. These good leaders will help Christ defeat all evil in the world. (5:5) This chapter provides one of the clearest Old Testament prophecies of Christ's coming. The key descriptive phrase is "And this man shall be the peace." In one of Christ's closing talks he said, "Peace I leave you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14) With Christ's first coming we have the opportunity for peace with God. No more fear of judgement, no more conflict and guilt. Christ's peace gives us assurance even though wars continue. With Christ's second coming all wars and weapons will be destroyed. (5:6) The land of Nimrod is another name for Assyria which is a symbol of all the evil nations in the world. (5:10) When God rules in his eternal Kingdom, our strength will not be found in military might but in God's almighty power. He will destroy all the weapons that people use for security. There will be no need for armies, because God will rule in the heart of every person. Our hearts should not be ruled by fear of invasion or nuclear attack. Our confidence should be in the Lord. LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Micah with Chapter 5. In our text today we see Micah prophesying about a ruler that will come from Bethlehem , the Lord Jesus-Christ, hundreds of years before He comes. How he will be the prince of peace, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. In making application we see how the Bible stands alone from any "religious book" as it tells of things to come that have come true and things that will come true. How about you? Do you see the power in the prophecy of the Bible? Let us learn from our text today and the prophecy of Micah who told of the things to come that have come true that validate the deity of Christ and how a person must be saved to enter the Kingdom of the Lord.