Understanding the Times

The prophet Micah is such an encouragement in understanding the will and purpose of God and to having a biblical outlook on life.

In chapter four, Micah twice begins a section of his prophecy by a somewhat broad reference to the future ("In the last days" / "In that day").

In speaking of events that would occur at some point forward from the time of his prophecy, Micah spoke of some pretty bleak days for God's people. They would be overcome by Babylon and taken into captivity. "Writhe in agony," said the Lord, "for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field" (verse 10). 

At the same time, God assured them that He would deliver them in His time and He gave them a second command, one that said, "Rise and thresh...for I will give you horns of iron" (verse 13).

God's people, not the Babylonians, would be ultimately victorious, even though God's people were going to experience some rough times. They would be ultimately victorious because of God's faithfulness to His covenant promises and to His covenant people.

At the time Micah prophesied, his nation was threatened not by Babylon, but by another nation, that of Assyria. God promised that they would not be overcome by Assyria, would later be overcome by Babylon, but would ultimately be victorious.

God gave a great indictment against the nations gathered against His people when He said of them,

"But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan" (Micah 4:12). 

From Micah's prophecy we we learn that God is faithful to His purpose and plan, that God's purpose and plan may not be evident to us nor clearly understood by us, and that God's purpose and plan will always ultimately succeed.

In light of such promises, we as Christians should be confident in the face of opposition, not living as though all is hopeless, not developing a merely defensive and separatist mind-set, and not retreating from the world or isolating ourselves from the world as though we will ultimately be overcome by the world. Through Micah, God called His people to live confidently in the hope and assurance of God's faithfulness and of the ultimate victory of His kingdom. 

Micah is a reminder that prophecies are not meant to provide a timetable of events so much as they are intended to give God's people a biblical world view and outlook on life.

And these are reasons that we need these prophets! Their words give us the foundation needed to live faithfully and confidently in our own day.

Those who live without Christ and who do not know His purposes revealed in Scripture "do not know the thoughts of the Lord, they do not understand his plan." We who know Christ and who have God's Word are meant to live differently.