Micah 4: Tomorrow and Today
A BUMPER STICKER put it this way: "Life is hard, then you die." At the time of Micah's preaching life was tremendously difficult for the people of Israel. Yet in the midst of suffering Micah gives hope to the people that God will not let devastation be the last word.
Warming Up to God
Imagine what it will be like to finally be in God's presence. How does it change the way you look at today?
Read Micah 4. »
Discovering the Word
- Notice the movement and tone of the major sections of the chapter (vv. 1-8, 9-11, 12-13). How would it have spoken to the people?
- The mount on which the temple stands (Zion) is not even near the height of the highest mountains, so what will make it chief among the mountains (vv. 1-2)?
- What will society be like in those days (vv. 3-8)?
- The picture of the coming future is interrupted by the coming present. What does the society of Israel look like at this time (vv. 9-10)?
- What sort of promise does God make to Israel (vv. 11-13)?
Applying the Word
- How can you and your community better embody the picture in verses 1-5?
- How can you participate in gathering in the lame, the exiled and the grieving into the body of Christ?
Responding in Prayer
Ask God to give you hope that can sustain you in trials and that you can give to those who despair.
For Further Study
Dancing in the Desert by Marsha Crockett