Month: September 2020

388. Dew and Rain

Micah 5:7 And 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

Dew and rain are often used as symbols of fertility, growth, abundance and life. Dew and rain are necessary for life. Without water there is no life, as we know it; with water there is life and growth and health. The dew and the rain are symbols of the Holy Spirit, who is the living water that produces spiritual life, growth and health. The Spirit is the Giver of Life. He comes like rain in its season. He is always refreshing, thirst quenching and life-producing. Without the Spirit there is no life; with the Spirit life abounds and bears fruit.

Unbelievers are still in their sins, and therefore still in death. They think they are alive and living, but they are mistaken, for without spiritual life inside physical life is nothing at all, and it does not last. Living without the Spirit in this world is like trying to exist in the desert without water. It does not work, and you won’t last long. 

Believers have their sins forgiven, and they have passed from death to life. They are alive and flourishing. The Spirit is always present to refresh our souls, produce genuine and eternal spiritual life, and bear fruit abundantly. The Spirit always uses the Word and Sacraments to feed and nourish. If we ignore the Word and absent ourselves from church and Bible study we start drying up. We start needing rain, but we may become insensitive to emptiness, hunger, thirst and dryness within. We need to hear the Law, which convicts of sin and need; and we need to hear the Gospel, which convicts of forgiveness and filling with the Spirit. We pray for rain, and the Lord pours it out when needed.

The other part of this promise is that the remnant of Jacob, which is the Church, is like rain in the midst of a dry and empty world. Most of the people around us are empty, dead, thirsty and starving for the life and love of God. We already have it and we share it. We are like the dew and the rain. Jesus says we are salt and light. The promise is that we, as believers, give water for a dry world, pour out salt for a spoiled world, and shine light on a dark world. We live as dew and rain in the midst of many people

387. Ruler of God’s People

Micah 5:2 But 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.

God promises to bring forth into our world One who shall be born in Bethlehem. This one will be ruler in Israel, the NT Church of believers. Jesus was born as a human being in order to bring us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, the Kingdom of God. In the kingdom Jesus rules today as God and as Man. This man who was born is also God, for He has existed from everlasting. Jesus combines in His person the nature of the eternal God and mortal man. He is still a man and He is still reigning from the throne on the right hand of God. He is ruling all things for the good of His Church, which is His body.

We could not possibly have a better king to rule over us. He gives good laws, rules and guidelines that if we follow them we will definitely reap a wonderful life. He guards and protects us from all evil, having defeated our personal spiritual enemies, the enemies of the kingdom. He is merciful and kind, forgiving all my sins and the sins of all believers in Christ. In His kingship is not only the unfathomable combination of divinity and humanity, but also there is the paradoxical combination of justice and mercy. This Ruler is in charge of our life and our eternity, and He is presently working out all things together for good. This promise must be believed, because we don’t see the Lord Jesus ruling and being charge and we don’t see how all things are working out for good. The Spirit gives us faith to believe the Good News.

When we believe and confess Jesus as Lord, as God, and as Eternal King we place ourselves gladly in His kingdom and under His beneficent control. This Ruler promises to fully take care of all our needs for life and eternity. Nothing is outside of His control, and He always knows what He is doing. And He does it well. This is the promise of the God-man ruler.

386. Deliver and Redeem

Micah 4:10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

When women go into labor to bring forth a new life there is much pain and travail. Everyone knows this common human experience. This image is used to call to mind the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross to bring forth new life in us believers. John 16:21: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” 

Jesus will go through the pain and suffering of our sins upon Him in order that He may deliver us from death unto life, a new life, an eternal life, a beautiful life as God meant it to be from the beginning. We are delivered from death to life, from evil to good, from the punishments of sin to the rewards of grace. Jesus delivered us from evil, and still does, by becoming a curse for us. One direct result of Adam’s sin was the curse on the woman: “I will multiply your pain in childbearing.” Every mother knows the pains it took to deliver a baby, but she also knows the “joy that a human being has been brought into the world.”

Jesus was able to endure the pain of the cross for the joy set before Him. That joy was the new life He was able to give to you and me. Oh, the joy of deliverance! Can we even imagine what unbounded joy we bring to God?

There, in Babylon (the world), Jesus has delivered us from exile. We are cast out of God’s Presence, like Adam was cast out of Eden. There the Lord promises to redeem us from the power of our enemies. We were cruelly enslaved and kidnapped by sin, death and the devil, but we have been redeemed. In that bondage and from that bondage we are redeemed. We can pray daily with confidence: “Deliver me from the evil that was meant for me this day. Thank you for redeeming me.”

385. God Assembles and Gathers

Micah 4:6, 7 In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

“In that day” refers to the Messianic Age, the New Testament times in which we are presently living. The “her” is the Church (often pictured as a woman, the Bride of Christ). She (the Church, “her”) halts, is lame and crippled; she is driven out (from Paradise, from the Presence of God); she has been afflicted by the Lord. The Church is us; we are in such a predicament; we are crippled with sin, exiled from our heavenly home, and afflicted with all the problems of a sin-cursed world.

The Lord promises to assemble us together, we who were halt, lame, and crippled. The Lord fixes the broken, repairs the worn out, mends the torn up, and puts together all the pieces of a shattered life into one beautiful, whole person. The Lord promises to gather all of us who were driven out and cast off because of our sin, even as the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps her in the one true faith. The Lord promises to make us a strong nation, able to defend ourselves against and defeat the Enemies that seek to destroy and kill us in every way. The Lord promises to reign over us in this redeemed Church forever. Not only will we live forever in the Kingdom of God, but we will also be wisely and generously taken care of and ruled over by the almighty and good kingship of the Lord God.

God has assembled us, gathered us, made us strong, and gently, but violently, gained the rule over us by way of the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Jesus did this for us in a good, kind, gentle, tender, and loving way. But what He did to Sin, Death and Satan was a violent overthrow with eternal consequences. The Lord, through people, proclaimed the Gospel to us, which is the power of God unto salvation. The Lord caused us to believe the Gospel and receive Christ by the working of the Spirit through the Word. And the Lord continues to do all of this for us unto the end of our life, the end of the age, and into all eternity. What a glorious God!

384. Walk in the Name

Micah 4:5 For all people will walk everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

God promises that we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever. “Walking in the name” is how we live our daily lives, our regular behavior, and the things we say and do. Walking in the name is doing good works. A good work is something that is done by faith according to the will of God. A good work is obeying the Law, or keeping the Ten Commandments. Walking means living a morally better life than sinners do. We need to believe this promise, especially when it doesn’t seem to us that our life is improving. I still sin even though I do not want to. I do the things I don’t want to do and don’t do the things I want to do, because sin still dwells in me.

But there is another nature within the Christian: it is the nature of God, for God, the Holy Spirit, also dwells within. This is the promise: we will walk in the name of the Lord. The more we get into the Word and the more we hear the Gospel the more closely we walk in the name of the Lord. Believe it, because you don’t see it. Can you always tell the difference between believers and unbelievers? Are regular churchgoers better people than non-attenders? I think so, but I haven’t seen a scientific study that proves it so. We can’t always tell, but the Bible tells us so: God promises. Those who listen to Jesus are doing the “one thing needful.”

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are asking the Lord to make us better people, people who walk in the name of the Lord. We pray, “Hallowed be Thy name.” “May your name be holy in my heart and daily life by the Spirit and the Word through the Gospel.” Because we take the promise to heart we trust God to answer our prayers to change our ways. We take the name of God with us and we do all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord promises to make us better people. Believe the promise: you will walk in the name. “Walk in the name” is a promise, not a command. It is something to be believed, not done by fleshly effort.

383. Utopian Paradise

Micah 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

The image of every man under his vine and under his fig tree is often used as a symbolic scene of a utopian paradise. It defines peace, prosperity and security. This is the dream of every person: everything we need for luxury, ease and comfort is provided for us. This promise is the ideal of heaven, although each of us has his or her own dream about what paradise will be like. Heaven may vary according to our own desires and experiences, but it is generally understood what heaven and the eternal Paradise will be like. This dream is born into us and cannot easily be removed. Eternity is in the heart of every human. We innately know it must be there, but we don’t know where it is or how to get there.

This is what the Biblical revelation is for: to show the eyes of faith what we can’t see now and can’t see yet. The Bible reveals where it is and what it is, and the Gospel reveals how to get there (there is only one Way, one Truth, and one Life). Of course, the vine and fig tree are symbolic of spiritual truth and reality, and it is not meant to be taken literally, although for some it is an appealing image. This picture of heaven is both spiritually present now, though invisible, and it is also physically present in the eternal future. It is already spiritually in the heart by faith and not yet physically in heaven.

For now, heaven is in the heart of the believer since God Himself, the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns in the human spirit. This spiritual truth needs to be enjoyed by faith in Christ every day, for it is true, even when we don’t feel it.

The other part of this promise is that “none shall make them afraid.” There will be no spiritual enemies that can win the victory over us. They may frighten us, scare us, make us afraid, and cause worry and anxiety, but they have no power over us. Jesus has already overcome and won the victory. We will not be afraid when we turn to the Lord and take refuge in His presence by believing the gospel. The promise is: be secure and live well.

382. The Church established

Micah 4:1, 2 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob; and will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

The “last days” are the days of the Messianic Age, the age of the New Testament, the days between the birth of Christ and the second coming of Christ, the days in which we are presently living. “The mountain of the house of the Lord,” “the house of the God of Jacob,” “Zion,” and “Jerusalem” are all terms for the New Testament Church, the invisible Church made up of all believers in Jesus Christ. The promise included in this prophecy of Micah concerns that Church.

The Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone that gives shape to the whole building. This Church is established by the death and resurrection of Christ. It is begun on the earth on the Day of Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Church is established on the top of the mountains and exalted above the hills. The Church is the highest and best, and only, institution that rules over all other gods, religions, governments, and human institutions.

It will be so visible, and strong, and high, and attractive that many peoples and nations of the earth will be drawn to it. The Word of the Lord goes forth out of the Church as the people of God proclaim the Gospel. The peoples of earth respond in faith to the gospel and the Spirit places them in the Church. The promise is that this most powerful of institutions, though invisible, will rule over the kingdoms of the world until all things are placed under God’s eternal sovereignty. And finally, the Kingdom of God is the only kingdom standing, and it stands forever. 

It is helpful and encouraging for us to believe this promise, for it makes us a vital part of something really big. It is bigger than anything we know on earth, more powerful than all the powers of the physical universe, and much better than any kind of life we can dream about.

381. God will repent of the Evil

Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Does God change His mind? Of course not, for the Bible says, “I am the Lord; I change not.” Repent can mean to change one’s mind, or attitude, or behavior, or at least want to. So God does change His mind and repent. Perhaps this was God’s mind all along; maybe He was hoping He would not have to do what He said He was going to do. This is not changing His mind; it is fulfilling His mind or purpose. It is only from our point of view that God changes. He said He was going to do one thing, but He turned around and did not do it. The evil that He warned of was for the purpose of getting the people of Nineveh to change their mind. And they did so. From their perspective God did repent of the evil.

What happened with Jonah could be one of the most remarkable events in Scripture: not being swallowed by a great fish, but seeing these heathen people repent and turn to the Lord. Jonah only preached one sentence, as far as we re told: “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” That pronouncement was all that was needed for the King and the people to repent and change their evil ways. And so they did, king and people and animals alike repented. And God repented. This turning did not please Jonah for He wanted judgment. He could not understand God’s Grace and Mercy and the abounding Love of God. This is the lesson Jonah learned and the lesson He teaches us: Grace!

God is always true to His character, and He cannot whimsically change His mind. God is both Holy and Just, and He is also at the same time Love and Mercy. Holiness demands disaster for sin; Grace demands forgiveness for sin. God will judge all sin and punish the guilty. He doesn’t want to, but He must. When we repent of our evil and desire to change our ways we receive the grace and forgiveness of God. The evil God warns about is just as certain as death and taxes; the relenting and grace God promises are just as certain as the death and resurrection of Christ. In the end, grace always wins out, and that is a sure word. Our repentance and faith is our reception of the grace of God. Repentance and faith is necessary to receive the gift and avoid the penalty, and we receive it even before our life is changed. The promise is God repents of the judgment on our sin because He placed it upon His Son. In this way, for Christ’s sake, and for our good, God repents, changes His mind, forgives the sinner, and promises He will not judge. Thank you, Jesus!

380. Bring Life from Corruption

Jonah 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

The “sign of Jonah” that Jesus spoke of is likely the resurrection of Jonah from the dead, which points to Jesus’ resurrection on the third day. Both were dead over a part or all of three days. It is most likely that Jonah died in the sea, was kept in the “tomb” of the great fish, and then resurrected. Jesus uses this miraculous event to predict His own resurrection.

Jonah prays while drowning in the sea. God sent the fish. Jonah praises God for bringing his life from corruption. All human bodies will see corruption since all bodies will die because of sin. We shall certainly return to dust, which means the atoms that make up a live human body will disintegrate and the molecules and cells will have no relationship with one another. We are a jumbled mass of matter without life. Corruption is not pretty. It is ugly and stinky and disgusting. The corruption of physical human flesh is a concrete picture of the stinking corruption of the human soul. We need to see what our soul looks like to God: stinking, corrupt and putrefying. We get the picture when we see A dead and corrupted body. This vision aids repentance.

Jonah’s foreshadowing of Christ’s resurrection is also a foreshadowing of our resurrection: the Lord will bring up my life from corruption. When we believe in Jesus we are a part of His resurrection, and our resurrection will change our vile bodies to be like His glorious body. In that new spiritual body we live forever without sin, death and corruption. Although this verse is not a promise for us directly, it is a sign that points to our resurrection promise. Peter preaches that Jesus’ flesh did not see corruption. [Acts 2:31: Psalm 16:10]. I will see corruption, but the Lord God will “bring up our life from corruption.”

Within the believer’s body reside life and death, flesh and spirit, God and self, old man and new man, sin and holiness, corruption and purity. Who will deliver me from the body of this death? We know the answer; and we live in the promise.

379. Deliverance and Holiness

Obadiah 1:17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

The promise is for Mount Zion, which is the Church of all believers. Upon the Church there shall be deliverance, and in the Church shall be holiness. The Church is made up of those who have escaped from their spiritual enemies. Jesus has rescued and delivered us from Sin, Death, and the power of the Devil. This deliverance was accomplished for us through the death and resurrection of Christ. Every day we live in deliverance. Though we keep on sinning, and it seems that we are still slaves of Sin, the forgiveness of sins is always available to us, and it is given freely and abundantly every day when we remember our Baptism, and every week we are reminded again when we hear the Gospel and receive the Lord’s Supper. We actually walk in deliverance from our spiritual enemies, and we go on from victory unto victory. 

We are under constant attack, but we are also under constant deliverance. Deliverance is not a one-time event, but it is a repeated occurrence, just like sin is not a one-time event, but temptations and failings are repeated. Deliverance is upon us, and it is in us. We are always delivered from evil, just as we pray the Lord’s Prayer daily. That doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen to us, but we shall be delivered from the evil of them. The ultimate evil would be losing faith and stepping out from under grace. From this evil we are delivered. And we are always in need of such deliverance.

Because in the Church believers constantly receive the forgiveness of sins, and therefore there is Holiness present in the Church and in our hearts. We don’t see holiness in ourselves, or in others, but we believe the promise of God: holiness is there. We may proclaim this bold statement with conviction; “I am holy, through the blood of Jesus Christ. I am a saint.” This is not bold or presumptuous, but it is a simple confession of our faith. “Jesus is Lord,” and the Lord resides in a purified vessel, a holy place in the heart of faith. We are delivered from the negative and saved for the positive. Don’t take it for granted, but thank God with vigor.