FBC Morning Light (6/29/2024)

Good Saturday morning, people of faith. This weekend's reading is in 2 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 27, Micah chapter 1, and Jonah chapters 1 -4. And what I'm going to do today is I'm going to read chapter 1 of Micah verses 1 -7, and then we're going to talk about that section of scripture.

Micah’s Judgment Against Jerusalem and Samaria

So, Micah chapter 1, verse 1. The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear all you peoples, listen, O earth, and all that is in it.

Let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split.

Like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place, all this is for the transgression of Jacob 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? Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, places for planting a vineyard. I will pour down her stones into the valley, and I will uncover her foundations.

All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire. All her idols I will lay desolate, for she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, and they shall return to the pay of a harlot.".

This passage here has a burning judgment against both Jerusalem and Samaria. Jerusalem being the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah, and Samaria being the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.

The Purpose of God’s Public Judgment

And so I want to talk, what I'm going to do is I'm going to talk just for a little bit about the purpose behind this judgment, and then we're going to transition into a challenge regarding that judgment.

So first of all, in verse two, when it says, Hear all you peoples, listen, O earth, and all that is in it. The judgment that is going to fall on Jerusalem and Samaria at the time that Micah brought this word from the Lord, the judgment was for the entire world to see.

And that is something we should remember is a purpose in God's judgment is to show who he is to all the peoples that you cannot, you cannot just take the knowledge you have about God and reject it and there be no consequences.

The Certainty of the Lord’s Return and Final Judgment

Now, this judgment is a certain thing, and the verses three and four in particular sound very much like the return of our Lord, who will return to this earth. It says, For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and he will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.

The mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split like wax before the fire, like waters poured down from a steep place. Be certain of this, that those that say, Oh, the Lord's waited so long in his return, his return will not happen.

When someone denies that the Lord's return will ever happen, and when they deny that, they are not speaking the truth. This idea of judgment in the New Testament does not go away. It does not go away.

People are responsible for responding to the Lord and what the Lord has shown. Let me read to you from Acts chapter 17. This is Paul addressing the Athenians, and in verse 30 of chapter 17, he says,. Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked.

The times of ignorance was allowing some people at some times to worship idols, and he for a time let that go by. But he says,. But now commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.

He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. Jesus is going to return. That judgment day will happen. This is not a matter of angry talk about it. This is just a statement of facts, all right?

Judgment for God’s Glory and the Call to Repentance

The judgment, judgment in general, is for God's glory so that the world may know that God is God. And then secondly, know this in the presentation of this gospel, this good word, that this good news that that judgment is coming.

So now is the time to make yourself right with the Lord. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for the truth of your word. May we look at the coming judgment and know that our our judgment has been the wrath, your wrath has been satisfied in you, and let us find a safe place in you.

It's in your son's name, Jesus, that we pray, amen. Have an excellent day, people of faith.