1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory.
Psalm 97:1-6, NIV
Micah’s book has become familiar to readers of the Bible:
the prophecy about Bethlehem as the birthplace
of the future Messiah (Micah 5:2),
and the response to the question of what the
Lord requires of worshippers (Micah 6:8).
But the book’s rich content has much more to
offer to a diligent student of the Bible.
The Protestant Reformer John Calvin, for example,
preached in Geneva no less than 38 sermons
based on Micah. Although the prophetic
book consists only of seven short chapters, the
list of powerful messages and profound spiritual
lessons it has to offer seems inexhaustible.
Some scholars consider the book to be the centerpiece
of the twelve prophets [Hosea to Malachi] since it
contains in capsule form the message of all 12 of them.
Micah spoke as someone shown the world through
God’s eyes. He said that because the Lord is Just,
He hates sin and will discipline His people.
But there is hope because the same God
is also forgiving and merciful.
(Zdravko Stefanovic, Thus Says the Lord:
Messages From the Minor Prophets, 75-77).
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