Micah 7: 18 Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.
The book of Micah goes between Warnings of Judgement and Coming Hope. He speaks of the greed of people and how the leaders led with theft and greed. The theft came from the practice that went against God’s law to protect the owners who were poor of having their land taken from them. God wants us to help and protect those who are poor.
He speaks of how the Assyrian were going to defeat and carry off the northern kingdom (Israel) and Babylon would carry off the southern kingdom (Judah). He prophesized this around 722 BC. The Northern Kingdom would be seized 21 years from that year. This kingdom did not return. They are the lost tribes of Israel. Babylon would capture the Southern Kingdom around a 100 years after he said it would be carried off. The Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. He said this Kingdom would return and rebuild the temple. This Kingdom would return in 522 BC. They would no longer be Babylonians captures but were at that time of return under the capture of the Persians who had defeated Babylon. It was the Persian king who had the temple rebuilt.
He also prophesied the Messiah. He says that a new Messiah would restore the people and would be born in Bethlehem. He speaks that all nations would find a blessing through a descendant of Israel.
This verse comes from the last chapter of Micah. In which he speaks of God’s judgement but also of God’s mercy. But what is the difference between punishment and discipline… because in Micah we see both. The Northern Kingdom was punished in that it was taken away and not to return. They were banished. If any of the people survived, they would be absorbed into the Assyrian culture. That was their punishment. God would have them lose their identity as a people. God knows who they are, and their DNA still carries who they once were.
The verse for today speaks of discipline not punishment. The Southern Kingdom was a naughty child who would be given a time out, and then returned to Jerusalem when God said the time out was over. He is a merciful God who wants to give us a chance to do better.
When God wants me to change, sometimes He places me in isolation so that I can learn to listen to Him and to Abide in Jesus. This is discipline. Discipline is not always about being given time out. Sometimes it is to strengthen a person’s abilities. Sometimes it is for them to learn new skills. Sometimes it is learning to become more disciplined in how they take care of themselves, their diet, exercise, rest, thoughts, and emotions. When we were children, our parents needed to discipline our behavior for us, but they also needed to give us skills so that we can do things for ourselves. Children need guidance that is protection, and not guarding that is protection. When a child is given guidance, they learn how to control themselves, but when a child is guarded, they lack those skills and expect the world to protect them. The world will never protect you. God gives us guidance that protects. He wants us to learn those skills so that we will discipline our own lives. When we learn one skillset, He will bring us to a more difficult skillset to learn.
God, I have personally learned, will use discipline to help us change. He will teach us to trust him by making us wait. He wants us to learn to trust Him in all areas of our lives. He wants us to be people who love others without passing judgement on them. He wants us to be patient with others. He wants us to be kind with others.
The question today is the following:
How has God disciplined you?
Ever in Christ’s love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
February 8, 2024 & May 15, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 