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2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chronicles 27:1-9; Micah 1:1-16; 2 Kings 16:1-9; 2 Chronicles 28:1-15; Isaiah 7:1-25<\/strong><\/span> Today we start the book of the prophet Micah!\u00a0 Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and prophesied in approximately 730 \u2013 700 B.C., primarily to the southern kingdom of Judah.\u00a0 Micah\u2019s name means \u201cWho is like the Lord?\u201d\u00a0 This following quote is from bible.org\u2019s Hampton Keathley IV , Th.M. on the book of Micah:\u00a0 \u201cMicah prophesied during a period of upheaval and crisis. The reign of Ahaz brought spiritual lethargy, apostasy and hypocrisy. The people still worshipped Yahweh, but it was ritual without life-changing reality. Their treatment of fellow Israelites violated the basic tenants of the Mosaic covenant as they failed to practice justice, or covenant loyalty-love and their pursuit of idolatry revealed their failure to walk humbly before Yahweh.\u201d This quote and much more on the book of Micah is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.\u00a0 Below is an engraving of Micah preaching by Gustaf Dore:<\/span><\/p>\n In Micah chapter 1, verse 8 stood out to me: \u201cBecause of all this, I will mourn and lament.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Micah was obviously saddened by the sins of those around him and the harm they were causing to themselves and to others.\u00a0 Do we mourn and lament for the sins of others in our world today?\u00a0 Do we mourn and lament over our own sins?\u00a0 Do we pray for healing and repentance in the lives of others \u2013 and ourselves?\u00a0 Is it okay to grieve for others and ourselves because of sin?\u00a0 What should we then do with this grief?<\/span><\/p>\n In Isaiah chapter 7 today we read about the sign of Immanuel in verses 14 through 16!\u00a0 \u201cAll right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel\u2013`God is with us.\u2019 By the time this child is old enough to eat curds and honey, he will know enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong. But before he knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much\u2013the kings of Israel and Aram\u2013will both be dead.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I don\u2019t know about you, but when I read this today I immediately thought of the virgin Mary and Jesus.\u00a0 With good reason, as we\u2019ll recall from the gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verse 23: \u201cAll this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: \u201cThe virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel\u201d\u2014which means, \u201cGod with us.\u201d <\/em>Commentaries suggest that yes, indeed, these passages in Isaiah are ultimately wholly fulfilled in Jesus, who truly is \u201cGod with us.\u201d\u00a0 But, commentaries also suggest that this prophecy in Isaiah had a double fulfillment \u2013 first in a young woman from the house of Ahaz who was not married, but would marry and then have a son \u2013 and by the time the son was the age 2, the two invading kings would be destroyed.\u00a0 Then, the second fulfillment of this prophecy was indeed in the One we now celebrate as the true Immanuel, Jesus Christ, God with us!<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video: <\/strong>Today\u2019s readings in Micah remind me of the Matt Maher song \u201cAlive Again.\u201d Here\u2019s a great live performance from Matt:<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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