Trust Is Dead: When Even Family Turns Against You | Micah 7:5–12

Yale has shown himself through his word and through his creation to be a god of order. Therefore, cycles and and and patterns quickly appear in everything we can see from the visible universe to the way our earth operates predictably in in every manner to the possibility for there to be such a thing as mathematics. that reflects that predictable order orderliness that underlies all that God has made. Thus, when we read the prophets, which always revolves around the cycle of Israel falling short of the goal and resorting to sinful behavior, then God sending warnings to repent or suffer the covenant-based consequences. And after that, Israel still denying their culpability or offenses and so suffering God's anger. There is always at the end the offer of grace and restoration for them. This ought to be a great comfort for us as it is also a great warning. Now, God's threats aren't idle. They're not hypothetic. The consequences for refusal to obey, to turn away from our rebellion against him are severe. They're longlasting, even eternal. Finally reaching an opportunity for full forgiveness and restoration is difficult and costly. usually isn't even available to the first generation that began to feel his wrath when it concerns a judgment on a nation as a whole. All of this is what we have been seeing in the book of Micah. And as we arrive at the final chapter when the mercy of God at last begins to emerge, an important background for us to continue in our study is that what we are reading is more of an escatological climax. That is what happens in the end times than what happened in the past. Even though certainly historical events are also in play, you know, I think people of the 21st century need to pay close heed to what God is telling us in his prophets because the preponderance of biblical evidence is that much of what we see happening around us today are the birth fangs of the entry into the final stage of human history as we have known it. Micah chapter 7 begins with Micah suddenly realizing his personal and his nation's condition before Yov. It's not what he and they thought it was. there there is no evidence that prior to God giving this prophecy to Micah that he was an especially enlightened person that had set him apart from all the other Israelites of the Holy Land. Clearly, Micah had been prepared by God's Holy Spirit to receive and take heart to all that God was going to reveal. Rather than being hardminded, he was openminded. But so much that he had taken for granted as settled doctrine and and truth turned out to be wrong. Once God began pouring out into him the message that was to be delivered to the leadership and the common people of Israel. So the first words of chapter 7 were woe to me. Woe not woe to Israel. Those with ears to hear please listen. Okay, as we concluded in our previous lesson with chapter 7:es 5 and six, a picture is painted of the ultimate stage of societal breakdown in Israel, reaching its pinnacle in its final worldwide scope. chaos, confusion, corruption, distrust, and all of the critical social institutions as well as in family bonds have descended upon all on earth, not just for Israel. Yet in the midst of this, the separation of the sheep and goat, so to speak, has occurred. those who never had any interest in knowing God. Plus, those who falsely claim to be his worshippers, but believing instead on the power of man-made doctrines and morals are set on one side of a gaping, impossible to traverse chasm. While the sincerely faithful who base their lives and obedient behavior on God's covenants according to God's terms of commands, they stand on the other side of it. The former side is enormously full with people who stand upon it while the latter side represents but a faithful remnant. to use the standard biblical reference term. The one side has nothing ahead of them but eternal judgment. The other side nothing ahead of them but eternal forgiveness and regeneration. This chapter is raw, blunt, definitive. While the Hebrew poetic is is present, it typically continues with Micah's usual mix of narrative, hyperbole, and pros to give it its tone of certainty and therefore urgency. His grammar style can also be tough to deal with, but it is more doable when we put it in the context of not only the entirety of his book, but also of its place in the 12 minor prophets and the cycles and the patterns that they propose that have become predictable. So, open up your Bibles to Micah chapter and we're going to read from verse 5 onward to the end. Don't trust in your neighbor. Don't put confidence in a close friend. Shut the gates of your mouth even from your wife lying there in with you in bed. For a son insults his father, a daughter raises against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A person's enemies are the members of his own household. But as for me, I will look to Adonai. I'll wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Enemies of mine don't gloat over me. Although I've fallen, I will rise. Though I live in the dark, Adonai is my light. I will endure Adonai's rage because I sinned against him until he pleads my cause and judges in my favor. Then he will bring me out to the light and I will see his justice. My enemies will see it too and shame will cover those who said to me, "Where is Adan and I your God?" I'll gloat over them as they are trampled underfoot like mud in the streets. That will be the day for rebuilding your walls. A day for expanding your territory. A day when your people will come back to you from Asher, from the cities of Egypt, from Egypt and as far as the Euphrates River, from sea to sea, from mountain to mountain. The earth will be desolate for those living in it as a result of their deeds. Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock that belongs to you, who live alone, like a forest in the middle of a fertile pasture. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as they did in days of old, as in the days when you came out of Egypt. I will show them wonders. The nations will see and be put to shame in spite of all their power. They will cover their mouths with their hands, and their ears will be deafened. They'll lick the dust like snakes. They will emerge from their fortresses, trembling like reptiles that crawl about on the earth. They will come with fear to Adonai our God, afraid because of you. Who is a God like you? Pardoning the sin, overlooking the crimes of the remnant of his heritage. He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in grace. He will again have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities. You will throw all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will show truth to Jacob, grace to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors since days of long ago. [sighs] Verses five and six frame the breakdown of society. based upon the breakdown of the family fabric. Societal breakdowns are always blamed on the leadership, but in practice it's a bottom up, not a topdown matter. The breakdown of society begins with the breakdown of family. Strong family units and bonds are not broken because a leader proclaims it. But once the family unit fractures to the high degree foretold, then it is easier for a leader to use those conditions to reform that society and culture into something he wants for his own purposes. And since a family unit is based on the relationship of but a relatively few individuals then the influence of each individual on the family becomes exaggerated. Thus, when the most basic attribute of the role of an individual family member begins with gender, should it ever be attacked or even discarded, then we've hit rock bottom. There is no denying that in the current era the most basic biological given as a person's gender is under attack and is deemed an ever growing number as a matter of fluency, personal choice and identification. The consequences the family that misgendered person belongs to is greatly weakened. Thus the society those many families together form is greatly weakened. God's order of things has been corrupted. So chaos and confusion reign. This is where we are in the 21st century. And this is a strong indicator of where we are in the timeline of redemption history. This is societal rebellion against Yov after warning and more warning from him. What is left to expect but his judgment and wrath? In Micah's day, in his own personal life, the people of Israel had not realized where their persistent rebellion had finally taken them. And when Michael learned from God what was coming next and why, he was horrified. I mean, folks, God has told us what's coming next for the world. Once chaos and confusion begin to reign, it's judgment and wrath. And as God worshippers, then we too need to realize that the next step in history is divinely ordered calamity as punishment. There is no other stage between now and then. Why we don't seem to be as affected as Micah once we had this knowledge. I don't understand unless we simply don't believe it. remember what we read back in chapter just one chapter back in Micah 6:8 human being you've already been told what's good when what you and and and what Yale demands of you it's no more than to act justly love grace and walk in purity with your God already by Micah's day in the 8th century BC See, God could say that his worshippers and to an extent all human beings already know what's good demands of us. I mean, how much more we know today as yet more history has unfolded and it continues to unfold and simultaneously his word has become more available to everyone to examine for themselves. I mean, many of the fulfillments of what was for a long time biblical predictions, it happened. The coming of the Messiah and his atoning death, the dispersal dispersal of Israel to the nations, and then after 1900 years, their return to their homeland in 1948. And now the gradual and most fundamental breakdown of society one can have is well underway. Gender reorientation and its glorification. Well, let's move on now to verse 7. But as for me, I will look to Yale. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Finally, a ray of hope. Starting with verse 7, we read of an emerging confidence in Yale's mercy which leads Israel in the world for that matter out of the chaos and confusion and into a return to God's order of things. This verse speaks from the position of a speaker as suffering the wrath of God. the wrath God had promised to inflict. He is in the midst of shouldering the just punishment of God, which is being manifested primarily as being oppressed under the subjugation of a wicked but powerful foreign enemy. For Israel, that first enemy would be Assyria and then around 130 years later would be Babylon. Now the thoughts expressed in Micah 7:es 7-2 remind very much of the book of lamentations which was written immediately after the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in the early 6th century BC. and one reads the lamentations, the the pure emotion of what just happened just pours out. And yet within those grieving thoughts also came a far more matured understanding of what happened and why. And also that there was a way to deliverance and restoration. And this hope came as thanks mainly to what the 12 minor prophets had revealed to them by means of God's oracles. Now, Israel realized that despite their constant unfaithfulness to the terms of God's covenants with them, above all, God would not abandon his side of the covenants. Israel remained as the apple of God's eye, his special treasure. Their identity as God's people was reaffirmed, and that whatever justifiable fate the nation of Israel might suffer, the covenants and the covenant people would survive and eventually bear the fruit and reap the reward that God had always wanted of them. In a way, verse seven balances with verse one. Verse one said, "Woe to me, for I have become like the leings of summer fruit, like the gleanings when the vintage is finished. There isn't a cluster worth eating, no early ripened fig that appeals to me." Micah's conclusion in verse 7 is that all that's left to be done is in the end to wait upon the Lord to deliver them because of the rock solid belief that God will as promised hear their place. But goodness how long they have waited. And as I think about the length of time this weight has gone on for the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom for instance, it's been 27 centuries. But for those relative few who have waited in faith, God has heard them. Thousands have come back to the land of Israel very recently. More are on the way. This is really kind of a good news bad news thing for we we modern worshippers. Despite bad circumstances of various kinds that that might envelop us, we are promised that God will hear us. Yet because for us long means weeks or months, it seems that when we pray, if remedies don't happen nearly immediately, then we doubt if God hears or if he's going to do anything. The issue that is our perspective is it's too narrow. It's too short. Not that God has become more distant or persistently tardy. Now certainly in this chapter, Micah is speaking for himself, but meaning it as hopefully a representative thought of his fellow Israelites when the promised calamity of judgment happens. Yet without doubt, Micah is under no delusion that he might still be living when the restoration of Israel might come about. Although he probably and I feel confident that he did suffer the calamity of being invaded and exiled by Assyria. I think it is also important to point out that when Micah speaks of the God of my salvation, it should be much more honestly worded the God of my deliverance. Micah had no thought of a Messiah when those words of rescue were spoken. He meant deliverance in the general sense of the word as being finally delivered, rescued from the coming oppression just as Israel was delivered from Egypt. So while in some ways his remark has turned out to have had both a physical and a spiritual meaning, he was aware of only the physical part of it. The deliverance he dreamed of was not to be saved from his and his fellows sins, but rather to be saved from exile and oppression of an enemy nation. Micah 7:8 enemies of mine don't gloat over me. Although I have fallen, I will rise. And though I live in the dark, Yov is my light. Now, there's much disagreement among Bible scholars as to whether this is Micah speaking about himself or Micah speaking as figurative of Israel as a congregation or Micah speaking as figurative of the city of Jerusalem. In my opin opinion, he is speaking generally. And while he is most likely speaking of himself at the moment in history that he occupies in the mystery of God's prophetic oracles, it also turns out he is speaking of Israel and of Jerusalem. Either way, at this point, Micah's view is through the windshield of time, not the rear view mirror of history. He's thinking of the future. What's his expected timeline? He doesn't know because he's not been informed. Could be immediate, could be many years. Scholars never liking to have things as undetermined have their various views of what Micah's timeline is and therefore which time Israel has fallen that he's envisioning. I find that sort of amusing as though once again the typical Christian approach to prophecy of there being a single fulfillment to each prophecy was the biblical pattern. In fact, the biblical pattern is of multiple fulfillments of a prophecy, each time growing in scope. Thus, in Micah's immediate future, it would be the Assyrian invasion of that part of Israel called at that time Ephraime or Ephraime Israel. But not that much farther down the road, it would be the Babylonian invasion of what remained of Israel, Judah. After that, the Greek and Roman occupation of the Holy Land, and then to my way of thinking, the back and forth Christian then Muslim takeover and occupation of the Holy Land. was mostly but not entirely only resolved in 1948. But there's another and final fulfillment yet to come that w will result not in another exile and then return but rather in Israel's vindication. Now, honestly, I see this verse as a prayer that we all ought to remember and use it when the world seems to be crashing in upon us. You know, sometimes we are in a position where there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. And from an earthly perspective, that might be the case. But from a higher plane of the spiritual, Yovi's light is always there. for those who love him. In my own personal experience, that light is never brighter as when it's darkest. Sometimes that darkness can be the result of our own sins and failures. Other times, it has nothing to do with that, but rather is due to injustice or just plain terrible misfortune. None of us would prefer to live in darkness so as to receive that extra special glorious light as our encouragement no matter how wonderful it can be. Yet when darkness is our fate for a time that light is there waiting and we can count on it. One final thought we'll move on to verse nine. There is no if I fall, no should I fall. There is only when I fall. The statement is neither hypothetical or conditional. We all will fall to one degree or another for one reason or another. Everyone hearing my voice will fall and experience darkness if you are not already experiencing that darkness at this moment. It's the inescapable part of the human experience but also of the national experience. So, we're either going to fall into darkness and have no light at all if we set ourselves against God, or we're going to fall into darkness and have God's light to assure us and to navigate us through that darkness. Micah 7:9 I will endure Yovi's rage because I sinned against him till he pleads my case and judges in my favor. Then he'll bring me out to the light and I'll see his justice. Here is the case of being in darkness due to our sins. first is always to recognize our sin and confess it. Saying to God, "Whatever it is that I did, I'm sorry," is not a true confession and in fact has little value unless you can see your own sin. Any confession is moot and repentance is impossible. I mean, how can I truly repent, which means change, when I don't even know what needs to be changed? Once again, we're faced with the argument of whether Micah is speaking only on his behalf or figurative figuratively as Israel or maybe as Jerusalem. I say it doesn't matter much because depending on the point in history, a fulfillment is happening. He's speaking of one or the other. Even though as he speaks these prophetic words, he doesn't realize that that is how it's going to play out. We today have the vantage point of hindsight so that we can see exactly how it played out. No speculations needed. Now, honest confession leads to submission. There's no more fighting it. Okay, God's right. I was wrong. What does it mean that he pleads my cause and judges in my favor? Well, as it concerns Israel, it means that even though it was God that incited any these other nations to attack and harm Israel, at some point, God hearing Israel's please will determine that enough is enough. And those nations have been too harsh for too long on his people, and Israel has been punished accordingly. At that point, his intent to punish is satisfied. His intent to have mercy and restore Israel kicks in. But at the same time, his anger now turns towards those nations that he used as agents to carry out his wrath because their actions did not carry out his will, but their own. God ruins them so that Israel can escape their grip. Now, I think for those of us living now, one of the best illustrations of what I'm speaking about is Iran and their proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others. No doubt due to Israel's entrance, God is using Iran and their agents to discipline Israel, but only to a point. They've gone much too far. And their aim is to annihilate Israel and to exile them once again. Gaza has borne the brunt of this folly lately. Their territory is utterly destroyed. Thousands and thousands of Gazins killed and injured. Hamas Hamas itself is a hollow shadow of what it was three years ago. Hezbollah has lost its iron grip over Lebanon, though it's still a problem. Iran is crashing and burning with their water supply nearly gone, their economy in tatters. People lining the streets of Tehran in protest, openly wanting to overthrow their Muslim theocracy that's making their lives miserable in the name of Allah. They are dealing with Yov's rage. They just don't know it. Israel, from Micah's perspective, was also dealing with God's rage. They didn't realize until Micah told them that their current troubles were God's rage, not bad luck. In Israel's case, it's over their unfaithfulness to him. And Micah is wise to see that because God's rage has begun, he and his fellow Israelites are just going to have to endure it until it's run its course. He has no ability or position to get God to relent until God is ready to relent. At some point, Yov will determine the proper amount of punitive justice has been doled out on Israel. And those nations he used to cause Israel to suffer, but they did it too much, will now be judged against. And once that begins, then Israel will be brought back into God's light, meaning they will be brought out of their darkness and see God's severe justice being torn towards their oppressors while forgiving, the forgiving and merciful side of God's justice begins to restore Israel. That paradigm has never changed. And the truth is that Christendom refuses to acknowledge it even though it is found in the New Testament. Romans 11:22. So take a good look at God's kindness and his severity. On the one hand, severity towards those who fell off. On the other hand, God's kindness toward you, provided you maintain yourself in that kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. Micah and referring back to what he just said in verse 9 continues this thought in verse 10. He says, "My enemies will see it too and shame will cover those who said to me, well, where's you your God? I will gloat over them as they are trampled underfoot like mud in the streets." See, this verse is basically Israel taunting their enemies that had made their lives so hard for so long. Their enemies will suffer shame because they had long ago taunted Israel after they had invaded and subjugated them. Where is your God? That's a rather stock expression in the Bible. It comes from the popular notion that all conflicts and wars between nations is essentially war between those nations gods. Each nation thinks their god is bigger and better than their foes national god. So when the loser finally submits, it's as though their god is submitting to the strength and power of the winning nation and god. The result is shame on the loser. Let's be clear though, the term shame is used not because that's what's really at stake. It's only that the condition of shame is such a feared and despised societal status that little else could be imagined that was worse. All the world in this ancient time consisted of shame and honor societies with all people desiring to be in the status of honor. Shame was intolerable. There was no limit a person might go to remedy their shame and return to a societal status of honor. Since the situation is now reversed, Israel will gloat about their God being the more powerful. Being trampled underfoot is the typical abuse that a victor applies to the defeated and captured soldiers. I It's more an expression than actual behavior. But abuse to the losing army to some degree was the norm. What this reversal of conditions amounts to is what the Bible usually calls retribution. Just as God punishes Israel through other nations, so other nations receive retribution by the tide turning. And what happens to them is like what happened to Israel. Retribution view is viewed biblically as a kind of proportional justice because any more than proportional would be considered as unjust. Now, it's a big mistake for any people or nation to behave as though God, the God of the Bible, was not present in our lives, completely knowledgeable of our thoughts and behaviors and choices. had not announced what's good, therefore what evil is, and how people and nations are to comply with the moral standards he gave to everyone long ago. Further, that there are unavoidable consequences that will come in time to those who rebel individually or corporately against this reality of his presence. See, God is not the head of a democracy. majority does not rule in God's economy. God is not voted into and out of his office. God's laws and commands do not get amended by humans. It's a dangerous thing to decide that if the larger group says that what they believe must be right simply due to the might of their size and we determine to join them based on that thought, then God will soon show us that his power is nothing to be trifled with and that the majority is no indicator of good or right. He is no respector of persons. Rather, he is looking for that remnant who will do what is right in his eyes. Bear up to the persecutions and troubles and heartaches we might have to face because of it and then wait on him for his deliverance to come to us. Verses 11 and 12. These are another case for the thought that never should have been separated into two separate verses. So we'll look at them together as they were intended to be. That will be the day for rebuilding your walls. A day for expanding your territory. A day when your people will come back to you from Asher and from the cities of Egypt, from Egypt as from as far as the Euphrates River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. I'll tell you upfront [laughter] that there are so many different interpretations of this passage for a very good reason. The grammar and even the basic word order is so difficult and non-ypical that we have to begin with making a choice between deciding whether this has been faithfully recorded and transmitted to us as we have it or if the text suffered. terrible and errorfilled redactions and/or copiest errors that we may never be able to fully recover it. Since Micah has such a unique and usual style throughout his book, it's well within his pattern that indeed it is what was spoken even if we struggle mightily to discern its meaning. But neither can it be positively ruled out that this is not a redaction by a scribe or just plain errors in the copying process. I'm I'm going to approach this though with the idea that what we have is correct as Micah intended. It's just messy to unpack its intent. So even starting from that assumption, it still has its problems. Let me give you a short sample of the many different interpretations for even the first several words. Listen to this. Complete Jewish Bible. That will be the day for rebuilding your walls. A day for expanding your territory. The Jewish Publication Society. The day for building thy walls. Even that day shall be far removed. King James version. In the in the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. The NAS there will be a day for building your walls. On that day your boundary will be extended. Young's literal translation. The day to build thy walls that day removed is the limit. What a variety. I'm not going to bore you with the grammar details, but they are quite valid in their problems with feminine verbs seeming to be attached to male subjects and vice versa, unless what seems to be that attachments just not correct. And if not, then it's nearly impossible to know which subjects from previous verses these verbs might be attached to. And it even gets more technical. This much seems discernible from the context that has come from all the earlier verses, not just from chapter 7, but from all of Micah when taken as a whole. The term the day or that day or a day is nearly exclusively used throughout the prophets as being esqueological. That is referring to end times events. something in the future. I've pointed out in lessons in other books that there is more than one that day or latter days that the prophets speak of. That is we must remember that the future the future is relative to where we sit in history. For Micah for instance, everything that happened after the time he wrote mid to late 8th century BC was his future. This is true for all the prophets we have in our Bibles. Thus for Micah, the latter days or that day were to his mind the next major event that was still future to him. whether it was a near-term or long-term time frame. I think it's fair to say that each time a prophecy was fulfilled and of course all prophecies are future in their nature when they were written and the day or even the latter days were written about the prophesied event. The prophet had no idea when it would happen. Probably assumed the fulfillment was a one-time event. Thus, there are a number of latter days or the day events that we find in the scriptures. However, in the 21st century, realizing that some of those fulfillments have already happened in history, some have not. Then the future we see is far different than what the ancient prophets saw. After all, we are living in time 2800 years after Micah. So our future is quite different than his. And because of the prophetic fulfillments that have already occurred, they are the necessary runup to the end times or latter days. Then by all we can tell. All that is left is for the last fulfillment of whatever prophecies that remain to be fulfilled. And assuming we are generally generally correct in that assessment, then the day that Micah is speaking about and Micah's 7, 11, and 12 will be reaching its final fulfillment, its climax soon. And with that as a basis, let's try to determine what events are going to happen. Three events seem to clearly emerge. A day for rebuilding something, a day for expanding something or decreeing something, and a day for someone or something to come. Let's go one by one. The first subject is in the Hebrew. Leave a note. Get means walls or fences. Most translation assumes walls is correct and I would agree with that. The walls are generally biblically indicative of the walls of a fortress city. And and far more often than not when talking about the end times, it refers to the walls of the city of Jerusalem. The rebuilding of the walls then is a symbol of Israel being restored to God's favor and his deliverance because it is referring to Jerusalem. Often in this case it is more appropriate to speak of Jerusalem as Zion because Zion tends towards meaning a restored or a redeemed or an ideal Jerusalem which is the center of the geographical location on earth of God's covenant-based faith. that center gets further reduced from Jerusalem to the temple. And while it is put in such an abrupt term as rebuilding the walls, it indicates something much more expansive. It means that all the sins and shame that have been heaped upon Israel over the centuries is finally removed once and for all. It means that the days of a cycle of punishment and exile and oppression are permanently over for Israel. Israel's walls have historically been reduced to rubble and rebuilt a few times, but this next time they are rebuilt will be different because the pattern of destruction and then rebuilding will have come to an end. And this symbolic rebuilding that is also quite literal meaning that the law of the walls will be rebuilt. But it also it means that Israel's faithfulness and intention to obey God is also turned a corner to being permanent. The next subject involves the meaning of the Hebrew word hulk. Now, most widely translators have chosen the English word boundaries to interpret it. Within that word's various uses, it can mean rule, limit, or something decreed. Certainly, the English word boundary can inhabit the sense of a limit, but it's a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, considering the sometimes odd ways that Michael words things, I agree with interpreting it that way because not only does it fit the overall context, but also because among the several events to take place in the end times is the expansion of Israel's territory beyond whatever its current limits might be. and I think even beyond what it has been in history at the height of its boundaries in David's and Solomon's era. Now, although Christian scholars attempt um to make the final subject about the return of Yeshua, in no way is a person or a messianic hero intended here. Rather, we can see in the Hebrew that the that the words in English indicate a return from Assyria and from Egypt and from distant locations all over the earth as it speaks of coming from sea to sea, from mountains to mountains. And the course means lots of people, not a specific person. In overall prophetic context, this is the return to Israel of the dispersed tribes of Israel from wherever they are among the nations. And since this is happening as we speak in the year 2026, this to me is a great great indicator we have stepped over the threshold into that day. or the latter days or the end times. Thus, the meaning that these first two subjects mention in this passage indicates they are also on the cusp of coming about. We'll continue chapter 7 next time. For more teachings of real Bible study and to rediscover God's word with Tom Bradford, visit Torah Class today on the web, streaming TV, or download the Torah class mobile app.