According to the prophesy of
Micah, Jerusalem was to be the center-point of provision and
protection for the children of Israel. However, this was for a future
time, and they would face being cast out and driven away from their
homeland as captives to Babylon before this occurred. Micah asked
them if they had no “king” nor “counsellor” who
could deliver them, but they did not, and they were to be in pain
like a “woman in travail” as they were forced from their
homes. In chapter four and verse eleven of his prophesy, Micah shares
how “many nations” will be “gathered against”
them during this time where we read:
Now also many nations
are gathered against you,
that say, Let her be
defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
The
verse begins, “Now
also many nations are gathered against you,” As
though it was not bad enough to be driven from their homes, Micah
tells the people of Samaria and Jerusalem, “Now also many
nations” which refers to “much
and great peoples” “are gathered”
or “collected and assembled” “against you”
which means “in direct opposition to you”. We can imagine those
who were enemies of Israel assembling together like vultures as they
observed the people of Samaria and Jerusalem being driven into exile.
The verse continues, “that
say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.” These
“nations” will
“say, Let her be defiled”
which means “profaned, polluted and corrupt”. They also add, “and
let our eye look” which refers
to these adverse nations “seeing, perceiving, looking, beholding”
“upon Zion” or
“parched place which is another name for Jerusalem”. The idea is
these enemies of Jerusalem desire for them to be polluted and
corrupted, and they will enjoy watching Jerusalem be destroyed. It is
as though they are rejoicing in Jerusalem's fall, and they desire
judgment to fall upon them.
It
is one thing to have the judgment of the LORD fall upon a place, and
it is quite another to have an enemy rejoicing over that judgment.
The people of Jerusalem were exalted at one time because they obeyed
and followed the ways of the LORD, however, when they turned away
from Him, judgment from the LORD fell upon them and others rejoiced
in their fall. As we think about Micah's words, it may help us to
imagine if we were the ones being judged and driven away from our
homes. What would that be like, and what if our enemies were
observing and rejoicing over our demise? Perhaps as we contemplate
these things we will be driven to assure our relationship with the
LORD Jesus so none of these things come into our lives, and if they
should come through no fault of our own, may we constantly cling to
Him no matter what others do and no matter what others may say.
Next
time Micah shares how the people do not know the thought or the
counsel of the Lord,
so read ahead, and
we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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