After concluding his words
to the “remnant of Jacob” concerning the manner in which
the LORD would remove physical and spiritual dependencies other than
the LORD Himself, Micah the prophet begins a new chapter by speaking
unto the “mountains” and “hills” where we read:
Hear you now what the
LORD says; Arise, contend you before the mountains,
and let the hills hear
your voice.
The
verse begins, “Hear you now what the LORD says; Arise,
contend you before the mountains,”
The first word employed by Micah is “Hear”
which means “listen to, pay attention to, perceive and obey” “you
now what the LORD” which in
Hebrew is all one word “Yehovah” “says”
or “utters and speaks”. In other words, in Hebrew the phrase is
literally “Hear Jehovah speak”. Micah adds, “Arise”
or “stand, rise up or stand up” “contend”
which means “contend or conduct a case or suit” “you
before the mountains” which
refers to “a hill, hill country or mount”.
The
verse goes on to say, “and let the hills hear your
voice.” Micah added, “and
let the hills” which were
smaller ancient rises in the earth “hear”
which is the same Hebrew word “shama” used in the first part of
this verse which means “listen to, pay attention to, perceive and
obey” “your voice”
or “sound or proclamation”. If we use our imaginations we can
almost picture Micah calling the mountains and hills to be an
audience for the voice of the LORD, and when He speaks, they are in
full attention.
As
we think through these words of Micah, we should keep in mind that
the LORD is calling His creation together to be witnesses of His
words to the people of Israel. It is almost like He is calling a
court to be in order. The LORD is the judge, Israel is the defendant,
and the mountains and the hills are the jury and audience. With a
scene like this, we too should be ready to hear what the LORD has to
say to the people of Israel, and in the coming verses, we shall hear
it. For now, let us be as the mountains and hills, and pay attention
daily to what the LORD has to say to us. May we learn to be as
attentive as these “mountains and hills”
when the LORD utters and proclaims His words.
Next
time Micah shares about a “controversy”
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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