As Micah the prophet
continued to write concerning the remnant of people who would return
to Israel after their dispersion to Babylon, he prayed for the LORD
to “feed” His “people with the rod” which meant
not only providing nourishment for their sustenance, but also
“tending” to them like a faithful shepherd. In chapter seven and
verse fifteen of his prophesy, Micah receives the LORD's response to
his prayer as the LORD reminded him of the “marvelous things”
He did for Israel in the past when He brought them out of Egypt and
gives him the promise of those “things” when the remnant
returns where we read:
According
to the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto
him marvelous things.
The
verse begins, “According to the days of your coming out of the
land of Egypt ...” The LORD answered Micah by reminding Him of
His working with Israel in the past - “According to the days”
or “time, period or days gone by” “of your coming”
or “exiting or going forth” “out of the land” or
“territory” “of the land of Egypt” which means “land
of the Copts” and refers to the time when Moses was employed by the
LORD in Israel's exodus from the land of Egypt.
The verse goes on to say, “...will
I show unto him marvelous things.” The
LORD moves from the past to His promise for Israel's future - “will
I show” or “see, look
at, inspect, perceive and consider” “unto him marvelous
things” which means “wonderful, be surpassing, extraordinary,
separate by distinguishing action, beyond one's power, difficult to
do, difficult to understand, wonderful”. The LORD's promise in
answer to Micah's prayer is to not only “shepherd” over the
remnant of Israel, but also show them things which will surpass
anything they could ever do for themselves.
As we think about the LORD's
answer to Micah, we can almost picture the LORD with a gleeful heart
so willing to bless His people. He not only desires to “feed,
protect and provide” for them, but also wants to show them things
which are so wonderful they will not comprehend or understand them.
We can be certain that this loving LORD who desired to bless the
people of Israel is the “same yesterday, today and forever”,
and He desires to bless us in this manner as well. Paul the apostle
wrote it like this in the book of Ephesians chapter three and verses
twenty and twenty-one:
Now
unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that works in us, unto him be
glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end. Amen.
When we
consider the LORD's words through Micah, and this statement by the
apostle Paul, we should be rejoicing within and declare, “Bless us,
Oh Bless us, Oh bless us Oh Lord with your marvelous things!”
Next
time Micah writes how “the nations shall see and be confounded”,
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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