The people within Jerusalem
and Samaria were warned by Micah the prophet that judgment was to
come upon them for their pernicious ways. Though they had a form of
godliness, they lived in total opposition to it. No one could be
trusted, and even their family members were suspect to take advantage
of one another. Micah called upon the LORD as he knew there was no
other source who would not only hear him, but also be his salvation.
The LORD promised to show a remnant of people who would return to the
land of Israel after being exiled to Babylon “marvelous things”,
and because of these wonders the nations surrounding them would be
astonished and dumbfounded. In chapter seven and verse seventeen of
Micah's prophesy, Micah compares these nations to “serpents”
and “worms” where we read:
They shall lick the
dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of
the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear
because of you.
The
verse begins, “They shall lick the dust like a serpent,
they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth:” As
Micah continued to describe the reaction of the nations to the way
the LORD would bless Israel, he wrote, “They shall lick”
or “lick up” “the dust”
which means “dry earth, powder, ashes, earth, ground,
mortar, rubbish and debris” “like a serpent” or “snake”.
If we use our imaginations we can picture these subservient nations
crawling on their bellies in humility before the people of Israel in
reaction to God's “marvelous things”. Micah adds, “they
shall move” which literally means “tremble, quake, rage and
quiver” “out of their holes” or “close places,
boarders and rims” “like worms” which refers to
“creeping and crawling worms” “of the earth” or “land,
country and territory”. The idea is they will be so fearful and
afraid that they will hesitantly crawl out of their holes in which
they live.
The
verse goes on to say, “they shall be afraid of the LORD
our God, and shall fear because of you.” Micah
adds to his description of these nations by writing, “they
shall be afraid” or “fear,
tremble, revere, dread and be in awe” “of the LORD”
which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah” “our God” which
in Hebrew is “elohiym” and means “rulers, judges and divine
ones”. Micah goes on to say, “and shall fear” or “be
afraid, awed, respect and reverence” “because of you” or
“because of what has happened to you”. In other words, when the
surrounding nations see the LORD's blessing, restoration and
rebuilding of the nation of Israel, they shall be filled with fear
and awe from the “marvelous” workings of the Almighty God.
As we ponder Micah's words
concerning the fear of these other nations, perhaps the LORD will
have us examine our own lives to determine if we have such an impact
upon those who surround us. Do we have “marvelous things”
from the LORD occurring in our daily routines of which people are in
“awe”? Does the manner in which we handle trials and difficulties
differ so much from others that when we endure them others are
“afraid of the LORD”? Maybe we should use this time of
meditation to ask the LORD to work “marvelously” within our lives
so others not only fear and reverence Him, but also desire to know
His Son Jesus Christ as their Savior. Lest we become like “serpents”
and “worms” who tremble as they see the production of the
LORD in others, may God Almighty work in us so greatly that many will
come to know Him through what they see.
Next
time Micah writes about wonderful characteristics 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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