The Apostleship of Paul. Romans 1:1-6.

Do you ever wonder what our purpose and goals are? I am not talking about standing at the door of a grocery store and passing out Jesus loves you tracks; I am talking about our hope and destiny. Well, I have and the conversations I have had with God sound a little like this. If this is not real and there is no home with you, living in peace, something I have rarely experienced, then I might as well go party with the fools, or eliminate some of the world's bullies. In other words, without this hope, there is no purpose.

Regardless of how I occasionally feel, there is hope and the promise of a life with the Father in this place we call heaven. All of His promises are for real.

Paul's words in his letter to the group of believers in Rome begins to spell that out to them.

Romans 1:1-3 NLT  This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.  (2)  God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.  (3)  The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life, he was born into King David’s family line,

Since I previously elaborated on Paul and this idea of being a slave of Christ Jesus, I will bypass that and move on. We make huge assumptions about the amount of time and the quality of that time that Paul spent with some of these groups of people. If he had, then they should have understood the calling(s) placed on Paul, but apparently, they did not, so Paul begins to tell them that God chose him -

• to be an apostle

• and that he was sent out to preach the Good News about Jesus Christ.

Let's pause here for a moment.
Paul was, without doubt, a disciple, although not among those that Jesus hand-picked to walk with Him. That word merely means one disciplined; and Paul, when he went by the name Saul, was an adept disciple among the Pharisees.

If someone wants to claim discipleship, you should be asking, for and of what?
Consider how MMA fighters discipline themselves in multiple fighting styles to take on and defeat whatever comes against them; isn't this is the goal and purpose of Apologists, such as Ravi Zacharias and others.
I am not good at Apologetics as my memory is not working so well anymore. I think about the religious groups that occasionally come to our door; most are young, trained to argue their theologies, and their memories are not betraying them as mine does.

We would certainly expect an apostle to be a disciple or disciplined one. Apostles, on the other hand, are typically thought of as one set forth in the authority of another (like a pastor) - in our case, Jesus Christ. I, like many of you, assumed that an apostle was so much more than merely being a pastor. I suppose I got that impression because speakers with titles came to a couple of the churches I went to. The pastors in both cases made a big deal about these speakers, almost as if we should bow to them, and how they were not only an apostle but the pastor at their own churches. In the case of one church I attended, these guest speakers poured out accolades upon my pastor, announcing that he too was also an apostle (at one of them Pastor was almost like one of us in the sense that he rode a motorcycle with us.) For me, the problem with all this is that there are the implications that this man who assigns himself the title of apostle is automatically demanding that you treat him differently, almost as if he were some pontifical ruler.

Definitions of an apostle read like this: Apostle - one sent forth.
In the New Testament, the term was applied to the twelve disciples whom Jesus sent forth to preach the gospel and to be with him during his ministry on earth.
It also implies ‘one commissioned’ - a Hebrew word which signifies that the person is not merely a messenger but a delegate, bearing a commission, and, within the limits of his commission, wielding his commissioner’s authority.
And, finally, A person sent by another; a messenger; envoy. This word is used as a descriptive designation of Jesus Christ, the Sent of the Father (Hebrews 3:1; John 20:21).
So, with the little we know about the Apostle Paul let's see if we can match Paul with some of these characteristics I see in this definition above?

• One commissioned.
• not merely a messenger but a delegate
• bearing a commission
• wielding his commissioner's authority
• A person sent by another;

Paul was all those things, as he preached and taught a message of good news.

I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment, authorized as an apostle to proclaim God's words and acts. (Romans 1:1a MSG)

It doesn't take a vivid imagination to picture what life was like under the oppressive rule of the Pharisees, and the Roman law. A hot shower and a flushing toilet were unheard of, for anyone to stand their ground against the constant draw toward selfish hedonism could have been unbearable. Not so dissimilar to how we live today.

So, what to them would have been good news?
To the Jews, who longed for the Messiah to come and rule over them in a peaceable kingdom, good news meant just that. There is a problem with that, as their Jewish leadership only just a short time before, they rejected and killed the Messiah. (Most Jews did not know that Jesus death was all a part of the more excellent plan to redeem humanity.)
Those outside of the Jewish religion might have only seen the oppressiveness of Roman rule, or the lack of sustenance. The good news it seems means different things depending upon the condition. The sad part is that we, with our inherent brokenness, do not realize that the sadness we feel comes from brokenness inside of us which calls out to be redeemed and longs for the hope – the good news.

“God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.”

What exactly did God promise?
While most might miss the promise in Genesis chapter three, it is there. Genesis 3:14-15 NASB

The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; (15) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

God, speaking to Eve about her descendants/seed, promised that they would bruise him/the serpent, on the heel. This ability to bruise the serpent, no less than the promises made to Abram, were taught and passed along through oral history.

Genesis 12:1-3 NASB Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; (2) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; (3) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed."

• A land
• a great nation
• I will make your name great.
• And you shall be a blessing.

One last thing.

• I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.

How could all families on earth be blessed since there are atheists, and diverse religions not accepting of the one true God? The answer is only found in Jesus, and the price He paid on that cross. That price was more than enough to cover all humanity, for all time, obtaining their forgiveness.
You would think that what Jesus did on that cross should have removed everyone from any list destined for the great white throne and any eternal damnation, and it did. Sadly, we know some will follow Satan to his destruction, so how do I explain that? Simple, since no man comes to the Father, but through Jesus, the Son, then there has to have been a form of acceptance, not only of who He is, but what He did for the individual.
Because you and I cannot see the heart, we do not know what that looks like. I am quite convinced that it does not have to look like some standardized religious experience. So, this blessing is obtained through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We should be able to grasp Paul's direction at this point, and one of those directives was to preach the Good news, which Paul spells out in the following verses.

• The Good News is about his Son. (Romans 1:3 NLT) Jesus, and
• He was shown to be the Son of God (Romans 1:4 NLT)
  • In the gospels, we are introduced to family lineage. This heritage is something intensely relevant in the Jewish community, as it is traceable to King David’s family line, and the information we are given fulfills prophecy.
  • He, Jesus, was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. And the words of Jesus who said,
  • He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Romans 1:5 in the NASB it reads like this - "through whom we have received grace and apostleship."

The NASB has that word I struggle with, apostleship, so let's look at it in another translation and see if it makes any more sense.

Through whom grace has been given to us, sending us out to make disciples to the faith among all nations, for his name: (Romans 1:5 BBE)

An emissary - another word for an apostle, which we are, is merely one commissioned on behalf of another, most often thought of as a representative. Every nation has its ambassadors, but I wouldn't want to have someone who is drunk trying to represent me, but that is another story. Look at these words in the CJB version, “promoting trust-grounded obedience.” Trust must be developed, and it is built through words and actions. Doesn't that imply that we are to demonstrate those words and actions ourselves?

• (This grace and apostleship) includes you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah. (Romans 1:6 CJB) Unless you were born of Jewish heritage, you were considered a gentile, but through your acceptance of Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah you have been grafted into the rootstock, Israel. Since that grafting took place, we who follow Jesus are part of the vine that God pours His heart and life into. This integration into spiritual Israel is a disappointment to those who believe in replacement theology. To others, salvation is something distant that they can never attain, nor be accepted into, but you are wrong. Redemption and love like you have never known is only a breath away, as you, by your acceptance, hand your life over to Jesus the Messiah, and accept the mercy and grace that was paid for at the cross.

On the idea of judgment. 1Corinthians 6:2,3.

The conversation was wrapped around a challenge from the local university students who asked my friend what he thought of the idea that angels are superior to humans, God's creation. I suppose this challenge emanated from some liberal professor who suggested the idea. While my friend offered a reasonable response to the students, who asked, it opened the door to more questions in my friend's mind. That led him to open the mornings Bible study with the following verse, an aspect of his response to the students.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 ISV  You know that the saints will rule the world, don't you? And if the world is going to be ruled by you, can't you handle insignificant cases?  (3)  You know that we will rule angels, not to mention things in this life, don't you?

The premise is that “we,” those of us who are in Christ, from the millennial reign forward, will rule angels. The KJV has a much harsher tone.

1 Corinthians 6:3 KJV  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?

If I had nothing else to work with, I suppose I could make an argument against the idea that we, those who are in Christ, not just humankind, are the people who are engrafted into the vine shall judge the angels (A huge but legitimate assumption here is that these are the fallen angels. I am not sure what role we might play in that decision-making process seeing as they have already been judged.) I do not think that a general population should or would be able to judge angels. I certainly don't remember a moment in time when I felt like I was capable of judging any angelic being. If I thought I could apply this to Satan, there is this verse that puts me in my place.

Jude 1:9 NLT  But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)

What this tells me is that my words, without the power of the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus, are pointless and ineffectual against an angel created by God – regardless of whether the angel is fallen or not. Ah, but we who are in Christ are not impotent against Satan and the uncountable number of fallen angels/demons who fell with him; however, the name of Jesus is the only effective weapon we have. Since Satan has proven that he too knows the Words of God, then you should know that he will challenge everything you do and say – it is his nature.

In a sense, I suppose that I have judged Satan merely by speaking against his actions in Jesus name, but not really. Satan has already been judged, although his final fate is yet to come in its entirety.
What I am doing when I stand against him in Jesus name, is little more than taking advantage of a right given to me as a Son and an heir.

By the way: in Hebrews 1:7 the writer is talking about angels and the context is adequately laid out when he refers to angels as ministering spirits. Now moving forward to a few verses in Hebrews 1:14 we see that these same angels are working and on behalf of those who are heirs of salvation. We, who are followers of Christ are those heirs.

Having covered the topic of judging an angelic being let's move on to the context of Paul's thoughts – the judgment of a person within the church body/community of believers.

1 Corinthians 5:1 CJB  It is actually being reported that there is sexual sin among you, and it is sexual sin of a kind that is condemned even by pagans—a man is living with his stepmother!

Having spent some time around “pagans” I find they are fairly accepting of most anything that can be deemed fun, that is until it comes to someone messing with their woman or wife.

Ask yourself this question. How would anybody have known this kind of nonsense was going on unless the man was telling far too many people about his actions?

• The offender is taking pictures of his lewd acts with this participating woman and sharing them with people. Actions like this are nothing less than bragging about what he has done. And, you must assume that he has shared this information at church. I know many of you think I am preposterous thinking that this would never happen, but I am telling you this because I worked with such a man; a man who claimed to be a Christian just because he was a Catholic, who during his working hours on the customer service floor would share pictures of partially clothed women with his fellow employees. These were pictures of women with whom he claimed he had committed adultery.
• What kind of father would not have a clue about this activity?

For the most part, I have no idea what kind of massive failures you are involved in unless you share that information with the wrong people or you speak too freely.

Watch Paul's response.
“And you stay proud? Shouldn't you rather have felt some sadness that would have led you to remove from your company the man who has done this thing?” 1 Corinthians 5:2 CJB

Think about this for a moment; under ideal circumstances, which rarely happens in church communities, we are supposed to be able to share or confess, if you will, our shortcomings and struggles. Assuming we feel safe enough to share the worst of it, and the group reacts poorly to what you say, and removes you from the entire church community, where else do you go? If you were serious about wanting some change in your life, what then becomes of you if they excommunicate you? It all seems a bit short-sighted, unless, your sin (missing the mark – or moral standard set up by the community,) is something intentional, blatant, forward, and little more than bragging.

Another example that may help us all understand.
Many years ago, there was a television pastor by the name of Dr. Gene Scott. He was an intense man, who had done his homework and taught with a passion I rarely see. But, Dr. Scott also understood this grace that Paul preached, to the point of taking it much too far. He seemed to ignore Paul's words, which tell us that we are not to offend our weaker brothers. Dr. Scott's attitude was more of buckle up, shut up, and hang on. I stopped watching him when he began to sip scotch and smoke cigars while he taught.

Perhaps this brother in Christ we see in 1 Cor 5:1 had a much broader vision of grace than I have. I find myself struggling with the grace some people live in; not because they are “sinning” but because my childhood training and early church indoctrination pushed me toward a life of restrictions, and therefore I struggle with the personal freedoms of others when I want to have a little freedom myself.

Paul's solution to a horrendous sin problem within the church.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5 CJB  For I myself, even though I am absent physically, am with you spiritually; and I have already judged the man who has done this as if I were present.  (4)  In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us,  (5)  hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.

This scenario wasn't just about the man sleeping with his father's wife; the whole church, by their lack of action, seems to have played some sick role in this.

1 Corinthians 5:6 NLT  Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?

Who is Paul talking to when he says, “your boasting about this is terrible.”? He is talking about the congregation.
We have such a twisted idea of manhood if we feel that we have to smile, laugh, and condone garbage like this. I see this type of activity as high school jock mentality, and sadly it emanates from broken father-son relationships.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 NLT  When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.  (10)  But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.  (11)  I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

The idea of sexual sin seems so disgusting, especially when you think about how you might come to know this information. If it is shared in small groups, it is supposed to stay private within the group, unless it is harmful or illegal; even then, let management handle it. But what of this terminology which we find so much easier to accept, like people who are: greedy, abusive, or one who cheats people. These individuals are people within the church body, and apparently, they are bragging about what they do.

So, if we deal with problems aren't we then judging? Again, watch what Paul says,

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NLT  It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.  (13)  God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

• It is NOT my responsibility to judge outsiders, Why not? Because Jesus took all wrath and judgment upon himself on the cross. The only thing left to be judged would be, what did you do with Jesus?
• “but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.” Paul already spelled out what that looks like, and it doesn't have to be a colossal waste of words, although I can almost guarantee you that the offender will believe they deserve punishment.

“In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us, hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.”

So, it is not merely sending the person to hell, as many seem to desire, but the eventual preservation of the soul in the Day of the Lord.

How can that be? Because Jesus NEVER lost one that was His. Imagine what this does to Judas?

• “ God will judge those on the outside.”

In Deuteronomy 17 God lays out the details for dealing with anything God finds detestable. Here is the Complete Jewish Bible version on this.

"If there is found among you, within any of your gates [in any city] that Adonai your God gives you, a man or woman who does what Adonai your God sees as wicked, transgressing his covenant by going and serving other gods and worshiping them, the sun, the moon, or anything in the sky—something I have forbidden— and it is told to you, or you hear about it; then you are to investigate the matter diligently. If it is true; if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done in Israel; then you are to bring the man or woman who has done this wicked thing to your city gates, and stone that man or woman to death. The death sentence is to be carried out only if there was testimony from two or three witnesses; he may not be sentenced to death on the testimony of only one witness. The witnesses are to be the first to stone him to death; afterward, all the people are to stone him. Thus you will put an end to this wickedness among you. (Deuteronomy 17:2-7 CJB)

All of this leads to 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 and the question that was presented to me, as the result of this challenge by the university students, when they asked if angels were superior to humans?
Since my friend typically barrages me with several random questions each evening, this was no different. In this case, he gave them a reasonable answer and was looking to validate his response to them.

1 Corinthians 6:1-3 CJB  How dare one of you with a complaint against another go to court before pagan judges and not before God's people?  (2)  Don't you know that God's people are going to judge the universe? If you are going to judge the universe, are you incompetent to judge these minor matters?  (3)  Don't you know that we will judge angels, not to mention affairs of everyday life?

From the information we obtain in verse three, one might reasonably assume that we are superior to the angels. Since we know that Satan and his band of fallen angels have already been judged, then why should God need us to do any further judging? It is preposterous to think that we should judge Michael or Gabriel for not moving quick enough, when they are typically busy, on our behalf, fighting what seems like a life or death struggle with demons bent on our destruction. So the obvious conclusion is that there is something here that goes beyond merely judging, the answer to which might require us to look at the original words that constitute the sentence.

To judge is the Greek word kékrika, and it means to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. In the NT, it means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case. Word Study Dictionary

If we are to separate, then I can easily associate this Jesus separating the wheat from the tares. You do realize that wheat and tares (weeds such as foxtails,) have similar properties. For some, telling them apart could be difficult. Perhaps what we should be concerned with is the idea that the angels are not so dissimilar. But angels are not the only thing we will judge.

We will judge the universe, but what does that look like?

The universe or the world is the Greek word kosmos and means the orderly arrangement, that is, decoration; by implication the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants.) Strong's concordance

Since Isaiah 45:18 tells us that the earth was made to be lived in, then we can only assume that the “orderly arrangement,” was right or perfect. Genesis 1:2 speaks in opposition to this orderly arrangement. The obvious point here is that something horrendous happened. We know that God made a garden called Eden and put it in the center, but that doesn't speak to the extremities, and this may play a role in this restoration of orderly arrangement.


 Again, how or why would we do that? We wouldn't unless we are in Christ (integrated) as we are, and because of this integrated relationship however Christ judges we judge, and His judgments are true and right. While angels are created beings, we are created in God's image, and because we are in Christ, then we are also God's sons and will one day rule over the angels.

Romans 1:1. Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus.

To be honest, I am not sure what direction to take this study for several reasons. For one, Romans is very intense and designed to build us up in Christ. That is not a bad thing as the words Paul brings us, build a solid basis for who we are in Christ. As you can see below, my journey into verse one has taken at least a page unto itself. Considering that it took me six months to complete a study on the book of Micah, I am not sure how long this will take. Additionally, I have a personal reason to study Romans, as a group I sit with will soon be going through the book of Romans and I prefer to be prepared for discussions.

With that, let's dive in and see where this will take us.

Romans 1:1 NLT  This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.'

Pay attention to the phrase Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus.

For me, as a young man, slavery had a negative connotation, and I think that much of that came from the nightly news, as every broadcast in the '60s and '70s was filled with people of color marching for the right to treated like human beings. Much like the assassination of President John Kennedy, we watched Dr. Martin Luther King get assassinated, while white Southern police brutally beat the blacks who marched in protest.

In my home, it meant I had no right to have any say over my own life, and, it meant brutal, unjust treatment. Raised in a “Christian” home, I was taught that if I defended myself from some bully at school, and my mother found out about it, I would be handed over to dad for an additional beating after he would come home from work. Another aspect of my “Christian” upbringing, was being told, repeatedly, that the Bible teaches us to turn the other cheek; by my mom's standards that meant that I was supposed to allow some school bully to keep punching me until I was spinning like a top or unconscious.

So, all this damage I am spewing is associated with the notion of slavery.

Slavery is the Greek word doúlos and means one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other. WSD

The idea of being a slave, especially on purpose, repulsed me for years. What changed me because I am no longer taken back by the idea of being a slave to Christ, but long for it?

It has been a couple of things.

Having gone through what I call my "dark night of the soul," I began to study my Bible intentionally - a journey that has been going on for over eleven years. My work schedule, at the time, was such that I had to be at work at seven in the morning and I had to drive through some wretched drive-time traffic to get there. Leaving an hour earlier, I was now within proximity of work, I bypassed the mad rush of traffic, and I could quietly eat my breakfast and read my Bible. Reading, seemed pointless at first as I felt dead inside, and the words were the same lifeless words I had heard before. I can remember crying out to God and saying if this dead feeling does not change then I cannot and will not keep doing this. I need you to make the words come alive, and they did.

There was another facet of my understanding that had to change. Aware that religion had taught me cute stories - narratives that enforced how my parents and church wanted me to see Jesus and God; therefore, a component of my reading and writing was an intentional and purposeful hunt to find the nature and character of God. With the understanding that Jesus is God, I began to study the gospels where the actions and words of Jesus were laid out before me. If my perception was correct, and Jesus was God, then I was seeing God in action. I could not worry about the “law” with all its regulations; I merely observed the life of Jesus. A significant example of God's character was displayed when the temple rulers brought a woman caught in adultery. How odd, since adultery always requires two participants and it is typically the man who makes the moves on the woman, and yet, there was no man presented to Jesus that day. While the elders were looking for Jesus to condemn her, He most likely rebuked them as He wrote in the dirt. But then the most amazing thing happened as he showed the woman mercy.

A heavily modified version of an old post on Hebrews 5:11. It's hard for you to learn.

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. (Hebrews 5:11, NIV)

With an opening like this, many could perceive this as an insult. The writer of Hebrews may well have meant it to be just that, a shot at this particular group of Hebrew converts that made up a portion of the early church.

“We have much to say about this,”
"What is the “this” the author is speaking of?" Obviously, by starting here, we have lost critical components of the conversation and therefore have missed the context. We find the context by returning briefly to Hebrews 5:1-10. Chapter five of Hebrews opens by speaking of Jesus as the better high priest, ordained by God. Because he achieved all this as a man, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.

“but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.”
I, for the longest time, thought of myself as a slow learner. It turns out that I am more of a visual learner, for once I get the imagery in my head, that scriptural scene usually stays with me forever. So, when it comes to my experiences in comprehending the Bible, the understanding has come through repetition and a great deal of writing. The writing has been my opportunity to ask God my questions, no matter how awkward or embarrassing, and put forth my heartfelt challenges. (A comparison for this would be a friend of mine who feels he is comfortable enough to say, God, lied about some situation! It might be how he feels at the time, as he searches for more appropriate words to express himself; but the reality is, God cannot lie, and my friend needs to grasp that concept.)

In our journey through Hebrews, we come to recognize that the entire book is in part a discourse proclaiming the superiority of Christ and why.

The cross plays a dominant role in this affirmation and here is why:

• "His reverent submission." (Hebrews 5:7)

Jesus voluntarily became a man; set aside His glory and position with the Father; submitted to death not only in his body but in his spirit; and, he did all this as a man.

• “ yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8)

There is more to this than what the eye can see. It will require you to think it through.

J. Vernon McGee said this in his commentary on chapter 5 of Hebrews,
“What is obedience? A crowd of people asked Jesus, "… What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" (Joh_6:28). Jesus replied, "… This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (Joh_6:29). Do you want to obey God? Then trust Christ. That is what He is saying.”
Maybe we should be paying attention to words like Dr. McGee's. Since so few of us trust Christ, try to imagine having to trust the Father God with your life – Jesus did.

Dr. McGee goes on to say, that in all honesty, there is something here he did not understand; “Why did the Son of God need to learn obedience by suffering? And why did He need to be made perfect when He already was perfect?” Dr. McGee proposes perhaps the best answer one can give - “Now I am well acquainted with the explanation that men gave, but none of them satisfy me. I just recognize that it is a great mystery.” 
For myself, I have learned to relax in the knowledge that He loves me, just as He loves you, and that Jesus was willing to go through horrible punishment for us.

• "and once made perfect." (Hebrews 5:9)

The NIV translates the verse right before this as, “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” That obedience is one of the things that made Him perfect.

A couple of things jump out at me when I read that He was made perfect. Jesus was and is God; John chapter one spells that out for us when it says, He spoke the worlds into existence. I know that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit being God thing is hard to handle, but none the less, it is what it is. Therefore, His voluntarily stepping down to be a human disabled Him in a sense; at least momentarily. Think about that; He became a human – a defenseless baby, dependent upon Mary to nurse and change His diapers. He, like victims of trauma often do, had to learn to walk and talk all over again. Any powers associated with the Father were set aside until He learned who He was and what His powers were, just as we have to do.

This transition from heaven to earth provokes my second thought.

Because Mary, at such an early age, had enough strength of character that she was able to stand her ground and say, He is the Son of God, it did not fare well with anybody and gossip spread quickly. No one was buying Mary's story, and for a time, neither did Joseph. Jesus, once he was born, was now reliant upon the protective covering of Joseph. Without this covering, He would have been thought of and treated as nothing more than an illegitimate child of an unnamed father. Accusations like this should have prevented Him from entering a Synagogue, or being taught in a Rabbinical school; and yet, what do we see, Jesus, at the age of accountability amazing the teachers in the synagogue with His understanding and knowledge.

Where would He have learned all the things necessary to make Him who He became?
1. Joseph, we are told, was a good man. This title does not necessarily mean he fared well in the community; it says he too knew the Torah and Talmud and by repetition taught Jesus.
2. At Jesus baptism in the Jordan by John, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit leads us and guide us into all truth, and, in the case of Jesus, led Him into the wilderness for forty days. We do not see Satan enter that picture until Jesus experienced a painful hunger at the end of that forty days. So, what was Jesus doing all that time? Talking to the God He had come to understand and recognize as His own Father.

Is there any doubt that He was perfect?

He was born through a woman who merely carried God's fertilized egg. This course of action is the way it had to be done to bypass the inherent brokenness that came to every human through Adam; this course action, on God's part, made Him sinless (that means, like us, He was not driven to satisfy personal desires.) And, we learn that He followed the will of the Father precisely; and yet, Jesus the Son is being made perfect again. John's gospel tells us that he is God, was with God, created all things by his word, and upholds all things by the word of his power; and yet, Hebrews has God restoring him to power. Why? Because God was restoring His firstborn Son, given to be sin, back to His rightful position of authority, seated next to the Father in heaven.

• "he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." (Hebrews 5:9)

God alone has the power to give life. However, Jesus told the Jews that he was God, and they very clearly understood that because they immediately tried to kill for making that claim. There was nothing veiled about what Jesus said, and yet, here again, we have a description of Jesus becoming the source of eternal salvation. To and for whom did He become the source of eternal salvation? All who obey him. (None of us do that entirely, but His grace is sufficient enough to ensure the salvation of all who believe.)

• "designated by God to be High Priest." (Hebrews 5:10)

Pay attention to the patterns for this is what the Jewish mind is accustomed to when analyzing prophecy. Aaron was a man, and God chose him. Look for patterns (this is what the Jewish mind is accustomed to when examining prophecy) Aaron was a pattern, but there is another clue here. Not after the order of Man but after the order or example of Melchizedek. A man who had no beginning and no end, appointed by God to be High Priest. Why? Because humankind had a limited lifespan and would have to have been replaced. Jesus, like Melchizedek, now continues because He was raised from the dead. Those who serve in the priesthood are born with a broken nature and must offer sacrifices for their failings before offering a sacrifice for others. It is true, that Jesus was born without sin, but could have given himself over to the desires of the flesh, as Satan pushed opportunities at Him, and yet He did not.

The explanations for why Jesus is superior is cloaked in references to the cross and his death.

There are two forms of death: Physical and spiritual. To be spiritually dead is to be separated from God, and Christ, for the first time experienced a separation from the Father. We call it his death, and no doubt the body was killed, but when John talks about death in Revelation 20, he refers to the second death. Christ's body was not the only thing that died on the cross that day. Jesus, himself, attests to that by saying "my God, why have you forsaken me."

Everything in scripture is a pattern, and we have Abraham for a model.
When Isaac asked where is the sacrifice, Abraham answers "God will provide himself a sacrifice," and that is precisely what happened that day on the cross.

Adam was the pattern for the man Jesus would become, and neither had experienced what it was like to be separated from God. Look at our Genesis account for the pattern. God made it clear to Adam what would happen on the day He ate from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil – death; and yet, did Adam die that day? Not to the physical eye, but he did spiritually, as he lost his connection to God. Try to keep in mind that God is not a liar and He did say that day. Some will look at this as the eventual death of Adam, which came almost nine-hundred years later. Still, if Adam's physical death was all that was implied, then that would make God a liar, for it did not occur that day. I believe that Adam understood what God meant when God explained what would happen; that is what made Adam's act of disobedience such a critical, treasonous error.

It would seem only a few have experienced anything close to that kind of intimacy: Adam, who relinquished his relationship; Enoch, who walked off this earth, and Jesus, who was killed because he proclaimed his relationship with the Father. Of those moments that I feel separated from Him, I think I can equate it to being underwater, and not being able to breathe. Your spirit, much like your lungs need air, desperately seeks a relationship with the creator.

So, here we are back at Hebrews 5:11 where it says, "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn."

Why would the writer of this letter to the Hebrews know the recipient's spiritual state?
     Perhaps the writer had been one of their teachers.

With the Law and the prophets only written on scrolls - the majority of which were held within the communities Synagogue because of rarity and expense, there were no books to enlighten the new converts about the latest theories on how grace and spiritual laws work; and, surely there was no New Testament, for it was being written as they spoke.

Another safe assumption is that these were exclusively Jewish believers considering that the entire book is a letter to the Hebrews.

Jews in the compulsory Rabbinical schools were trained in the Torah and Talmud.
Now, not everyone was a scholar like Saul/Paul, but within the Jewish community has a firm grasp of history and high Holy days was mandatory. Therefore, the knowledge of God's grace had to come through the same documents that the religious leadership used to control people with its many burdensome laws. The most significant input the new church had, would have been oral tradition and inspiration given through the Holy Spirit. Paul was a perfect example of one of those people, as he and a handful of others began to grasp the grace that God was trying to tell us.

Look at Hebrews 6:1-2 to get an idea of what the basics were/are; not one of these can be taught in 10 minutes.

• Basic teachings about Christ.
• The fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds.
• Placing our faith in God.
• Instructions about baptisms.
• Instructions about the laying on of hands.
• The resurrection of the dead.
• Eternal Judgment.

What would make this hard to explain?

I would not think that it is the telling of the story of Jesus that is difficult; although the trip to the cross can be graphic and gory. Perhaps the visualization of cross sets many people at odds with the cross. Having heard angry arguments against Jesus descending to hell and taking the keys away from Satan, I can presume that many others with their religious mindset fight against the cross. We also know that many have a cloak over their eyes, and therefore their physical mind cannot grasp the impact of the cross. And then, there are those who are not willing to spend any time looking into God's word, and therefore, will not find freedom.


What happened from the cross to the throne is what makes those of us who follow Him who we are. It is what made Jesus who He is, and it is what prompted God to call him our great High Priest, and the one who mediates for us continually.

God so desperately wanted to restore that relationship with you that he allowed his Son to die for you, and Jesus voluntarily set aside the glory he had with the Father to be the required sacrifice so that you might live. All that Christ did was done for you.

In the midst of a conversation, the statement was made, that the 144,000 get raptured. Sorry, I could not let it lie.

A statement was made that indicated that the one hundred and forty-four thousand bond-servants, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel, would be caught up in the rapture of the church.

When we do a lookup of either, the numeric value 144,000, or, the term written out, we only find three references; all of which occur within the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which John wrote.

The first reference to the 144,000 is in Revelation 7 where we see four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that they did not blow on the earth or sea, or even on any tree. What does that mean to those who are here? It says the average mean temperature is going to rise by at least 10- 15 degrees. Along with all the other horrors that will be going on during this time of judgment, it will be unbearably hot.

In Revelation 7:2,3 we see an angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. This angel shouted to the four angels, who had been given the power to harm the land and sea, "Wait! Don't harm the land and sea or trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.

Revelation 7:4 NLT states, I heard how many were marked with the seal of God - 144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel.

Those who are sealed are specifically from the tribes of Israel, not Jehovah's witnesses. Verses 5-8 spell out how 12,000 from the sons of Israel were chosen from the tribes listed there.

Now the oddity in this story, if we were to keep reading, is that Revelation 7:9 immediately takes the reader into the throne room of God, where a vast crowd, too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, are found standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. These were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands. 7:10 tells us, they were shouting with a great roar, Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!

In Revelation 7: 13 John asks, who are these people and where did they come from? The answer is given in verse 14 where a voice responds; you are the one who knows. The speaker then explains, "these are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. (And) That is why they stand in front of God's throne and serve him day and night in his temple."

What's the point so far?

If I were to try and understand who the 144,000 are from a chronological standpoint, based upon what I see in the following verses, all this is happening within the seven years of wrath. Since we see an uncountable multitude standing before the throne, then there would have to have been a terrifying rush to kill people who have chosen to follow Christ early on, or enough time has passed to attain such numbers. This scenario is in consideration of the fact that three and one-half years into the seven, the false prophet will be unleashed upon the world. According to Islam, this man will be the enforcer of Sharia law, and the chopping off of the head is the primary method of killing.

The other place we find the 144,000 is in Revelation chapter 14.

"Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Tziyon (Zion); and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing waters and like the sound of pealing thunder; the sound I heard was also like that of harpists playing on their harps. They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living beings and the elders, and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who have been ransomed from the world. These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been ransomed from among humanity as firstfruits for God and the Lamb; on their lips, no lie was found—they are without defect."(Revelation 14:1-5 CJB)

The Lamb, of course, is Jesus the Messiah; and, if He is standing on Mount Zion, then He has returned victoriously and returned the earth into the hands of the Almighty God. Since the 144,000 are, to the best of our knowledge, witnesses to the Jews during the time of wrath, then it is evident that their work is completed.

Look at a scene king David painted with words over three thousand years ago.

Psalms 2:1-6 ESV  Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  (2)  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,  (3)  “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”  (4)  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.  (5)  Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,  (6)  “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

David was talking about events that happen within and moments after the time of wrath - this time of wrath is the same thing most of the modern church mistakenly calls "The Great Tribulation."

Within this horrific time of tribulation, there will be a period in which the slaughter becomes even more numerous, and that is the time that Jesus spoke of when He said if God does not cut the time short no one would survive.

Since God seals the 144,000, they are untouchable and cannot be exterminated; at least we know that they cannot be killed by the things God is unleashing upon the land. However, we have no evidence that any of these died.

• That would mean that they were not raptured.
• And, it most likely means that they are alive today.
• There is nothing that says they are exclusively in Israel, for we have Jews all over the world.

God's steadfast love and compassion. Micah 7:18-20.

This post will be the end of our journey through Micah's prophecy.

The NLT translation headlines this section as,

God's Steadfast Love and Compassion

If you have been following my study on Micah, then you will agree that what Micah had to say was hard to hear. Much applies to our lives although we don't want to admit it, but pay attention to the last three verses.

Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago. (Micah 7:18-20 NLT)

• Where is another God like you? Many translations say it like this, Who is a God like you, as though there was something out there to compare Him to.

An acquaintance of mine, vehemently said, Jesus cannot come back because not everyone has heard the gospel, and yet those same people who have not heard the gospel serve a multitude of gods, many of which are carved out of the trees or palm branches near them. So then, what is the distinction?

• [It is God] “who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?” (NIV)

The ERV translation puts it this way - You take away people's guilt. What other god, if there is one, does that? Ponder this statement, “You take away people's guilt,” for a moment. Where else do we see this theme? For most of us, our minds look to the New Testament, but it is a theme repeatedly found in the Old Testament; one example is found in Exodus. Sadly, in the Old Testament, forgiveness was only temporary and required the death of a sacrificial animal, but with the New Testament, Jesus was that lamb, and He too was sacrificed once for the sins of the world. Jesus alone had that authority. Luke's gospel tells us that this forgiveness would be proclaimed to all. This process we see in Luke's gospel, how that Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead on the third day, is critical in God's plan to regain His creation, humankind, back again.

• The CEV translation phrases verse 18 like this, “We are all that is left of your chosen people, and you freely forgive our sin and guilt.”

I have sat in a Bible study, led by a man who is willing to tell you that no Jews advance into the millennium. In light of Micah's statement, and what Luke tells us, everyone who believes receives this forgiveness and therefore obtains eternal salvation and life with the Father. Religion constantly berates us for sin, almost as if the cross did not exist. But the cross indeed happened, and sins were forgiven. That is one of the reasons why both the Gentile and the Jew are forgiven. The burning question then will be, what did you do with the Son, the Messiah I sent to you? If you are a student of the Bible, then you know that there is a time of wrath coming. Sadly, we the church improperly call this time, the Great Tribulation when it is a time of wrath and judgment. An aspect of that judgment is against Israel for their rebellion and rejection. God told them it would come, and it will, but during this horrid time, many will come to understand that Jesus is the longed-for Messiah God. Understanding and believing are the requirements to obtain this eternal salvation, but once you are in the time of wrath, you must endure what that period holds.

• Many ask, what is God's character, and how can I know that? Well, here is one of those examples that tell us what His character is - “ because you delight in showing unfailing love.”

How did Micah know that? Because he and others like him were taught an oral history; a history that spoke of examples of God's love and mercy. There is no doubt that these stories were all intertwined with what seemed like perpetual war, but then that is what this community, called God's people, has been done since they left Egypt. Why call Israel a community at war? Because their mission, under God's orders, was to take the land God promised, and there was no way of doing that without conflict; that is why practically every story we read has a thread of bloodshed in it. I could not help but think about Jonah when I read this statement. The majority of the story we get on Jonah shows us a man, without reason, doing his best to escape God's directive to go to Nineveh. Bypassing all the details in-between, Jonah arrives at Nineveh and exclaims, 40 days and you are dead! This judgment is precisely what Jonah wanted; however, they repented, and God relented – showing them mercy (for the time being.) Where we find Jonah's real motive is at the end of the story where he says, I knew you would do that! What did God do? He delighted in showing His unfailing love to these barbaric Assyrians.

• “Once again you will have compassion on us.”

While God is always looking for ways to show compassion, the reality is that this will happen after Jesus comes back as the warring Messiah. Then compassion will be seen for not just God's people, but all who accept Him. 1000 years of peace, a time I have a hard time picturing.

• “You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!”

This verse has a familiar theme for me. Compare this statement above with a couple of others. Psalms 103:9-14 speaks of God's love for all who worship Him, and, how far He has separated us from our sins. Look at what Isaiah says. Jeremiah also speaks of God forgiveness. And lastly, Daniel reminds us that there is a price to be paid for sins – we have laws that uphold those penalties, but God, for reasons not explained in this verse, will put an end to their sin, atone for their guilt, and bring in everlasting righteousness? My opinion is somewhat irrelevant, but I see much of this happening on the cross. The requirement, on our part, is to believe in the Son. I suppose that means that I, in time, comprehend all that He did, but for now, to believe is enough.

• Micah 7:20 NLT  You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.

Once again, with men like Jeptha, Gideon, and Samson, all you focus on is the violence as they tried to free their people, but maybe that is where the faithfulness and unfailing love is hidden in the background as God is calling Israel back to Himself. A friend of mine seems to be undone by the possibility that God created evil. He heard Radio Pastor John MacArthur say God created evil. At this point, my friend became so inflamed that he turned off the radio and swore never to listen to Pastor MacArthur again. Perhaps created is an entirely inappropriate choice of words, and here is why. I hate when Pastors say, “this is what James is saying,” this is especially redundant and insulting when it is obvious what, in this case, James is telling us. Consider the logic as we learn that:

• “it is not possible for God to be tested by evil.”

Fortunately, we have an explanation, for God spoke about the person who foolishly says, God put me through this test or evil.

• “and He tempts no one.” (MKJV)

That would eliminate Him tempting or testing you and I. My friend, influenced by far too many voices, suggests that God instilled Adam with evil. If you read the creation account, you see nothing that indicates that, and there is definitive evidence that Adam and Eve obtained the knowledge of evil through the consumption of the fruit of the tree that represented that knowledge.

Let's play out one more scenario. If God, as Isaiah tells us, created evil, and humankind, in the spirit form, is made in the likeness of God, why wouldn't Adam know evil as well? To answer the question I need to understand what Isaiah said!

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” Isaiah 45:7 KJV

Form - yāṣar: A verb meaning to form, to fashion, to shape, to devise. The primary meaning of the word is derived from the idea of cutting or framing. [Word Study Dictionary]
The word create. Heb. bara, Poel Participle, which with "evil" requires the rendering "bring about." So I can understand the idea of creation, in Isaiah 45:7, as God brought about.
Light – the Hebrew word ’ôr. It is a masculine noun meaning light. In a literal sense, it is used primarily to refer to light from heavenly bodies.
Darkness is the same word we see in Genesis chapter one where we find the creation account. Most innocently read Genesis 1:2 where it says, “and darkness was upon the face of the deep,” and see the earth as a place that simply had no light. But an in-depth look into a simple word like darkness and you find something ominous.
Darkness - chôshek - the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness: - dark (-ness), night, obscurity.
Isaiah gives us one more word, evil.
Evil is the Hebrew word ra‛ or râ‛âh. It means bad or (as noun) evil (naturally or morally). This includes the second (feminine) form; as adjective or noun: - adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress,

But, in speaking through Isaiah, only moments later, we get this:
“For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the LORD,” he says, “and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:18 NLT 

He (God) made the earth perfectly, and, inhabitable from the moment of its origination; and yet, something appears to have happened, and because of that we find the earth covered in darkness – chaos. Isaiah distinctly tells us that God brought about evil. Since God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt any man with evil, then evil must have come from some other direction or source, and God, in time, had to allow it to be brought forth; we see that happening with Adam at the forbidden tree of knowledge. Jesus told us that He beheld Satan fall like lighting to the earth. Since Satan's one purpose in life now is to usurp God's authority and position, then it is safe to assume that the evil, calamity, distress, and adversity came with him.

• [What does the BBE translation of James 1:13-17 say?] “But every man is tested when he is turned out of the right way by the attraction of his desire.”

So, are you telling me that Eve was turned out of the right way because of personal desires? Yes. The MKJV puts it this way - “But each one is tempted by his lusts, being drawn away and seduced by them.” Having struggled most of my life with self-esteem issues, I asked a counselor that used hypnotism about how this is done; this was important to me as I desire freedom from the fear associated with low self-esteem, and, I have seen stage shows where people do odd things like acting like a chicken. On a positive note, I have also seen a hypnotist get a lady past her morbid fear of snakes. When he was done with her, she was comfortable enough to hold a rather large snake. The counselor I spoke with, told me that the people doing odd things have a deeply inset desire to do those things and that these are the same people who drastically change with alcohol consumption. The counselor also told me that there was nothing they could make a person do if it is against their will. So, the hypnotized are only acting out upon their lusts/desires. In the MKJV you can see that they used the word lusts in James 1:13-17. Many perceive lusts as purely sexual, but it is not. Lusts are only desires that you have, like a fast or flashy car. In the case of Eve, she saw that the tree was not only good for food but that it gave you knowledge. The problem is that it was a knowledge that was not beneficial, for so many reasons; nor did she understand or care that her actions included the genetic alteration of the human species from that point forward – this is the best way for me to understand how we could all be born into sin.

Wait for the salvation of God. Micah 7:1-17.

As I move into the last chapter of Micah I feel a sense of relief because it seems that book studies/commentaries can, at times, be wearisome. In looking at statistics on the blog, I can see that readers have dropped off, especially when I use some of the oppressive wording that God is conveying in that portion of scripture. Perhaps that is why people do not and will not read their Bibles, because God often comes across as tedious. I too have to labor through sections as I try to make some of the darker passages more palatable. So when I opened Micah chapter seven today and began to do a quick read through, in hopes of moving quickly through Micah in one post, I found myself reading about many of the same feelings I feel as I write these posts. One sentence stands out, whether it is true or not is irrelevant, as it feels like it is.

No one is loyal to God; no one does right.(CEV)

I recognize that many of you have a heart toward God and desire all that God has for you, but there are others, that after reading a few lines, catch only a vague feel for the heart of God and simply leave the post, just as they leave the Word of God. Welcome to the heart of Micah and the close of his book.

This section is entitled by the translators as Wait for the God of Salvation.

The passage seems long, but I will break it down.

Micah 7:1-17 CEV  I feel so empty inside— like someone starving for grapes or figs after the vines and trees have all been picked clean.  (2)  No one is loyal to God; no one does right. Everyone is brutal and eager to deceive everyone else.  (3)  People cooperate to commit crime. Judges and leaders demand bribes, and rulers cheat in court.  (4)  The most honest of them is worse than a thorn patch. Your doom has come! Lookouts sound the warning, and everyone panics.  (5)  Don't trust anyone, not even your best friend, and be careful what you say to the one you love.  (6)  Sons refuse to respect their own fathers, daughters rebel against their own mothers, and daughters-in-law despise their mothers-in-law. Your family is now your enemy.  (7)  But I trust the LORD God to save me, and I will wait for him to answer my prayer.  (8)  My enemies, don't be glad because of my troubles! I may have fallen, but I will get up; I may be sitting in the dark, but the LORD is my light.  (9)  I have sinned against the LORD. And so I must endure his anger until he comes to my defense. But I know that I will see him making things right for me and leading me to the light.  (10)  You, my enemies, said, "The LORD God is helpless." Now each of you will be disgraced and put to shame. I will see you trampled like mud in the street.  (11)  Towns of Judah, the day is coming when your walls will be rebuilt, and your boundaries enlarged.  (12)  People will flock to you from Assyria and Egypt, from Babylonia and everywhere else.  (13)  Those nations will suffer disaster because of what they did.  (14)  Lead your people, LORD! Come and be our shepherd. Grasslands surround us, but we live in a forest. So lead us to Bashan and Gilead, and let us find pasture as we did long ago.  (15)  I, the LORD, will work miracles just as I did when I led you out of Egypt.  (16)  Nations will see this and be ashamed because of their helpless armies. They will be in shock, unable to speak or hear,  (17)  because of their fear of me, your LORD and God. Then they will come trembling, crawling out of their fortresses like insects or snakes, lapping up the dust.

In a sense, Micah is pouring out his heart in anguish before God.

• (1) I feel so empty inside— like someone starving for grapes or figs after the vines and trees have all been picked clean.

Who hasn't felt that? Maybe there are some; my wife would say to me, I don't understand depression. After several tries at explaining some of the symptoms of depression, she is now aware that she too goes through depression as well.

• (2)  No one is loyal to God; no one does right. Everyone is brutal and eager to deceive everyone else.

You should know that is a false premise. It is, however, the same premise that Elijah moaned about when he said, I am all alone; there are no other prophets besides me! God told him differently. The problem here is that it is easy to feel alone and needs to be recognized for what it is, a deception from the enemy. This happened to me. A group I used to sit in had someone new show up; the assumption that several of the men made was that this new guy knew nothing, and so they immediately tried to impress him with their knowledge. The question was asked, how tall was David when he slew Goliath? After several moments of awkward silence, as no one knew the answer, I responded with, about six foot four inches tall. Needless to say, I was verbally attacked. I could give you several strong reasons for saying what I did, but because I had gone against tradition, I was deemed disloyal to God, and they, were brutal and deceptive in their responses.

•  (3)  People cooperate to commit crime. Judges and leaders demand bribes, and rulers cheat in court.  (4)  The most honest of them is worse than a thorn patch. Your doom has come! Lookouts sound the warning, and everyone panics.

That has never changed; it is a part of that nature we inherited from Adam. Everyone does it, but it does not make it the right thing to say. Saying that the entire world has gone down the toilet is nowhere close to a true statement. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, said that a small portion of Joel chapter two had been fulfilled in their ears. This was the Holy Spirit of God talking through Peter, and God has never changed His mind about this statement.
It goes like this: Joel 2:28b-29 NLT  “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.  (29)  In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.

Are you having visions; dreaming dreams; has the Holy Spirit pour His spirit upon you, and are you prophesying? I know the answer and it is NO. Do you ever wonder why? Joel chapter two sounds more like hope and power; I would rather live in that instead of focusing on the doom that has come. I want to live in hope and power.

• (5)  Don't trust anyone, not even your best friend, and be careful what you say to the one you love.  (6)  Sons refuse to respect their own fathers, daughters rebel against their own mothers, and daughters-in-law despise their mothers-in-law. Your family is now your enemy.

These are the words of a wounded man – he is wounded by people he trusted; people he thought would receive the words he gave them. You can't cross deeply embedded tradition and not expect an attack. Religion, no matter how safe you think it is, is not your friend. Don't mistake a relationship with Jesus for religion. Jesus himself told us that those of our own households would become our enemies. Matthew 10:36.

• (7)  But I trust the LORD God to save me, and I will wait for him to answer my prayer.  (8)  My enemies, don't be glad because of my troubles! I may have fallen, but I will get up; I may be sitting in the dark, but the LORD is my light.

In the midst of Micah's moaning, there is this amazing bright light. These words should be our battle cry no matter what.

• (9)  I have sinned against the LORD. And so I must endure his anger until he comes to my defense. But I know that I will see him making things right for me and leading me to the light.  (10)  You, my enemies, said, "The LORD God is helpless." Now each of you will be disgraced and put to shame. I will see you trampled like mud in the street.

We don't know what Micah did; we assume he led a pristine, carefree life. I don't think so, because God seems to take those of us who have been battered and turns us into testimonies and warriors for Him. Maybe, Micah was like me; he understood his weaknesses and frailties. In that understanding, I can easily say, I too have sinned. Paul said, confess your sins one to another; well I can guarantee you that I am not sharing my life with many of you as you will eat me alive just as they do on the Walking Dead television show. I have to be selective about who I share things with and how much I share. Just know, that I have a couple of people that I can and do share things with, and, there are things that I will take to the grave. Religion and selfishness almost guarantee that some will gloat over me, but note this truth – I will see you trampled like mud in the street.

• (11)  Towns of Judah, the day is coming when your walls will be rebuilt, and your boundaries enlarged.  (12)  People will flock to you from Assyria and Egypt, from Babylonia and everywhere else.  (13)  Those nations will suffer disaster because of what they did.

Verses 11, 12 both reflect hope and prophesy. To some degree the walls were rebuilt, and, in the six-day war, Israel's boundaries were enlarged. The UN would love to see that undone. Sadly, the prophets, including Micah, have spoken of enemies from those same nations that will flock to Israel, attacking Israel in the last days. The disaster that befalls them comes in the form of a firestorm [Ezekiel 38,39] and then a tremendous slaughter of all fighting forces when Jesus returns to earth. [Revelation 19:15]

• (14)  Lead your people, LORD! Come and be our shepherd. Grasslands surround us, but we live in a forest. So lead us to Bashan and Gilead, and let us find pasture as we did long ago.

Verse fourteen is prayer and a plea to God.

• (15)  I, the LORD, will work miracles just as I did when I led you out of Egypt.  (16)  Nations will see this and be ashamed because of their helpless armies. They will be in shock, unable to speak or hear,  (17)  because of their fear of me, your LORD and God. Then they will come trembling, crawling out of their fortresses like insects or snakes, lapping up the dust.

Verses 15 -17 is God's response. In the end, the nations will fear/respect the Lord God, and they will come and bow before Him – end of discussion.