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Wait for the God of Salvation
7 Woe is me! For I have become
as when the summer fruit has been gathered,
as when the grapes have been gleaned:
there is no cluster to eat,
no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
The godly has perished from the earth,
and there is no one upright among mankind;
they all lie in wait for blood,
and each hunts the other with a net.
Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
thus they weave it together.
The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;
now their confusion is at hand.
Put no trust in a neighbor;
have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms;
for the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication.
Then my enemy will see,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
“Where is the LORD your God?”
My eyes will look upon her;
now she will be trampled down
like the mire of the streets.
A day for the building of your walls!
In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
In that day they will come to you,
from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River,
from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
But the earth will be desolate
because of its inhabitants,
for the fruit of their deeds.
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
who dwell alone in a forest
in the midst of a garden land;
let them graze in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them marvelous things.
The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
their ears shall be deaf;
they shall lick the dust like a serpent,
like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;
they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God,
and they shall be in fear of you.
God’s Steadfast Love and Compassion
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
(ESV)
Micah 7 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Consider the similarities of Micah’s world and our world today…
- There is undesirable fruit all around
- Everyone is scheming, waiting for a chance to do evil
- People in authority take bribes as money trumps morals
- Even people who seem honest have a hidden agenda
- It is difficult to know who you can really trust
- Families are divided as selfish interests take priority
Micah calls the situation hopeless. What situation do you find yourself in that seems hopeless? How does Micah, a true prophet and follower of God, respond to such turmoil around him?
But I will watch for the LORD; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me.
Micah 7:7 GNB
This is a familiar statement that is consistent with other faithful believers in Scripture.
- Moses – [Exo 14:14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.]
- David – [Psa 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!]
- Isaiah – [Isa 64:4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.]
- Hosea – [Hos 12:6 “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”]
- Habakkuk – [Hab 2:1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.]
- Paul – [Rom 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.]
- Peter – [2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.]
- James – [Jas 5:8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.]
Waiting tests and strengthens our faith. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a follower of God in all of Scripture who didn’t experience hardship and suffering as a means to develop their faith and perseverance. God’s promises ring true. He will act for those who wait on Him. He is not slow as we understand slowness.
Stand firm. Be silent. Wait on the Lord.
Where do you need to take your eyes off the problem and focus on your response and attitude toward your Father in Heaven. Micah grieved for those around him, but he made up his mind that he would not be moved.
He waited. He watched. He was confident. He knew God heard Him.
Where do you need to claim this in your life right now?