Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be my light.
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the LORD's wrath,
until he pleads my case
and establishes my right.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,
she who said to me,
"Where is the LORD your God?"
My eyes will see her downfall;
even now she will be trampled underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in days long ago.
15 "As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders."
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the LORD our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors
in days long ago.
Questions to consider:
- What is Micah’s attitude toward God while in a sinful society?
- How would you describe your own attitude toward God while in our society?
- Can you summarize Micah’s view of God? What is his tone here?
- What is your response to a God possessing those characteristic and actions?
Possibilities for prayer:
The book of Micah ends on a note of hope. Throughout the book, we’ve been through many challenging passages, passages about judgment that God was promising to bring upon the people of Israel, among other things. And yet, as we reach the end of the prophet’s book, we are shown hope. In the end, God comes through. God brings back the people that were sent away, protects those who would be attacked, and forgives and shows mercy to those who have sinned. God has the same attitude toward us today--as Micah says, God “delight[s] to show mercy” to us. Today, let’s offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for hope; for the hope that we have through Christ, who was prophesied in this book, and the hope that we have through God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
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