Micah (Sections 110-112)
Section 110
"For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came
down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem."—Micah 1:12. The village of the bitter spring (for such is probably the meaning of the name Maroth) experienced a bitter disappointment. The more eager and patient their careful waiting, the more distasteful the draught of evil which they were compelled to drink. Their trust in man proved to be vain, for the Assyrian swept over them, and stopped not till he reached the gate of Jerusalem, where Hezekiah's faith in God made the enemy pause and retreat.
Let us consider, as suggested by the text,—
I. Sad disappointments—"waited carefully for good: but evil came."
Disappointments come frequently to the sanguine, but they also happen to those who wait, wait carefully, and expect reasonably.
1. Disappointments are often extremely painful at the time.
2. Yet could we know all the truth, we should not lament them.
3. In reference to hopes of several kinds they are certain. As for instance, when we expect more of the creature than it was ever meant to yield us, when we look for happiness in sin, when we expect fixity in earthly things, etc.
4. In many cases disappointments are highly probable. Conceited hopes, groundless expectations, speculations, etc.
5. In all cases they are possible. "There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip."
6. They should be accepted with manly patience.
7. They may prove highly instructive, teaching us— Our fallibility of judgment. The uncertainty of sublunary things. The need of reserve in speaking of the future. James 4:14. The duty of submitting all our projects to the divine will.
8. They may be greatly sanctified.
Sometimes they have turned the current of a life.
They are intended to wean us from the world.
They tend to make us prize more the truthfulness of our God, who fulfils the desire of them that fear him.
They bring us precious things which can only come of experience.
They save us from unknown evils which might ruin us.
II. Strange appointments. The text tells us, "evil came down from the Lord."
1. The expression must not be misunderstood. God is not the author of moral evil. It is the evil of sorrow, affliction, calamity that is here meant.
2. It is nevertheless universally true. No evil can happen without divine permission. "I make peace, and create evil": Isaiah 45:7.
3. Some evils are distinctly from the Lord. "This evil is of the Lord": 2 Kings 6:33. For testing men, and making their true character to be known. For chastening the good. 1 Chronicles 21:7. For punishing the wicked. Genesis 6:5-7; Genesis 19:24-25.
4. Hence such evils are to be endured by the godly with humble submission to their heavenly Father's will.
5. Hence our comfort under them: since all evils are under divine control, their power to injure is gone.
6. Hence the antidote for our disappointments lies in the fact that they are God's appointments.
III. Expectations which will not end in disappointment.
1. Hopes founded on the promises of God. Hebrews 10:23.
2. Confidence placed in the Lord Jesus. 1 Peter 2:6.
3. Desires presented in believing prayer. Matthew 21:22.
4. Harvest hopes in connection with sowing seed for the Lord. Psalms 126:5-6.
5. Expectations in falling asleep in Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:14. Is your life embittered by disappointment?
Cast the cross into the bitter water, and it will become sweet.
Gatherings
During the period when lotteries were unhappily allowed to flourish in this country, a gentleman, looking into the window of a lottery-office in St. Paul's Churchyard, discovered to his joy that his ticket had turned up a £10,000 prize. Intoxicated with this sudden accession of wealth, he walked round the churchyard, to consider calmly how he should dispose of his fortune. On again, in his circuit, passing the lottery-office, he resolved to take another glance at the charming announcement in the window, when, to his dismay, he saw that a new number had been substituted. On enquiry, he found that a wrong number had at first been posted by mistake, and that after all he was not the holder of the prize. His chagrin was now as great as his previous pleasure had been.—W. Haig Miller's "Life's Pleasure Garden."
It is wise, when we are disappointed in one thing, to set over against it a hopeful expectancy of another, like the farmer who said, "If the peas don't pay, let us hope the beans will." Yet it would be idle to patch up one rotten expectation with another of like character, for that would only make the rent worse. It is better to turn from the fictions of the sanguine worldling to the facts of the believer in the Word of the Lord. Then, if we find no profit in our trading with earth, we shall fall back upon our heart's treasure in heaven. We may lose our gold, but we can never lose our God. The expectation of the righteous is from the Lord, and nothing that comes from him shall ever fail.
I knew one who had made an idol of his daughter, and when she sickened and died, he was exceedingly rebellious, and the result was that he died himself. Expectations which hang upon the frail tenure of a human life may fill our cup with wormwood if we indulge them. Could this father have owned the Lord's hand in the removal of his child, and had he beforehand moderated his expectations concerning her, he might have lived happily with the rest of his family, and have been an example of holy patience.—C. H. S. Who has not muttered "Marah" over some well in the desert which he strained himself to reach, and found to be bitterness? Have you found no salt waters where you thought to find sweetness and joy? Love, beauty, the world's bright throngs, marriage, home, the things which once wooed you, and promised to slake the thirst of your soul for happiness, are they all Elims, sweet springs and palms? Oh, what fierce murmurings of "Marah" have I heard from hearts wrung with anguish, from souls withered and blasted by a too fond confidence in anything or any being but God! Believe it, no man, with a man's heart in him, gets far on his wilderness way without some bitter soul-searching disappointment; happy he who is brave enough to push on another stage of the journey and rest in Elim, where there are twelve springs, living springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees.—J. B. Brown.
Disappointments in favorite wishes are trying, and we are not always wise enough to remember that disappointments in time are often the means of preventing disappointments in eternity.—William Jay.
Section 111 "Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy." —Micah 2:8. When men are in trouble they are apt to blame God. But the blame lies with themselves. "Are these his doings?" (verse 7.) Does the good Lord arbitrarily cause sorrows? No, they are the fruit of sin, the result of backsliding. The Lord here answers Israel's complaint of him by a deeply truthful complaint of them.
They should not have wondered that they suffered, for they had become enemies of God, and thus enemies to themselves.
I. Let us listen to the grievous charge.
There is a deep pathos about this as coming from the God of love.
1. They were his own people. "My people." God has enemies enough without his own beloved ones becoming such. It is horrible ingratitude and treachery for the chosen to rebel.
2. They had risen up "as an enemy." Faithless friends wound keenly, and are often more bitter than other antagonists. For favored ones to rise up as foes is cruel indeed.
3. They had lately done this: "even of late,"—"yesterday," the margin. The sin is fresh, the wound is bleeding, the offense is rank. A fit of wilfulness was on them.
4. They had done this wantonly. (See latter part of verse.) They picked a quarrel with One who is "averse from war." God would have our love, yet we turn against him without cause.
How far may this indictment lie against us?
II. Let us hear the more grievous evidence by which the charge is substantiated.
Taking the words "my people" as referring to all professing Christians, many of them "rise up as an enemy" from the fact of—
1. Their separation from their Lord. "He that is not with me is against me": Matthew 12:30. They walk not in communion with him, neither are they diligent in his service, nor careful in obedience, nor consecrated to his cause.
2. Their worldliness. By this the Lord's jealousy is moved, for the world is set up as his rival in the heart. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God": James 4:4.
3. Their unbelief, which stabs at his honor, his veracity, his immutability. 1 John 1:10. A man cannot treat another more maliciously than by calling him a liar.
4. Their heresies, fighting against his revealed truth. It is wretched work when the church and its ministers oppose the gospel. It is to be feared that this is by no means uncommon in these degenerate days.
5. Their unholiness. Unholy professors are, par excellence, "the enemies of the cross of Christ": Php 3:18.
6. Their lukewarmness: by which they sicken their Saviour (Revelation 3:16), grieve his Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), encourage sinners in sin (Ezekiel 16:54), and discourage seekers. By these, and other miserable courses of action, those who should be the friends of God are often found to be "risen up as an enemy."
III. Let us hearken to most grievous warnings. No good can possibly come of opposition to the Lord; but the most painful evils will inevitably ensue.
1. In the case of true Christians, there will come to them heavy chastisements and humiliations. If we walk contrary to the Lord, he will walk contrary to us. Leviticus 26:23-24.
2. With these will come the keenest regrets, and agonies of heart. It may be pleasant to go down By-path Meadow, but to return to the King's highway will cost many a groan and tear.
3. In the case of mere professors, there will soon come abandonment of profession, immortality, seven-fold wickedness, etc.
4. To such may also come special punishments, which will make them a terror to the universe of God. Be anxious to be truly reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus.
Abide in peace with God by yielding to his Spirit.
Increasingly love and honor him, that no root of bitterness may ever spring up between him and you.
Home-thrusts
It is not, perhaps, that we are determinately his enemies, but his love is so great that he feels very keenly the slightest swerving of our hearts from him. So much so that he that is not with him is against him, he that turns aside from his friendship is felt to be "an enemy."—From "Wounded in the House of his Friends," by F. M.
Sin will cause repenting work, even for the children of God. The sins of the wicked pierce Christ's side, but the sins of the godly plunge the spear into his heart.
Carlyle, speaking of the changes made by time, says, "How tragic to me is the sight of old friends; a thing I always really shrink from!" Sin has made still more painful changes in some once numbered amongst the friends of God.
Pharnaces, the son of Mithridates, the king of Pontus, sending a crown to Cæsar at the time he was in rebellion against him, he refused the present, saying, "Let him first lay down his rebellion, and then I will receive his crown." There are many who set a crown of glory upon the head of Christ by a good profession, and yet plant a crown of thorns upon his head by an evil conversation.—Seeker.
After poor Sabat, an Arabian, who had professed faith in Christ by the means of the labors of the Rev. H. Martyn, had apostatized from Christianity, and written in favor of Mohammedanism, he was met at Malacca by the late Rev. Dr. Milne, who proposed to him some very pointed questions, in reply to which, he said, "I am unhappy! I have a mountain of burning sand on my head. When I go about, I know not what I am doing!" It is indeed an evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord our God.—Bates Cyclopædia.
Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude.
Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky, Thou dost not bite so nigh As benefits forgot:
Though more the waters warp, Thy sting is not so sharp As friend remembered not.
—Shakespeare.
Section 112
"O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein
have I wearied thee? testify against me."—Micah 6:3. This is a portion of Jehovah's pleading with his people.
He has called upon the mountains and the strong foundations of the earth to hear the suit between him and Israel.
Far be it from us to trifle when God has a controversy with us, for to him it is a matter of deep solemnity. In condescending grace he makes much of the affection of his people, and he will not lose it without effort.
We have before us,—
I. A piteous exclamation.
"O my people!" Is it not remarkable that such language should be used by the Eternal God?
1. It is the voice of solemn earnestness.
2. It is the cry of sorrow. The interjection is wet with tears.
3. It is the appeal of love. Love injured, but living, pleading, striving, entreating.
4. It is the language of desire. Divine love yearns for the reconciliation of the rebel: it pines to have his loyal affection. The Lord calls a revolted nation "my people" still. Grace is stronger than sin. Eternal love is not founded upon our merits.
II. A painful fact.
"Wearied thee."
Israel acted as if they were tired of their God.
1. They were weary of his name. Baal and Ashtaroth had become the fashion, and the living God was despised.
2. They were weary of his worship. The sacrifice, the priest, the holy place, prayer, praise, etc.; all these were despised.
3. They were weary of obedience to his laws, though they were right, and just, and meant for their good.
4. They were weary of his restraints: they desired liberty to ruin themselves by transgression. The parallel between ourselves and Israel lies upon the surface. In the following points, and many more, certain professors prove their weariness of God,—
They give up nearness of communion.
They abandon preciseness of walking.
They fail in fulness of consecration.
They cool down from intensity of zeal.
They lose the full assurance of faith, and other joys. And all this because they are in reality weary of their God. This is a sorrow of sorrows to the great heart of love.
III. A patient enquiry.
"What have I done unto thee?" etc.
Amazing love! God himself put himself upon trial.
1. What single act of God could induce us to forsake his way? "What have I done unto thee?"
2. What continuous way of the Lord could have caused us weariness? "Wherein have I wearied thee?"
3. What testimony of any kind can we bear against God? "Testify against me." No answer is possible except the most unreserved confession that the Lord has done us no ill. The Lord is goodness itself, and unmingled kindness.
He has not wearied us with demands of offerings.
He has not burdened us with austerities.
He has not tired us with monotonies.
He has not denied us rest, but has even commanded it.
If wearied with our God, it is— Because of our foolish waywardness.
Because of our fickle fancy.
Because of our feeble love to himself and holiness. Or because we have misunderstood his commands. By all that God has already done for us, let us cling to him. By the superlative excellence of Jesus, let us be bound to him. By the sacred power of the Holy Ghost, may we be kept loving to the end.
Quotations
Now there is one thing to which we need to call the attention of backsliders; and that is,—that the Lord never forsook them; but that they forsook him! The Lord never left them; but they left him. And this, too, without a cause! He says: "What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me?" Is not God the same today as when you came to him first? Has God changed? Men are apt to think that God has changed; but the change is with them. Backslider, I would ask you, "What iniquity is there in God, that you have left him, and gone far from him?"
Love does not like to be forgotten. You mothers would break your hearts if your children left you, and never wrote you a word, or sent any memento of their affection for you: and God pleads over backsliders as a parent over loved ones who have gone astray and he tries to woo them back. He asks, "What have I done that you should have forsaken me?" The most tender and loving words to be found in the whole of the Bible are from Jehovah to those who have left him without a cause. —D. L. Moody.
Let those tempted to depart from the Lord remember the answer of Christian to Apollyon, when the latter sought to persuade him to turn back, and forsake his Lord: "O thou destroying Apollyon, to speak truth, I like his service, his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, better than thine; and, therefore, leave off to persuade me further: I am his servant, and I will follow him."
Polycarp, being required by an infidel judge to blaspheme Christ, made him this witty and devout answer: "Eighty-six years have I lived, neither did he once harm me in any one thing; why, then, should I blaspheme my God, which hath neither hindered me nor injured me?" We cannot charge our God with any wrong, our gracious Lord with any hardness, injury, or unkindness towards us; but must always, with Poly-carp, acknowledge his exceeding bounty and unspeakable goodness.—Richard Meredeth.
"O my people, what have I done unto thee?" or, rather, what have I not done to do thee good? "O generation, see ye the word of the Lord," and not hear it only; was ever anything more evidencing and evincing than what I now allege? "Have I been a wilderness unto Israel, a land of darkness?" Jeremiah 2:31. May I not well say unto you, as Themistocles did to his ungrateful countrymen, "What? are ye weary of receiving so many benefits from one man?" But say, What hurt have I ever done you? And wherein have I wearied you, or been troublesome to you? Unless it be by daily loading you with lovingkindness (Psalms 68:19, and bearing with your provocations? Forgive me that injury (2 Corinthians 12:13).—Trapp.
"O my people," etc. If subjects quit their allegiance to their prince, they will pretend, as the ten tribes did when they revolted from Rehoboam, that his yoke is too heavy for them; but can you pretend any such thing? What have I done to you that is unjust or unkind? Wherein have I wearied you with the impositions of service, or the exactions of tribute? Have I made you to serve with an offering? Isaiah 43:23.—Matthew Henry.