How can we apply ancient prophecies to contemporary America? Micah, a prophet, expressed his sorrow over the spiritual state of God’s people. He performed a symbolic act as a prophecy to vividly demonstrate the reality of their circumstances.
Verses 8-9 summarize Micah’s actions. The important question we must consider is how to effectively apply his message to modern-day life.
For this I will lament and wail;
I will go barefoot and naked;
I will make lamentation like the jackals
and mourning like the ostriches.
For her wound is incurable.
It has come to Judah;
it has reached to the gate of my people,
to Jerusalem. (Micah 1.8-9)
Micah painted a picture of profound sorrow, forecasting personal and collective experiences of suffering, loss, and seemingly incurable wounds.
God gave Micah a message of judgment to encourage repentance. Let’s reflect on his words and find motivation for personal repentance and intercessory prayer.
(1) Injustice and oppression were one of God’s complaints. “The gate of my people” was Israel’s equivalent of today’s judicial system. God’s standard is equitable justice.
Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God (Deuteronomy 1:17).
Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent (Deuteronomy 16:19).
When the rich and powerful have a judicial advantage over the vulnerable of society, the system is out of alignment with God’s plan for the nation.
Jesus pronounced them blessed “Who hunger and thirst for righteousness. “Righteousness” has two meanings: right living and justice. When we hunger for right living and justice, Jesus says we “will be filled” (Matthew 5.6).
As we pray for justice and righteousness to prevail, we know we are praying according to God’s plan for humans.
(2) Micah’s extreme expression of grief is in solidarity with the raw, unfiltered nature of personal sorrow.
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit “intercedes with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8.26).
As we observe the immense pain and suffering in the world, those who are in sympathy with the Spirit will groan with the Spirit of prayer.
It is not comfortable to feel a burden for the world’s problems, but when we do we know that we are praying in symmetry with the Holy Spirit.
(3) Micah walked the streets in a loincloth and barefoot, the same way the conquered walked into captivity. He knew that war with the Assyrians would reach the capital city.
I recommend to praying people that they find one or two areas of worldwide concern as a focus for prayer. I pray daily for wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, and oppression in Venezuela.
Immigration is a hot topic in America, but it is also a crucial issue in other Western nations. Most of the migrants are fleeing for their lives. Some face extreme poverty, gross inequality, starvation, and war.
The Power of Prayer
Jesus frequently encouraged His followers to pray. He reasoned with them like this during the Sermon on the Mount.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.
“For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for bread, would give a stone?
“Or if the child asked for a fish, would give a snake?
“If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7.7-11).
What if we took Jesus at His word and consistently asked Him to right one instance of injustice that we know about?
What if we sought the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and prayed, “Dear Holy Spirit, please pray through me for the issues our nation and world are facing.”
What if we knocked on the door of heaven for God to open His well-being for the many trouble spots in the world?
We can rest assured that God is infinitely better than any human parent. He will hear and grant our asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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