In the 8th century BC, the neighbors of Israel regarded mountains and hills as sacred sites for worshiping deities, such as Baal. The main activities carried out at these locations involved making sacrifices to these gods, whom they believed gave them prosperity, fertility, and good crops.
Micah saw Zion, as the loftiest of mountains, differently. In his view, people would not come to offer sacrifices, but rather to seek an understanding of God’s will for their lives.
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s temple
shall be established as the highest of the mountains
and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
and many nations shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4.1-2)
Verse two highlights three crucial words: come, learn, and walk. We come to God to learn His ways, so that we may walk and live our lives according to His intentions for us.
One of my friends once said, quite rightly, that many in the church are educated beyond their obedience. Our purpose in learning is to live out the things that God has taught us.
The End of War-Related Famine
According to the United Nations, “Conflict remained a key driver for food insecurity and malnutrition, and represented one of the main hindrances for the fulfillment of the right to food. Conflict negatively affected entire food systems and exacerbated the unaffordability of healthy diets.
“Around 345 million people were projected to be food-insecure in 2023 – more than twice the number than in 2020.
“The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine had aggravated the global food crisis, as these two countries supplied approximately 30 percent of the world’s wheat. Russia had been cynically using food as a weapon, and the military had held the food supply hostage for millions of Ukrainians and millions more around the world.”
Micah’s prophecy, which speaks of transforming weapons of war into agricultural tools, should inspire our prayers for God to make this vision a reality.
He shall judge between many peoples
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
neither shall they learn war any more;
But they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4.3-4)
The United Nations article mentioned earlier explores political strategies to address the issues of war and hunger.
In contrast, Micah’s prophecy suggests that the end of world hunger and the cessation of wars will result from the direct intervention of God, because “the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
People who pray can embrace God’s prophecies and pray, “Lord, please make this happen.” This is an action we can undertake daily, especially when we think about troubling global issues.
Walking with God
While others may pursue the idols of materialism, personal power, politics, and more, we can choose to declare that we will walk in “the name of the Lord, our God.”
For all the peoples walk,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
forever and ever. (Micah 4.5)
Walking in the name of the Lord entails more than just being recognized as God’s people. The name of God embodies His character. Therefore, when we walk or pray in the Lord’s name, we align our actions and prayers with the character of God.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 