In his analysis of Isaiah, John Oswalt suggests that Isaiah’s calling could only have occurred after King Uzziah’s death.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple (Isaiah 6.1).
Oswalt notes that King Uzziah was a successful and admirable leader, which made it easy for people to place their trust in him. Nonetheless, he believes that God had a greater plan for Isaiah, which was to place his complete trust solely in God.
Isaiah devoted a significant portion of his book (chapters 7-39) to proving the point that nations and leaders were not to be trusted in place of God.
Micah used sarcasm to make the same point as Isaiah. It is utterly futile to rely on human leaders when God is present and fully capable of attending to our needs.
Now why do you cry aloud?
Is there no king in you?
Has your counselor perished,
that pangs have seized you like a woman in labor?
Writhe and groan, O daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you shall go forth from the city
and camp in the open country;
you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued;
there the Lord will redeem you
from the hands of your enemies. –Micah 4.9-10
The truth is, that human leaders fail. They are powerless to help and often are the cause of harm.
In her book, “The Origins of Totalitarianism,” Hannah Arendt made this observation about nations. She said a nation is “a business with a gun.”
We can only wonder how much of the world’s troubles we see are about economics and power. These issues are often fostered by leaders who care more about power and money than they do human life and suffering.
Millions of people worldwide regularly suffer because their government leaders, or those of other nations, show no concern for their well-being. Instead, these leaders make their personal wealth and power the highest priority.
We can be grateful that God is unlike untrustworthy leaders. He cares for the lame, the afflicted, the remnants, and those driven away by the world’s violence (Micah 4.6-7). God is their Lord, and He has a plan for them.
Isaiah and Micah urge people to trust in God because He has a plan for us. This is God’s promise to those who rely on Him.
There you shall be rescued;
there the Lord will redeem you
from the hands of your enemies. – Micah 4.7c
Surrounded but Victorious
If you look at the nation of Israel today, it appears to be surrounded by enemies on every side. They have power, but they also have enormous opposition against them.
If we look at what humans can do, the situation in the Middle East looks horrible.
If we trust God, we get a different perspective. This was Micah’s message in the 8th century BC.
Now many nations
are assembled against you,
saying, “Let her be profaned,
and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”
But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
Arise and thresh,
O daughter Zion,
for I will make your horn iron
and your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples
and shall devote their gain to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth. – Micah 4.11-13
Verse 11 of the passage addresses the motives of Israel’s enemies, while Verse 13 highlights God’s power and strength, which He will manifest through His people.
However, it is Verse 12 that warrants our utmost attention, particularly when reflecting on and praying for the world. This verse points out that many are oblivious to the Lord’s intentions and fail to grasp His plan.
The critical question then arises: Do we, as Jesus’ followers, know His thoughts and understand His plan, and will we pray for God’s will to be done?
This is the challenge presented to us in our study of this passage.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 