Sabbath, November 23 – Isaiah 12, Micah 1 – Additional Reading, Prophets and Kings chapter 27, “Ahaz”

1. What is the reason the remnant will sing? (Isaiah 12:1)

2. Are events on earth of interest to the God of the Bible? (Micah 1:3)

3. What are some consequences of idolatry? (Micah 1:6-7)

4. How did Micah respond to the sins of his people? What can we learn? (Micah 1:8)

Commentary and Reflection:

Chapters dedicated to thanksgiving have always been among my favorites. According to Revelation, the people will sing to the Messiah because He has delivered the righteous from the hands of their oppressors. The Bible story records that the Israelites sang the Song of Moses (Exodus 15) after being delivered from the Egyptians. They will sing again when the Lord “sets His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people” (Isaiah 11:11). In Revelation 15:3 John sees the redeemed of all ages singing a triumphant song after their final victory.

During Sennacherib’s invasion, it was not the army of Israel nor the walls surrounding Zion that saved God’s people, but the Lord Himself (Isaiah 37:33-36). In the last days, the faithful remnant will be saved by the Lord’s hand from the enemy’s power. For this reason, we should call Him “My Salvation.”

When the Israelites passed through the wilderness, God gave them water from the rock (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:8-11). This miracle was later celebrated with an impressive ceremony at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles (DA 413). Water was drawn from the fountain of Siloam (see Isa. 8:6) in a golden vessel and brought to the temple, where it was poured on the altar of burnt offerings. As the priests made their way to the fountain, accompanied by a chorus of Levites, many worshipers followed them to drink from the living water that flowed from the temple hillside spring. Jesus referred to this ceremony on the last day of the feast, inviting people to come to Him and drink (John 7:37). Christ is the source from which life-giving water flows to heal the nations (Ezekiel 47:1; Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8; DA 28).

Draw near to Jesus and praise Him. Remember what He has done for you and tell others of His wonderful blessings. Living without praise leads to discouragement, criticism, and fear. Just as God was amid Israel, He is in your midst. Emmanuel: “God with us” was the message of Isaiah’s life and words (Isaiah 7:14; 8:8, 10). This, too, should be our message and song.

Micah means, “Who is like Yahweh?” He was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea, who began their ministries during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham’s predecessor (Isaiah 1:1; Hosea 1:1). Micah carried out his prophetic ministry during the critical period of the latter half of the eighth century B.C. when Assyria was the dominant power. When Micah began his ministry, Jotham, king of Judah, “did what was right in the sight of the Lord,” although “the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places” (2 Kings 15:34-35).

Ahaz, Jotham’s son and successor, gave himself over entirely to idolatry, even making “his son pass through fire, according to the abominations of the nations” (2 Chronicles 28:3). He did not hesitate to relocate the bronze altar of burnt offerings, removed the lavers, and had a pagan altar installed within the temple grounds, modeled after one he had seen in Damascus (2 Kings 16:10-12, 14-17). These and other sins against the true worship of the Lord likely made Ahaz the most idolatrous king who ever reigned in Judah. During this time of spiritual decline, Micah fulfilled his prophetic mission.

Thankfully, a wicked ruler was succeeded by a son who became a good ruler: Hezekiah, Ahaz’s successor, was as devoted to God as his father had been to idols. “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel” (2 Kings 18:5). He resolutely undertook the task of countering his father’s apostasy, reforming the moral and spiritual conditions of Judah, abolishing idolatry, and leading his people back to the true worship of the Lord. Micah supported him in this work.

The prophet’s hard-fought efforts, which he struggled with for much of his life to plant the seed of truth in the almost barren soil of his people’s hearts, began to bear fruit. The prophecies of Micah and Isaiah have much in common. Micah taught that they still belonged to God and that the Lord sought their renewed loyalty.

How do you feel spiritually right now? Are you entangled in idolatry and sin? Do you believe you have strayed so far that God’s grace cannot reach you? Allow me to be Micah to you today, reminding you that you are God’s people, that the Lord seeks to reach you, and that He wants you to be a citizen of His Kingdom.