Thoughts for the Day

Alas for those who devise wickedness
and evil deeds on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in their power.
They covet fields, and seize them;
houses, and take them away;
they oppress householder and house,
people and their inheritance.
Therefore, thus says the Lord:
Now, I am devising against this family an evil
from which you cannot remove your necks.....

I will gather the survivors of Israel;
I will set them together
like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in its pasture;
it will resound with people.
The one who breaks out will go up before them;
they will break through and pass the gate,
going out by it.
Their king will pass on before them,
the Lord at their head.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The first two chapters of Micah offer a message of both hope and doom, declaring the loving kindness of God towards those who repent of their sin and turn to Him, however he has nothing good to say to those who hurt His people. Those who take what is not theirs (for example it was forbidden to take land from the poor); or who cheat others; or carry out other evil acts. He says that those who plan their actions beforehand will be summarily dealt with by God. He has announced the downfall of the northern Kingdom, of Israel, and this would indeed happen at the hands of the great Assyrian war machine in 722 BCE.

However, this picture of a God of vengeance is offset by the opposite - a God who forgives a nation's sin in rejecting Him;
in choosing idols to worship; and generally going against His wishes. After humbling His people, we see that He has compassion for them, and promises that he will gather a remnant together like sheep in a fold, and lead them home as a shepherd.

In the Hebrew Scriptures we see this pattern of sin against God and his retribution happening again and again, as people and nations choose to ignore God, are humbled, before God rescues them from the mess they have made. Today, we need to reflect on this awful pattern and learn to put ourselves right with God now.

Almighty God,
we too choose to go our own way,
all too often ignoring the signs
of Your displeasure.
We often worship idols of our own making,
we ignore the health of the earth,
and fail to recognise how we are damaging our world.
In our own lives and in our society
we are not good at caring for those
who are poorer or weaker than ourselves.
May we learn to listen to Your warnings,
and ask Your forgiveness for our faults,
praying that You will rescue us once more.
Amen.