Sunday, January 15^th, Evident Grace looked at Micah 2.  Some of the people of God were oppressed as other Israelites were stealing their land.  God responded, and in Micah 2, we looked at this Big Picture Question:

Big Picture Question:  What is our true comfort?

We read all of Micah 2 to answer that question.

2:1 Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand.  2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.  3 Therefore thus says the Lord:  behold, against this family I am devising disaster, from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster. 

4 In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you and moan bitterly, and say, “We are utterly ruined; he changes the portion of my people; how he removes it from me!  To an apostate he allots our fields.”  5 Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

6 “Do not preach”—thus they preach—“one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.”  7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?  Has the Lord grown impatient?  Are these his deeds?  Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?

8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.  9 The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever.  10 Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.  11 If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!

12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.  13 He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it.  Their king passes on before them, the Lord at their head.

We found these answers in Micah 2.

Big Picture Question:  What is our true comfort?

•  God Protects
• God does Good
• God Gathers

God protects

2:1 Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand.  2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.  3 Therefore thus says the Lord:  behold, against this family I am devising disaster, from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster. 

4 In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you and moan bitterly, and say, “We are utterly ruined; he changes the portion of my people; how he removes it from me!  To an apostate he allots our fields.”  5 Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

The sin of the people got so bad that many of them were lying in bed, dreaming about the sin they would commit.  Ironically, they were coveting other people’s land.  Ironic because God gave them the land in the first place.  Even worse, after daydreaming, they would wake up and steal the land.  God in judgment promised to take away the land and give it to pagans.  Instead of repenting, they merely cried out for God not to judge them.

God serves as a protector because we would no longer allow His people’s land to be stolen.  It was time for Him to intervene.  He was the innocent’s comfort and His people’s protector.  But does more than just protect.  God does good as a comfort.

God does good.

6 “Do not preach”—thus they preach—“one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.”  7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?  Has the Lord grown impatient?  Are these his deeds?  Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?

8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.  9 The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever.  10 Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.  11 If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!

Sadly, the priests of the day did not call the people to repent.  They preached sermons saying, “Don’t preach sermons of judgment.”  But the sin of God’s people was too great.  They rob the innocent and cast women and children into the streets.  The appropriate pastor for these people would be one who preaches getting drunk.

God equates the care of the innocent with worship.  You care for them, you worship.  If you don’t, it is disobedience.  God is going to put a stop to His people’s sin.  He will do good on their behalf.  We must too.  The church must stand and do good as now God makes His appeal through the church.

God comforts as He protects and does good.  God also comfort as He gathers.

God gathers.

12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.  13 He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it.  Their king passes on before them, the Lord at their head.

There will always be a remnant who cries out for God’s protection.  And God as the shepherd gathers them in.  Jesus is that shepherd who gathers us in now to protect us and comfort us.  We now live out that comfort.

Big Picture Question:  What is our true comfort?

Truth:  My true comfort is that God has gathered me with His people to be protected and to do good.

Application:  Live knowing that true comfort in any physical or spiritual situation is provided for you in God’s work through Jesus and the His people.

Action:  Demonstrate the comfort of God to someone who is hurting this week.