Micah: What is God's Heart Like?

"Therefore I will strike you with a grievous blow,

making you desolate because of your sins." Micah 6:13

This morning we look at the great and powerful book of Micah. Micah is perhaps my favorite prophet. His book is of relatively short length, able to be read in one morning if one so desires. Yet, there is great depth to it that could be observed for months on end if one is diligent in his study. Furthermore, I would list Micah as a prophet that is a tad easier to understand than some of the other prophets. Although there is much poetry in his words, his points are pretty clear, at least in my opinion. But you're not reading this devotional to hear a cheerleader for the prophet Micah, but to find out what is in the heart of God, which we shall turn to now.

Micah was a great prophet of Judah that called out judgment to both the northern and the southern kingdoms. Similar to the rest of the prophets, Micah was a messenger of God that proclaimed destruction on a people who disobeyed God. As we've been looking at the wicked kings of both Israel and Judah, we've found that Israel had greatly turned away from God after the reign of Solomon. Thus, because of its idolatry and wickedness in forsaking the covenant of God, God sent many prophets to call out their destruction. Micah was one of those great prophets.

Thus we find in the book of Micah, and all of the other prophets, that God is a just God. Within God's heart is a yearning for justice, for God cannot commit an injustice--such deed is impossible for him. And because God is just himself, this means that he must deal justly with unjust people. God is the righteous judge who will bring destruction on people who disobey his law. We find this in the book of Micah so evidently. Even though Israel was God's covenant people, he still had to punish them for their sins.

Yet in seven-chapter book of Micah, we find something interesting. Although the book certainly highlights this great attribute of God's justice and his judgment of the nation Israel, it also speaks of another attribute contained in God's heart: his mercy. Amidst many chapters speaking of the destruction of Israel, there are threads of hope and restoration for the people of Israel even after they are judged. In fact all of chapter four speaks of how after the Lord will destroy Israel, he will once again establish his mountain forever in Jerusalem, pointing to the restoration of the people of Judah. Furthermore, the book ends on this positive note of God's mercy rather than the topic of his judgment: "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us..."

At first observation, attempting to understand how God is both just and merciful is difficult to comprehend. However, is this not what we see at the cross of Jesus Christ? On that cross, we see mercy and judgment "kiss eachother," as one author has so famously stated. While Christ was enduring the wrath of God's judgment on the cross, the mercy of God was shed towards all who would call upon his name and believe in him. On the cross, the judgment of God was poured out on Christ so that the mercy of God could be poured out on you and me. Praise the Lord!

God's heart is filled to the brim with both justice and mercy. This was true in the time of Micah and is true for us today--for our God does not change. Let us walk in this hope today, that although God promises to deal with all sins, he has dealt with our sins in Christ. For our God is just yet merciful! Amen.