Old Testament Study: MICAH

So... I realized that I haven't read a lot of the Old Testament, and that I want to change that. So my friend Stina and I have been reading some Old Testament books together. I have a little tiny book that is a like a Bible cheat sheet, and helps you understand and apply each of the 66 books of the Bible.  Using that and going through it with Stina, God has been showing me a lot.

The book of Micah was written approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ, and predicts the birthplace of Jesus. 

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Micah shows the way that God’s judgment is tempered by mercy.  We are expected to delight in mercy the way that God delights in mercy.

àMicah 6:8 “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

àMicah 7:18 “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?  You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy.”

There is one verse that absolutely blows my mind.  It’s hard to understand God’s complete forgiveness. But Micah 7:19 says

“You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

This is crazy love. He will throw our iniquities into the depths of the sea, how amazing is that?! If we are truly sorry for our sin against Him, and are in a state of repentance, and are turning away from our sin and turning our eyes to Him, then He treads our sins underfoot!  He doesn’t keep them on a list and pull the list out whenever we mess up. He doesn’t hold grudges the way that we do against others. When we repent, He hurls our iniquities into the depths of the sea.  Dangg that’s good news!  This verse made me think of Psalm 32.  Although David had knowingly sinned against the Lord in his affair with Bathsheba, he took hope in the mercy of God. 

Ps 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

I’m so thankful that I have a God who delights in mercy!