King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022
Chapters: THE BOOK OF MICAH
Study: More Than Salvation
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today, this passage came to mind, [Hebrews 4:2-3 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.]
More people are presented with the Gospel than we realize, but there are a few reasons why so many do not receive Christ as their Saviour, the most prominent would be their rejection of Him all together. However, the number one reason why so many reject Christ has to do with the fact that they are given incorrect information about Him. The world sees Jesus as this ruthless judge who accuses them of their every fault and gives them a death sentence unless they follow His commands. Of course, Jesus is our judge, and we will all stand before Him. but that is not how it actually works. As much as we do deserve death for our sins, Jesus gave His life for every soul, even for the vilest of sinners, and is the rest for every soul that receives Him, [Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.]
The Book of Micah contains seven chapters, the author of the book is Micah and it was written to Israel and all nations. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 758BC and 710BC. The purpose of the book is a call to repentance for all to avoid judgment. What we are to learn from the book is that God judges all and pardons all who turn away from their own righteousness and trust in Him for their salvation, [Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.]
As Christians, we would like to think that we live by every word of God, but the truth is, we do not. Every single saved, born again Christian struggles with something they are trying to overcome. Now, we who are saved, are all saved by the grace of God and nothing we do can take away our salvation, but we can still suffer for the sinful things that remain, especially those who live in sin are content to keep it in their lives. While God sent Isaiah to prophesy in Judah, he sent Micah to Samaria to remind them of their sin and why the judgment stood.
[Micah 1:1-3,5-6,9 The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. 2 Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. 3 For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. 5 For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem? 6 Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. 9 For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.]
[is it not Samaria?] Samaria caused Israel to sin when they walked away from Him after Solomon died. They were the ones who accepted Jeroboam’s false gods over the Almighty, then later on Ahab’s god. Judah, followed suit when they allowed Baal worship into Jerusalem after Jehoshaphat died and his son married Athaliah. There is something that I finally realized in all my years of reading the Bible from cover to cover, while God does chasten His faithful, this judgment is not upon His faithful. This is the judgment that He places on those who know who He is, and reject or rebel against Him.
[Micah 2:1-3,7,10 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. 2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. 3 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil. 7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? 10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.]
[Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest:] No one who is without Christ is at rest, period! God’s commands are not grievous. When we walk with Jesus we think about every step we take, and are more prone to refrain from anything that will be displeasing to God. I get it, walking with Jesus can be lonely sometimes, especially when you are trying to live your life through Him and everywhere you turn there are obstacles, but we are much stronger than we think we are, and that strength comes through Christ alone, [1 Corinthians 4:10-12,20 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.]
You see, there are many, many people who believe in God, they want His blessings, protections, and of course, to go to heaven when they die. Where they falter lies within their own understanding of God’s ways. Instead of reading His Word themselves, they rely on man to teach them, and there are always false prophets out there willing to appeal to their thinking. Therefore, God, will not hear their pleas no matter how much they pray.
[Micah 3:1-4 And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment? 2 Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones; 3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. 4 Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.]
[but he will not hear them:] The people of the world do what is right in their own eyes, unknown to God’s ways, and even if they believe in God they have no one to guide them in His ways, and therefore, they make up their own. When God’s people have His Word with them, and yet still live in sin, they teach their lies to the world. In fact, through Micah, God addresses these lying prophets.
[Micah 3:5-8,12 Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. 6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. 7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. 8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. 12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.]
[Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field,] There is no better way to reflect on our lives than to be at the point that we fear for our lives. God warns, God allows, God chastens, but God also forgives, and forgives, and forgives. However, there will come a day when Israel will acknowledge Christ for who He is and accept Him, and that is when He will return to reign as King and only His faithful will join Him. Micah speaks of the day that many nations will come to worship our King.
[Micah 4:1-2,4-5,7 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. 5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.]
[and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.] You see, while we may have to endure affliction for a time while we are here in this mess, we have the hope of not only no more affliction, but eternal life with Christ in His kingdom, [John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.]
No matter how many times I read the Bible through there is always something new to discover, and if you think that the Jews did not know that Jesus was coming, think again, through Micah we learn of yet another prophecy concerning Jesus. Through Micah, we learn about what happens when Jesus Himself gets judged.
[Micah 5:2-4,8 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. 8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.]
[yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;] What a sight it will be to see Jesus walking the earth again as He gathers the last remnant of all believers, both Jew and Gentile and reigns over Zion. The most effective way to overcome the afflictions we face while we are here is by walking with Jesus. We must understand that a life with Jesus is not about religious rituals of confession and sacrifice, it never has been, it has always been about loving Him, giving Him all of our heart, and trusting in Him for everything, [Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.]
There will come a time, and we are very close to that, when the Gospel will not be able preached and it will not be so easy to get saved, and this is another reason why we need to keep preaching the Gospel while we are able. Through Micah, God explains exactly what He wants from His people.
[Micah 6:6-9 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 9 The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.]
[but to do justly, and to love mercy,] Exactly what does God require for redeeming our souls when Jesus already paid the price for us? Faithfulness. While God is very merciful to us, and cleanses every sin when we come to Him in sincere confession, He does not want the constant sacrifices for redemption of our sins. Jesus gave His life for us, and anyone who values life ought to think about just what He suffered through, and saves us from, that is if you have truly received Christ as your Saviour. No, we are not perfect, and we never will be until we stand before Jesus, but if we are saved, we are new creatures, and therefore, our lives ought to reflect that by the way we are living at all times, not just when we get into trouble, not just when we are in public, at all times, [2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.]
God, knows we are sinners, and the sooner we let go of our pride and realize that fact, the better off we will be, He does not want the constant sacrifices, He wants us to come to Him willingly, confessing sin, and understanding that we need Him every second of every day. We must realize that ungodly people are our biggest influence, and sometimes it is better to be alone than allow ourselves to be corrupted by those who live in the world. In fact, through Micah, God tells us that family is our biggest influence against Him.
[Micah 7:5-9 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. 7 Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. 8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.]
[For the son dishonoureth the father,] This sounds very familiar, [Matthew 10:34-36 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.]
Our biggest deterrents in following Christ is family, and I will tell you this though, the just fall seven times, and get back up, but when they do it brings them closer to Christ than the last time. Jesus knows who are His, and the lives we live after we are saved ought to reflect that, especially if we know that something we are doing is sinful, and we remain doing it. We think we can get a handle of life all on our own, we think we can get rid of sin by ourselves, but we cannot, if we truly want God’s hand upon our lives, and all His blessings that come with it, we need Him at all times.
[1 John 1:6-9 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, I know I have had my share of messes in life, the amazing thing is that You were there to clean it up for me when I called on You. I know I tried so many times to do things on my own, but time and time again You remind me of how weak I am in my flesh. Thank You for giving me the will to come to You in the first place, and even though I still mess up, I know You are always there to pick me back up again. Lord, I know that it is better to be obedient than sacrifice, keep me faithful to You by staying in Your Word, and being accountable for the things I learn, help me to keep my eyes on You at all times, and not look to sinful man for guidance in Your ways, trusting that You will shine Your Light upon me. I ask these things in Your name Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://readytofollow.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Missed A Message: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/Biblestudy/
Visit I’m Following Jesus: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/welcome/
Read Today’s Bible Reading: http://kingjamesbible.imfollowingjesus.com/
I’m Following Jesus On Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/readytofollowJesus/
Copyright © 2022 I’m Following Jesus, All rights reserved.