Shalom. It is a privilege of mine to conclude today, by the grace of God, the study of the book of Micah, the Hebrew prophet Micha, which have prophesied concerning the Messiah coming in his first coming, as well as in his second coming. He said in Micah, in the fifth chapter, But thou, O Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be a ruler in Israel, whose going forth have been from of old, from everlasting. The promise of the first coming of the Messiah he also prophesied and he spoke earlier in the previous chapter where he spoke about the gathering of the nations to the city of Yerushalayim where if you remember in chapter 4 but in the last days it shall come to pass that the mountains 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 and many nations shall come and say come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his path for the law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Yerushalayim.

Well, in the seventh chapter, this is the final chapter in the writing of the prophet Micha, the final words of Micah, the prophets. He's taking us now into the end of times, really into the tribulation period. And there he concludes the book with the final restoration of Israel. As a nation. This is a wonderful chapter and I trust that you will enjoy it as we go through this verse by verse. Let me read that chapter and please follow me first of all from Micah 7 and verse 1. Woe is me, for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits as the grape gleanings of the vintage, there is no cluster to eat.

My soul desired the first ripe fruit. The good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood. They hunt every man his brother with a net, that they may do evil with both hands earnestly. The prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward, and the great man he uttereth his mischievous desire, so they wrap it up. The best of them is as a briar, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. The day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh. Now shall be their perplexity. 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.

For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore, I will look unto the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy. When I fall, I shall rise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. 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.

Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her, which said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her. Now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain, notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doing.

Feed thy people with thy rod the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitary in the wood in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilad as in the days of old, According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might. They shall lay their hand upon their mouth. Their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent. They shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee.

Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retains not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again. He will have compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of their sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abram, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. This is the conclusion of Michah, when the prophet is now coming to the climax in his message. Now remember that Michal was presenting his message to the nation of Israel in a time of decline, where the Assyrians were ready to come to take the northern tribe to Assyria, where the Babylonians about a hundred years later on were going to come to take the Jewish people Judah into Babylon.

And he's writing these messages with the longing of the restoration of the people of Israel. In between, as he speaks concerning the needs of the nation of Israel, again you can see him appealing to the nation. And God himself is speaking to the nation, desiring for the nation to have a change in their life and their behavior. And God, if you remember in the previous chapter 6 and verse 3, he said, O my people, what have I done unto thee? And where have I wearied thee? Testify against me. We shared this already in the previous session as we study. And so here today, we are speaking the conclusion of this message of Micah.

Now, naturally, when we read a text such as this, we naturally find it difficult to grasp and to understand the thoughts that we have here in this passage. Naturally speaking, without the help of the Spirit of God, we will not be able to understand what God has in mind when he's using micha to speak this message to the Jewish people but with the help of the Spirit of God we will be able to understand this text because only he is able to help us to understand you know what we read in first Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 14 where Paul said the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God because they are foolishness unto him but the spiritual man can receive it meaning the spiritual individual that really want to know the word of God the holy Spirit of God Ruach HaKodesh is able to help us.

To understand the word of God and so in the seventh chapter we are being carried by the prophet even though he's speaking about immediate events that were going to come in 586 the Jewish people going to be taken to Babylon. The Babylonian will destroy the city of Jerusalem and Israel will be carried to the rivers of Babylon. But he actually carrying us over to the tribulation time. And just before the tribulation comes, he explained to us of the events that are going to occur in the tribulation period. So in your mind, understand that the theme of the seventh chapter is the repentance of the remnant of Israel before the salvation of God and the entrance into the kingdom of the Messiah.

So Israel is confessing their condition to God after the previous chapter where he had a disputation against him. And so in the first six verses, Micha himself is voicing as if he is a representation of the remnant of Israel who are going to voice themselves during. The tribulation. Notice he began in verse 1, Michal speaks for Israel, crying in the day of the tribulation. And look what he's saying in verse 1, Woe is me, for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits as the great gleanings of the vintage there is no cluster to eat my soul desire the first ripe fruit what he's saying the remnant of Israel crying to God represented by here and saying woe is me i'm thirsty for God i want to enjoy something that is refreshing to my heart and he says I am as when they gather the summer fruit as the grape gleaning of the vintage there is no cluster to eat in other words in the starting of the tribulation there will be a time where there will be nothing to refresh to satisfy the soul of those who are in hunger and thirst for the Lord why because it will be a terrible time a time of distress sorrow and suffering here.

In this world and you know when you're going to glean as it says here the first grapes and you want to come and to enjoy the first cluster what happened you are not having this first cluster because everything has been totally removed and disappeared from this earth because of the judgment of God today when a person is going to glean the grape he himself or she whoever does the gleaning take of these grapes and enjoy it because it's the first fruit it's just the first portion of the fruit it's called here also the summer fruits the first fruits that you take that comes out of the ground you want to eat it and enjoy it because it's the start of the new gleaning that are going to come, the harvest that is going to come.

But unfortunately he's saying, woe is me. The Hebrew word is alelai li, oily. It's like what a condition exists. I can't enjoy that which my soul is longing for. And so no first fruit. The vintage is no longer existing. There is no cluster to eat and to enjoy. You and I don't realize how good it is for us today that we have the privilege to sit under the sound of the Word of God and read the Scripture and have refreshment to our hearts today when we look at Yeshua, our Messiah, our Lord and our Savior. But there is coming a time where there will be dryness and emptiness here in this world because it is the time of God's judgment against this universe.

Now notice what he's saying here in verse 2. The good man is perished out of the earth. There is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood. They hunt every man, his brother, with a net. Now notice that. He says the good man perished out of the earth. And there is none upright among men. There will be a period of time in the history of this universe. Just after the rapture of the church. When the called out ones are going to be taken out of here. And the tribulation period is going to start. There will be a short period of time, I do not know how long, where the Bible showed to us that good man is perished out of the earth and there is no upright among men.

Now we know very well that the Bible teaches us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That's true. But you and I who are sinners, just the same like in the history of our people Israel who are sinners, they're upright with those who were saved and forgiven, who are part of God's people. But there will be a period of time, apparently, that once the church is being taken out of here, and at the start of the tribulation period, where there will be a time that there will be not even one individual that will be saved in that little window. Now, I know in chapter 14 of the book of Acts, the apostle Paul in verse 17 says, Nevertheless, he, that is God, left not himself without a witness.

In other words, throughout the whole human history, God always had a witness to himself in order to share the truth of the fact that God is the true and living God. But from the second verse here of Micah chapter 7 and verse 2, it seemed to be that there is a time, the little window, the little short period of time, when the church, the assembly, had been taken out of here, and just at the start of the tribulation, that there is not even one that is upright among men. Not even one. Now, to prove this from the context of some verses, I'd like you to go back to Psalm chapter 12 for a moment.

And in verse 1, it says, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from among the children of men. Here the psalmist, David, the king of Israel, prophetically speaking to the Lord, he says, Lord, help, the godly man ceases. There is no godly man any longer here. The faithful fail from among the children of men. Can you imagine of a time such as this, where there will be the removal of anyone that has God in his heart. Look at chapter 14 of Psalm. In verse 2, The Lord looketh down from heaven upon the children of man to see if there is any that did understand and seek God.

But they are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good, not even one. This is amazing. All the time when I read this text, I always apply it. We are all sinners, but there's people who are saved. But it seemed to be that there is a short period of time in human history where there will be a time where there will be total godlessness here in this world. And as it says here, there is none that do it good, not even one. They have all workers of iniquity, no knowledge at all, who eat up my people, as they eat bread, and they call not upon the Lord.

And it is interesting that Psalm 14 and verse 3 says, no, not even one. Again, I would like to say that Psalm suggests that it speaks about this period of time between the rapture of the church and the starting of the tribulation period. Now, remember, Micah is a Hebrew prophet. He doesn't know about the church age. It's totally hid in God. All what he knows is in the second coming of the Messiah. Israel is accepting the Messiah and ultimately being restored. He doesn't know concerning the truth of the rapture of the church. But you and I know this today, and we know that before the tribulation period will come, there will be a rapture, a snatching away of the heavenly company, the ecclesia.

And we are going to be taken before the tribulation begins. Now notice what it says in. Verse 3 and 4, look at the evil that will precede, that will exist here during the day of God's visitation, when he's going to come to judge this world. Verse 3 and 4, it says that they may do evil with both hands earnestly. The princes ask and the Judges ask for reward. In other words, there will be bribery. And then he says that he uttereth his mischievous desire, and the great men, which mean the wealthy people in other words there will be a lot of mischief and dishonesty that will exist here on earth and then he says so they wrap it up they're all gathered together in such an activity that will happen they all work evil together in verse 4 he says the best of them will be as a briar and the most upright of them will be sharper than a thorn hedge in other words in this time of the starting of the tribulation the best of the best of men will be as he says.

Like a briar tree a prickly tree and then the most upright in other words there will be someone that presumably will be upright the best that human race can produce will be sharper than a thorn hedge in other words there will be a condition that will prevail here at the beginning of the tribulation period that will be a terrible condition. No one that is upright. The good men will perish out of this earth. The best of the human race can produce will be like, as it says here in verse 4, will be sharper than the thorn hedge. What a condition that will prevail here in this day.

And you noticed it. What's going to happen in this activity? It will fulfill what the Hebrew prophets have spoken about all along in the prophecies from Isaiah to Malachi the prophets of Israel prophesied about the coming days where the judgment is going to happen that's what he says in verse 4 the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh now shall be their perplexity. Now who are the watchmen the Hebrew word sofe sofe or sofecha is the watchmen the prophets of Israel who were anticipating the promises of God to come to pass. And they were watching for the nation. They were warning the people of Israel.

They were giving instruction to our own nation historically. They were watchmen that have spoken concerning those days that are going to come. You know, the watchmen of Israel spoke about good things, but they also spoke about bad things that were going to happen in the history of our people Israel. Let me read to you just one or two things concerning the watchman. In Isaiah chapter 62 and verse 6, God said, I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace, day or night. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence and give him not rest until he establish, until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

God set a watchman on the walls of the city of Jerusalem and the responsibility of the watchman is to watch over the nation and to say, hey, wait a minute, you are going in the wrong direction. You should be responding to the Lord and confessing your sins and returning to the on don't go in this direction you know we have today any of those Bible teachers the shepherds that lead today in the churches in the assemblies in a sense they are like a watchman who are. Watching over the spiritual welfare of the people of God you and I have to be so thankful for these brethren in their spheres who have been such a blessing to us who tell us hey wait a minute you know do you think that that direction is right don't go there or when we need to repent to tell us listen turn to the Lord who lead us in the spiritual life we have to be so thankful when we have these godly brothers and sisters in the present day church age but Israel had watchmen as well Isaiah said is in chapter 62 and in verse 6 on that God set a watchman to pray for the nation of Israel they are the one who were called not to keep silent to make mention of the Lord and constantly to speak to the nation on behalf of the Lord and to warn them from a direction that will be not pleasing to the Lord and so you can see in our chapters how Micah is pointing up to.

The watchman his contemporary Isaiah is the one that was mentioning this notice now also and I'll point out another verse concerning the watchman if you just go for a moment to Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 6 for there shall be a day that the watchman upon the mount of Ephraim shall cry arise ye and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God the watchman responsibility is to cry and to challenge the nation of Israel to be restored and to turn back unto the Lord. Turn back also in Jeremiah chapter 6 and verse 17, here's the other side of the story. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken unto the sound of the trumpet.

But he said, We will not hearken. You see, on the one hand, the watchman was challenging Israel to hearken to the voice of the Lord, and Israel did not hearken. On the other hand, the watchman is crying to the nation of Israel to be restored. And Israel had been turning back their hearts unto the Lord. So the watchmen are the prophets of Israel who spoke about the coming days. And now look at this. The day that the watchman spoke about has finally arrived. The day of thy watchman. We can put it like this. The day of the prophet's message and your visitation cometh. This is the tribulation.

When God is going to visit Israel in discipline and ultimately restoration. So the prophet spoke about the time of the visitation and the time have come. And Micah is speaking about this in this chapter. The day of the watchmen have come. And while in his immediate time, 586 BC, the Babylonian would come and take the Jewish people to Babylon. But again beloved brothers and sisters micha carries us beyond 586 bc and he places us down just at the beginning of the tribulation and he's saying the time of the visitation of the tribulation have come now what will happen at the tribulation period look at this what a sad condition you know Israel the Jewish people always were well known as having a great and a good family relationship.

Always in the history of our people, you would know that Jewish people preserved themselves as their family were united. Always together, the Jewish people were kept separated from the nations of the world. But what happened, that during the tribulation, because of violation of the word of God, the family tie will be broken. The relationship between husband wife children parents sons and daughters will not be anymore the way God had intended it to be and it says in verse 5 and 6 there will be a broken down of all relationships trust not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide keep the door of your mouth from hell that lieth in thy.

Bosom. This is verse 5. Now look at this. Don't trust a friend. Don't put confidence in the one who guides you. And it's even going zero in to a marriage relationship where he said, keep the door of your mouth shut. From whom? From her that lieth in thy bosom. Even the wives and the husband relationship will be so torn down because of sin and i don't have to tell you that even today we can see how often time a friend betray us and a guy that you're supposed to be led by him or her you cannot put confidence anymore in a person and what about the marriage union they've been totally falling into pieces and broken.

And you see, this will get its climates during the tribulation period where the relationship with friend and a guy and a husband and wife relationship will not be the way that God have intended it. You see, a friend should be caring for another friend. You remember what Yeshua said. He called the believers, the Hebrew apostles, he called them friends. In the Bible, we read a friend stick closer than a brother. And yet, you remember when Yeshua came and his best friend have sold him. Mine own familiar friend, he said in the song, with whom I walk to the house of the Lord, have turned up against me.

In other words, what we see that because of a departure from the Lord there is the friendship being broken the relationship being broken and specifically it is in connection with the tribulation period with the nation of Israel doing the tribulation period now we read in Matthew chapter 10 and i want you to see that when Yeshua at his first coming came and he spoke to his disciples again remember he was not talking about the church age as yet because he was dealing with the restoration of Israel the nation that he came to redeem at first and so after he called unto him the 12 vipassos it says in verse 5 these 12 Yeshua sent forth and he commended them look at this he said to them go not underline the word.

Not go not into the ways of the Gentiles but into the cities of the samaritans until ye not but notice verse 6 he says but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel when Yeshua at his first coming came he wanted to establish the messianic kingdom he wanted to introduce his messiahship and his kingship over the people of Israel that's why he said to the apostles don't go yet to the Gentile go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel but what happened he told them as you go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand the kingdom is coming the malchut ha Elohim coming the kingdom of God is coming heal the sick cleanse the leper raise the dead cast off the demons and then he continued speaking to them he says in verse 15 verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than in a day of judgment then for that.

City in other words there is a day of judgment he was now taking us to the tribulation period and then he says a verse that is really speaking from the prophet michai in verse 21 a brother shall deliver up a brother to death and a father the child the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but he that endureth unto the end this is the end of the tribulation period will be saved to enter into the messianic kingdom remember in Matthew chapter 10 we don't have the church age as yet the thoughts of the Messiah was concerning the coming restoration of the people of Israel and the language is very clear so back to the prophet micha he's saying to them in verse 5 don't trust in a friend.

Put not your confidence in a guide. Keep the doors shut from the mouth of hair that lieth at your bosom. That's the condition that will prevail in the tribulation period. And now. Here's verse 6. This is exactly what Yeshua just quoted in Matthew chapter 10. The son dishonors the father. The daughter rise up against her mother. The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies are the men of his own house. What a condition that will prevail during the tribulation period. The son dishonor his father. The daughter rises up against her own mother. A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And the enemies of men will be in his very own house.

When Yeshua spoke in Matthew chapter 10, where did he get this information? Is because he is the one, the God of Israel, before his incarnation, who gave by divine inspiration the instruction to Micha. And I also want to point out, in connection with verse 6, in the same chapter of Matthew, chapter 10, verse 35 and 36, it says, I am come to set a man of variance against his father, and their daughters against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's foe shall be of his own household. Yeshua's voice in Matthew 10, it's Yeshua's voice from Micah chapter 7 and verses 5 and 6. It's the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who told us the things that will prevail in the tribulation period.

A confession of Israel of their own condition that's the condition that will prevail in the tribulation period now just to remind you if you remember we just celebrated Pesach and we read in Malachi chapter 4 and verse 5 God said behold I will send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great day of the Lord and what Elijah is going to do look he says he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the. Children and the heart of the children to their fathers. Why? Because the relationships of the families have been broken and the people of Israel did not enjoy any longer that relationship that God have intended for them.

And Eliyahu Anavi, Elijah the prophet, will be sent to restore that relationship. The broken relationship that we just read, Elijah will be sent and he will restore the hearts of their fathers to their sons and the Hebrew the Israeli the Jewish family ties will be totally restored in the messianic kingdom they will enjoy it in a full sense of the word as God have intended this for the nation of Israel but at the tribulation period the sad condition that will prevail and Israel through Micah the voice of the remnant he speaks and he confess the sad condition of the nation of Israel and so in the next verses 7 8 9 and 10 Israel now through the prophet Micah having confidence that the Lord will ultimately redeem them and save them look at the.

Beautiful verses now after the sad expression that we have here in verses 1 to 6 that we prevail at the start and during the tribulation period in verse 7 Israel will hope in the Lord it says listen to this therefore I will look unto the Lord I will look unto Jehovah I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Micah is speaking on behalf of the remnant and he says now I can see the condition I confess the sad condition of my people the remnant is really speaking we confess our condition look at what's going on look at the chaos that is existing but we are not going to stay there we going to have confidence in the restoration of our Lord and the beautiful word that you have therefore i notice the word i and my mentioned in verse 7 8 and 9 look how many times the prophet the remnant are making it their own they say in verse 7 i will.

Look unto the Lord i will wait for the God of my salvation by the way the word salvation come from the Hebrew word Yeshua Yeshua or yeshi my salvation the name of Jesus the name of Yeshua in Hebrew is salvation i will wait for the God of my Yeshua of my salvation he says in verse 8 he continue notice the confidence i rejoice not against me speaking to the enemies of Israel or my enemy when i fall i shall arise when i sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me now when the people of the world is looking at the nation of Israel they have looked at Israel always in history and still looking at it today and the counterfeit Messiah during the tribulation period and the enemies of Israel are looked as if they are united together against Israel and so the prophet micha a representation of the remnant of Israel he says don't rejoice against me because when i fall i shall arise in other words there is an assurance there is a confidence that.

Israel as a nation will be restored and shall arise what happened with Israel all the promises the God of promise are they in vain all the watchmen the prophets who spoke about Israel restoration is this in vain and unfortunately in this church age there are many who believe that God had finished with Israel the Jewish people but look what we read here very clear that God have not finished with his people Israel the apostle Paul said it in Romans 11 have God cast away his people whom he foreknew and you remember what he said in Romans 11 verse 26 all Israel shall be saved the deliverer out of Jacob and deliver the nation of Israel so Israel is going to rise up one day and here we can see this i shall rise up he's actually also talking about the prophet Amos that had prophesied concerning Israel's restoration in Amos chapter 9 verse 11 the tabernacles of David which have been broken down God will raise it up again in the future.

Day. And again, the apostles dealt with it in Acts chapter 15, verses 16 and 17, the restoration of the nation of Israel. And then he says, not only that I will rise, but he says, when I sit in darkness, it's because of the time when Israel had been blinded to the Messiahship of Yeshua. They are in darkness. The people of Israel today are our nation. It's still in spiritual darkness. But then it says, listen, at the end of verse 8, The Lord shall be a light unto me. The Lord had promised that He will restore Israel and He will be a light unto the nation of Israel. There are precious verses that I must read to you in order for you to enjoy it.

Isaiah chapter 60. Isaiah was one who preached at the same time as Micah. And Isaiah chapter 60 says, Arise, shine, verse 1, for thy light is come. And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Speaking to Zion, to Jerusalem, to Israel. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But the Lord shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see all they gather themselves together. They come unto thee. Thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

When thou shalt see and flow together, and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged, because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. Isaiah, speaking on behalf of the Lord to the nation of Israel, Arise and shine, for thy light has come. This really touched the heart, because when you think about a nation that had been in darkness for many generations, persecuted the Jewish people, scattered among the nations of this world, God gives the hope for the nation of Israel that they, one day, will arise. And look at the confidence that the remnant says at this time to the enemies, Rejoice not against me, O my enemy.

When I fail, I shall arise. When I sit in darkness, it's not going to be forever. The Lord shall be a light unto me. In verse 9, he continues, And there, you notice, Israel agrees with the chastening of the Lord. See, they will come to a time where they will say, Lord, you know, you are right. When God disciplines us, when we go astray, we deserve it. We really deserve it. When we sinned against him, we deserve to be punished. And so Israel will agree with God. When a father disciplines his son or his daughter, they don't do it out of hatred. They do it out of love because they want a blessing for them.

And when we go wrong, we deserve discipline. And that's what Israel is saying. Notice verse 9. I will bear the indignation. The Hebrew word for indignation is za'af. Za'af Adonai Esa. In other words, I will bear. Bear means I will carry. I will carry the judgment, the punishment that I deserve. You see, they will come to a point when they will not have self-confidence anymore. They will not accuse God and say, God, I don't deserve this. Why do I get this from you? You know, we sometimes accuse the Lord when God disciplines us and we accuse God, if you really care and understood me, you wouldn't have allowed these things to happen to me in my life.

But we have to realize that God is holy. He's righteous. He must judge sin. He cannot brush it underneath the carpet. And you know how we know his love to us? It's when we look at the cross when Yeshua died. When he had to be placed as the just for the unjust, you and I, in order to bring us to God. And so if God disciplined Israel, Israel coming to a point in the indignation where they said, I'm going to bear the indignation. I deserve it. I will bear the indignation of the Lord. Why? Because I have sinned against him. I've sinned against the Lord, they say.

Micah said on behalf of the remnant. The remnant will say it during the tribulation period. I deserve it. You know, it's so precious. When a person is willing to take the punishment that he deserves, instead of pointing to somebody else, I didn't do it. You remember right away in the Garden of Eden, it happened. When Adam sinned, he was the federal head who were responsible for the fall for sin to enter into this world. But you know what he did? The first thing he did, he blamed the woman whom God had given unto him. That was the first thing that Adam did, the woman which you have given to me.

And yet God had given this woman to be a helpmate, a blessing to him. Instead of blaming God he should have said i have failed you i have sinned i disobeyed you i accepting the punishment that i deserve be merciful to me and God is a merciful God but it began right there when man began to blame God and to pass the buck to somebody else and since that time you and i do the very same thing those of us who have children know very well when our children play with the toys and so on, and this one took the other one, and something happened, and they always passed.

The back. They say, he did it. I didn't do it, and everything seems to be so innocent, but we are not innocent. We fail God. We are sinners, and we need to repent before him, but Israel, at the time of the indignation, they will say, I will bear it. You see, they would come to be broken before the Lord. They accept the judgment of God. I have sinned, and I deserve to receive this punishment, but Notice that, how precious here in this verse 9, while they confess their sins and they admit and they are willing to bear that, they look to the Lord for mercy. And they say in verse 9b, He will plead my cause.

He will execute judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness. You see the tone of their language. Now they're not looking to themselves they look to him and you notice that word he is really by application and in a prophetic. Sense is looking to the Messiah to Yeshua he will plead my cause he will take the judgment for me he will bring me forth to the light and you know that's what happened when Yeshua died for us on the tree he was the one that bore our sins he's the one that pleaded for us he was the one took upon himself the judgment that we deserve and that's why we worship him and we adore him because of what he has done for us every one of us can say for me he will do this for me so the remnant here is confessing their condition before the Lord Israel will agree with the chastening of the Lord but Israel will look to the one who will save them the one who will plead their cause who will execute the judgment that they deserve on their behalf and they will bring them into light there are so many verses that i can think about for example if you please turn with me to the.

Prophet Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 10 we know that this is the Messiah because God says about Jerusalem about Israel he says i will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication and listen this is Jerusalem this is Israel this is the people of Israel they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourners for his only son and there shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn Israel will look upon him, the Messiah whom they have rejected, have not accepted and the Bible attributes to the nation of Israel the piercing of the Messiah even though Israel themselves did not pierce him it was the Roman soldiers it was the Romans who actually crucified the Messiah but Israel as a nation will have the responsibility of not accepting Yeshua at his first coming but he will be the one that will plead the cause of the nation and he.

Will the one will execute the judgment on behalf of the nation and he will be the one that will bring forth the nation of Israel to the light, to the truth of the word of God. And Israel, as it said at the end, I shall behold his righteousness, not my righteousness. Notice it will be God's righteousness, the Messiah's righteousness, not our own righteousness. Why when we preach the gospel today, we say to people around us, you know, that all your righteousness cannot avail you to be saved you can do good deeds good mitzvot you can give money to the poor you can do many good deeds but it will not save you because it is not your righteousness that brings salvation but it is his righteousness and that's why Micha is emphasizing the language of the remnant i shall behold God's righteousness his righteousness Messiah Mashiach righteousness and so in verse 10 Israel's enemies will be ashamed then she that is mine enemy shall see it.

And shame shall cover her which said unto me where is the Lord thy God mine eye shall behold her now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets you see all throughout Israel's history people look at the nation and says where is your God the psalmist said that in Psalm 42 verse 3 Psalm 42 verse 10 Psalm 79 as well in verse 10 wherefore should a heathen say where is their God let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the ravening of the blood of thy servant which is shed you see the heathen said to Israel where is your God you say that you have the true and living God where is your God look at your condition mocking at the Jewish people mocking at the Hebrews during the tribulation where the persecution of the Jewish people will be at his Atomos, they will say to them, where is your God?

Israel. You remember Pharaoh said to Israel when. Moses says, let my people go, he said to Moses, who is this God that I need to obey him? But in the end of the tribulation, when God is going to deliver Israel, the nations, and you notice it called her she, you notice twice it says she, and one time the word her in verse 10, she that is mine enemy shall cover her which said unto me where is the Lord thy God mine eyes shall behold her i'm going to look at her at the end how she be trodden down as a mire of the streets and the interesting thing the word she here is taken in feminine and all the nations of the world and even at that time the tribulation period that those who profess to be the church the false church who will remain here during the tribulation period that her this expression of her is in a feminine way why is because Israel is always looked to be the wife of Jehovah the church is called the bride of Christ.

The bride of the Messiah and so the her here to show the true wife of Jehovah the true people of God are those who are going to be delivered while the false ones the one who claimed previously before the tribulation to be the true church is actually the false church who will enter into the tribulation period and she become like an enemy with the rest of the nations of the world those who oppose Israel they will look at Israel and they will say where is your God and at the end in verse 10 she will be trodden down and like as a mire of the streets there are many verses that we can use here the trodden down for example in Isaiah chapter 63 at the second coming of the Messiah the Messiah said i have trodden the wine fat alone he comes in judgment and he's trodding down the enemies of the nation of Israel in Revelation chapter 19 and verse 15 Yeshua comes from heaven and he's trodden down the enemies of the people of Israel eventually at the end of the tribulation.

Period so you can see the clear indication of the coming end time tribulation and the messianic kingdom now quickly let's move to the next verses 11 12 and 13 Israel's God promised a restoration to his people Israel look what he says in verse 11 he promised an end to judgment and a restoration of the city of Jerusalem. In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. What is the decree? The decree is the law or the promise that he had given to the prophet that judgment will come upon Israel. But it's saying it ultimately will have an end. It will be removed as it says here in verse 11 the walls of Jerusalem will be rebuilt and Jerusalem will be protected by the Lord again in the end of the tribulation as we enter into the messianic age notice verse 12 he says that God will bring the nations of the world to the city of Jerusalem not only that he will restore the Jewish people to the land but all the nations of the world will come to Jerusalem.

You know, that tells me this verse. Well, let me read it. In that day, also he, the word he is very important to underline. This is the nations. He shall come even to thee, this is Jerusalem, from Assyria and from the fortified cities and from the fortress, even to the river and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. In other words, God is going to make Jerusalem in the future day a capital city, not only of Israel and the Jewish people, but it's going to be a worldwide capital city. The nations will have to gather into the city of Jerusalem. They're going to come from Assyria, from the fortified cities, from the fortress, from the field, from river to river, from sea to sea, from mountain to mountain.

They're going to come to the city of Jerusalem in order to worship the Messiah, the King. Turn back for a moment to chapter 4 of Micah, and we read there in verse 2. Many nations shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. And he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his path. For the law shall go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Yerushalayim from Jerusalem you see this takes us to a time where the nations will gather you know it is a great time i was born in the city of Yerushalayim i was raised in the city of Yerushalayim and i don't remember a day that we had total shalom not a day that we didn't consider what's happening just behind the walls of the old city that was before 1967 when Yerushalayim was not yet united it's before the six-day war I was a young child when I was raised in the city of Jerusalem and always the fear and the worried what about the Arab nation what about this Egypt and Syria and Jordan and Lebanon Iraq and Iran and on and on always this concern about what's going to happen if this nation will rise up against us.

In 1967, when Israel won against Jordan and other nations, I remember my father took me by the hand and we walked across the old city walls in Jaffa Gate and we enter in and I'll never forget in my entire life because I was a young child holding the hand of my father, crossing the broken walls over the rocks and the stones and entering into that place that all along it was behind. I was always afraid what's going on behind those walls but in the future day no Israel no Hebrew no Jewish man or woman will ever need to be afraid because it says here in these verses that the walls will be built again Israel will be restored and God will gather listen he will gather all the nations to come to Jerusalem now not to fight against the city but to worship in the city of Yerushalayim where the Messiah Yeshua will be the one that will be sitting there as king of Kings.

Zechariah, as we have read already in the end of chapter 14, he said that verse 16 and it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem that was in the past but they even will come up from year to year to worship the king. That king is none else but Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. The Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, nations will come to the city of Jerusalem, from all over the world, from Assyria, from the fortified city, from the fortress, even from the river, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain, they're all going to come unto thee.

That word for thee here is applied to the city of Jerusalem. Notice, until that's going to happen, In verse 13, until that time, God will have to judge the earth and judge the world. In verse 13, it says, nevertheless, that is coming yet in the future, but the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doing. In other words, until that time will come, the desolation that's going to have to happen upon the face of the earth during the tribulation, is because of them that dwell therein. And that word land, it's aretz, it may apply to the land of Israel, but it's also applied to the whole universe.

You know, this world is riping itself for the day of judgment. We are really heading up to the time where God is going to deal with this world in righteousness when he's going to pour down his judgment upon this world. Now, let's move on towards the end of the chapter now. There are two more points that I would like to convey to you today in this concluding passage of the prophet Micha. In verse 14 to verse 17, we have Israel's God care for Israel as in the days of old. Now you can see that God will take care of his own people like the old days. In the time when Israel were in the land of Egypt, it says in verse 14 and 15, Israel will pray to God to deal with them as in the past.

Feed thy people with thy rod the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitary in the wood in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilad as in the days of old. You see what the prayer of Israel? God, let your people be fed with thy rod. Feed us with thy rod. Now, the rod is looked at in two ways. On the one hand, the shepherds use the rod to lead the nation, the staff. But also the rod is being used for correction and pulling them and feeding them, taking them in the right direction. So that Israel is crying. The remnant is crying.

Micah, Michad, voicing the voice of the remnant and he cried. And he says, God, feed your people with your rod. Feed your flock of your heritage. They belong to you. They are your heritage. They dwell in a solitary place, in the wood, in the midst. And now he's telling them where? In the midst of Carmel. This is Mount Carmel. This is in Haifa area. This is the center where God, in a miraculous way, the battle of the gods when Elijah and the false prophets were heading this battle and how God have accepted Elijah's offering. This is the Carmel. And then he said, let them feed in Bashan.

Bashan is the area of the Golan Heights today, right on the border with Syria and Lebanon area. And then in Gilad, Gilad is the side in which just before they entered into the promised land at the area that on the Jordan side today. And so what he's really saying, God, feed your people, feed your heritage as you have fed them in the days of old. You know, it's always good to look back and to look at the days of old and how God had been such a blessing to his people. You know, you and I know it very well as believers today. When we look back and we look at history, you know, we get up in age and time passes by.

And so many trials we've gone through in our lives. And we look back and we see the faithfulness of God. Even though we have been unfaithful, but He's always faithful to His people. And so they beseech God, the remnant. They said, God feed us as in the past time. Notice in verse 15, according to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show unto him marvelous things. God is now saying, you know what? Just the same like I brought you out of the land of Mitzrayim, Egypt, and how I provided for you, I will show you marvelous things in this coming day.

Like I have showed you marvelous things when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. You see the preciousness of the ways of God with his people. And it's always good to go back and to see the faithfulness of God and to be broken before him and to confess that he had been faithful to us according to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt. I will show unto him marvelous things. This is in verses 14 and 15. And then verses 16 and 17, Israel's enemies will see and they will be amazed at the way that God have treated his people. Verse 16, the nations, they shall see and be confounded at all their might.

They shall lay their hand upon their mouth. Notice they're going to cover their mouth like saying, wow, how is it possible? This is the nation that one time we mocked them and we say to them, where is your God? But now they're going to look at them and they're going to see how the Lord feed them and taking care of them as if is in the day of old when Israel repenting and they will be amazed in verse 16 they will be confounded at all their might and they shall lay their hands upon their mouth and their ears shall be deaf now here is the judgment that is going to come upon the nations they shall lick the dust like a serpent they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth they shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall fear because of thee this is Israel you know there's coming a day actually at the end of the tribulation period where we call it the judgment of the nations you read it in Matthew chapter 25 and they're going to come before the king the Messiah as sheep and goat the sheep on the right the goats on the left the nation's going.

To come before the king you can read it in Matthew chapter 25 and he will ask them how did you treat the people of Israel how did you treat the Jewish people in the time of the tribulation they will come and the Lord will tell them to the people who treated the nation of Israel in the right way the Lord Jesus the Messiah is going to tell them and i want to read in Matthew chapter 25 when the son of man shall come in his glory verse 31 and all the angels will be with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divide his sheep and goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left then shall the king say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father Inherit the kingdom prepared for you From the foundation of the world I was hungry and you gave me food.

I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and you took me in I was naked and you clothed me I was sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came unto me Then the righteous will answer And they will say to him Lord when saw we thee And hungry and we fed thee Thirsty and we gave you to drink when we saw you as a stranger and we took you in or naked and we clothed you or when we saw you that you are sick or in prison and we came to visit you and the king will answer and he will say unto them verily verily i say unto you inasmuch as you have done it unto the one of the least of my brethren you have done it unto me who are the brethren here the brethren in Matthew chapter 25 verse 40 are the remnant of Israel during the tribulation period.

The Jewish people, the Israelis, the Hebrews, who will be persecuted during the tribulation period. And if they have done anything. That is positive because they trusted in the Messiah for the Jewish people, he will bring them and he will tell them, enter into the kingdom of God prepared for you from the foundation of the world but there will be the others like the goats as we read of them in the second part of this chapter and verse 41 he said unto them on the left hand he says depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire depart to a place that prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry and you gave me not meat I was thirsty and you gave me not drink I was a stranger and you took me not in i was naked and he closed me not i was sick in prison and he visited me not then shall they also answer him and they said Lord when did we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger or naked or sick or in prison and we did not minister unto them notice what he told them in verse 45 then shall he this.

Is the king Messiah Yeshua will answer and he said unto them verily i say unto you in as much as ye did it not to the list of these these are the same brethren that he spoke about them in verse 40 the Jewish people the Israelis the Hebrews during the tribulation time and as much that you have not done it unto these ye did not it unto me and these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternal life or life everlasting you see God will vindicate his people in the coming days when he will ultimately judge the nations that have come against his nation Israel and persecuted the people of Israel.

That's why I do believe with all my heart that there is a responsibility of believers today, of Christians, Bible believers today, to love Israel, to pray for Israel, to share the gospel with Israel, to be a blessing to the people of Israel today in this present-day church age. There is a responsibility that believers have. Towards the nation of Israel, and that's what exactly is going to happen as a result of those who will persecute the Jewish people during the tribulation. They will be ashamed, and they will ultimately be judged by the Lord himself. As it says in verse 16 and 17, they shall lick up the dust as serpent.

They shall move out of the holes like worms of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord, our God, and shall fear because of you, Israel. That's the way it's going to be when the judgment day is coming. And now let me conclude at the end of the whole book of Micha, verses 18, 19, and 20. Israel ultimately will worship their God for all that he is, and for all that he have done and notice how it is going here in verse 18 who is a God like unto thee it's not a coincidence that this verse is there because the name micha Micah is the word me who is like unto.

Jehovah and here mikhail who is like God there's no one like him he is the greatest he is the precious one he's the one that provided so much for us who is like God when Israel came out of Egypt in Exodus chapter 15 the song was who is like unto thee oh God Exodus 15 and verse 11 there is no one like him we need to ask God to work in our hearts to help us to see the preciousness of the person of the son of God the Messiah and the goodness and the grace of God we are puzzled sometime how men reject God and despise the God who gave us so much and do not want to have anything to do with him.

And yet God is so gracious. He loves us. He cares for us. And Israel, the remnant, Micah, representing the remnant, says, who is a God like unto thee? Now notice he's listing certain things in verse 18. He pardoned iniquity. Think about the iniquities, the crookedness. That exist in us and yet God forgave us he pardoned iniquity he continued he passes by the transgression this is another Hebrew word pesha you know how many transgressions we have committed in our lives you know what first John says that the violation sin is a transgression of the law we have violated every law that was ever given to the human race what law you and i haven't violated and transgressed against.

And Micah is saying here about the Lord, not only that you're pardoning iniquity, but you pass by the violation of law. If you would be caught by a policeman who caught you driving 10 kilometers over the speed limit, and you will be sitting there ready to get your punishment, and then the policeman will come to you and says, mister, you deserve to get the 200 dollar ticket right now but i'm telling you i'm going to pardon you this don't do it again stay within the speed limit you would leave that place boy God thank you for saving me 200 bucks. You will be thankful to the Lord you know you will be appreciated you know God we deserve so much punishment and here he tells us he passes by the transgression the pressure now he doesn't passes by without to judge somebody sin has to be judged the Messiah Yeshua paid for our transgression you remember what Isaiah says in Isaiah 53 he was wounded for our transgression for my transgression the just for the unjust in order to bring us to God continue in verse 18 he says and he passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage the remnant is the nation of Israel and in the time of their confession listen to that he says in verse 18b he retain is not his anger forever God has a right to be angry with the human race he has a right he made us he created the world for his own pleasure and yet he has a right to be angry you remember when Yeshua was angry at the.

Temple when he cast out the money changers the tables and he says this is a house of prayer and you're made at a den of thieves that was a righteous indignation you know when I get angry when you get angry oftentimes most of the time is a sinful anger because we didn't get our way but here we see the righteous indignation God does not retain us forever he retains not his anger forever in other words mercy is coming because at the end of verse 18 says because he delight in mercy mercy and grace are two different things grace is we get what we don't deserve but mercy is we don't get what we do deserve to get chesed verachamim the mercy of God towards the remnant of Israel but towards you and i as well in verse 19 he continues he says he will turn again he will have compassion upon us Israel is speaking verse 19b he will subdue our iniquities you notice again it's all from God nothing from Israel nothing from man it's all.

From God he retaineth not his anger forever he delights in mercy he will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and notice that at the end of verse 19 and I love this verse it says you will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea now that's what Israel is saying to the Lord, Lord, you are going to take the load of our sins and you're going to cast it into the depth of the sea. You know how deep is the sea? You can go into the deepest part of the sea in the sins and the iniquities of Israel and the sins and the iniquities of the whole human race was cast into the depth of the sea when Yeshua the Messiah paid for each and every sin when he died for us on the cross.

Now, there is a custom among our Jewish people in Rosh Hashanah, just before the Day of Atonement, that you will see Jewish people going to the water, bodies of water. It could be a lake, it could be a river, it could be a sea. And they will take their pockets out, symbolically saying to God, he will cast all the sins into the depth of the sea. It's called, the Hebrew word is tashlich, to cast down sin and sins into the depth of the sea. That's done in Rosh Hashanah, just as in preparation for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, that symbolically are Jewish people going to the bodies of water and practicing this practice called the Tashlich, which comes right here from this verse of Micah 7, verse 19.

And thou will cast all their sins into the depth of the sea. Do you know that every sin that you and I have committed, and we committed sins before we believed in Yeshua the Messiah, we committed sins when we believed in Yeshua the Messiah, and we committed sins since we believed in Yeshua the Messiah. All our sins have been cast into the depth of the sea. And don't you dare try to bring them up again. If God placed them there, don't you try to bring them up again. God is not going to go and find some of your sins and bring them back up. He cast them into the depth of the sea when He judged the Messiah on the cross.

In other passages, like Psalm 103 and verse 12, the psalmist says, As far as the east is from the west, so he removed our sins from us. Now you try to bring your sins back from the east and the west. The east and the west never meet. The north and south meet. But the turning of the universe in such a way that the east and west never meet. When God looked at the believer in Yeshua, he sees us totally. Sin had been removed, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of Yeshua the Messiah. And we have to be so careful understanding the value of the work of Yeshua the Messiah.

There is another verse that is found in Isaiah 38, in verse 17, we read, Behold, for peace I had great bitterness, But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption. For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. Isaiah tells us he cast all our sins behind his back. He doesn't look there. David said in the Psalm, as far as the east is from the west, so our sins have been removed from us. And Michal said that God cast our sins into the depth of the sea. That tells us of complete cleansing, complete salvation had been provided for the nation of Israel, it will be in the future, for you and I in the present day dispensation of the church age.

What shall wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Yeshua. And he concludes the chapter and the book that all this God does on the basis of the Abrahamic promise, of the Abrahamic covenant, It says in verse 20, Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, which you had sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. When Abraham was chosen by the God of Abraham, by the God of Israel, God said to Abraham, I, with an oath, I made a promise, Abraham, that I'm going to bless you, and I'm going to give you this land, and I'm going to restore you to the land, and through you all the nations of this earth will be blessed.

Well it haven't happened yet the world is still in blindness Abraham's descendants are still awaiting the restoration day and that day will come because God had made a promise an oath he is not a man who doesn't fulfill his oath God will fulfill his promise to our people Israel in the coming day and we who are part of the assembly of the church of the ecclesia can enjoy these truth because if God promises to Israel not going to be fulfilled, how we will be sure if the promises to us will be fulfilled? He will fulfill the promises to the church just as he must fulfill his promises to the nation of Israel.

Well, may the Lord use this time of the Word of God, study of the prophet Micah, to your own soul blessing and also for his own glory and honor.