Steve Webb  0:00  
We've come just so far haven't we?

Steve Webb  0:10  
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible and podcasting since 2004. I'm your OG God casters Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today is prophecy Friday. So we'll read the book of Micah seven chapters I'm calling today's episode the greatest miracle the shownotes pages that Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 282. My email address is Steve at Lifespring media.com. And let's get started.

Steve Webb  0:41  
Micah chapter one. This is the word of the Lord which came to mica of more a chef about Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, Hero people, all of you listen over Earth and all who are in it, the Lord God will speak against you from his holy house. See, the Lord is coming from his place, he will come down and walk on the high places of the earth, the mountains will melt under him and the valleys will break open like a candle in front of the fire, like water poured down a hill. All this is because Jacob would not obey and because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob sin? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? So I will make Samaria a waste in the open country, making it a place to plant grape fields. I will pour her stones down into the valley and lay open the base of the city. All of her false gods will be broken to pieces. Everything given in the place of worship will be burned with fire. I will destroy all her objects of worship. For she gathered them from the pay of a woman who sells the use of her body, they will return to pay a woman who sells the use of her body. Because of this I must cry out in sorrow. I must go without shoes and clothing. I must cry out like the wild dogs and cry and sorrow like the ostriches for her hurt cannot be cured. It has come to Judah. It has come to the gate of my people even to Jerusalem. Do not tell about it and gaff Do not cry at all. Roll in the dust in Bethlehem ephra go on your way people have Schaefer without clothing and in shame the people of Zion and do not come out. Cries of sorrow come from Beth Ezel. Its help is taken from you. Those who live in Marathe become weak waiting for good because trouble has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem. Tie the war wagons to the horses, you people of Lake ish. You were the beginning of sin to the people of Zion for the sins of Israel were found in you. So give gifts to Maura chef gaff the people of x, it will fool the kings of Israel, I will bring one who will beat you and battle who people have Marisha The Shining greatness of Israel will come to a Dunham cut off all your hair and sorrow for the children you love. Let no hair be on your head like the eagle for your children will be taken away from you. 

Steve Webb  3:09  
Micah chapter two. It is bad for those who make plans to do wrong, who lie on their beds thinking of something sinful to do. when morning comes they do it because it is in their power. They want fields that belong to someone else and take them they want houses and take them. They rob a man and his house, a man and what has been given to him. So the Lord says, I am planning trouble against this family from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk in pride for it will be a time of much trouble. On that day they will make fun of you and sing a bitter song of sorrow saying we are destroyed and everything is gone. My people's land is divided. He takes it from me. He gives our fields to those who turned against us. So you will have no one among the Lord's people to divide the land in a right way for you. The people say to me, do not speak about these things because we will not be put to shame. Should it be sad or people of Jacob? Is the Spirit of the Lord angry would he do such things? Do not my words do good to the one whose way is right in good. My people have begun to hate those who are at peace with them. You pull the coat off from a brother Israelite from those who passed by in peace like men returning from war. You drive the women of my people away from their beautiful houses. You take my greatness away from their children forever. Get up and go away for this is no place of rest because it is made unclean. It is destroyed with much suffering. If a man comes speaking lies and says I will speak to you about wine and strong drink. He would be the one for these people. I will gather all of you together Jacob. I will gather all those left of Israel. I will put them together like sheep within a fence like a flock and its field. The land will be filled with unknown Always have many people, the one who breaks open the way will go out before them, they will break through the gate and go out there king will pass through before them and the Lord will lead them. 

Steve Webb  5:11  
Micah chapter three. And I said, here now leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel, should you not know what is fair, yet you hate good and love sin. You tear off the skin from my people in the flesh from their bones, you eat my people's flesh, pull off their skin, break their bones, and cut them up like meat for the pot. Then they will cry to the Lord, but He will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time because they have done sinful things. This is what the Lord says about the men who speak in God's name and lead my people the wrong way. When they have something to eat, they speak of peace, but they make holy war against him who does not feed them so night will come to you without a special dream. Darkness will come to you without any word about the future. The sun will go down on those who speak about special dreams and the day will become dark over them. Those who tell what is going to happen in the future will be ashamed. Those who learn about the future using their secret ways will be ashamed. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God. But as for me, I am filled with power with the Spirit of the Lord with what is fair and with strength. I am able to make known to Jacob his wrongdoing and to Israel his sin. Now listen to this you leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel, you hate what is fair and turn everything around. That is right. You build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with much wrongdoing. Her leaders take pay and secret for doing wrong. Her religious leaders teach for a price. Her men who tell what is going to happen in the future do it for money, yet they rest upon the Lord and say, is not the Lord among us. No trouble will come to us. So because of us Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will be laid waste, and the mountain of the Lord's house will be covered with trees. 

Steve Webb  7:06  
Micah chapter four. In the future, the mountain with the Lord's temple will be the highest of all, it will reach above the hills and every nation will rush to it. People of many nations will come and say, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord God of Jacob and worship in His temple. The Lord will teach us His law from Jerusalem that we will obey Him. He will settle arguments between the distant and powerful nations. They will pound their swords and their spears into rakes and shovels. They will never again make war or attack one another. Everyone will find rest beneath their own fig trees are great vines and they will live in peace. This is a solemn promise of the Lord all powerful. Others may follow their gods but we will always follow the Lord our God. The Lord said, at that time, I will gather my people, the lame and the outcasts and all others into whose lives I have brought sorrow. Then the lame and the outcasts will belong to my people and become a strong nation. I the Lord will rule them from Mount Zion Forever. Mount Zion in Jerusalem, guardian of my people, you will rule again. Jerusalem, why are you crying? Don't you have a king? Are your advisors gone? Are you suffering like a woman in childbirth? Keep on groaning with pain you people have Jerusalem. If you escaped from your city to the countryside, you will still be taken as prisoners to Babylonia, but later I will rescue you from your enemies Zeon because of your sins, you are surrounded by many nations who say we can hardly wait to see you disgraced, but they don't know that I the Lord have gathered them here to grind them like grain. Smash them to pieces ion. I'll let you be like a bowl with iron horns and bronze who's crushed those nations and bring their wealth to ME THE LORD OF THE EARTH. 

Steve Webb  8:59  
Micah chapter five Jerusalem enemy troops have surrounded you. They have struck Israel's ruler in the face with a stick. Bethlehem Efrat. You are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah, but the Lord will choose one of your people to rule the nation, someone whose family goes back to ancient times, the Lord will abandon Israel only until this ruler is born, and the rest of his family returns to Israel, like a shepherd to taking care of his sheep. This ruler will lead and care for his people buy the power in glorious name of the Lord his God. His people will live securely and the whole earth will know his true greatness because he will bring peace. Let us Syria attack our country and our palaces. We will counter attack led by a number of rulers whose strong army will defeat the nation of Assyria. Yes, our leaders will rescue us if those Assyrians dare to invade our land. A few of Jacob's descendants survived and are scattered among the nations But the Lord will let them cover the earth like do and rain that refreshes the soil. At present, they are scattered, but later they will attack as though they were fierce lions pouncing on sheep. Their enemies will be torn to shreds with no one to save them. They will be helpless, completely destroyed. The Lord said, at that time, I will wipe out your cavalry and chariots as well as your cities in your fortresses. I will stop you from telling fortunes and practicing witchcraft. You will no longer worship the idols or stone images you have made, I will destroy them together with the sacred poles and even your towns. I will become furious and take revenge on the nations that refused to obey me. 

Steve Webb  10:41  
Micah chapter six. The Lord said to his people, come and present your case to the hills and mountains, Israel, I am bringing charges against you. I call upon the mountains and the Earth's firmer foundation to be my witnesses. My people, have I wronged you in any way at all? Please tell me. I rescued you from Egypt where you were slaves. I sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam to be your leaders. Don't forget the evil plans of King bei lack of Moab, or what balem son of B or said to him, remember how I the Lord saved you many times on your way from acacia to Gil Gao? What offerings Should I bring? When I bow down to worship the Lord God Most High? Should I try to please Him by sacrificing calves a year old? Will 1000s of sheep or rivers of olive oil make God satisfied with me? Should I sacrifice to the Lord my firstborn child is payment for my terrible sins. The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands. See that justice is done. Let mercy be your first concern and humbly obey your God. I am the Lord and you are wise to respect my power to punish. So listen to my message for the city of Jerusalem. You store up stolen treasures that use dishonest scales. But I the Lord will punish you for cheating with weights and with measures. You rich people are violent and everyone tells lies. Because of your sins. I will wound you and leave you ruined and defenseless. You will eat but still be hungry. You will store up goods but lose everything. I the Lord will let it all be captured in war. You won't harvest what you plant or use the oil from your olive trees or drink the wine from grapes you grow Jerusalem. This will happen because you followed the sinful example of Kings Omri and Ahab. Now I will destroy you and your property, then the people of every nation will make fun and insult you. 

Steve Webb  12:39  
Micah chapter seven. I feel so empty inside like someone starving for grapes or figs after the vines and trees have all been picked clean. No one is loyal to God. No one does it right. Everyone is brutal and eager to deceive everyone else. People cooperate to commit crime. Judges and leaders demand bribes and rulers cheat in court. The most honest of them is worse than a thorn patch. Your doom is come. lookouts sound the warning and everyone panics. Don't trust anyone, not even your best friend. And be careful what you say to the one you love. Sons refused to respect their own father's daughters rebelled against their own mothers and daughters in law, despise their mothers in law. Your family is now your enemy. But I trust the Lord God to save me. And I will wait for him to answer my prayer. My enemies don't be glad because of my troubles. I may have fallen but I will get up. I may be sitting in the dark, but the Lord is my light. I have sinned against the Lord. And so I must endure his anger until he comes to my defense. But I know that I will see him making things right for me and leading me to the light. You my enemy said the Lord God is helpless. Now each of you will be disgraced and put to shame. I will see you trampled like mud in the street. towns of Judah the day is coming when your walls will be rebuilt and your boundaries enlarged. People will flock to you from a Syria and Egypt, from Babylonia and everywhere else. Those nations will suffer disaster because of what they did. lead your people, Lord, come and be our shepherd. Grasslands surround us but we live in a forest. So lead us to Batian and Gilead and let us find pastures we did long ago. I the Lord will work miracles just as I did when I lead you out of Egypt. Nations will see this and be ashamed because of their helpless armies. They will be in shock unable to hear because of their fear of me your LORD and GOD. Then they will come trembling crawling out of their fortresses like insects or snakes lapping up the dust. Our God no one is like you. We are all that is left of your chosen people and you freely forgive our sin and Guilt, you won't stay angry forever. You're glad to have pity and be pleased to be merciful. You will trample on our sins and throw them in the sea. You will keep your word and be faithful to Jacob and to Abraham, as you promised our ancestors many years ago.

Steve Webb  15:18  
Well the book of Micah, although a lot shorter is a bit like the book of Isaiah. That book was about Judah and Jerusalem. And Micah's prophecy is about Samaria in Jerusalem. Micah brings God's warning about the coming judgment of Israel and he mourns it. The sins of Israel are laid out. Idolatry covetousness, oppression, rejection of God's word, corrupt leaders, both spiritual leaders and political leaders. And, you know, I'm sure glad we don't live back then we've come just so far, haven't we? Idolatry, covetousness, oppression, rejection of God's word corrupt leaders, nothing like today. Well, thankfully for Israel, the later chapters in the book had some encouraging words. And as always, it's important to remember that God's judgments are not vengeful towards his people. They're motivated by love. Chapter Four began with the words in the future. Some of the prophecies Miko wrote back then have now been fulfilled, and some are yet to be. verse one of chapter four says, in the future, the mountain with the Lord's temple will be the highest of all, it will reach above the hills and every nation will rush to it. Well, in a figurative sense, the mountain with the Lord's temple could be considered the highest of all with the coming of Messiah. And there are believers in every nation. Remember, it said there, every nation will rush to it. But beyond that, I believe that the temple will be rebuilt during the millennial reign of Christ after he returns. And when that happens, of course, it'll be a much more literal fulfillment of that prophecy. chapter five, verse two through five is a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Bethlehem is named in the fact that the Savior would come from a family with a long history. Obviously, we know that Jesus lineage was traced back to King David, and that was prophesied in other books of the Bible. And we know that God promised David that the Messiah would come from his line and would establish a kingdom that would last forever. Moving to chapter seven, verses 14 and 15. Well, those verses encapsulate the relationship that God really wants with his people. Matt means with you and with me. Micah prays in verse 14, lead your people, Lord, come and be our shepherd. And in verse 15, God answers, I the Lord will work miracles just as I did when I lead you out of Egypt. Well, what greater miracle is there than a loving, merciful, righteous and holy God, choosing to leave the glories of Heaven, to live as a man among the wretched and fallen creation that has been so crippled by sin, to live a perfect and sinless life with a knowledge that he would be despised, rejected, beaten, broken, and hanged on a cross as the sacrifice for the very people who sent him to that cross, only to have life enter his body again on the third day and then miracle of miracles freely offer salvation from sin to anyone who believes there is no greater miracle than that. When you say, like Micah, we can pray, Lead your people, Lord, come and be our shepherd. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 282. Tomorrow is gospel Saturday, we'll read x five and six. We'll read about Ananias and Sapphira. And we'll be introduced to Stephen. Boost.

Steve Webb  18:56  
The executive producer for today's show is Roderick. He came in with his monthly $50 donation. Roderick, thank you so very much. I appreciate your support. And thank you for helping to keep the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming your way. Beloved, if you'd like to support the show, go to Lifespring media.com/support. Take a look. See what makes sense to you pray about it, and then do what God leads you to do Lifespring media.com/support.

Steve Webb  19:35  
On this date in church history, June 10 1692, Bridget Bishop became the first person hanged for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in all 20 people died as a result of those trials. And on this date in church history, June 10 1925, Canada's largest Protestant denomination, the United Church of Canada, was officially formed. From the union of the Methodist Church, Canada, the congregational union of Canada, the Council of local union churches, and about two thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Canada, the new denominations government was organized as Presbyterian in form.

Steve Webb  20:22  
Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father we so look forward to the time when Jesus will return and everything is set right? That will be a marvelous time, Lord. But until that day, we want to be busy doing the work you've given us. Use us in whatever way brings you the most glory. I pray God that you would bless the Lifespring family today and may each of us glorify you today. We pray this in Jesus name, amen. If you've got a prayer request or a praise, go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com.

Steve Webb  20:59  
Thanks to Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise, I'm so thankful for you three and may God bless you richly. Comment on the show and Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 282. Email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com Thanks to executive producer Roderick today. God bless you, Roderick, and thank you for inviting me into your life today. I do enjoy our time together. Support the show at Lifespring media.com/support. And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye

Transcribed by https://otter.ai