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He who opens the breach goes up before them;
they break through and pass the gate, going out by it.
Their king passes on before them, the LORD at their head.
(Micah 2:13)
Big Idea:
To submit to a King who is a tender Shepherd should be irresistible. And when we submit to this tender Shepherd King, he liberates us from the selfishness that robs us of true life and joy.
- Selfish Worship (1:1-16)
One sin Micah confronts is that of selfish worship. The people had found a way to make their worship cater to their own desires rather than humbly submitting to God. Through Micah, God shows that he will not allow this. He will go so far as to humiliate his people to turn them back to him. However, he does so as a loving father. God knows the way to true life and joy is in right worship of him, so he (sometimes severely) brings us to repentance.
- Selfish Society (2:1-11)
Another sin Micah confronts is the people’s lack of concern for the poor. They did not see, or did not care to see, how their actions made themselves richer at the expense of the poor. Because God cares for his children, especially those who are vulnerable, he will not allow this to continue either. Through Micah, he warns that if they do not repent, their cities will be destroyed.
- Shepherd King (2:12-13)
Though they did not repent and eventually incurred the consequences of which God warned them, God also showed his mercy. One king of the three to whom Micah preached did finally submit himself to the Lord, and the Lord answered by gathering his sheep into Jerusalem and delivering them from certain death.
Discussion Questions:
- Are there ways your worship can sometimes become more about yourself than about God? How so?
- How does this passage show you a deeper understanding of Jesus as a loving, pursuing Shepherd?
- Can you think of a severe mercy God has brought in your life that ultimately showed you his loving character?
- How do these attributes of Jesus make him a King worth following?