A Reflection for Wednesday, December 18, 2024 by Rev. Rosalyn Bates
Lectionary reading for 12/18/2024: Isaiah 11:1-9; Micah 4:8-13; Luke 7:31-35
Selected passage for reflection: Micah 4:8-13 (New Living Translation)
Read
Micah 4:8-13 (New Living Translation)
8 As for you, Jerusalem,
the citadel of God’s people,[a]
your royal might and power
will come back to you again.
The kingship will be restored
to my precious Jerusalem.
9 But why are you now screaming in terror?
Have you no king to lead you?
Have your wise people all died?
Pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth.
10 Writhe and groan like a woman in labor,
you people of Jerusalem,[b]
for now you must leave this city
to live in the open country.
You will soon be sent in exile
to distant Babylon.
But the Lord will rescue you there;
he will redeem you from the grip of your enemies.
11 Now many nations have gathered against you.
“Let her be desecrated,” they say.
“Let us see the destruction of Jerusalem.[c]”
12 But they do not know the Lord’s thoughts
or understand his plan.
These nations don’t know
that he is gathering them together
to be beaten and trampled
like sheaves of grain on a threshing floor.
13 “Rise up and crush the nations, O Jerusalem!”[d]
says the Lord.
“For I will give you iron horns and bronze hooves,
so you can trample many nations to pieces.
You will present their stolen riches to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.”
Reflect
We must face this reality; we are limited in how much we can predict our future. We cannot anticipate every outcome, no matter how much we plan. Does knowing what will happen in advance ease the pain of a difficult situation when it eventually manifests? This passage explores the overlap between God’s sovereign, victorious purpose unfolding and our development amidst displacement, opposition and conflict. The prophetic outcry of Micah, a voice to the northern and southern regions of Israel, reminds us all that God has more than one dimension. In Micah’s times, this meant that God is just and compassionate at the same time.
Through Micah, the Sovereign God speaks to citizens of Jerusalem. The message in verse 8 starts with what will ultimately happen. The majestic and royal reign of the city will be restored. The city will be known once again as a place of strength rather than weakness or instability. The leadership will be established. God’s message continues with a report of the current situation. The people are now screaming and horrified, vulnerable and unprotected. They are lost because they have no king, no leader to rule, no wise successor among them to guide them forward.
Here’s the backstory. The history of leadership for the Israelites has had its share of stellar and scary eras. The people of Judah thought that their kingdom would last forever. God is saying that their kingdom, the one that they imagined would stand forever, is ending. It is closing out. They must now drastically adjust their expectations. The pain of this life-altering shift is described as a woman who is in labor—sudden, sharp and with great pressure. Interestingly, this type of pain is similar to how many American citizens have responded to the 2024 election results.
The impact of exile in this text is devastating. In our times, exile looks like deportation, disconnection, and disenfranchisement. But God...will gather the lame, the exiles, and the grief-stricken. God will rescue them and redeem them from their enemies. God makes a nation of the outcasts and lowlifes. As much as God loves people, God equally hates the sin that entangles them. God deals with naysaying nations as only God can--by redirecting the calamity they plan for the Israelites back to them. God gathers the Israelites for restoration and yet gathers the opposing nations for the destruction that they wish on the Israelites.
To be candid, people need and desperately yearn for leadership. Yet they sometimes reject wholesome examples of it. Regardless of the government type, whether in a monarchy of ancient Bible times or in the democracy of our times, the Sovereign God takes issue with any and every interference to getting our highest allegiance—even if the interference is a human ruler. Corruption, injustice, idolatry and empty ritual do not escape the sight of God Whose eyes are in every place and Whose eyes see from every possible angle.
Respond
Examine where you have placed or misplaced your hopes and expectations. Grieve while renewing your trust in God. Ask God to continually align you so that your allegiance to God remains free of impurity.
Rest
Prayer: Lord, You are the Perfect and Eternal Ruler. I am anchored by Your sustaining love, Your keeping power, and Your purifying presence. Thank You for Your prevailing purpose that governs my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
About the Author
Rosalyn Bates is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, an ordained Staff Pastor, and founder of Rosgarden Productions, LLC. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College, and a Master of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary.
Comments