Historical Undoing

1
Historical Undoing

• Micah 1-2

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Building at Rockefeller Center, New York, Sept.
29, 1932
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(No Transcript)
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Historical Undoing

• Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
  a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her
  stones into the valley and lay bare her
  foundations (1.6)
• Micahs prophecy announces that, in place of the
  prospering capital city, vineyards will be
  planted and the city returned to its previously
  unsettled condition (Wolff 1990 57).

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The Reason

• All this is because of Jacobs transgression,
  because of the sins of the house of Israel. What
  is Jacobs transgression? Is it not Samaria?
  What is Judahs high place? Is it not
  Jerusalem? (1.5).

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The War Path

• All are neighbouring cities the arc is about
  twelve miles in length (Mays 1976 52).

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The Enemies Perspective

• As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my
  yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities,
  walled forts and to the countless small villages
  in their vicinity, and conquered (them) I drove
  out (of them) 200,150 people, young and old, make
  and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big
  and small cattle beyond counting, and considered
  (them) booty. Himself I made a prisoner in
  Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a
  cage (ANET, 288).

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The Spiritual Dimension

• Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling
  place he comes down and treads the high places
  of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and
  the valleys split apart, like wax before the
  fire, like water rushing down a slope (1.3-4
  cf. Ps 97.5 Amos 4.13).

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Punishment for Disobedience

• The LORD will bring a nation against you from
  far away, from the ends of the earth, like an
  eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you
  will not understand (Deut 28.49)
• And I will bring the sword upon you to avenge
  the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw
  into your cities, I will send a plague among you,
  and you will be given into enemy hands (Lev
  26.25).

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Covenant Disobedience
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Becoming Humble

• Shave your heads in mourning for the children in
  whom you delight make yourselves as bald as the
  vulture, for they will go from you into exile
  (1.16 e.g., Job 1.20 cf. Amos 8.10).

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Becoming Humble

• I will weep and wailI will howl like a jackal
  and moan like an owl (1.8aa,b)
• I will go about barefoot and naked (8.aß).
• a symbolic action which means to represent the
  treat of being taken prisoner (Wolff 1990 58
  cf. Amos 2.16 Isaiah 20.2-4).

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A Promised Deliverer

• Shepherd
• I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob I will
  surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I
  will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
  like a flock in its pasture the place will
  throng with people (2.12 cf. Isa 40.11).
• King
• Their king will pass through before them, the
  Lord at their head (2.13 cf. Isa 43.15).

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• Projecting
• into
• the New Testament

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Jesus Promised Deliverer

• Shepherd
• I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
  down his life for the sheep (Jn 10.11 cf.
  10.14a)
• I am the gate for the sheep (Jn 10.7 cf. Jn
  10.9 Mic 1.9, 12 2.13)
• King
• Pilate asked Jesus, Are you the king of the
  Jews? Yes, it is as you say, Jesus replied
  (Lk 23.3).

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Jesus Promised Deliverer

• God
• Nathanael declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of
  God you are the King of Israel (John 1.49)
• Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God! (John
  20.28).
• Peter You are the Christ, the Son of the
  living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you,
  Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to
  you by man, but by my Father in heaven (Mt
  16.16-17).