The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 4:3-4,
"He [the Lord] will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken."
As the Lord reveals through Micah a glimpse of life in the age to come, we read that although there may be some disputes, the Lord himself will arbitrate between nations. It will be a time when no nation will be a threat to any other. The desires of some nations to conquer and consume others will be a thing of the past as no one will have anything to fear anymore, 4:4. War will become a thing of the past as, "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." Verse 4:3.
Paul makes an interesting comment as to why the Lord set up nations among mankind in the first place. It was with the purpose in mind of building his kingdom. Paul tells us that it is through the interactions of nations, the threat they impose on one another that brings a fear into the heart of man, and, hopefully, through it, prompt man to reach out to God in desperation to be rescued. "From one man he [God] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:26-27. Also, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." Romans 8:20-21.
"He [the Lord] will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken."
As the Lord reveals through Micah a glimpse of life in the age to come, we read that although there may be some disputes, the Lord himself will arbitrate between nations. It will be a time when no nation will be a threat to any other. The desires of some nations to conquer and consume others will be a thing of the past as no one will have anything to fear anymore, 4:4. War will become a thing of the past as, "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." Verse 4:3.
Paul makes an interesting comment as to why the Lord set up nations among mankind in the first place. It was with the purpose in mind of building his kingdom. Paul tells us that it is through the interactions of nations, the threat they impose on one another that brings a fear into the heart of man, and, hopefully, through it, prompt man to reach out to God in desperation to be rescued. "From one man he [God] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:26-27. Also, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." Romans 8:20-21.
The reason there will be no more war then as there is today, and the reason the Lord will judge between nations directly as he does not today, is that he will no longer be building his kingdom. The kingdom will be full, no more need for evangelizing the lost and no more need for the Lord to inject desperation into the hearts of mankind through wars, etc. to motivate man to reach out to him.
This dynamic of the Lord bringing pain on people to prompt them to reach out to him is played out over and over again in the book of Judges, a fascinating read. If it has been a while, pick up the book of Judges and read it. Then reread this passage in Micah... and it all comes together and makes perfect sense.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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