Digging in Deeper: Micah 2:3

“Therefore, the Lord says: I am now planning a disaster against this nation; you cannot free your necks from it. Then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

The funny—and the frustrating—thing about the Bible is that it lends itself to wildly different interpretations by folks who come to it from different perspectives. Some people can look at it and clearly see one thing, while others can look at the same place and see something totally different. One of the debates that rages the hottest is the perspective of the Scriptures on rich people. The shortest answer is: It’s complicated. Let’s talk for a minute about what it collectively does and doesn’t say with this passage as our guide.

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Digging in Deeper: Micah 5:2

“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

People don’t expect much from small towns. The pace of life there is slow. There aren’t many job opportunities. Retail offerings are limited. Medical capabilities are limited. Culture isn’t being created. Frankly, most of them are dying. Nothing of real significance happens there. Except this one time, the King of Heaven entered earth in a small town and the world has never been the same.

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Digging in Deeper: Micah 6:8

“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter

Have you ever tried to read one of those End User License Agreements you normally just click “accept” and ignore when downloading some program onto your computer? I have. Most are just line after line of legalese that eventually make your eyes go cross. It would be nice if some company would offer a kind of three-point summary of it along with the link to read the full text. EULA’s are bad enough. Have you ever felt that way about the Bible? It sure would be nice to have a summary of all of that, wouldn’t it? 

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Digging in Deeper: Micah 7:7

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Do you ever feel like the world is going crazy around you?  We hear more news today than any people ever in the whole history of the world.  We know more about what’s going on in the remotest parts of the world…and most of it seems to be bad.  The culture around us is increasingly sensualized as is amply demonstrated in the media.  The political divide only ever gets sharper.  Opposing sides of issues can hardly have civil conversations anymore.  Students have been taught for years that human life is of little value and the fruits of this are coming to bear in the news of school shootings happening all the time including another tragic one just last week.  Psychological disorders are common.  People are more and more addicted to just about everything–social media, exercise, body image, pornography, opioids, alcohol, stuff.  Consumerism and materialism are rising to levels unheard of in human history.  What do we do in the midst of the filth storm that seems to be raging around us? Read the rest…