Micah had previously prophesied the exile of both Israel and Judah, but now he speaks of the return and the restoration beyond the exile. Words like these would later become life giving encouragement for Judah in her exile. God had a purpose for them and, though the fulfilment of that purpose seemed remote if not impossible to the exiled Jews, yet they held on to promises like these. God would call the exiles back home, rebuild the temple and raise his people up to be a blessing to all peoples of the earth just as he promised to Abraham. When Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God was at hand, he was declaring that these promises were beginning to be fulfilled in his ministry. He was drawing all people to himself and setting them free from their bondage to the world and to sin. He announced that he was about to build a new temple, the church, through which the whole earth would be blessed. He is the King foretold here by Micah who ushered in the new age of the Kingdom. This is the age we live in. You should never be content with living in alienation from God. You should never be content with just a nice lifestyle and a comfortable existence. You should never be content with just worldly success. The Kingdom of God is at hand and there could be no greater tragedy in life than to miss being a part of it.
Commit yourself to God’s purpose.
Read Micah 4 and 5
