Saturday 16 August 2025
Woe is me! For I have become like one who, after the summer fruit has been gathered, after the vintage has been gleaned, finds no cluster to eat; there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger. (v. 1)
Background
As we come to an end of our week studying the book of Micah we can almost feel his despair (for example verse 2) as he seeks to discern the results of what he has sought to teach the people on God’s behalf. It seems that Micah is looking at a world of darkness. He says that people have already lost their faith and seem to be walking a different path.
Micah spells out the way in which society is going but then he goes on to say that, despite his despair, he will keep watch for the Lord, he will wait for God to act to speak to the people (v. 7). Micah speaks of the darkness that he sees around him, and tries to hold on to the day when God will bring about a time for rebuilding the walls, when boundaries will b extended and the people will return to acknowledging their creator in whom they seem to have lost confidence.
He then prays or cries out to God asking him to bring signs of his greatness which will draw the people back to God. And of course these things did come to pass in the birth of God's son, Jesus, whose mother, Mary, we acknowledged yesterday, and it was Jesus' example that was to fulfil the longings of Micah – although he did not live to see it.
The hymn we have before us this morning ('At the name of Jesus', Singing the Faith 317) acknowledges the actions of God and the way that it was at the name of Jesus the world would begin its transformation – something which has not been totally achieved in our own time. The prophesy of Micah is not a very familiar one to us, but we have much to learn about living through the darkness as we read these words.
To Ponder:
- Could you feel Micah’s despair in the first part of this passage where even he seems to have lost his hold on the purposes he had seen and sought to share with God's people? Do you receive hope as you move on to the latter part of the passage which leads us to an understanding of where the journey will be completed?
- Have you found this week to be particularly challenging – as I have done – and is there a danger that we turn our backs on the tough passages in the Bible and seek only the comfortable words which keep us within our faith?
Prayer
Lord God we ask the presence of your Holy Spirit as we travel on the journey you place before us. Help us to stay true to our faith and seek to create sparks of light in the darkness of the present world. We come in the name of Jesus, who gave us the example to follow and we seek your strength to enable us to play our part in the journey. Amen.