The Shepherd King: Micah 5 (5)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 110.3, 4
Your people shall be volunteers
In the day of Your power;
In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,
You have the dew of Your youth.
The LORD has sworn
And will not relent,
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Sing Psalm 110.3, 4
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
Filled with the Spirit’s power, in holy robes of love,
from early morning’s hour they serve their Lord above.
Christ reigns a priest forever, the King of Righteousness
and King of Peace who ever His chosen ones will bless.

Read Micah 5.7-9

Preparation
1. What happens to God’s remnant?

2. What will be the effect of this?

Meditation
Here are two powerful images that should guide the people of God in thinking about our place among the unbelieving peoples of the world.

Like dew (v. 7), we are to refresh everything around us. We wait on no man to give us permission or grant us authority. We run on our own schedule, and bring a blanket of heavenly refreshment to all aspects of creation and culture.

And like a lion in the forest (v. 8), we rule everything and everyone around us. We are the movers and shakers of the world; all others defer to us, and fear our presence. For we also ravage our enemies’ holdings (v. 9; cf. Matt. 12.22-29), plundering, taking captive, and destroying the rule of darkness so that the light of Christ can prevail in every place.

To refresh, rule, and ravage: This is our calling as the people of God. When the Shepherd King comes to bring His Kingdom to earth, nations will be gathered to Him, and His people will be dispersed to all the nations, where they will advance the cause of Christ and His rule among all nations and peoples.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
As we are in the midst of many peoples, God envisions that we will be a blessing to them – like dew and
showers of rain.

Isaac used the word dew to bless his son Jacob: “Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven…”(Gen. 27.28).
God wants us to be the same kind of blessing to the people in our Personal Mission Field.

Refreshing and radiating. Dew is defined as “water in the form of droplets that appear in the morning or evening due to condensation. As the exposed surface cools by radiating its heat, atmospheric moisture condenses at a rate greater than that at which it can evaporate, resulting in the formation of water droplets.”

What a sweet blessing that would be to those around us!

King David spoke of showers in Psalm 65.9, 10: “You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth.” God visits the earth through water. What a beautiful thought. And God intends to visit the earth through His people as we water others with His care.

“The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself” (Prov. 11.25).

“This is our calling as the people of God.”

Reflection
1. How is the Church, dispersed among the nations, like the dew of the morning?

2. How is the Church, facing the enemies of the Gospel, like a lion in the forest?

3. How do these two images apply to your work in your Personal Mission Field?

… the Prophet’s object is to show, that whenever the ungodly thus proudly despise us, and also reproachfully threaten and terrify us, we ought to raise our thoughts to heaven. ― Why so? Because the design of God is another. Their boastings then will vanish, for they arise from nothing, and they shall come to nothing, but the purpose of God shall stand. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Micah 4.12
 
Closing Prayer: Psalm 110.1, 2, 5-7
Praise Jesus, our exalted Shepherd and King! Seek His Presence for this day, that you might be a witness for Him in your Personal Mission Field.

Sing Psalm 110.1, 2, 5-7
(Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
“Sit by Me at My right hand,” the Lord says to my Lord,
“until I make Your foot stand on all who hate Your Word.”
From in His Church the Savior rules all His enemies;
while those who know His favor Go forth the Lord to please.

The Lord at Your right hand, Lord, in wrath shall shatter kings,
when judgment by His strong Word He to the nations brings.
Then, all His foes defeated, He takes His hard-won rest,
in glorious triumph seated with us, redeemed and blessed!

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to our summary of last week’s study by clicking here.

Micah in God’s Covenant
Where does the book of Micah fit in God’s covenant with His people? Our workbook, God’s Covenant, can help you to answer that question and to gain a better understanding of how the grace of God reaches and transforms us in Jesus Christ. Order your free copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scripture are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.