The Potential of Prayer
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The Potential of Prayer
The Potential of Prayer
Introduction:
Introduction:
Old Testament Survey Series: The Minor Prophets Prayer and Response (Micah 7:14–20)
The Book of Micah concludes with one of the sweetest prayers in prophetic literature. The notion that God himself would shepherd his people following the exile is a familiar theme in prophetic literature (e.g., Jer 50:19; Ezek 34:12). The prayer here calls upon God to fulfill those promises.
The Book of Micah concludes with one of the sweetest prayers in prophetic literature. The notion that God himself would shepherd his people following the exile is a familiar theme in prophetic literature (e.g., ; ). The prayer here calls upon God to fulfill those promises.
Micah gives us hope and strengthens our faith by recording a prayer, and answer to prayer, and a prophecy.
Prayer for Protection and Provision
Answer to Prayer
Promise in Prayer
14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.
16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf;
17 they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.
1. The Prayer - Protect and Provide(7:14)
1. The Prayer - Protect and Provide(7:14)
14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
Micah prays on behalf of the people and for himself.
He asks God to protect His people.
He asks God to Provide for His people.
1. The request for protection (7:14a).
1. The request for protection (7:14a).
14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
Micah asks the Lord to “shepherd your people with your staff.”
Micah called upon Yahweh to “shepherd your people with your staff.”
The shepherds of Micah’s time would use a staff as they would guard the flock of sheep, or as they walked with the sheep.
The staff would be used to strike anything that threatened the safety of the sheep.
Snakes, small predators, thiefs.
Sometimes, the staff would also be used to correct wrong behavious by a sheep.
The shepherd would prod and guid using the staff.
Exactly what God does with His people-sheep.
Jacob was the first to speak about God as Shepherd ().
24 yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
We all know that King David also thought of God as Shepherd:
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
David thought of God in that metaphor as well ().
For the ancient Israelite, the shepherd/flock of sheep concept was one of the important ways to describe the relationship between them and the Lord.
Other nations of that time frequently referred to their kings as “shepherds”.
So, Micah confirms that the Lord is the true King of Israel in contrast to Gentile rulers who would attempt to exert their authority over God’s people.
And in Micah’s prophecies he also confirms that the Lord is the true King of Israel in contrast to Gentile rulers who succeed in exerting their authority over God’s people.
The prayer is certainly related to the promise we found in:
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
. that a ruler would go forth from Bethlehem to shepherd the flock of God.
This prayer by Micah, for the people of God, is a prayer - plea that Messiah might come (7:14a).
14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
Micah motivates his request for the Shepherd/Saviour to arrive:
First, Israel was “the flock of your inheritance.”
This people had a long standing relationship to God.
They were His flock.
They were totally dependent on him.
An “inheritance” is a possession which needs management and supervision.
The “Inheritor” has a responsibility towards his inheritance.
The term expresses an obligation on God’s part to care for this people.
A prayer - perfectly in line with
Second, Micah noted that Israel “dwells alone” (cf. ).
A flock without a protector was doomed to total extinction (cf. ).
Third, Israel was like “a forest in the midst of Carmel.”
Some think this figure depicts the moral and spiritual isolation of Israel from surrounding nations.
More likely Micah intended the figure to describe the plight of Israel.
This flock was isolated in grazing ground overgrown by scrubby thickets.
It cannot enjoy the good pasture of Carmel, i.e., a fertile land.
Others were in possession of the good ground.
2. The request for provision (7:14b).
2. The request for provision (7:14b).
Since the flock has no access to fruitful Carmel land, the second petition is appropriate.
“Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.”
Bashan and Gilead east of Jordan were the regions with the best pasture in greater Canaan.
Some think that the hidden agenda of this prayer request is the restoration to Israel of the totality of her ancient territory.
More likely, however, is that the prophet is only asking for adequate provision for the flock of God.
Proper provision for the people of God.
The expression “as in the days of old” refers to the times of Moses and Joshua when God himself was Israel’s leader, and when the tribes first occupied Bashan and Gilead.
The prayer, while focusing on provision for the flock, it implies another request.
Carmel was west of the Jordan; Bashan and Gilead were east of Jordan.
Together the three areas represent the total the area once occupied by the people of God when they emerged from the wilderness wandering.
In 931 b.c. the northern tribes which possessed Carmel, Bashan and Gilead, broke away from Judah.
Perhaps the prayer is asking for a reunification of the flock under the one shepherd.
Certainly this is a promise which other prophets emphasize (cf. e.g., .; ).
13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
When we pray, we ask things of God.
The more we ask things that are important to God, the more we are blessed by hearing and experiencing His answers.
2. God’s Answer (7:15–16)
2. God’s Answer (7:15–16)
15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.
16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf;
The Lord answered the prayer by promising to do more than was even asked.
First, he promised that he would show “them,” that is, the flock, “marvelous things” (niphla’oth).
This term is used of the marvelous events which transpired during the Exodus from Egypt (; ).
20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.
The plagues against Egypt,
the crossing of the Red Sea,
and the God experiences at Sinai were some of the wonders which led to the formation of national Israel.
Similar wonders would precede the formation of the new testament people of God.
All the miracles performed by Jesus and His disciples.
The resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,
Nations - other non-Israel nations would “see,” i.e., recognise or understand, the mighty works which God would perform for his people.
The nations would “be ashamed of all their might.”
They would be ashamed that the power of the Lord of Israel was so much greater than any deity which they worshiped.
Their national military and economic strength becomes useless when measured against the Lord’s awesome power.
They will be ashamed:
(1) that they had mistreated his people; and
(2) that they had not previously recognised and submitted to the unending and immeasurable power of Israel’s God (7:16a).
The shame which the Gentiles experienced within their heart would be expressed outwardly.
First, “they shall lay their hands on their mouth.”
In the Near East placing the hand over the mouth is a gesture of reverential silence resulting from astonishment and admiration (cf. ; ).
They would be overawed by power of God’s miracles on behalf of his people.
They would not have adequate words to express their thoughts.
Second, at the same time, “their ears shall be deaf.”
Does the text refer to physical deafness?
Is he suggesting that the mighty acts of God on behalf of his people are accompanied by thunderous and deafening noise?
While this interpretation is possible, it is difficult to find in the Exodus analogy, Old Testament history, or prophetic tradition any support for this view.
More likely the deafness here is spiritual, not physical.
Overawed by God’s great miracles the Gentiles no longer would wish to hear words of self-exaltation or the claims of other deities.
Having found the pearl of great price they want nothing more.
Every competing and therefore false gospel is rejected out of hand (7:16b).
This answer to Micah’s prayer is recorded in much detail in the book of Acts.
16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf;
3. Promise in Prayer (7:17)
3. Promise in Prayer (7:17)
17 they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.
God’s answer to the prayer of his people glides almost imperceptibly into a word from God’s prophet.
Building on the wonderful promises made directly by the Lord, Micah adds four more promises.
First, the heathen “shall lick the dust like a serpent.”
We would say, “another one bites the dust”.
The language here depicts total surrender to the Lord.
Similar words are used by the Lord announcing the humiliation of Satan after the temptation in Eden ().
Second, the Gentiles “like the crawling things of the earth, they shall come tremble out of their strongholds” (zochale ’erets), i.e., snakes (cf. ).
The picture here is of snakes being driven out or coerced out of their holes.
The stunned and speechless Gentiles would recognise that their strongholds - physical or spiritual - would ultimately fall before the power of The Lord of Israel.
They will desert these fortifications as quickly as snakes which come under attack.
Third, the nations would come “they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,...”
This is not the fear of the criminal who seeks refuge from discovery, but the fear of one who has experienced a narrow escape.
Converted sinners realise that apart from the grace of God they face eternal condemnation.
By humbly coming to the Lord in obedient faith they have been snatched like a brand from the fire.
Fourth, the converted Gentiles “and they shall be in fear of you.”
The initial fear would be translated into a god-fearing lifestyle.
To fear God in Scripture means to serve and worship him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Prayer is the lifeline and lifeblood of the believer.
Pray always - even when you don’t think you need God.
Ask Him anything - use any words.
Find out what His plan is and pray that you will experience that plan.
God wants us to pray to Him - he commands it;
He waits eagerly for it;
He has no need of it;
But you have a desperate need of prayer.
God always answers.
And He gives more than what you may even ask for.
More - meaning “better”.
God will use your life - Christian - to bring other people to Him - so that lifestyles may change.
Once you were His enemy.
Now - His child.
Amen.