[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 278-Micah 4-7; John 3 summary!]
As noted in your 1 Year Prayer and Bible Reading Guide, Genesis 10 is a genealogy, so you might want to skim rather than read through it thoroughly!
Genesis 11 offers us an intriguing look at human nature after God spared it from total destruction. With new opportunities to turn to God and serve Him, instead we decided to “make a name for ourselves.” The amazing thing is God acknowledged our capacity was unlimited. He said whatever we set our minds to do, we would accomplish–and that was without the power of the Holy Spirit. In God’s mercy, He confused the languages of the people, which caused them to abandon the building project and scatter over the earth. How ironic, God’s original intention was for us to be fruitful and multiply and rule over the whole earth with Him. That would have included covering the earth, but the difference would have been our travels would have fulfilled God’s purpose. Now, humanity scattered and divided, becoming distinct peoples who would ultimately war and strive against God and one another rather than working in unity.
Thankfully, that was not the end of the story. As we see in Genesis 12-13, God called Abram, and started establishing the fulfillment of His plan for humanity through him. Notice Abram was far from perfect. He told Sarai to lie about their relationship as husband and wife, when they went to Egypt to protect himself from harm, and at the potential cost of having her become someone else’s wife. God didn’t call Abram, because Abram was perfect. That’s good news for us: God calls us despite our sin and shortcomings, not because of how good we are! He starts with where we are and through the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, transform us from he inside out.
As we go about the day, remember God’s purpose is to draw us together, not scatter us, and to redeem us from the sins and shortcomings of our lives, to be His sons and daughters. No wonder Jeremiah would one day proclaim God has plans for our good and to provide us a future and a hope! We see that future and hope embodied in the life of Jesus. In our reading from Mark 3, Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons to demonstrate the power of God’s future for us. Notice, though, the religious leaders and even Jesus’ own family members didn’t see what He was doing as from God. God’s ways are often misunderstood by those who haven’t yet experienced His saving touch. Take that to heart the next time you offer someone the truth and love of Jesus and they reject it, make fun of it, or ignore it.
Day 278 – Micah 4-7; John 3
In Micah 4 we see the image of “The Mountain of the LORD.” This mountain in Israel will be a place where people from all nations gather to live in a time of peace and prosperity. The peace will be so profound that nations will pound their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. What a promise! Then the LORD turns to a promise for the restoration of Zion. While He reiterates the people will be carried off to Babylon, the future will be a time when they will return and prosper. As always the LORD’s mercy supersedes His judgement.
In Micah 5, we read the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. It is this prophesy the religious leaders and priests quoted when the Wise Men came to Jerusalem seeking the new born king of the Jews. This king will be a shepherd for His people. This king will bring deliverance for them. The Assyrians are called out by name for judgment, but all the nations of the earth will be judged for their idolatry and turning away from the LORD.
In Micah 6, the LORD returns to His judgment of Israel. He reminds them of their corruption. Then He asks the rhetorical question: What shall we bring before the LORD? He tells us He doesn’t want sacrifices, and then offers this: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV) Then He goes on to condemn the people for using corrupt scales and many other actions carried out against the poor.
Micah 7 closes the book with a call to look for the LORD’s salvation. The images go from hope to judgment, hope to judgment, but as always the book closes with an affirmation of the LORD’s compassion and mercy. He will not forget His children forever. In the end He will redeem them and they will follow Him!
As we return to John 3, we return to the most famous verse in the Bible: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. The verse is the culmination Jesus’ interaction with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who came at night to speak with Jesus. While Nicodemus exchanged pleasantries and affirmations of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus cut to the chase by telling him the only way to eternal life is to be born again. Nicodemus was confused, thinking Jesus meant a physical rebirth, but Jesus made it clear it is spiritual rebirth we must all experience. Only then will we experience the eternal life Jesus came to give us. Jesus offers the analogy of light and darkness to show us only as we live in Him, and in the reborn life of the Holy Spirit will we live in the light. The chapter closes with John the Baptist pointing out the necessary ascent of Jesus to the limelight, while he fades into the background. As Jesus increases, and John decreases the world will focus on the Messiah. John’s work was simply preparation.