Rev. Michael Piazza in Liberating Word says of Micah “Like other eighth-century prophets, Micah warns that, because of their infidelity, God will punish the people. Most of the book of Micah is unremarkable, except for a couple of passages that seem to have been written specifically for us and for our day.
The first passage is found in Micah 4:3-4. It begins with the promise of a day when God will arbitrate between nations and everyone will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Although it is impossible to tell who originated this phrase, it is clearly the prophet’s image of the peaceful reign that God will bring.
What Micah adds is unique (vv.4 and 5):
They shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig Trees, and no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will Walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. Here we find added to the vision of that Great Day of the Lord the promise that each person will have their own vines and fig trees. The capacity to produce your own food is an assurance to the poor that they will never be hungry again. In fact, that promise is coupled with a phrase, “no one shall make them afraid” that should have great resonance in our day…
Micah knew that those who could be made to feel afraid would have much less tolerance for diversity. That is why we are offered that second verse in this passage. In a land that had great distain for any God but their own, it was a courageous and unheard of thing for a prophet to say that, when creation is restored to its proper order, everyone will have enough, and fear will diminish, and the belief of others tolerated. Wow, how I long for that day!” Me, too.
Rev. Michael Piazza in Liberating Word says of Micah “Like other eighth-century prophets, Micah warns that, because of their infidelity, God will punish the people. Most of the book of Micah is unremarkable, except for a couple of passages that seem to have been written specifically for us and for our day.
ReplyDeleteThe first passage is found in Micah 4:3-4. It begins with the promise of a day when God will arbitrate between nations and everyone will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Although it is impossible to tell who originated this phrase, it is clearly the prophet’s image of the peaceful reign that God will bring.
What Micah adds is unique (vv.4 and 5):
They shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig
Trees, and no one shall make them afraid;
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will
Walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.
Here we find added to the vision of that Great Day of the Lord the promise that each person will have their own vines and fig trees. The capacity to produce your own food is an assurance to the poor that they will never be hungry again. In fact, that promise is coupled with a phrase, “no one shall make them afraid” that should have great resonance in our day…
Micah knew that those who could be made to feel afraid would have much less tolerance for diversity. That is why we are offered that second verse in this passage. In a land that had great distain for any God but their own, it was a courageous and unheard of thing for a prophet to say that, when creation is restored to its proper order, everyone will have enough, and fear will diminish, and the belief of others tolerated. Wow, how I long for that day!” Me, too.