The Decade From Heaven

According to the December 2009 issue of Time Magazine, we have just gone through the “Decade From Hell”. It’s interesting to note this assessment came from one of our national magazines instead of an angry judgmental religious figure. Time Magazine is using Biblical terminology to describe our current condition in America. Entering into a new decade, I want to ask this question:

How do we usher in the decade from heaven over the next ten years?

While asking myself this question, and praying for an answer, I began to discern the Lord prodding me to read the book of Micah. Micah was a prophet of God who prophesied concerning Samaria, the capital of Israel, and Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. The subjects of Micah’s messages reveal much about the society of the day. He constantly renounced the oppression of the poor by the rich. He characterized the rich as devising ways in which to cheat the poor out of their land (2:1-5). People were evicted from their homes and had their possessions stolen. Those who committed such crimes were fellow Israelites (2:6-11). The marketplace was full of deception and injustice (6:9-16). The rulers of the country, who had the responsibility of upholding justice, did the opposite (3:1-4).

Micah denounced the religious practices of the nation. He predicted the destruction of Judah as an act of God’s judgment. Other prophets, however, led the people to believe that this could never happen because God was residing in the nation and would protect them. Micah contended that the other prophet’s message was not from God. Instead, the message from God was the imminent devastation of Judah (3:5-12).

The people worshiped other gods. They did not quit believing in and worshiping the God of Judah, but they combined this worship with devotion to other details (5:10-15). The people believed all that religion required of them was to bring their sacrifices and offerings to the Temple. No relationship was acknowledged between their activity in the Temple and their activity in daily life. Micah attempted to correct this misconception by arguing that God is not just interested in the physical act of making a sacrifice but is supremely concerned with obedience that extends into daily life.

If there is a God who is involved in the affairs of nations we better take heed because the conditions of Israel and Judah were frightening similar to America today. Marketplace injustice, political corruption, apathetic faith, false prophets, idol worship and oppression of the poor are all symptoms that currently plague America, and invite the wrath of God.

In Micah 6:8 the prophet communicates what the Lord requires from those who want to please Him, and the three keys to ushering in the decade from heaven. It says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God are three character qualities that Jesus Christ exemplified. This is best demonstrated in the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. It says:

3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Jesus upheld the justice of the law, which required the stoning of people who were caught in adultery, by telling those who were without sin to throw the first stone. Knowing no one would make the cut to throw a stone, based upon his qualifications of a sinless life, Jesus gave the woman a chance to receive mercy. And, in an amazing act of humility, Jesus did not condemn the woman either as he commanded her to go and leave her life of sin.

In the next ten years, let’s usher in the “Decade From Heaven” by emulating Jesus Christ, and acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God.

May God bless us in 2010 and beyond as we obey the words of the prophet Micah!