I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn to the book of Micah. Micah is one of those little books
right after the book of Jonah. I would have thought I'd have
had it marked myself. I know where it is. just finding it. I'm going to
do like Brother Scott. If you've got a Bible like mine,
it's on page 1157, Micah chapter 7. Micah chapter 7. I'd like
to actually look at verses 18 to 20, but I'm going
to make a few comments beginning at the first part of the chapter,
chapter 7. Micah chapter 7, let's just read
verses 18 to 20. Who is a God like unto thee that
pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant
of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever,
because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again. He will have
compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities. And thou wilt cast all their
sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to
Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our
fathers from the days of old." Micah begins this chapter 7 expressing
great grief that he had because of what he saw going on around
him. Look at verse 1, Micah chapter
7 verse 1. Woe is me, for I am as when they
have gathered the summer fruits as the great gleanings of the
vintage. There's no cluster to eat. My
soul desired the first ripe fruit. The good man is perished out
of the earth, and there's none upright among men. They all lie
in wait for blood. They hunt every man his brother
with a net, that they may do evil with both hands earnestly. The prince asketh, and the judge
asketh for a reward. And the great man, he uttereth
his mischievous desire, so they wrap it up. The best of them
is as a briar. The most upright is sharper than
a thorn hedge. The day of thy watchman and thy
visitation cometh. Now shall be their perplexity. What he's saying is this. Everything
that I see going on around me just appears as though it's just
rebellion, dishonor, disrespect. I got to reading this and I thought
to myself, what I hear. Disrespect before God, disrespect
before God's people, disrespect for God's gospel. This was Micah. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds
of years before the Lord Jesus Christ ever came. Things never
change. They're always the same. But
then he declared what he would do for relief. Verse 7, he said, therefore,
I will look unto the Lord. I will wait for the God of my
salvation. My God will hear me. Isn't that comforting? Whenever we consider what's going
on, Whenever we consider the disrespect, here is the comfort
of God's people. I'm going to look to the Lord. I'm going to talk to Him about
it. My God will hear me. For the sake of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the one That the Scripture, we just looked at a moment ago,
that we glorify Him as our Lord and our intercessor. I think about that precious passage
of Scripture that says, whenever the saints pray, and I don't
know what to pray for. I don't know what to ask. I've
told you before, I try to pray for you. I try to call your names
before the Father. But I think about the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Scripture says, the One who has all of the incense
of the Spirit of God given unto Him. And as He takes the prayers
of the saints and presents them before the Father in His merit,
and for His sake, and for His honor, And for His glory, Micah
says, my God will hear me. Not for my sake, for Him. I'm going to wait on the Lord
God of my salvation. My God will hear me. And then
Micah comforts himself and the church with his only hope. This is all my hope. I disrespect
abounds. Rebellion abounds. Men, wickedness
abounds. But listen to verse 8. Rejoice
not against me, O mine enemy, when I fall. And I know I will. I do. But listen to this. I shall arise. When I sit in
darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. If I stumble... When I stumble? When I stumble? Not if, when? Well, when is that? All the time. I'm never in a
state of not stumbling. We're like Jacob. Remember when
the Lord touched the hollow of his thigh? What did he do for
the rest of his life? He halted. He halted. When do we not stumble? And we
know it. That's, you know, hear my humble
cry. That's not a, that's not false
humility. My humble, that humble right
there is to know something about yourself. To be taught something
of yourself. Pass me not, oh gentle Savior. While you're calling on others,
and Lord I know you are because you said you were. My sheep hear
my voice. You call them, call them through
your word. Lord don't pass me by. Don't rejoice against me, my
enemy, when I fall. See that? When I fall. I shall
arise when I sit. If I sit, and he's pleased to
not reveal to me his will, though I sit in the darkness of his
hidden will, Why are we going through what we're going through
right now? He knows. He knows. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. Isn't that comforting? That's
light. That's light. This is what Micah said. When
I sit in darkness, the darkness of His hidden will, the Lord
shall be a light unto me. What's the light? The Lord, who
is my light, His word, His word, that's comfort to me. What's
going to happen? I don't know. But I can tell
you this, it's going to glorify Him. Whatever it is, it's going
to glorify the Lord. And it's going to be for my good.
And with his heart refreshed, he cries unto the Lord for help. He says in verse 14, feed thy
people with thy rod. The flock of thine heritage which
dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel, let them
feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. Lord, feed
us. Feed us with the bread of heaven
Himself. the living bread. I am the bread. My flesh is meat indeed. His
blood, drink indeed. His life and his death we feast
upon him. They're going to be fed, God's
people are going to be fed. And then having seen the rebellion
and knowing his only source of hope and his comfort and realizing
God Almighty, He's going to keep me when I fall. I'm going to
get up. The Lord will sustain me. I don't
see what, if He's pleased to not reveal to me what, really
we never do know. The Lord's my light. And then
Micah says, now we'll turn over to verse 18. He asks this question. Who is a God like unto Thee? Who, Exodus 15, 11, is like unto
Thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in
holiness, fearful in praising, doing wonders? Who is like unto
Thee? Here's the answer. Nobody. Who's
like You? None. None. Isaiah 44, 6, Thus
saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of
hosts, I am the first, I am the last, and beside me there is
no God. Who is like unto thee? And concerning the Lord who alone
is God, there is no God. There's figments of men's imagination. But what does the Spirit of God
set forth that He does? Who is a God like unto thee that
pardoneth iniquity? Well, from that statement, we
know this for sure. We're sinners. For there to be
iniquity, to be pardoned, We're sinners. All have sinned, come
short of the glory of God. But by that statement, knowing
that we in ourselves are sinners, there is pardon. There is forgiveness. Who is a God-likened to you? that pardoneth iniquity." How? God Almighty who is just, who
will by no means, no wise, under no circumstances clear the guilty. Just forget it. He will by no
means For Almighty God to pardon iniquity, justice is going to
have to be satisfied. Our precious Savior, the Scripture
sets forth, as the substitute of His people. Isaiah says, He
has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Who is a God likened
to Thee? who can absolutely, justly cause
our iniquities and our sorrows to be made another's. Who can
do that but God? Who is like unto thee? The one that was wounded for
our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Who can lift the debt justly? I could say that I will, you
know, if I had one child and I had another child, and I could
say, okay, now what you've done, I'm going to give that debt to
this one over here. And you won't be guilty anymore.
I can't do that. Still guilty. Who can do that? But God, who can pardon iniquity? Who but God can make His Son
sin for us who knew no sin? Who can do that but God? Who
is a God likened to Thee? By His grace, Almighty God pardons
iniquity Justly. It's not swept under the rug.
It's not just forgotten about. Almighty God deals with it. He
pardons iniquity. His Son bore the guilt of His
elect, of His people. He laid down His life for the
sheep. Everyone that Christ died for,
which was everyone that the Father gave Him, Every one of the elect,
that's the ones Christ died for. I lay down my life for the sheep,
and I'm telling you, every one of His elect, Christ bore their
debt without exception. Who is a God like unto thee that
can lift the guilt of a sinner? and make His holy Son to be the
bearer, the actual bearer of their iniquities. And He did
not become a sinner. He did not become a sinner. He
was made sin. You say, well, you're just, you
know, trying to mince words. No, I'm not. A sinner is a rebel. A sinner is one that is disobedient. By one man's disobedience, many
were made sinners. Listen to me, he was made sin
obediently. Now you explain that one to me, we believe it. But I'm telling
you, see we're gospel preachers whether you know this or not,
you probably do. True preachers of the Gospel
are being accused today of saying that Christ was made a sinner. You cannot back that up with
Scripture. And don't try to. You cannot. He's the holy, harmless Lamb
of God who was made sin obediently. Obediently. He obeyed God. Even in his substitutionary death
at Calvary, he was made sin and he said, I lay down my life for
the sheep and bore the guilt, bore the responsibility. He hath
made him sin who knew no sin. Mystery of all mysteries. I mean,
I can quote that scripture, and I'm telling you hidden in the
eternal wisdom of God Almighty and the redemption of His people.
2 Corinthians 5.21 is the depth that you and I in this life,
and maybe eternally, will never plumb. We'll never understand
that God Almighty did work with himself, obeyed himself,
bore our guilt. Who is a god like anything? As
I've told you before, I love the mystery, the mystery of godliness. Gray is the mystery of God and
as God was manifest in the flesh. Who is the God like unto thee
that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression? Of who? Of the remnant of his heritage. The Lord has a people. They're
his chosen. They're his heritage according
to the election of grace. I pray for them. Redeemed by
His blood, regenerated in power, certainly made willing in the
day of His power to come to believe the Father who ever saw the blood.
That's what Revelation 13.8 says. Christ who died for them, that's
what He said, John 10.15. They're in this world, but they're
not of it. They're warring within, without. but mercifully. He's passed by
their transgression. Who is a God like unto thee?
Pardons iniquity and passes by. I looked that word up, passes
by. I want to know what it means.
Takes no notice of it in judgment. Why? Christ satisfied him. Satisfied
his Father. Takes no notice of their rebellion
in judgment. Now to say he takes no notice
of it at all, those that he loves he's going to chase them. As I've told you before, lovingly,
I'd have to deal with my children. You've got to deal with yours.
Deal with them. Deal with them. You love them,
deal with them. But he doesn't charge them with
it, doesn't impute. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin, won't charge it to him. I said, what
a blessed man. Justice has been satisfied. Who
is a God like unto thee? The scripture says, he retaineth
not his anger forever. You know, when you first read
that, you think, well that means he's just not going to be angry.
He's going to be angry, but he's just not going to be angry forever.
No, that's not what it's saying. Retaineth there means to cleave
to, to hold, or continue in. He retaineth not his anger forever. It means he never had it. If
he doesn't cling to it now, he never cling to it. If he doesn't
continue in it now, he never continued in it, because he never
changes. Chasing his people, yes. Anger,
angry with them, no. Not in judgment. Not in wrath. And let me ask you this, why?
Why does he not retain his anger forever? Why? The scripture says,
last part of 18, because he delighteth in mercy. Delighteth. Delighteth in it. It is his delight
to show mercy. Jeremiah 9. Jeremiah chapter
9 verse 23-24, Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory
in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in
his riches, but let him that gloryeth glory in this, that
he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which
exercise loving kindness, judgment, righteousness in the earth, for
in these things I delight, saith the Lord. To just stop for a
moment and just think. I need pardoning because I am
a sinner. I need for the Lord to pass by
my transgression. I need for Him to not retain
His anger forever and to think that He would show mercy to one
such as I. Why? Because He delights to show
mercy. Mercy toward those who in themselves
deserved no mercy. Mercy is something that's given
to one that doesn't deserve it. I don't deserve it in myself.
Why? Because he was pleased to do
so. He delighteth. He takes pleasure
in being merciful. and compassionate to whomsoever
he will. And knowing that he chose to
show mercy and compassion, this is what he told Moses, show me
your glory. I will have mercy, I will have
compassion on whomsoever I will. I know just enough about myself
to know this, I know something of my rebellion. I don't know
the depth of it. But I can tell you knowing the
inconsistency that I see in me. I was talking yesterday to Todd
Nyberton. I asked him, I said, you know,
we were talking about two natures in a believer. Two natures. There's one nature that we were
born with. It's that old man, that old nature. It does nothing but rebel against
God. Now the old man in the regenerated
center, that sin now doesn't have dominion over him. Before
it did, the Lord said, I'm going to take away that stony heart. I'm going to dethrone it. It's
not going to have dominion over you. But there's a new nature
that's put in. I'm going to give you a new heart.
I'm going to give you regeneration. I'm going to give you a new man.
And that new man, according to the scriptures, does not sin. That new man does not sin. Now let me ask you this, that
new man in everyone that is regenerated by the grace of God, how often
do you see that new man? Never. Never. That I believe God I know is
the fruit of God's Spirit in the new man. I know that. Faith
is the fruit of God's Spirit. Love, joy, peace, and long-suffering,
I know it. But I'm like John Newton. He said, you know, when I look,
sin is mixed with all I do. Lord, I believe. Lord, help my
unbelief. But I can tell you who does see
it. God sees it. And He says it's there and Lord
as you say it is. But oh how I don't see it. Everything
I see in myself is sin. I don't think as I should, speak
as I should, pray as I should, preach as I should, read as I
should. I just don't. And you that know Him will say
the same thing. I know you will. Who's a God
like it to you? pardoneth iniquity, passeth by
the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, retaineth not
his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy." And here's
what scripture says, verse 19, he will turn again. He will turn
again. Not that word turn, it means
actually to turn away. And it's not that he does anything
in changing. He doesn't change, but he exhibits
to his people a change in his providence in the way that he
deals with them. And that which he does providentially,
that which is manifested in time providentially concerning his
people is not a change in his purpose, it's just a change in
the way we see it. It's just a change in the way
that we perceive it. It's what He's eternally purposed
to do. So turning is something that
He does, exhibiting His providence to His people. He never changed. But He'll also turn concerning
His people. There's another meaning of that
word. It means to pull in again, to recover, to rescue. to restore. He will turn again,
us. He'll turn us. Lord, turn me,
and I'll be turned. Lord, you give me a new heart,
and I'll come. That's scripture. That's what
a believer says. Lord, this pulling in, this salvation,
regeneration. Thou hast chastened me, Jeremiah
31.18. And I was chastened as a bullock,
unaccustomed to the yoke. Turn me, and I shall be turned. For thou art the Lord my God."
He delights in mercy. He will have compassion upon
us. How? He was made flesh. He'll have compassion. Hebrews
2.14 says, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil. We need a priest. God's going
to be approached by a priest. A priest of his providing. A
priest of his calling. A priest of his election. The
Lord Jesus Christ is God's elect, and we're elected in Him. Chosen
in Him. Redeemed by Him. He will have
compassion. As He will turn, He'll have compassion. You know, you can have compassion
on somebody that you're experiencing. something that, or you've experienced,
let me say this, something that they're experiencing now. There's
been some of you here in this congregation, this time since
I've been here over the last few years, and you call me and
tell me, say, well, I'm going through something. And if I've
gone through that, I can have compassion, and pretty sensitively,
because I've been there. Tell me, say, this is my situation. I say, I've been there. I know
how you feel. I know what you're going through.
He will have compassion. He's made like unto his brethren. He will subdue our iniquities. Not only does he pardon our guilt
or the debt of, but we sin every day. There's not a moment, there's
not a moment that we cannot do anything but sin. Scripture says
He'll subdue our iniquities. They don't have, as I said a
while ago, dominion over us. God's purpose and grace, the Spirit of God pledged He
will subdue our iniquity to them. Thou will cast all their sins
into the depths of the sea of His mercy. Of His mercy. Of His grace. His compassion. How many of them? All of them. Thou will cast all their sin. What a blessed word. All of them. I will remember
their sins no more. Thou wilt, verse 20, perform
the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn
unto our fathers from the days of old. Thou wilt perform, thou
wilt give, that's what the word perform means, the truth. The
Lord Jesus, he said, I'm the way, the truth, the life to Jacob,
to his people. When he said right there, thou
will perform the truth to Jacob, this is what he's going to say.
I will give the Christ to my people. The truth to Jacob, same thing,
the truth The mercy, I'm sorry, the mercy to Abraham. I will
perform the truth to Jacob. And the mercy to Abraham is covenant
people, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days
of old. There's never been a time when
the Lord, even from the days of old, in the beginning, when
Adam and Eve was created, God ever promised that he would give
the Lord Jesus Christ for his people. Satan, you're going to
bruise his heel, but he's going to crush your head. Always perform the mercy to his
people. There was Adam and Eve trying
to hide themselves in their nakedness before God with some fig leaves,
some fig aprons. God killed an animal. From the
days of old, he's promised, I'm going to perform the truth to
Jacob, to his heritage, to his people, for his sake. Who is a god like unto thee?
None. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart. Amen.