Micah 5:1-4

The Bible teaches that God’s character is unchanging. He is steadfast in His righteousness and His very nature is love. Nothing in all of creation is as dependable as God the creator is. None of this was a secret to the Israelites. God had been revealing Himself to them since the very beginning when he chose them as His people. Considering this, it is amazing that they were constantly unprepared for how God would react to their wickedness.

Micah warned them that God would not protect them from the consequences of their sins. They did not believe him. When he warned them that their enemies would strike them on the cheek, he was portraying a picture of humiliation and disrespect. They knew the God of Israel was powerful and mighty; they did not believe He would not let the world disrespect His people. When they chose to live in wickedness instead of righteousness they were sure God would never abandon them. They thought they would always be safe. They continued in their self-deception even though Micah told them plainly that God would abandon them.

Micah then told them part of God’s plan for the future, and because it was not what they expected and wanted, they ignored it. Micah told them that someday God would rise up a shepherd for His flock, and that this shepherd would not come from the powerful capital city of Jerusalem. He would come from the town of Bethlehem. That should not have surprised them; historically God’s standards had been different from humanities.

If the Old Testament prophets sound repetitive, it is because the Israelites kept repeating the same sins. Knowing God’s unchanging nature, they still expected God to change. They knew right from wrong, but repeatedly tried to redefine it.

God is still righteous, people still try to redefine sin, and wickedness still has consequences. Something has to change. God’s righteousness is still unchangeable, but we are not. The Holy Spirit helps us change each day to be more like Jesus.