Faith Formation: Micah - Justice, Kindness, humility

In the days to come the mountain of the house of the LORD's temple shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between peoples and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords in plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD 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 forever and ever. Micah 4:1-5

In sharp contrast to the vision of Mount Zion as a plowed field and heap of ruins Micah shared a poem of universal hope in the name of the LORD. Considering all that Micah has said leading up to this, the poem feels like a respite from wrath, injustice, hellish images and and failed leadership. The poem presents a vision based on longing and hope rather than the prediction of some future happening. As a poem of yearning and hope it has functioned to inspire people of faith to live and strive toward the reality it proposes. The poem does not resign us to a kind of some day complacency, submissive to the wickedness of the world's greed and competition. Instead it calls us to act on its ideals and the instruction of the LORD in spite of all the obstacles that might be thrown in the way.

It is uncertain where this poem came from or who composed it. The book of Isaiah, a contemporary of Micah's, also included the poem (Isaiah 2:1-5). The book of Joel contains the piece of the poem about weapons being turned into implements but it reverses the image turning implements into weapons. Joel's time and concerns were different from Micah and Isaiah's. Most likely the poem was familiar as a psalm of the people. Micah and Isaiah's poems are nearly identical, word for word. Micah extended the the vision of peace at verse 4, "but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig tree...". Perhaps as a rural dweller in an agricultural area of vineyards and groves of trees, an area that had known fear from marauding armies and nations, Micah envisioned something more than Jerusalem's peace and hope.

"In the days to come" is often read as "In the last days" or "In the latter days." This is not "end of the world" language but rather the language of hope that some day we might learn the way of God and know peace. The days to come have still not arrived. Yet the vision and hope have never been forgotten or dismissed. Certainly some peoples, some nations have experienced more peace and less fear than others. Sadly, that is an indication that this poem has not been fulfilled as the vision of the poem is universal for all peoples. Until then people will stream from places of fear to places of security, from place of poverty to places of opportunity, for the longing for peace and place to recline under a vine and fig tree is universal.

As much as Micah and Isaiah lamented the failings of Jerusalem to read and live the Torah, the way of the LORD, the instruction of Moses, justice, kindness and humility, they still had confidence that such things were eminently worthy of attention and learning. The Temple was still the dwelling place of God in earth. The ark of the covenant still could be found there. The ancient instruction given to Moses in the laws and commandments could still be learned there. The scriptures were still worth reading. The commandments still gave guidance. Humility in the presence of God and one another was still the path God's people walked. Hence, the metaphor that "the mountain of the LORD's temple shall be established as the highest of the mountains ... raised above the hills" was about the high calling of God's way rather than a geographical elevation. The Temple mount in Jerusalem stands at only 2400 feet. It was, is and never will be Everest. And yet, the way of God justice, kindness and humility, mercy grace and forgiveness, faith, hope and love, rises above all ways, especially the ways of war, competition, and the acquisition of ever increasing wealth.

"In the days to come..." As the height of the mount was not geographic, perhaps the days to come do not signify time. "In the days to come ..." perhaps signifies a hope for the hearts, minds and souls of all peoples to hear and listen, to be taught and learn how to walk not on feet of flesh but with hearts of justice, kindness and humility. We may never be able to go "to the mountain of the LORD" but there remains a mountain of instruction to which we are invited to come.

Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk humbly with God.

Pastor Tim Bauer