Session 13 Micah 7:1-10,18-20
the characteristics of God highlighted in the verses.
~`18 Who is a God like you,
forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not hold on to his anger forever
because he delights in faithful love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will show loyalty to Jacob and faithful love to Abraham,
as you swore to our ancestors from days long ago.
(7:18) The Lord does not hold on to His anger forever. What delights Him is demonstrating His unfailing love to His children. Constant love toward His covenant people characterized God from the moment He established His covenant with them, and it always will.
(7:19) Micah pictured sin as an enemy God would conquer and in so doing liberate His people from it. This was ultimately accomplished through the person and work of Jesus (Rom. 6:6,14). After vanquishing their sin, Micah declared God will completely forgive all of our sins and guilt forever (see Jer. 50:20; Ps. 103:12; Jer. 31:34; Isa. 43:25; Acts 3:19).
(7:20) Micah’s final statement was directed to the Lord. The word loyalty and the expression faithful love should be understood to specifically pertain to the Lord’s loyalty and faithful love to His covenant people, Israel. Micah declared his confidence that God would keep all His covenant promises made to Israel’s forefathers, Jacob and Abraham,
`~Micah used four different words for sin and four different verbs for forgiveness.
identify those words and verbs.
Read aloud Micah 7:20,
noting the eternal relationship that continues today
as we trust in Christ for our salvation,
seek His forgiveness, and find Him as our source of hope.
Call attention to the summary statement on page 108:
Hope is found in God’s promised salvation to those who trust Him.
Call attention to the question set under Apply the Text (p. 111):
Discuss as a group ways Micah’s description of Israel is seen in today’s culture.
How can the group encourage one another while living in a sinful world?
How can the group help others see their need for forgiveness and obedience to God?
Allow a few minutes for the group to jot down their thoughts.
Invite volunteers to share their responses,
and encourage the group to reflect on this activity throughout the week.
Close in prayer,
thanking God for His faithfulness.
Praise Him for the hope we have through Jesus Christ
and for His compassionate forgiveness of our sins.
Ask Him to grant us patience as we wait.
Reinforce the study by praying daily for individuals in the group who may be far from God. If you don’t know anyone far from God, look for ways to put yourself in contact with people who need to know Jesus.