“Don’t you make me come back there!”

Is there a parent who hasn’t said that at least once to the warring children riding in her back seat? Is there a child who hasn’t heard those words?

The thundering voice of an exasperated parent occasionally results in a moment of sullen silence. But this is silence born of fear. It is but a temporary obedience. Soon one hand reaches for the little brother or whatever they were arguing about and then they’re back at it.

“Hear, you peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and all that is in it; and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For lo, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. Then the mountains will melt under him and the valleys will burst open, like wax near the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.” Micah 1:2-4

Micah was a prophet in the days after the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered by Assyria and things weren’t looking very good for the southern kingdom of Judah either. Like most of the prophets, his words sought to find meaning in the midst of chaos, to issue words of warning to people caught up in running away from God through corruption, idolatry and unfaithfulness.

Here at the beginning, he warns that “the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread the high places of the earth.” The high places most often are associated with idolatry, the practice of pagan rites, the places where Israel hedged their religious bets by checking in with the gods that were no gods.

Micah warns that God will come down.

It is easy to forget God. It is easy to leave God in church on Sunday. To leave God safely tucked away in liturgy and routine.

It is easy to domesticate God. To forget that we are but kids in the backseat and God is at the wheel.

After all, we’ve just come through Christmas. We have just celebrated the good news that God HAS come down in Jesus. But Micah reminds us that God is no sugar-daddy-Santa-Claus; God is a loving parent. And loving parents sometimes need to ride herd on disobedient children.

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, as we read these words of your servant, Micah, we pray that you would help us discern where it is that we are participating in and perpetuating that which drives us away from you. Come down to us and guide our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

HOME