Who Is Like Our God?

A key verse over Micah's life is Micah 7:7: "Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me." Even her name (and the name of the prophet) means "who is like our God" because there is no other god like our God (that is, the true God, who is ours because He has given Himself to us). This morning I was reading in the book of the prophet Micah, and I had a thought to share:

I will bear the indignation of the LORD,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.
-Micah 7:9

The problem, of course, is that we have sinned against God. Since we are unable to atone for our sin, the only solution is for He, Himself to bear our guilt, to pardon our iniquity and pass over our transgression (7:18) We know that this happens through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

But, what is our sin: murder? adultery? theft? Perhaps. But, that is not the sin pictured in this passage.

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
-Micah 6:8

The sin in view here need not be some heinous act, some obviously virulent trespass. All that is need for us to sin against God is to fail to be just, to fail to have mercy, to fail to be humble, or to fail to walk with God. Sin is more than committing an offense; sin is also the failure to be righteous.

This is why David can write, "The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside. They have all together become corrupt; There is none who does good. No, not one." (Psalm 14:2-3)

This is why Paul can say, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

Sin is not just evil activity; sin it also evil inactivity. Sin is falling short of who God created us to be. It is not being what we should; not being who we should be.

The only course acceptable to God (according to Micah 7:9), is to stand before Him guilty (as we are), until He provides intercession for us (which he has). We must bear the indignation of the LORD, because God is just and we are guilty. If we do so, God in Christ is able to plead our case, because He is not only our righteous judge, but our anointed advocate.

Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
-Micah 7:18-19

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