Cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea
Micah 7:19 A look at prophets, why they don’t seem to be around anymore, and how Micah accurately conveyed God’s message to His people
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”He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.“
Micah 7:19 NASB1995
God again pointed me to a minor prophet, this time Micah, who was a contemporary of Hosea, Isaiah, and Amos. This seems to be an answer to my prayers; I’ve been wondering why don’t seem to be any prophets around these days. Having another book of one of the prophets opened in front of me by the Lord made me do some research…
First of all, what is a prophet? Christianity.com says:
A prophet receives messages from God, mainly concerning events that will take place in the future, and conveys them to a certain group of people or singular person, whom God intends to hear the delivered message.
It also helps to see what current Bible commentators say about the lack of prophets in our time. The most common explanations seem to be in line with what Dr. Ben Shaw said on the Ligonier Ministries website:
Quick answer, Hebrews 1:1-2: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created the world." The point being that there was a time when prophets were necessary; God sent men from Him to speak His word to His people, to warn them against sins and transgressions, and to direct them in the way of God. But that time has passed. The final revelation has come to us in Jesus Christ. And we find that recorded for us then in the New Testament, which completes the Scriptures. And therefore, we don't need prophets today because we have the Scriptures.
In fact, in Revelation 22:18-19, mankind is warned against adding anything to Scripture. As the Christianity.com article reference earlier asks, “If we have the complete word of God, why would we need prophets to add to it?”
On the other hand, the author of that article, Hope Bolinger, goes on to say this:
It may seem extreme to say all prophecy has ceased in today’s day and age.
The author of this article has encountered Christians who appeared to prophesy in front of her. Although the author of this article does believe in some sense prophecy does exist today, she does acknowledge many Christians do not believe this to be the case.
Either way, we need to turn to Scripture as the ultimate source of God’s word and use the Bible to analyze any prophecy we might hear.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)
The litmus test of true prophecy is if it aligns with what Scripture says. If it contradicts what God declares in the Bible, do not pay any attention to the words of the so-called “prophecy.” If it lines up with Scripture 100 percent, pray for discernment about what God is trying to say for your life.
Fascinating, isn’t it? With that, I’ll move on to a look at today’s verse, which is from the end of Micah’s prophecy. The entire Book of Micah targets the people of Jerusalem, and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria, as well as the destruction and eventual restoration of Judea, and rebukes the people of Judah for being dishonest idol worshippers. Micah 5:2 foretells Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah, so Micah was quite accurate in reporting what he heard from God.
By the end of the Book of Micah, the prophet confesses the sin of God’s people, witnesses the crumbling relationships among those people, and speaks for those who were humbled by both personal sin and the sin of the community. He then assures the people that God does care for them as He did in the old days, that Israel shall once again be powerful among its neighbors, and that God — in His infinite mercy — plans to pardon His people.
His people once knew His compassion, but for a long time they resisted and rejected it. Micah tells the people that “He will again have compassion on us”. How much compassion? God loves us even as we sin, but His love extends even beyond that — His compassion will save us from our sin and He will “cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea”!
That prophecy came to fruition when God compassionately sent His son to teach us His way, then take our sin upon Himself and to die and rise again so that we too could have eternal life.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father, I thank You for Your unchanging and unfailing love for me. I thank You for Your faithfulness to the Church, even when it has strayed far from You as many modern churches have. You demonstrated Your unconditional love for me when You sent Your Son to take the punishment for my sins. Thank You for Your infinite mercy and love, AMEN.