This Week’s Focus Passage: Micah 7:18

‘Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?’

    We cannot forbear but to set before our readers, this entire passage. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in lovingkindness. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the seas. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the lovingkindness to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.                                                  — Micah 7:18-20 (A.S.V.—1901) 

The God of whom Micah has spoken in this passage from the Bible, is none other than Jehovah; Jehovah of Hosts. So that when the question is put before us, ‘Who is a God like unto thee’? the answer truly is that ‘A God like unto thee,’ can be none other than Jehovah, and Micah goes ahead, and informs us that this God, yea, Jehovah of Hosts, is the only God, that can and will pardon iniquity; that can and will ‘pass over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage.’ But, we might inquire, who is this ‘reporter’ of this fantastic declaration. We must resort to the beginning of the book, in order to discover an answer to our question, and in the very first verse, we are told. 

The word of Jehovah that came to Micah, the Morash-tite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

We see that Jehovah sent word to this Morash-tite, Micah, regarding the cities of Samaria and Jerusalem. One writer has said of this prophet, Micah:

“Micah was a man of courage, conviction, and rare personal faith. His attributes have been summed up as follows: ‘Strict morality, unbending devotion to justice both in law and in action, sympathy with the poor, these are Micah’s characteristics.’ Another writer embellishes upon this statement, adding the following, which appears, amazingly close to our country today:

“His main concern was the social injustice prevalent in his day. Such injustice, however, could be removed only by a religious revival. If men do not return to the Lord , there will be a visitation of God’s avengers. Final hope is offered in the coming of the Messiah from Bethlehem.” 

    This may well have been the incitement toward Micah’s mind, and heart, that impelled him to write, or to utter, the words of our Focus Passage, which began, as may be read again, Who is a God like unto thee.? Indeed, is it not patently clear that if there is to be any sort of revival of the Truth, as it is in Christ, there must be a turning back to the One that, pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? Yea, that sovereign God, Jehovah of hosts, Who alone can revive hearts, regenerate them, taking the stony heart out and replacing it with a heart of flesh, granting both repentance and faith, in those new hearts; making people willing to come to Him in the day of His power, and through the blood of the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. In simple terms, a true revival, and not one supposedly concocted by the activity of men, determining the time and the place, erecting a tent, and, implicitly, commanding the Holy Spirit to come down on the day, and at the time, that they have appointed. 

    It would seem that it is the time, and the day, and the year, perhaps, that the servants of Jehovah, through Christ, begin following Micah in his crying unto God for such a true reviving, and beginning in the house of God.

Peter has call for such a beginning, in his first epistle, when he has written:

    For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator —1 Pet. 4:17.

This language of Peter, seems to be taken from the wording of the prophet, Ezekiel, in his ninth chapter, as he recorded the vision given him by Jehovah.

In Ezekiel’s ninth chapter, we may read of that vision, beginning in the first verse, where we are told that, in the visions of God to Ezekiel, Behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. And Jehovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; slay the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.  Justice begins at the house of God. those upon whom Christ has set His mark with His blood, are spared, in that day; Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity; passeth over sins?

David Farmer, elder

Fellowship Bible Church