FromThen & Now

" Then the word of the Lord came unto Micah saying…, ...," see Micah 1:1.

Micah was no ordinary man, and neither was his message to the Israelites. Perhaps no other writer of the Old Testament spoke with as much indignation against the Israelites as did Micah.

Born during a time when Ahaz and Hezekiah ruled, it was Micah who prophesied that Samaria and Jerusalem would be subjected to God’s wrath, and the oppressive leaders of those nations would be dealt with.

Wickedness and lack of Godly reflection brought about the wrath of God upon the people in Micah’s day, and that exact same lack of Godly wisdom is causing the destruction and demise of nations in our time. Never before has there been a call to seek God and at no other time in Biblical history have we seen as much devastation of property and destruction of lives as we are witnessing today (not counting the great flood which destroyed the world and its inhabitants, save Noah and his family).

Even though many declare that this is a "new day," the same "old" unrighteousness exists; and so does the message. It may not be Micah, Isaiah, or Jeremiah occupying the pulpit, but God is still calling his people to righteousness.

Then: "The word of the Lord came unto Micah saying, " For behold, the Lord comes forth out of His place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall melt under Him and the valleys shall be cleft like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. All this because of the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel…" Micah 1:3-5. (Amplified)

Now: "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the sinner and ungodly appear" 1 Peter 4:18. "Let not sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it in the lust thereof", Romans 6:18.

I could go on and on about how God continually warned His people as recorded in the scripture, but I would like to focus on the secular for a moment.

I distinctly remember how going to church was mandatory. Kids had no say so. Their parents took them to church every Sunday, without question.

Certain topics were rarely discussed in the home. Then, there was little, if any, need to discuss your kids’ decisions to use condoms, illicit drugs, engage in premarital sex, pornography, and incest. The adult population had very high standards of moral decency. Young girls were taught self-respect, and sex was forbidden before marriage. Parents were role models. Teachers taught students the dangers of drugs and their devastating effects. Students respected their teachers or suffered the consequences. Not once, but twice; at school and at home.

Children were not only respectful in school, they exercised caution when playing around the neighborhood. You see, the old lady next door saw everything. She would "call you out" and then tell your parents who believed everything they were told. Again, you suffered twice; first by her and then your parents. Times have changed so much since then, and many will agree that it has not been for the better.

Now, parents send their kids to church. God is not the topic of conversation in the home unless trouble arises, and then they invite God to move in. Kids don’t exercise caution when speaking to their parents. Instead some parents allow their kids free self expression. Well, Guess what? Free speech is not all they are expressing.

The headlines are packed full with violence, sex, and drugs. Not only are our children killing others, they are turning the guns on themselves. If something doesn’t happen, there will be no "generation of tomorrow."

More and more parents are burying their young. Rape, incest, pornography, Aids, drugs, alternate lifestyles, teen pregnancy, and abortion are all on the rise. A young man said it best when asked his impression of the world? His reply was, "Ours is a generation of the dying."

For the past years, God has spoken through his prophets, warning His people of their wrongdoings. Today, God is still speaking to His people, whether it’s through storms, disasters and disease. Just as the people failed to heed the call in Noah’s day, people are still failing to heed the call. Our world is the most unpredictable place in the universe. There is uncertainty everywhere! The only thing we are certain of is the Lord is coming again to receive His own.

Then: there was sin, betrayal, and idol worship. Now: there is even more sin, betrayal, and idol worship. Then: idol worship caused the flood which destroyed the world. Today: floods (the tsunami of Sri Lanka) are still causing great devastation of property and destruction of lives.

Then: God had compassion on His chosen people, and sent a Messiah to redeem them. Today: we have a great high priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and one who has endured temptation just as we, but without sin. He is our redeemer.

Lastly, then: during His first coming, the Lord purposely humbled Himself and became a human servant so that he could taste death for every man. Now: we are told that the next time the Lord comes, "His Glorious Appearing" will be a much different story. He will come then with power and great Glory.

Having full knowledge of the state of our nation and the world at large leads me to wonder, how can God stand it? Why does He tolerate our rejection, denial and refusal over and over? What does He think about this world in its present state? Why does He still care?

After reading and researching, I can come up with only one conclusion, and it is God truly loves us, and has since the creation of the world. To explain what precipitates His Love, I am totally clueless. All that I can simply say is God is Love! He loves us "then", and He loves us "now".

Travestine J. Wright