Prophet's Story:

God Will Establish A Nation

Mid-week Advent 2 - December 7, 2005

Micah 4:1-7

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

So, why is it you are here tonight? Are you here because it is Advent, and this is what you do on Wednesdays in Advent? After all, this is a penitential season and you gotta get it right with God? Are you here because you want to free up your weekend and not have to get up early on Sunday morning? After all, there are other things that are more important needing to be done on that day - you’re getting ready for Christmas after all

Or, are you here because you are part of the nations that Micah prophesies about? He writes: It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." (vv. 1-2)

In that day, declares the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted; and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore. (vv. 6-7)

Dearly beloved of God, this text is about you and Christ. You are those who come from other nations. How is that, you wonder? Well, I do not believe anybody here is born of Jewish descent. If you are, I apologize for my ignorance.

Many nations shall come to the house of the Lord, which He has established as the highest of mountains. Mind you, this is not about a physical mountain, like the Rockies or even Mount Sinai. The highest mountain, the greatest achievement ever accomplished for mankind was on the hill called Golgotha. On that hill, Mount Zion was erected, God’s kingdom of grace - His church on earth.

Look back at the text, It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains. The house of the Lord is a mountain. It is the highest of mountains, for it lifts man up far above the earth and gives to him heaven.

So here you are today, gathered in this place. You have come up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. Here you are being taught in the ways of God, that you might walk in His path. That path, dear friends, is the path of righteousness, for His name’s sake. It is a path that we don’t walk on our own, our sinfulness keeps us straying off the path into the briars and brambles of sin and death.

Thankfully, Christ walked that path for you. He took upon Himself human flesh in the womb of Mary. His humble birth, His perfect life, His innocent suffering, and His sacrificial death established the house of the Lord. Then, His resurrection three days later sealed that house as this highest mountain.

Baptized into His death and His resurrection, you are united to Christ. You have been assembled into His church. Now, being taught His ways, you do walk in His path. You travel though the valley of the shadow of death - and do it without fearing any evil, for goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life. You walk in His paths, for now you are a new creation in Christ Jesus - His Spirit moves you to walk in the paths which He teaches you.

You have been made something more than what you are on your own. If left to ourselves, by our own works, you and I are sinners before a just God, a God who will exact vengeance and wrath upon those who are disobedient to His law. We may indeed try to walk according to His will, but we are lame and crippled by the sinfulness that infects every fiber of the very flesh we inhabit. Our flesh betrays us; we wander and stumble off the path into every lust and evil desire.

Who are you? Christians? Why do you wish your friends and neighbors, “Happy Holidays?” Why is it that Santa Claus and Frosty get more attention in your homes than the Christ Child? You are trying to embrace the world with all the holiday hoopla.

And yet, as you look around, you have been cast off by that world. The same world you struggle so hard to satisfy and be an integral part of, makes fun of you and wants nothing to do with you. Which stores want the business of Christians? Look closely, now! Do they advertize CHRIST-mas specials or holiday specials? Do they wish you Merry CHRIST-mas or Season’s Greetings? If they’ve removed Christ, do they really want to business of Christians?

And yet, Christ came to forgive you for your adultery, for succumbing to the seduction of the world. Christ in the world, clothed with the same flesh you wear, resisted all temptation. The siren voices of the world beckoned to Him, but those voices fell on deaf ears. Christ’s life then, and His suffering and death, gather you from death and hell, and bring you unto Himself. He gathers you as His people and reigns over you in His Church, Mount Zion, proclaiming forgiveness, life, and salvation. Listen again to a portion of our text. In that day, declares the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted; and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore. (vv. 6-7)

Today is that day. You are the lame, those driven off, the remnant which has been cast off by the world. Today, God assembles you. Today God establishes you as a nation. It is as Peter explains: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9_10 ESV)

You are the nation God has established by His grace, to be His holy people. You are a strong nation, because Christ reigns over you, in you, and through you. Here in His church, His Mount Zion, He establishes you and keeps you. His Word and His sacrament set a guard around you which your enemies cannot breach.

You want confidence in the face of your sinfulness? Your sin is forgiven, Christ your king has won the victory over it and claims you as His own.

You want to fear death no longer? You have been baptized into death - Christ’s death. As death has no dominion or power over Christ, for He rose three days later, you too have overcome death, for His life is your life - you need not fear death. Death has lost its sting in the empty tomb, swallowed up in the death of Christ.

Satan is also powerless against you. What guilt can he lay against you? What depression can he set to your account? Your account has been paid in full. The guilt of your sins has been credited to Christ’s death, and His perfect righteousness has become yours. You walk, therefore, in the path of His righteousness, as His namesake. You are a Christian. You are established as His nation, now and forevermore. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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