Word of the Week: Prophet

I was reading from the Book of Micah this morning and two verses are stuck in my brain. Like many of the shorter prophetic books, Micah can be tough to read sometimes. The earliest chapters are filled with judgment against God’s people for their sin. The exile is imminent at this point. But following that judgment, there are beautiful assurances of peace. God isn’t finished with his people. In Micah 4:3-4, we find this:

He shall judge between many peoples,

and shall decide for strong nations far away;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore;

but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,

and no one shall make them afraid,

for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

In Old Testament language, Micah is saying the very same thing that Jesus said to us in John 20:19-23 this past Sunday: “Peace be with you.” Out of all the chaos, suffering, and disorder we experience, the Lord our God has assured us peace. Can you think of a more powerful reversal than the image of soldiers turning their weapons of destruction into tools of production? Training for war is an unfortunate necessity in this fallen world, but we won’t need it in the Kingdom of God. His peace will reign on every shore.

This global picture of peace concludes with something really personal in verse 4. Resting under the shade of a tree, no one can make God’s people afraid. No one. Why? Because God has said so. Who can challenge the Lord of hosts?

Brothers and sisters, the same God who spoke this peace through the prophet is the same Jesus who said, “Peace be with you.” His peace is not a passing phase; it’s his eternal purpose. Will you rest in the security of his peace?