As i was teaching through the Bible, specifically the book of Micah, I came across a passage that reveals the reality of the situation that humanity finds themselves in. Micah 6:1. In verses 1-3 we see the situation before the solution.
"Here now what the LORD is saying, Arise, plead your case before the mountains and let the hills hear your voice. Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, because the LORD has a case against His people; Even with Israel He will dispute. My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer Me."- Micah 6:1-3
In court like manner, God stands before the nation of Israel as a Judge and Plaintiff bringing a case against the nation, who stands as defendants required to give an answer to the charges against them. In this Supreme court, Micah reports to us the case that God had against the people of Israel for their covenant unfaithfulness. There was a breach of contract, a violation of the standard God had set up. And now they were standing before him in His court room for an infringement of their agreement with Him.
The court is in session, the honorable Judge of the universe is seated at His bench residing over the case of the people verses the Lord of Host. The Jury has been selected. Notice that it is not a jury selected from their unbiased peers but an odd group of characters. It is the mountains and the foundations of the earth that sit in the jury box. The Lord does not go to the peers because they are all in the same situation. They entire people of Israel stand in violation of the standard of God. The whole nation is guilty before God and stands on trial.
Micah tells us that the court is in session because the Lord has a case against Israel. The word dispute here has the idea of a two way dialogue. Each side will be given a chance to present their case before the court. In other words the Lord gives the people time to respond to the accusations against them. God gives them time to plead for their innocence.
The irony of this idea is that God knew that the people had no case for their innocence. . They had no argument in their defense. They had no excuses for why the breach of contract. No accepted reasons for their violation of the covenant agreement set out before them. The jury knew that the evidence pointed to their guilt. Yet God gives them time to plead their case. Now God could have come in and said, you are wrong, I am right, it is done, sentence please. And if he had done that the jury would have motioned for conviction and the bailiff would have dragged the accused off to their punishment, no questions, asked. The gavel would have been dropped and court adjourned.
Instead God gives them time. He gives them a chance to bring their cross-examination. It is their turn to call their first witness on their behalf. Now Micah goes right into God's continued case, but I can imagine the pause that took place within the court room. Yahweh looks at the defendants, the nation of Israel, the accused and asked them to give their cross-examination.
I can imagine the people looking around, not even daring to look in His face or in his direction, trying to see if anyone had any evidence for their innocence and the fact that God has it all wrong. But they had no answer. They were speechless. God had gotten them. They stood before him guilty of all the wrong doing they were on trial for and when they were left to try and make their excuses where the real blame was, they could not follow through. They could not call their first witness because they had none. They were left without excuse. They knew that they had been found out. They realized their hearts were arrested and the only shadow of doubt that they could not go beyond was the shadow of their own hearts and the doubt the jury would even go in their favor.
Now I am sure that there were intelligent, wealthy, and even good people from a earthly perspective in the crowd. But these things couldn't give an answer either. And when the gavel came down the sentence would be death without parole. Eternal Judgment.
I want you to listen, make no mistake, ever person on this planet, every sinner that walks on this earth, everyone in this room is in the same position before God. As we stand in the court room of God, we are guilty of all the charges that we stand trial for. Just take the 10 commandments, "Thou shall not lie, thou shall not steal."
"You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."- Exodus 20:15-16
These are just two of them and everyone can find an experience where they have told a little white lie or stole something that was not theirs, even something small.
And when faced with the opportunity to defend ourselves in this court room of life, the only thing we will be left with is our silence. We cannot call our first witness on our behalf because we have none. We have no evidence to plead our innocence. We stand before God guilty of violating his perfect standard and we have no soap box to stand and plead our case. And the truth of the situation is that the diagnose is clear, Cardiac arrest. Left to our own defense there is no way out of the sentence. The shadow of our own hearts have been discovered. And the verdict is simple: Eternal judgment. And if God were to judge us based on the violation of just those two commandments mentioned above, be honest with yourselves. You would be guilty. This is the situation before the solution.
Now Micah goes on at shows us the solution to that situation that God offers to everyone. it is in this situation that God reinforces the solution that changes the situation for the condemned. When they are faced with silence and without any plea in their corner God provides the solution. He comes in and brings redemption. As we stand guilty awaiting the sentence, God sends His Son, Jesus Christ, to take that sentence on himself. The innocent becomes the guilty and the guilty is pardoned. That is the offer.
But how do we receive this offer? We receive it by faith. Faith is acknowledging that we have wronged God and violated his standard. Faith is realizing that God has offered a solution, namely His Son and forgiveness and with that a heaven that awaits after death. Then faith calls to God and asks to receive that solution and change your life. Are you willing to make that step? If not then you stand like the nation of Israel in Micah, guilty and without an answer for your violation. And if death were to take you in that state, Hell and punishment would result. Don't put it off another day. Take the step of faith today.
How would you take this step of faith? God is ready to listen to your prayer of faith. Simply ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Believe that Jesus came and died on the cross to pay for those sins. He arose from the grave and offers salvation to you. He also said that he would come and dwell in your heart. Ask Him come and dwell in your heart and change you to be like him.
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