Micah 1:2 Hear, all you people; listen, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you… God never leaves himself without witness among men. He bears witness perpetually to them - by the gifts of his hand (Acts 14:17), by the still small voice within, and by the voice of his messengers. God has borne and still bears witness to us on behalf of Christ. This may be illustrated from John 5:31-39, where our Lord speaks of three ways in which the Father testified on his behalf. 1. By the mission of John the Baptist, representing preachers and teachers. 2. By his works (to us, miracles of grace, converts to Christ). 3. By the written Word. We have to add God's witness: 4. By the resurrection of Christ (Acts 17:81). 5. By the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32). In all these ways God is bearing witness for us. So even in his chastisements (1 Corinthians 11:32). But if we heed not these testimonies for us, we must be prepared at any time to hear the voice of God's providence calling for judgments (vers. 3, 4), and thus witnessing against us. When such judgments fall, God will be able to testify: (1) That we have had abundant privileges. Illustrate from 1 Samuel 12:6-15. (2) That we have had fair warning and have neglected it, as did Samaria (2 Kings 17), and Judah (2 Chronicles 36:11-21), and the later Jews (Acts 13:46). (3) That his judgments are so righteous that God can summon all people to observe and justify them (cf. Deuteronomy 29:24 28). "It is a bitter case when our provoked Lord is provoked to go out of doors to the streets with his beloved's faults." They proceed from the very temple of his holiness (cf. Revelation 15:3-6, where the songs of vindication and the angels of vengeance are coupled together). God never hesitates to give reasons for his judgments (Proverbs 1:24-27; Jeremiah 29:23; Malachi 2:14; Malachi 3:5). Such judgments as fall now are but predictions and earnests of the great judgment awaiting the ungodly. God, who will then be a witness against us, warns us now of some of the ways in which he will then testify. He will bring as witnesses: (1) The Law (John 5:45). (2) The gospel (John 12:47). (3) Our outward privileges. Illustrate from Joshua 24:26, 27. So there may be cited against us - the pulpit from which we heard the Word, and the preacher who in it "testified repentance towards God," etc. (Acts 20:21). (4) The less privileged of our brethren (cf. Luke 11:31, 32). (5) Our misused talents (James 5:1-4). (6) Our words (Matthew 12:37). (7) Our consciences (John 8:9; Romans 2:15). If true now, how much more then! Lest God should be a witness against us then, we must, by repentance, faith, and obedience, secure his testimony now, like Enoch (Hebrews 11:5; cf. Psalm 147:11). Then we shall have the testimony of our brethren (Romans 16:6-13 3John 3-6) and of our own consciences (2 Corinthians 1:12), and shall be able to anticipate without fear the final verdict of God (Romans 8:33, 34). - E.S.P. Parallel Verses KJV: Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. |
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