Micah Part 16 Destroying Our False Gods Key Verses: Micah 5:7 5:14

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1 Micah Part 16 Destroying Our False Gods Key Verses: Micah 5:7 5:14 We are still talking judgment here in Micah Chapter 5. Judgment is NOW on the House of God as we abide in the Body of Christ following in the footsteps of our Lord and enduring suffering living out every word of the Scriptures including these. Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Micah also speaks of events in the age to come when the saints (the Body) shall judge all mankind as the Lake of Fire. All men come to know He is the Lord and we are conformed into His image only by enduring through the process of judgment. Man is not appointed to wrath yet it by abiding through wrath that salvation comes. We shall certainly drink and be baptized with the same cup our Lord drank. We just do not know the particulars regarding the time the Lord ordained before the world was formed. Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with Mar 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. We are the Light unto this world but only to those given the eyes to see that light. Jesus Christ IS come in the flesh. He is operating in The Christ right now and this is what the Lord has been doing in the hearts and minds of all men He is preparing to hear His words. Joh 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. Only those given the gift of faith can believe. Christ does not judge those that are without, that have not the gift of faith nor the ears to hear. Such men cannot believe, it is impossible to believe and to hear the words of God until faith comes (Joh 12:39). But a day comes to all of mankind when the harvest is gathered. Faith is given, a preacher is sent and judgment is then and now on the house of God. Let him who has ears hear the Word! Here are the verses for today. Mic 5:7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. Mic 5:8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Mic 5:9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. Mic 5:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: 1 P a g e

2 Mic 5:11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: Mic 5:12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: Mic 5:13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. Mic 5:14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. This remnant of Jacob represents the Body of Christ outwardly and inwardly represents the new man within us that is being saved. This little remnant being in the midst of many people is how the fire of the Word will spread to all men like wild fire spreads as judgment goes from house to house. Psa 97:2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Psa 97:3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. We saw in the past few studies that the Lord s people are fed the bread of life and that bread is also judgment. The Body is who serves up this nourishment as our Lord and Head leads us. This is how the great multitude which no man can number (aka ALL MANKIND) is saved in due time within and without at the appointed times. Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. The baptisms of water and fire are done through The Christ. We are BEING saved in order to save others. We are ministered to in order to minister to others. Exo 29:4 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. Exo 29:45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. We minister to Jesus Christ now for the few chosen and will do so for all men in the future. 1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. The Body brings both the dew that waters the earth and the rain. This moisture is the truth of the Word, the pure and unadulterated doctrine that all men is coming to know in due time. Deu 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Num 11:9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. It is His Body, the cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1), that drop this dew upon the earth. It is the church that makes known the wisdom of the Lord. 2 P a g e

3 Pro 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. Pro 3:20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, Without this dew upon the earth, there will be no fruit, showing again the importance of maintaining fervent fellowship and not being cut off from the Body. Luk 8:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. The judgment of God does not tarry and waits for no man. It comes right on the Lord s schedule declared from the beginning. We learn patience by waiting for Him to come. Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Mic 5:8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. All men in bodies of flesh are beasts and it is the elect of God who are first given to see this in stunning clarity (Mat 24:15, Ecc 3:18). It is these few elect who are the symbolic 144,000 who are given this new song to sing that is only learned in the winepress of the wrath of God. Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. Men are likened to trees in Scriptures as we are made of wood (carnality), grow tall in our pride (puffed up with knowledge) and are cut down and humbled by the process of judgment. Christ is the roaring lion that prevails to open the seals and usher in the process of judgment. Christ does this through His Christ both now and at the White Throne Judgment at the Second Resurrection. Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. It is The Christ who is this lion among these beasts in the forest of trees. The angels of the Lord (the 144,000) are those that open the seals, blow the trumpets and also pour out the seven vials of wrath. This is all the work of the Lord which He does through His Body in bringing judgment. Seven symbolizing completion and our judgement is being completed when this LION comes into our midst and works through His Body. 3 P a g e

4 Rev 15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. Nobody is going to withstand the fire of the Lord in the day the Lion of the Tribe of Judah comes. Nobody can make war with the beast (Rev 13:4) except this Lion. The Lord s will is being done and the banished are restored to Him (2Sa 14:14) by the means of judgment. Joe 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap Here are the next two verses. Mic 5:9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, all thine enemies shall be cut off. Mic 5:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: The Body is the hand of the Lord that is lifted up against the adversaries of the Lord and cuts them off by the fiery sword. All of the old man s power and strength (our horses and chariots) will be overcome when this power from heaven within us is made manifest. The works of our hands do not save us and we need to lose all trust and confidence in the flesh. When our dependency on our own strength and the wisdom of this world is cut off then our horses and chariots have been destroyed. This is how we learn with time to not think above what is written. Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Hos 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. Horses and chariots are part of the described merchandise of the great harlot (Rev 18:12-13). Destroying the chariots is destroying the army of the beast which are the 2oo million false doctrines (Rev 9:9-16). All that merchandising comes to and end and the kings of our inward earth and the kings of the outward earth will bewail and lament this taking away of their power and way of life. Taking this carnal and worldly thoughts captive is the warfare that must be fought in our day of the Lord that brings about the transformation and the mind of Christ. 4 P a g e

5 Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. The rebellion to the Lord is burned out of us by the fiery judgments. It is through our chastening in judgment we learn how to walk the narrow way. Maturing requires us to apply knowledge and overcome the strongholds of the flesh and carnal mind. 2Co 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; The next four verses give greater details of what cutting off the horses and chariots really entails. It entails removing our trust in the world and the works of our own hands. Mic 5:11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: Mic 5:12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: Apart from Christ we can do nothing yet the carnal mind believes it s in charge and controls its own destiny. Destroying these lies and the corresponding works of man s hands is the focus of these Scriptures. Flesh cannot help to create many idols and build false gods and to worship them. This is what we do when we think we bring anything to the table and have dominion over our life. Abiding through judgment is how we are humbled and learn to not lean on our own understanding. Jer 2:27 (NLT) To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, 'You are my father.' To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say, 'You are my mother.' They turn their backs on Me, but in times of trouble they cry out to Me, 'Come and save us!' Jer 2:28 But why not call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah. The Lord mocks the old man who trusts in these numerous idols that are likened to cities and deceptive strongholds. These false gods are tossed into the fire of the Lord in our day of judgment to be destroyed. These gods cannot save and are exposed when we are caused to sin and rebel against the Lord and then the Word brings judgment. Isa 37:19 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they (The Assyrians) have destroyed them. All such cities built and sustained by spiritual fornication shall be thrown down by the vengeance of the age abiding fire which is actually an age abiding period of time necessary to change our behavior and thought life. 5 P a g e

6 Jud 1: Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. The role and definitions of witches and sorcerers are pretty much the same thing and the translations use the Hebrew words interchangeably in many places. Either way it s our use of other forces and spirits (i.e. magic) to control outcomes instead of trusting in the Word and waiting on the Lord. King Saul, committed witchcraft when he disobeyed the Lord and worshipped Him the way he wanted to versus the narrow way we are commanded (1Sa 15:23). Steve did a great study on witches and enchanters in the Awesome Hands series where he covered this verse in detail. Exo 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. He showed the link to enchanters/witches and their attempts at imitating the things of the Lord. The Lord s Word is fire and the imitation is strange fire. Said another way, it is lies and false doctrines and those who bring strange fire, like witches must be put to death. Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. A little leaven leavens the whole lump as there is no lie in the Truth (1Jo 2:21). When the Lord brings the fire in the midst of many people, His word executes a swift sentence on the sorcerers/witches and all that commit spiritual adultery. Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. Mic 5:13 Thy graven [H6456] images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. Mic 5:14 And I will pluck up thy groves [H842] out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. These verses speak to destroying the idols of our heart, the strength we cling to that keeps the old man and the beast alive and thriving. Trusting in flesh is a big idol that denies the Lord and causes us to worship the very gods and images (i.e. the works of our hands) which the Lord commands us not to do. Lev 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. 6 P a g e

7 Becoming obedient to this command is how we enter into the true Sabbath, the rest that remains for the people of God (Heb 4:11). It is only entered into by many tribulations and judgments. Lev 26:2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. Our repentance from dead works is an ongoing is, was and will be lesson as we are sharpened into a mature man. The word for graven [H6456] comes from the root word H6458 which means to carve or hew something. H6458, pa sal, paw-sal' A primitive root; to carve, whether wood or stone: - grave, hew. The things we carve are things we make of our own hands. Spiritually speaking, things we make with our own hands are idols and are based on self-righteousness. When we worship these idols we are worshipping another god and practicing harlotry and buy and sell in seeking riches of the world. All confidence in flesh is removed in our day of judgment. Not until the new man comes forth (eight year) and our spiritual foundation is maturing (twelfth year), then we begin to purge these high places and the graven images and the groves from the kingdom within us. 2Ch 34:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. False gods are carved out the wood of our carnal reasoning and the stone of our hardened sinful hearts. Coming to see we are clay requires these self-righteous works to be burned up and cut off from our hands. Exo 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. Standing images is a poor translation, it really should say pillars or sacred pillars conveying the power, immovability and strength these carnal lies have in propping up the entire house of cards (flesh) that the Lords is now destroying with a mighty wind. Flesh so badly wants to worship itself and requires seven trumpets of judgment to be brought to full repentance as this self-worship is burned out of us. Rev 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: In the physical, groves are a grouping of trees and other woody plants. Groves are planted by men, they are the works of men s hands and represent what we build in the strength and power 7 P a g e

8 of the flesh and our carnal mind (wood). It is when we fornicate with the world and not remain separated that we follow the false gods of Baal and worship their idols of wood and stone. Jdg 3:5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: Jdg 3:6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. Jdg 3:7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. The word for groves is Asherah and is 100% translated as groves in the KJV. H842, 'a she ra h, ash-ay-raw From H833; happy; asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same: - grove. Almost all English translations other than the KJV use the word Asherah or Asherim in conjunction with poles rather than the word grove when transcribing H842. In fact, you cannot find the word Asherah in a search of the KJV but in nearly all other translations you see Asherah used instead of groves in the English rendering. Here are two examples. Exo 34:13 KJV But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: Exo 34:13 NLT Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. Jdg 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it Jdg 6:25 NIV That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. So when we read of groves, we should be thinking of our own works. Building groves is worshipping our own works and denying the Sovereign Lord. In this sense groves and Asherah poles mean the same thing as they are the idols of our hearts and the false gods we worship in the delusion we bring anything to the table and forget we are mere clay in His hands. Make no mistake, this falling away into apostasy is all the Lord s work and how we are humbled in time. Deu 4:27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. Deu 4:28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 8 P a g e

9 The Lord not dwelling in temples made of human hands means far more than just the brick and mortar Babylonian churches. It includes the imagination of our wicked hearts and the works within our carnal mind to build a house for the Lord our way. Anything built of flesh is a house built on sand and will not stand the trials of faith when they come in our judgment. The Lord builds His church with His hands that being the Body who speaks Words that judge men. Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Our works are all likened to filthy menstrual rags (Isa 64:6). Is the grace, the judgment of our Father in heaven that saves us not our works. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Getting flesh to submit and trust the Lord with our whole heart, mind and soul requires much more than head nodding when we hear the Truth (Exo 19:8, Mat 21:30). Of course we know the Jews did not honor their commitment and neither will any man at first. We must live through the judgments of the Lord to be caused to obey His commandments (Eze 36:27). What a blessing this is to the new man and to all who press on for the upward calling of God. Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Next week Lord willing, we will continue in Chapter 6 where the Lord lays out His controversy with us, the very cause for which He is now bringing judgment upon us. We will be commanded to get up and get in the game and start fighting the good fight of faith. RELATED ARTICLES Awesome Hands Part 73D The Judgments Jacob s Blessing to Asher Genesis #112 Revelation 7 The 144,000 Part 1 9 P a g e