The Old Testament is full of prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah to save the world. He will forgive and heal. But the Old Testament is also full of prophecies of a second coming. The second coming will be different from the first coming of the Messiah. Jesus came and was rejected totally by the people, as predicted in the prophets. Therefore, a second coming is essential. Micah tells of the judgment of God coming upon the earth. The birth pangs as preludes to his arrival will be the tearing down of mountains and the flooding of the plains. His judgment comes upon nature as a prelude to His judgment upon all those who have sinned against Him. Why does God come with judgment instead of peace? Micah 1:5 tells us why. It says, “All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?”
The Lexham English Bible says that the word translated as “transgression” in this passage should read “rebellion.” It says, “All this is for the rebellion of Jacob, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?” Redmond says, “There are few things more destructive in life than rebellion. We can all identify with this statement because we’ve all been rebellious. Rebellion appears in our lives like an uninvited guest, but it soon takes up residence in our hearts. For me, it began to appear in my early teenage years—perhaps it was the same for you. One day I was happy to do whatever my parents told me; the next, I began to question every decision they made. What caused this shift in my thinking? Rebellion. Simply put, rebellion is defiance against authority. It begins with rebellion against our parents, teachers, and coaches. Left unchecked, it grows to be rebellion against employers, law enforcement, and government. Ultimately, though, rebellion is always against God because God institutes all forms of authority. I spent three years as a police officer in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before God directed my steps into local church ministry. I saw firsthand the damaging effects of rebellion. I located children who ran away from home to escape their parents’ authority, and I arrested citizens who refused to submit to the laws of the city of Chattanooga and the state of Tennessee. In every case, rebellion was the root cause. No one was going to tell these folks what to do. Sadly, rebellion is a constant enemy for everyone. This was certainly true for the nations of Israel and Judah when Micah began his prophetic ministry. In fact, Micah will spend the first three chapters of his book demonstrating how rebellion had corrupted God’s people.”[1]
As parents, we tried hard to discipline our children appropriately. Rebellion was the primary issue deserving correction. Outright rebellion against the standards of the household, the standards of the school, or the standards of the state cannot be tolerated for long without chaos ensuing. Yet, even with the “transgressions” and “rebellion” of His children, God has made provision for us. Transgression and rebellion are just two synonyms for sin. All sin requires the shedding of blood for forgiveness. That’s what we learned in Genesis chapter 3 in the Garden of Eden, and that’s what the sacrificial system taught Israel. It’s the same today, except the blood that is shed for our sins is not the blood of sheep, bulls, and goats. It’s the blood of His one and only Son. Samaria, representing the northern ten tribes, and Jerusalem, representing the southern tribes, have both rebelled against God’s provision for sin. They have turned to pagan forms of religion and have rejected the one true God and His demonstrated love for us in the shedding of the blood of the sacrifices. There is nothing left but judgment. Benson writes, “When Paul said that ‘the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ’ (Gal. 3:24), he included the ceremonial law. The shedding of blood by the offering of animal sacrifices for the redemption of sin was a symbol of the great Sacrifice (Lev. 1:2, 11, 15; 8:15) and a constant emphasis on the all-important truth that ‘without shedding of blood is no remission’ of sin (Heb. 9:11–14, 19–22). The office of the high priest was instituted so there would be a representative of the people to offer up sacrifices. As the great High Priest, our Lord offered Himself as the all-sufficient sacrifice for sin.”[2] Rebellion is the rejection of Jesus Christ.
[1] Redmond, Eric, William Curtis, and Ken Fentress. 2016. Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference.
[2] Benson, Clarence Herbert. 2004. The One True God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Biblical Essentials Series. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.