Gabriel’s announcement to Mary meant that centuries of waiting were over. God’s people had waited for their King, their Savior. He is here.

John the Baptist seems like a strange person to focus on at Advent. After all, Jesus was an adult by the time we get to John’s ministry. But John’s situation is like ours, although not identical. He lives on “our side” of the birth of Jesus, but still waiting for Jesus’ glory to be revealed.

What are you waiting for? It’s a question we introduced last week when we saw Abram waiting for God to fulfill His promises. This week we turn to the Prophets. They reveal a little more of what we are waiting for.

Abram, who became known as Abraham, is the father of the Jewish nation. This seemed unlikely when God made the promise to him in Genesis 12. By Genesis 15 Abram has waited for years without a sign of the promise being fulfilled.

The book of Micah closes with a powerful declaration of who God is and how He is at work. It is a message of hope grounded in God’s faithful character.

Today’s passage is a lament about the sinful state of Israel during Micah’s time. They were the covenant people of the one true God, but they were vigorously rebelling against him: it broke Micah’s heart to see. Yet, Micah knew that his hope was still on a solid foundation.

Chapter 6 opens with God filing a lawsuit against His people because they have not upheld their part of the covenant. Chapter 6 ends with the verdict: since they created futility for others, they will live in futility themselves.

Chapter 6 starts the third “cycle” in Micah. God files a lawsuit against His people, because they have not upheld their part of the covenant. They tried to bargain with God instead of live for God.

Today’s passage is the climax of the second “hope” section in Micah. After the prophecy of Messiah’s birth and rule, God tells Israel that he will purify them and defeat all His enemies.