Micah 4:1-4 - World peace

Scripture:

Micah 4:1-4
1 And it will come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
"Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.
"For from Zion will go forth the law,
Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 And He will judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, distant nations.
Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they train for war.
4 Each of them will sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid,
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
NASU


Thoughts:

Verse 3b is a familiar quotation and a beautiful picture:  the end of wars!  Interestingly however, this will come about in a completely different way than most expect. 

Some believe that it is through the so-called tolerance of other faiths and world views; pluralism, that peace will come.  But this is what we see largely in the western world today and have seen in times past, and yet it has not brought true peace.  In contrast, in the lasting peace to come, all will seek the one true God, the God of the Bible (verse 2).

Others believe that peace will come through force.  There will be peace when the world has been conquered and is held in line by military might.  But clearly, it is the Lord who will be sovereign over this lasting peace, in a very tangible way (verses 2-4).  This peace will be the work of His hands and no other.  He will rule from Israel (verse 1).

A final group believes peace will come through anarchy.  As people reject all law and do as they please.  History and human experience testify against this -- we don't find peace in the absence of laws.  Moreover in this lasting peace, there will be a hunger for God's law (verse 2), not a rejection of it.

This lasting peace will not be the work of men, but of God when Jesus returns again to this world and establishes His earthly kingdom.  Therefore, it is in Christ that we place our hope, not only for our personal salvation, but for peace on Earth.


Prayer:

Lord, thank You that this day is coming!  Thank You that it is a day that You will bring.  Help me to not grow discouraged until then.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.