Episode 10: Who compares to a God like you?
As we finish our Micah bible study, we discuss the ways in which this book has hit our hearts and caused us to know and worship our incomparable God more.
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How has your view of God grown as you've spent time in Micah over the last few weeks?
In what ways has it given you more confidence in Christ's death and resurrection?
Spend time thanking God for all you've seen in the book of Micah.
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This episode is sponsored by Logos Bible Study app.
The Logos Bible Study app contains a powerful Bible study and sermon prep platform that allows you to study Scripture and consult commentaries, devotionals, Bible dictionaries, and more—all from your computer, tablet, or phone, it is perfect for someone who’s in ministry, maybe giving talks, leading bible studies or just simply wanting to go deeper.
Use our exclusive code to purchase this amazing resource.
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The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy.
Felicity: You're listening to the Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea podcast, the Bible study podcast for everyday life. We're here for a 20 minute burst of Bible chat over a cup of tea and an English style biscuit as we make our way through a Bible book over the course of the season and drive it to our hearts. And this season we're in Micah. Whether you've been listening for a while or have just found us, we're so pleased you're here.
This episode is sponsored by Logos. I've recently started using the Logos Bible Study app on my laptop but also on my phone. It's a software that is a treasure trove of tools and resources. It enables deep dive Bible study and is perfect for someone who's in ministry, maybe giving talks, leading Bible studies or just simply wanting to go deeper. It has numerous translations, commentaries, Bible dictionaries and is a manageable way of gathering information and insight in order to marshal my own thoughts. I'd really recommend it. If you're interested, check out the link, do some research and go for it. It's an investment, but I would say it's worth it. Use our exclusive code, logos.com/two-sisters to purchase this amazing resource. That's logos.com forward/two-sisters to purchase this amazing resource.
Sarah: Welcome to the final episode of season 12 of Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea. My name is Sarah, I live in the UK and I'm here with my sister Felicity who normally lives in the US but has been with me this time in person for this season and what a joy it's been. We are here reflecting on Micah. We've come to the end of our study in Micah and it's been big, it's been good, it's felt quick in many ways hasn't it? But first of all, just a little reflection on the absolute pleasure of recording in person.
Felicity: Exactly that, a pleasure. I mean, it's just, I'm amazed how different it feels actually. I know that probably sounds obvious, but it's been a joy to be in the same space, to like actually read each other's faces and body language. I think we both are people who speak with our hands quite a lot, and so that doesn't often come across on the screen, so feel like I've understood more who you are. And I think just even just sharing a kettle, sharing a biscuit. It's been a joy, hasn't it? We're very, very thankful because this has come about through slightly unexpected circumstances. I have a whole thing with visas going on, but it's been a blessing, a real blessing. We're really thankful to the Bible Matters podcast who have lent us this space, lent us the kit, very kindly enabled us to do this. We do really rate that podcast, actually, so do check out the link in the show notes for that. Give them a listen.
Sarah: We've been fuelled by Australian tea. Unexpectedly good tea. I don't mean that to be insulting, you know. I don't know what I expected but
Felicity: No, it's raised the bar. It has. I think mainly because it's tea in a bag that is actually really good. It's been exceptional. It's been very good.
Sarah: But also I think just a renewed sense and a renewed joy for the value of getting the Bible open even if it's just for 20 minutes. I think it's just been wonderful just to be reminded of that, but actually we can get quite a long way in 20 minutes. And yes, we have done prep beforehand and we've been mulling on this and preparing for this. So it's not that it's literally off the cuff and that's it, but we've seen more of God and we do quite tightly time our episodes. So it is just 20 minutes of chat on the word and drawing it to the heart. It's been super fruitful for my own heart.
Felicity: It really has. And I think it's given me just a reminder that this is more straightforward to do than I sometimes think. Not to underplay the amount of prep that goes into getting into Micah. It's not that we've just opened it up and given it a go, it? there's a simplicity of opening up the word together, sitting in the same room as one another and chatting about it. And you get further in understanding, I think, insight, in heart level kind of conversation. that's, yeah, so it's a good reminder to me to actually just do this more with others as well.
Sarah: It's the intentionality of it, isn't it? It's the, okay, we're gonna give this focus 20 minutes to being and sitting under this word together and we're gonna see where conversation goes. It's given us permission, as we were saying earlier in the season, to talk about some big stuff that you wouldn't naturally walk up to someone after church on a Sunday and say, so what do you really think about this judgment here? But actually this has given us permission to go, I'm not sure about this and what about this and how does this connect over here? And what if I still have this question about God's character at the end of this study? What do I do with that? Like it's given us permission to ask these questions.
Felicity: And that's the joy of being in conversation, isn't it? So it's like we're sitting under the word and it's not just conversation that goes off any which way. Actually, we've both read this and now what is our response to it? And I think, yeah, well, it's been a real answer to prayer, hasn't it? We prayed as we opened up Micah, Lord, show us more of yourself, excite us with your words. I mean, there's no doubt that we are in that familiar spot whenever we've been in the book of the Bible where we wonder why everyone is not reading this right now. Everyone needs Micah but well that is the question actually isn't it like so why why do we need Micah in the Bible?
Sarah: Yeah so we've come to the end of this run of studying Micah so it's it's not the last time I'll go into Micah. Let's be clear we haven't nailed Micah there's a lot we still have questions about a lot that we haven't delved deeply into yeah, I just want to acknowledge that as we come to the end of it. But from what we have seen so far in this journey, Felicity, why is Micah in the Bible? Why do we need it? What are we lacking if we don't read Micah?
Felicity: Well, I think that through being in Micah, I have seen more of who God is. I think without Micah, I'm missing a facet of who God is. And really, a big part of that is that our God is a God of justice and he's a God of mercy. And it's not either or, it's both of those together, that he is both, and that that is a good thing and a desirable thing, and that I I've come to enjoy that more and not be embarrassed, I think, or ashamed. Not that I've consciously been embarrassed about that, but I think there's been a clarity here. I want God to be just. I like that he's just. It presents problems because I'm a sinner and the justice is coming for me as well, but he is a God of mercy. And there's something about just seven chapters because these two themes are other places in the Bible Isaiah you know, takes 60 odd chapters to go for it. There's something about having it in seven chapters and you've got them just juxtaposed, really slap bang next to each other. And it's a helpful thing to have them both and to hold the tension and to see that more clearly. Yeah, what about you? you got?
Sarah: I think that's really helpful picking up the condensed nature of this, isn't it? And I think in Dale Ralph Davis’ commentary, he talked about Calvin saying, what a word of grace this is to us, that actually it's 30 to 40 years of Micah's ministry, but it's been condensed down into something we can read aloud in just under an hour or I don't how long actually and we can study it manageably that is such a gift of grace from the Lord isn't it that we would be able to explore his character in such a manageable way and actually as we've taken the pictures and we've taken the imagery and we've of unpacked it it hasn't felt as daunting as I thought it was going to. In terms of scaling back to that question of why is it here I think I keep going back to Micah's name who is a God like you and it's just really helps me to remember that the Bible is not a story about me, it's a story about God, it's a story about Jesus and the premise of this prophecy, the premise of this book just reminds me and has kept on reminding me that I'm here to explore more about God, the creator of the heavens and the earth and also my redeemer in Christ and that's a wonderful gift from the Lord that there'd be a book focused on exploring his character and therefore growing my awe and fear of the Lord as a result.
Felicity: Yeah, I think that's a really good point that this is a precious thing to dwell on him and his character. And it just makes me think, so for the remnants, you know, this original audience we've had all the way through, this listening crowd who are waiting on the Lord and but pressurised from every angle as far as I can tell to maybe not keep waiting to give up. And the thing which God chooses to say to them through Micah is his character. That's the means by which they are able to keep on being the waiting remnant. that's, while we can't draw the lines directly to us, actually we are quite similar to the remnant. We are a listening crowd who are waiting on Jesus' return. We're waiting on the new creation, on eternity. We're waiting for God to do that final thing. And so we actually are in a similar posture and we're tempted to stop as well. We're tempted, I'm tempted to give up. I'm tempted to run the directions that everyone around me is running. But there's something in God's character and me knowing that better, having a clearer view of that which will enable me to keep, I think it is to keep trusting him. When we say waiting on him, we're actually trusting him for what he is doing and what he is going to do.
Sarah: And trusting him rather than other gods, other stuff, other things that we might be tempted to run to. And we've of seen that through the book haven't we, that actually the things that are going to be judged, the people who are going to be judged most harshly are those who are leading the people astray from walking humbly with God. And that's just been really good reminder hasn't it? I think actually who is a God like you? Who compares to a God like you? It's a challenge. It's been a challenge on my heart to realise the temptation there is to chase after what other people are chasing after in our world, in the world in which we live, in the local area that I live, whatever it is. But actually this has been an encouraging challenge to be reignited in my view of God and to have a focus on him again really helps. I guess one of questions with all of this and you know all of this it doesn't matter unless we take this back into life and go how is this going to impact my day to day life? What is this going to look like to take this away from here and into life? I think that is a challenge I want to keep being challenged on. Am I seeking to chase after lesser things rather than this true and living God and how he's revealed himself in this book?
Felicity: Yeah, that there is no one to compare. There is no God to compare. I think another challenge has been that in chapter seven that call essentially to delight in his mercy. That as we see that God is someone who is merciful. The resounding end to the book is just glorious isn't it? And just to keep a hold of that joy, I feel that joy is not quite the right word is it? It is awe and marvel that this is our God, and that he does delight to show mercy. And that, I think, impacts the way that I come before him, that I'm more persuaded that he is leaning into me with compassion, even though I know my sin. Because it's tempting to just think of him differently, actually, in that. But he does delight to show mercy, and so that helps me as I approach him. I think it also helps me as I think about my friends and family who don't know Jesus. This is a God who loves to show mercy and so let me be all the more prayerful all the more eager to share him with them and that's big that's big in terms of my everyday life.
Sarah: And to want to image him, you know we've seen what God desires for his character to be known, do I desire that am I wanting to image him therefore in in the way that I respond am I quick to delight in showing mercy in this situation am I known for my compassion in that? Can people see glimpses of the Lord Jesus and therefore want to know something of the God I worship because of how I am in the ordinary everyday faithfulness of what it is to be a Christian in the 21st century. That's it isn't it? It's not being impressed with things, it's not, it's the everyday moments. Am I willing to walk humbly? Because he's already shown what is good, he's already shown Jesus fleshes out God's character and I think that's where it's just really amazing isn't it to remember that we sit this side of the cross where we have these gospel eyewitness accounts of Jesus living out the character of God for those around him. We have it written down so that we can see it and we can taste God's character in the flesh in Jesus.
Felicity: It's just really good. It's really good. I think as well, it helps us to view God rightly. I think it also helps us to view our world rightly. I've enjoyed, I mean it's not an enjoyable description, the world that he kind of casts a vision for around him. It's familiar. And sometimes I can be in the world looking around and be like, has it all just gone to pot? Surely God didn't anticipate it this bad but actually I think I'm persuaded that he sees he knows he hears and he's still active he's still doing the thing which he's always been doing that's just quite reassuring because it's tempting just to think well maybe it's just all over because it's pretty bad
Sarah: But actually the confidence that's given towards the end of the book that he is gathering his people his people will gather amongst the nations, they will live amidst the nations and to quote then Jesus in Matthew's gospel, the gates of hell will not prevail against God's church. We can be confident that his purposes and his plans will come to fruition. And that's just heartening, isn't it? Because life does feel weak and small and as a Christian, I think we feel it more and more in the culture that we live in and Micah was feeling that too. And the remnant were feeling that too and so we sit in a similar position and yet we sit all the more confident because the Lord Jesus, we're able to delight in his mercy and wait with hope as Micah says in chapter seven verse seven. We can lament well, confident of God's restoration that will finally come at the end of time. What a glorious, glorious reminder and confidence booster it's been to be in this and do it together.
Felicity: Yes, definitely. There's just a lot to dwell on, isn't there?
Sarah: There's a lot to dwell on.
Felicity: This is only, as we always say, we've been starting the conversation rather than in any way finishing it. Yeah. Yeah. Sarah, why don't you pray for us as we wrap it all up?
Sarah: I’d love to do that. Oh heavenly Father we just thank you so much for the wonders of this book we thank you that it is in the Bible we thank you for the for the ways that you have opened it up for us the ways that we've seen more of you Lord we thank you that there is no God like you we praise you that you delight to show mercy, we praise you for all that we've seen of who you are and how that encourages us to keep walking humbly with you. Father, please help us to keep our eyes fixed on you, running the race of perseverance for you, remembering that your promises are sure, your word is true, and that final day will come one day. We just praise you so much that we get to do all this because of your mercy and we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
Felicity: Well, that's us for this season. We will be back.
Sarah: We will be back, but that is season 12. A wrap on that and what a gift it's been. We hope you've enjoyed it. Do give us an email podcastingsisters@gmail.com. We'd love to hear how Micah has been driving to your heart and what has encouraged you as you've been journeying along with us and we really look forward to seeing you in the new year for season 13. Until then goodbye. Goodbye.
Felicity: This episode has been sponsored by Logos.
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