Peter Barnes | Micah 7:14-20
SERMON NOTES
FORGIVENESS FULL AND FREE
Micah 7:14-20
Samuel Davies’ ‘Great God of wonders!’:
Who is a pardoning God like Thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
1. Prayer for the Shepherd-Messiah.
– 7:14-15; see 5:2-4.
– Matt.9:35-36. The cause of Christ can sink very low in the world.
– verse 15 seems to be God’s reassurance to Micah that He has heard his prayer and will answer it most wonderfully. See 4:10; 6:4 for Exodus references; and look ahead from Micah’s day to Isa.37:36-37; Ezra 1:1-4; and Luke 24:1-8. Great God of wonders indeed!
2. The shaming of the nations.
– 7:16-17; Philippians 2:10-11. Every knee and every tongue.
3. God delights in full and free forgiveness.
– 7:18-20. This picks up the language of the Exodus – Ex.14:13, 28.
– Ps.103:12; Isa.43:25; 55:1, 7; Jer.31:34; 1 John 1:7.
– George Bernard Shaw in Major Barbara: ‘Forgiveness is a beggar’s refuge. We must pay our debts.’ The elder brother of the prodigal son was offended that the father could so freely and joyously forgive the younger son.
You will never get a better offer in life than this.
This is the promise; make sure the promise is yours.