For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. (Micah 1:3 ESV)
Fear Not… It Has Already Happened
Imagine that you found in a drawer a threatening letter from your bank. The letter warned that if you did not make an adjustment to your mortgage schedule, your home ownership would be in doubt. At first, your eyes would widen, your heartrate increase, and your worry quotient go through the roof.
Then you’d remember that the letter was an old one… and that the matter had been resolved years ago.
When we read Micah speak of God’s impending wrath, we might become frightened. The Lord treading (stomping on) the high places of the earth sounds terrifying! Our eyes might widen, our heartrate increase, and our worry quotient skyrocket.
But we would be foolish to fear.
Because this event has already happened.
We might think of the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon as a fulfillment of this threat from Micah. But that is not really what Micah was prophesying.
There was no greater wrath-pouring than the wrath that was poured on Christ Jesus on the cross.
There was no higher high-place than the King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Son of God being wrath-stomped by God as Christ Jesus died.
God has no wrath left with which to stomp His people. He stomped Jesus instead!
Whatever anger God rightly could have focused on you and me, He focused on Christ Jesus instead.
Micah’s foretelling of destruction was completely carried out as Christ Jesus suffered, died, and was sacrificed.
Fear not, it has already happened.