like dew from the Lord

If we read scripture from front to back, a common theme throughout is God's desire for a holy people, separate from the world and its common things. God separated Noah and his family before the flood. God separated Abraham and called him into covenant. God called the Israelites out of Egypt. He demanded that this holy nation remain pure from the influence of foreigners. He reserved 7000 in the time of Elijah. He spared a portion of His people to be reclaimed through Ezra's leadership.

God sent His Son to separate the narrow from the wide, the sheep from the goats, the fruitful from the fruitless...the righteous from the cursed.

Why would we assume that He operates differently today?

We despise judgment.

We like it when God is kind -- when He unifies, blesses, and gives good gifts. We like these characteristics so much that we apply them to everyone. We invite spiritual foreigners into His house of worship. We hand out the gift of salvation outside of His terms, because we feel this is the right of the church. We love people to Christ without mentioning His Word, because to speak the truth would cast judgment upon those sentenced to death.

A God that separates is not marketable, nor does He fit the tolerant values of the 21st century. But if we are to know Him, we must wrestle with the characteristics of God that we do not particularly like within our own ignorant sense of justice.

Micah 5 is a Messianic prophesy explaining what is to occur with the coming of Christ. As God had previously defined "His people" as the Jews, the death and resurrection of Christ is to bring about another age of separation. As He establishes His rule, Jesus calls a remnant to proclaim the word of truth:

The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.

The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beast of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue. (Micah 5:7-8)

Those that Christ has set apart have been scattered among the people. They do not answer to men, nor do they wait for their permission or readiness to serve His justice. While like showers on the grass to some, the remnant will be a terror to those that oppose Christ, because His word will condemn. Jesus does not intend for the remnant to live peacefully from those that would deny the truth; He intends them to consume the darkness that remains.

"In that day," declares the Lord, "I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. I will destroy your carved images and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles and demolish your cities. I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me. (v.10-15, emphasis added)"

Just as when Christ purified His people in establishing the Church, He continues to do the same thing today. He will not tolerate our idolatry, nor will He accept the worship of our own works. When His people have become corrupt and have turned to the common ways of the world -- when His people invite the practices of foreigners into His consecrated house -- He will call out His remnant. This remnant will be accepted with joy or received with terror, depending on the response to His Word.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 that those who minister and share the gospel of Christ will be the fragrance of life to some and the smell of death to others. We cannot mask our scent to become pleasing to all who may hear. By the very nature of the gospel of repentance, this word casts judgment upon those who do not believe. Where the church lacks conviction, it loses its aroma. Where the church compromises the truth, it rids itself of judgment and the smell of death. But it also ceases to be the fragrance of life to those who believe.

God is calling out His remnant, and we all have a decision to make. We can preach a diluted gospel that does not judge, but it also lacks the power to save. We can continue to call ourselves God's people, but reject every mouth of truth that proclaims the terror of the Lord. We can enjoy "unity" in worship along with those who do not believe, but face Christ's rejection of our human service.

As for me, I'd rather be called out from His people than be left to care for the complacent and disobedient. Like dew from the Lord, may He scatter His Word wherever He sees fit.