A PUBLIC JUDGMENT THERE IS NOTHING AS HORRIBLE AS SIN This book begins with a bitter portrait of sin and how God does not stand it, being unfitting for His people, whom He desires to be a living icon of Him, the Holy God. It reveals as well the activity of sin in the life of His people as being utterly destructive by nature. Yet, as much as it reveals this dark portrait, it also demonstrates the role of God, who forgives the sins, scatters the darkness, and shines with His divine light upon His people to transform them into a divine, glorious and joyful Church. The prophet Micah, like the prophet Obadiah before him, begins his book by demonstrating the coming judgment to chasten the people. He turns the whole earth into a stage for this judgment and asks the people to listen to the charges directed against them. The book begins with God entering into judgment against His people -both Israel and Judah- before all nations of the earth, who were called to be present at the house of justice. On one aspect, to reveal His position as a Creator of all mankind and as a Savior of all, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), by which He opens the door before the nations to realize that He is God of all anticipating their acceptance of faith to enjoy the exalted riches of His grace. On another aspect, to reveal the horror of sin committed by those on whom the name of God is called, as it is a stumbling block to the nations and because of it His name is being blasphemed. We do not marvel to see how he presented his divine message to the people first (Micah 1-2), then to the leaders and judges (Micah 3-5) and finally to the holy remnants; namely, to the people who accept the living practical faith (Micah 6-7). He starts with the people, because it is for their sake that he sets leaders and judges, and not the other way round. He probably wishes to confirm to the people that, if their religious, civil, or political leadership are faulty, that would not justify the fall and diversion of the people. It is positive that the leaderships would be doubly judged, as they represent a stumble to their people, yet it is not fitting for the people to justify their own transgression. He starts with the falling people and ends with the people made holy by the Savior Christ to confirm that He came for the sake of the sinners to sanctify them as the chosen people of God. 1. The Lord coming out of His place for judgment 1-4. 2. The charges 5-7. 3. A bitter mourning over Jerusalem 8-9. 4. The bitterness of sin 10-11. 1. THE LORD IS COMING OUT OF HIS PLACE FOR JUDGMENT: “The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem” (Micah 1:1) “The word of the Lord” or “The word of Jehovah”: The prophet confirms that the words he utters and writes are not his own, but are the message of Jehovah, that bears a divine authority. Jehovah entrusted His prophet Micah with this message to proclaim it 19 to the people and to the leaders. The name of this prophet came like those of other prophets, Hosea, Joel and Obadiah to reveal his message. The word "Micah", means "There is no one like Johovah"; although St. Ambrose believes that it to means "One with God". It is as though this prophet challenges the false prophets, the wicked ones and the opponents, that there is no one like Jehovah; He could not be opposed. St. Jerome believes that the word "Moresheth" in Hebrew means "My Possessions"; thus, seeing Micah as one, who possesses Christ or is an heir with Him. Although the book of Micah starts with a public judgment by God Himself, yet when He chastens, He does not avenge; rather He wishes to qualify us for the eternal inheritance and the heavenly glory. Micah: means "one with God" or, as it came somewhere else "one is the son of 'Moresheth'; namely, the son of the Heir; and who is this heir, but the Son of God, who says: “All things have been delivered to me by My Father” (Matthew 11:27). He, who is the heir, wishes for us to be partners in His inheritance. It is good to ask: ‘Who is Micah?’ He is not one of the commons; he is chosen to receive the grace of God and through him the Holy Spirit speaks. He started his prophecy in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; an order that has its significance, starting with wicked kings and ending with a good one1. St. Ambrose Saying: “which he saw,” does not imply a physical vision, but a spiritual revelation by the mind. The Spirit of the Lord opens Micah’s eyes to realize the message that he is committed to testify and proclaim to the people. Micah prophesied in the days of Ahaz, who is considered to be one of the wicked kings of Judah; and prophesied as well in the days of Hezekiah, the pious man of reform. In the days of Ahaz he did not fear to proclaim the Lord’s chastisement against Judah, but he opened the doors of comfort before the holy souls that would return to the Lord. And in the days of the pious king Hezekiah, he talked about the necessity of the inner spiritual reform. With the changes of situations and times, the word of God abides steadfast, does not flatter the wicked, yet it does not close the door of hope before them. It does not find pleasure in superficial reforms without going into depths. “Hear, all you people! Listen, O earth, an all that is in it! Let the Lord God be a Witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple” (Micah 1:2) As many of the people of God closed their ears, so as not to listen to the voice of the Lord, he calls on the earth to open its ears to listen to Him; as said by the Lord Christ: “Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). God, who loves His heavenly and earthly creation, often calls on them to listen to His word (Isaiah 1:2; Deuteronomy 32:1), to incline their ears to Him. Even when He judges His people, He wishes to reveal the secrets of His dealings with His creation to all. God has no partiality; when His people transgress, He calls the nations to attend their judgment with the hope that it becomes a practical lesson to receive faith. He is the Master and Lord of all creation, talking from His holy temple; namely, from heaven, dedicated to Him as the Holy One. From there He talks yearning for all 1 Letter, 45. 20 creation to be sanctified, and to become a living icon of the Holy One. When He chastens or shows compassion, His goal is always the holiness of His creation. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3) … The same enthusiasm of the apostle Paul to confirm this, is shown in another location in which he says: “Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no none will see the Lord” (Hebrew 12:14). Why should we marvel to see him write to his disciples about this subject in every occasion? In his letter to Timothy he says: “Keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22), and in his second epistle to the Corinthians he says: “… in much patience … in fasting … and by purity” (2 Corinthians 6:5-6)1. St. John Chrysostom As the rational people got corrupted and behaved irrationally against their Creator, He intended to rebuke them through the irrational nature. He often –through the words of His prophets- called the earth and the heaven with all its stars to witness His judgment of His people; thus, there is no wonder if the earth moved and trembled and the sun abstained from sending its rays, when the hands of the created stretched to crucify the incarnated divine Word to rebuke the denying crucifiers and to let the darkness testify against them2. The creation made by God to serve man turned into witnesses against him and rebuked him for his rebellion and corruption. “For, behold, the Lord is coming out of His place, and He will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth” (Micah 1:3) God used to come out to His people to bring them on to Him; He used to come out to them with His love to bring them up into His arms. But now, having persisted with stubbornness on their corruption, He is coming out to judge and to chasten them. The prophet portrays God coming down from heaven, treading on mountains, to destroy Samaria for its persistence on idolatry and for practicing abominations. As corruption infiltrated into Judah, its judgment was likewise close. The coming down of the Lord and His treading on the high places of the earth refer to two things: The first is, as though the Word of God, the Creator and the Savior, comes out of His place; having said of His incarnation: “For I proceeded forth and came from God” (John 8:42). The second is, that the Lord who sits on the throne of His mercy to firmly chastens and to destroy the pride and haughtiness of man, He seems as though He comes out of His place according to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth” (Isaiah 26:26). As a heavenly Father, He yearns not to punish and if he does, he is as though coming out of His place; namely, out of His mercy that is full of compassion. It is our iniquity and transgression that make Him as though coming out of His place to chasten… And even in His coming out, He seeks to embrace us to bring us back to the throne of His mercy. Some believe that it refers here to the Lord coming out as though on the clouds to judge the haughty wicked people and to glorify His humble believers. Lord Jesus says: “I proceeded forth and came from God” (John 8:42). It seems appropriate for me here to put beside these words by Jesus the following words by the prophet Micah: “Hear, all you people! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the 1 In Thess., hom 5. 2 Cf. Theodoret of Cyrus Commentary on Isaiah 1:2. 21 Lord God be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple. For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place, and He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place” (Micah 1:2-4). Now, meditate whether the first phrase in the gospel of St. John is equivalent to the second statement by the prophet Micah; as far as the Son is in the Father, being in the form of the Father, before “He emptied Himself, and took the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7); as it seems as though a contradiction, that the Son comes out from the Father; and at the same time remains in Him1. It is said that God comes down, when He cares for the human weakness. As our Lord and Savior is concerned, who “being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming out in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7); “No one has ascended to heaven, but He who came down from heaven, that is the Son of Man who is in heaven” John 3:13). He came down, not only to care for us, but also to carry what is ours: “having taken the form of a servant”. Although He is unseen by nature; being equal to the Father; yet He took up a seen form: “having come out in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7)2. Origen “The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split like wax before fire, like waters poured down a steep place” (Micah 1:4) When the Lord comes out to judge His people, the mountains and heights used in idolatry representing strong holds to protect the idolaters against outer invasion, cannot stand before the Lord, but they melt as He treads upon them and turn into dust. The valleys likewise cannot support the idolaters, but would melt before the Lord like wax before fire. Neither the great people, who count themselves as haughty mountains, nor the lowly people in the valleys, can stand before the Lord to defend the wicked people. In a Coptic biography of St. Pachumius it came, that while his disciple Tadros was reading in the books of the twelve prophets, he came to read the book of the prophet Micah, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him and asked him what he thinks of the meaning of the verse: “like waters poured down a steep place”. When he saw him confused, he said that it means: the water of the river pouring down from paradise; and having said that, he disappeared3. Like wax before the fire, and like waters pouring down a steep place, the wicked will melt and disappear when the Lord comes4. St. Jerome 2. THE CHARGES: “For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?” (Micah 1:5) He began by Samaria, the capital of Israel, being the center of the worship of the 1 In John, homily 20: 152-156. 2 In Genesis, homily 4: 5. 3 Life of Pachomius (Coptic-Bohairic) 1: 155. 4 Commentary on Micah 1: 1: 4. 22 Baal; and from it idolatry infiltrated into the high places of Judah. The he spoke of the high places of Judah, where the idolatry spread. Samaria was punished first on the hands of Assyria, and then Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, was punished on the hands of Babylon. The high places here refer to the idolatry practiced there, which was banned by the Law (Deuteronomy 13). Unfortunately the focus of sin in the both kingdoms was their capitals: Samaria and Jerusalem. “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, places for planting vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, And I will uncover her foundations” (Micah 1:6) Here he presents a horrible judgment as a natural lead to the transgression of Samaria, which turned into ruins due to continuous wars (Isaiah 21:1-3). God allows for Samaria to be destroyed and her stones to be poured into the valley exposing its foundations completely. Up to this day Samaria remains as a heap of ruins, not only on the hills, but also in the fields below. There, the foundations of the palaces of it kings, Omery and Achab were excavated. Samaria, which was famous at that time for its riches and dense population, having originally been vineyards before developing into a great royal capital, it goes back now to its past status or even worse, turning into heaps of ruins and mere stones. “And all the carved images shall be beaten to pieces; and all her hires as a harlot shall be burned with the fire. All her idols I will lay desolate, for it gathered it from the hire of a harlot, And they shall return to be the hire of a harlot” (Micah 1:7) The prophet considers that all what Samaria has reached of greatness to be through idolatry and the hire of harlots, so it is proper for these carved images to be beaten to pieces. Many harlots used to offer a part of their pay to participate in the expenses and decoration of the idol temples. As those temples are destroyed with their abominations, it is as though they return what they have got of the pay of harlots. 3. A BITTER MOURNING OVER JERUSALEM: Jerusalem was facing an invasion by the Assyrian armies that swept through the coastal plains in the direction of Egypt crossing from a city to another, going through the location where the prophet Micah lived, to reach the walls of Jerusalem. That same situation described by Micah, who was about 20 miles far from Jerusalem, was described by the prophet Isaiah, who was residing inside that city (Isaiah 10:28; 34). “Therefore I will wail and howl; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals, and mourning like the owls” (Micah 1:8) As the prophet mourns Israel, he does not cease to wail and howl till his voice become like the wailing of the jackals. His soul was so embittered by grief that he walked like the captives, being dragged naked and barefooted. The prophet Isaiah was previously commanded by the Lord to walk naked and barefooted for the duration of three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia and as a prophecy about their captivity on the hands of Assyria (Isaiah 20:2-4). Isaiah was not ashamed to walk naked as a symbol of that coming captivation. Jeremiah was sent from Jerusalem to the Euphrates, leaving his place be ruined in the camp of the Chaldeans, among the Assyrians, the opponents of his people (Jeremiah 23 13:6-7)… Both cases were provocations for mankind to repentance1. St. Jerome We should count the captivation of our brethren as though it is happening to us; we should count the grieves of those in danger as our grieves. You should know that there is one single body for our unity, and that it is not just our love, but also our religion, that should motivate and encourage us to help the members of our family2. St. Cyprian Whoever encounters the prophet Micah, weeping and mourning, walking naked of his over-garment, and barefooted, may despise him as a miserable peasant, but heaven would see in his tears, cries, nakedness, and bare feet a magnificent portrait of love, seeing his people lead to captivity after about 150 years, commiserating with them and partaking of their misery and bitterness of souls. As St. Paul says: “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them and those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also” (Hebrew 13:3); and also says: “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?”(2 Corinthians 11:29) “For her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; It has come to the gate of my people, Even to Jerusalem” (Micah 1:9) The corruption of Samaria and its idolatry have spread to Israel and infiltrated into Judah, reaching even to the gates of Jerusalem that partakes its evil. The wounds became incurable on the spiritual, social, and political levels. In the east, the gate of the city refers to the statesmen and counselors working with the king, who used to assemble at the city gate. Even in the days of the Turks, the Sultan, together with his entourage, was called "The Sublime Porte". 4. THE BITTERNESS OF SIN: The prophet Micah refers to ten cities, five of which were north of Jerusalem, and the other five southwest or south of it. The destruction would not befall Jerusalem alone, but would spread over the cities around it. Destruction would prevail on them all, as long as they persisted on their evil idolatry. Some scholars believe that some of those cities carried symbolic names, which reveal the role and horror of sin in the life of the congregation, as well as in that of man who persist on his evil. 1. A stumble: The prophet asks the inhabitants of Jerusalem, when captivation would dwell on them after a duration of a century and a half, not to tell the idolworshipping cities, like Gath and Beth Aphrah, about what has befallen them (10), and not to weep before their people, to whom they have become an offense. The word Aphrah is derived from a Hebrew word, meaning "to weep". 2. A return to dust: Instead of heaven set for believers, he, who persists on his evil, would roll himself in the dust hearing the divine voice saying: “You are from dust; and to dust you will return”. Nothing would weigh on the soul, press on it and bring it down like the feeling of sin; and nothing would give it wings and bring it up high like reaching 1 Letter to Marcella, 40:1. 2 Letter 62 : 1. 24 righteousness and virtue1. St. John Chrysostom 3. Deprivation of the garment of righteousness: If the word "Shaphir" means beauty, sin would deprive man of the garment of righteousness to turn his Shaphir, the beauty of his inner soul, into naked shame (11). 4. A sudden tribulation: The word "Saanan" means city of the herd. Before the sudden catastrophe, as a fruit of their sin, the congregation, like a herd of sheep, would be too horrified to get out of the city, but would go around themselves knocking down one another. 5. A public calamity: The word "Beth Ezel" means a place not far away. Everyone would stay in his place and would not go to seek help from his neighbor as the calamity would dwell on them all. 6. Bitterness of the soul: The word "Maroth" means bitter. The wicked assumes that, by practicing evil and sin, he would enjoy goods and pleasure; but he would soon lose his good fortune, and his life would turn into unbearable bitterness. 7. Demolition of strongholds and deprivation of security: "Lachish", one of the strongest fortified cities of Judah, thought to be immune against enemies’ attacks, but the prophet Micah, by the eye of prophecy, sees "Sennacherib" putting it under siege (Isaiah 36:1-2). Its men, trying to escape from it with their chariots and horse, had nowhere to go and were led to captivity. Like those, brought up from their underground dungeons to the place of judgment, shackled in chains, so would all the souls be shackled in the chains of their various sins and led to the horrible chair of judgment2. When you see a rich man preoccupied with his uncountable wealth, do not count him as rich, for he is miserably chained with the evil love of money at the mercy of a fierce jailer, who does not allow him to set forth out of his prison, but keeps him hopelessly shackled, heavily guarded, and behind locked gates3. St. John Chrysostom 8. There is no salvation by mere human wisdom: Even the prophet’s own city Moresheth Gath, gave presents to the Philistines to draw them to help her, but with no use. 9. Lies and deceit: The word "Achzib" means a lie or deceit. The people were deceived by the false prophets to think that they were safe and secure, only to discover their deceit when it was too late. Mareshah, together with Achzib, both became an inheritance to the enemy after discovering its failure to help. 10. Loss of glory: The great and the noble fled to "Adullam" to hide in its famous caves; there the glory of Judah got imprisoned. 11. An incessant mourning: One of the ancient customs was for the girls and women to cut off their hair, when someone dear to them dies or when they are led into captivity. Baldness here refers to loss of comfort. “Declare it not in Gath, weep not at all in Beth Aphrah, Roll yourself in the dust” (Micah 1:10) 1 Homilies on Matthew, homily 38:2. 2 Homilies on Matthew, homily 14:6. 3 Homilies on Matthew, homily 14:6. 25 Here, rolling in the dust refers to deep grief. "Aphrah’"is a Hebrew name meaning dust, its location on a slope of the mountains of Judah is not exactly known. G. Simons believes it to be "Wadi El-Aphr" between "Doweima" and "Tal-el-Dowar", while others believe it to be "El-Teba" between "El-Khalil" and "Gebrin". “Pass by, you inhabitant of Shaphir, in naked shame. The inhabitant of Zanaan came not forth in the mourning of Beth Ezel; It shall receive of you its standing” (Micah 1:11) Shaphir or Saphir is a Hebrew name meaning beauty or beautiful, a city in Judah, believed by some to be nowadays "Tel-El-Sawaphir", three and a half miles south east of "Ashdod"; whereas others believe it to be "Kherbet El-Kom" west of "Hebron", located in Safar valley. He correlates those cities to a woman, who has lost every possibility of cover, thus walks naked and ashamed among men and is led captive in great disgrace with nobody to save her from her fierce enemy. I wish we can get rid of the filth of sin to reveal the past beauty of virtue, expressed by the words of the prophet David: “With Your beauty, O Lord, You made my beauty more prominent”. Let us purify ourselves to reveal God’s image in us; and that is what the Lord seeks from us: to be undefiled, without blemish or defect1. Abbot Dorotheos Zanaan: some believe that the prophet plays here with the word to give a symbolic meaning. The woman inhabitant of Zanaan hides in her house in terror waiting for her bitter destiny, when the invaders come to take her into captivity. Beth Ezel: a Hebrew name meaning a place nearby or the house of separation. It is said to be "Asl" or "Deir El-Asl", south-west of Hebron, about two miles east of Beth Miriam. Its inhabitants, although living in a fortified city resisting invaders, mourn what befell their brethren in other cities and become weary with grief. For the inhabitants of Maroth pined for good. But disaster came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem” (Micah 1:12) Maroth: is located in western Judah, probably derived from the word "Marah", thus giving the meaning of bitterness; nowadays it is "Beth Ummar". Things of grace are accompanied by joy, peace, love, and truth, whereas those of sin are accompanied by confusion, with neither love nor joy in the Lord2. St. Macarius the Great Even if man is rich and noble, when he falls captive to a certain sin, he would become more corrupt than any corruption. Even a king, if captivated by barbarians, he would become the most miserable among men. It is the same case with sin, being a barbarian, it would take the role of a tyrant towards the soul that falls captive in its hand, and so the soul becomes a captive not knowing how to get rid of 1 تأملات في مدیح للقدیس غریغوریوس النزینزي. . 2 عظة 3 :7 26 it1. St. John Chrysostom “O inhabitant of Lachish, harness the chariot to the swift steeds; she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgression of Israel were found in you” (Micah 1:13) Lachish: a fortified city located in the plains of Judah (Joshua 15:33, 39), previously known as "Tel el-Hassa", 16 miles north-east of Gazza and 11 miles southwest of Beth Gebrin. It is requested from the inhabitant of Lachish, having been the first to drag Zion into sin, to escape from the coming invasion. “Therefore you shall give presents to Moressheth gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel” (Micah 1:14) Beth Achzib: means the house of lies. Having deceived the kings of Israel, it was also called "Chezib" (Genesis 38:5) and "Cozeba" (1 Chronicles 4:22). It probably took its name after a spring that used to flow in winter and dries up in summer. Some believe that it is "Ein Cozeba" located in the plains of "Elah" north of "Adullam"; whereas others believe it to be "Tel el-Beida" south-west of "Adullam". Instead of being effective against the invaders, this city would become helpless and would even turn into a deceptive traitor to their account. “I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; The glory of Israel shall come to Adullam” (Micah 1:15) Adullam: a Hebrew name meaning a refuge. Canaanite in origin, it was mentioned between Jermoth and Sokoh. It was inhabited by the Canaanites since the days of Jacob (Genesis 38:1-2), was struck by Joshua, fortified by Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 11:7), then was inhabited by the Jews after their return from captivity (Nehemiah 11:30). Located at "Tel Sheikh Madkour", it was surrounded by rough terrain and was famous for its caves, where people used to take refuge in the times of war. In it was the cave where David hid and made his head quarters (1 Samuel 33:1; 2 Samuel 23:13; 1 Chronicles 11:15). It is said to be the cave of "Wadi Kedron", also known as the caves of "Ein el Maa", about 13 miles southwest of Bethlehem between Lachish and Jerusalem. Mareshah will lose its glory, which will come to Adullam. Because the prophet Micah warned them against the attack of the enemy, the nobility of Judah had to escape and hide in those caves as though the glory of Israel was buried there. “Make yourself bald and cut off your hair for your precious children; Enlarge your baldness like an eagle, for they shall go from you into captivity” (Micah 1:16) The prophet portrays the horrible grief that would dwell over the fathers and mothers, when they see their sons and daughters taken into captivity. This happened several times to both Israel and Judah reaching its maximum horror in the final invasion of Israel by the Assyrians in the year 722 BC, which was witnessed by the prophet Micah, and in the final invasion of Judah in the year 586 BC. Israel, like a mother, mourns its cities, as though they were her daughters who died and lost their lives. It proclaims its grief over them, and over its children, who were born in glory and are now led into captivity. Here the prophet Micah speaks about what was going to happen in the future, as though he was seeing it with his own eyes. 1 In 1 Corinth., hom. 9:8. 27 “Enlarge your baldness like an eagle” (Micah 1:16). Man gets bald only on his head, whereas the eagle, when it gets old, would get bald on its whole body, including the feathers of its wings. Judah would lose its "feathers", namely its men by whom it used to fall upon its prey1. Pope Gregory (the Great) 1 Homilies on Ezekiel, homily 18 (2: 6). 28 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF MICAH 1 MAKE SIN BITTER IN MY MOUTH I confess to You, O my Lord: I drink sin like water. I think of amusement as life and happiness. Reveal to me the bitterness of sin. Let Your fiery Spirit expose my depths. Let me attach to You, the Forgiver of sin. You wish to judge me not to avenge me But to chasten me with Your mercy and to qualify me for Your eternal inheritance. Your fatherhood, even with its firmness, is full of compassion. With Your exalted care, You carry me on Your shoulders. Come out to me and destroy every haughty mountain in my depths. Melt every despair in my heart; Scatter my sin, like water pouring down a steep place. Destroy my sins And remove every corruption within me. As You come out to me with love; grant me to come out to my brethren; To mourn over a lost soul, And to wail over every lost person. How could my heart not flare for the sake of every one who stumble? How could I not weaken together with every weak man? How could I not count myself a captive together with every captive by sin? My soul moans over my sins and those of my brethren; I confess to you that we have caused a stumble to many. Let Your grace work in us; to glorify Your divine work in us. Our sin turned us into dust; Your grace lifts us up to heaven; Our sin deprived us of the garment of Your righteousness; But Your fiery Spirit will give us back Your righteousness. Our sin deprived us of our inner peace. Yet Your presence in us will grant us Your exalted peace. Our sin embittered our souls; Yet our fellowship is the sweetness itself. Our sin destroyed our spiritual walls; Yet Your dwelling in us is the fiery wall of our souls. Our sins deceived us by lies and vain promises; Yet Your coming down to us has lifted us up to Your eternal glories. Our sin led us into captivity; Yet Your grace grants us the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
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