Ain't gonna study war no more

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Micah 4:3 kjv                                                      

Micah was living in Judah, which was part of the southern kingdom, when the Assyrians laid siege to the northern tribes of Israel. Assyria was ruthless, domineering and vicious. History reminds us that Lenin, Hitler, and Stalin were all disciples of Assyrian military policy. It was the Assyrians who first used crucifixion as a method of execution, terrifying their enemies into submission.

Micah’s world was in chaos: Armies were on the march, and homes and families were being torn apart by conflict. Understanding the times in which he wrote reminds us of the perils of living in a nuclear age when madmen have the capability of creating catastrophes of global proportions.

It was during this time, however, when Micah wrote the words in Micah 4:3.

Micah never lived to see this, and when you look back in history, that time has not come yet. This promise is yet in the future. God’s timetable is different from ours, and though centuries may span the gap between the promise and the fulfillment, when God says something, you can count on it as a sure reality.

There will come a time when God says, “Enough!” and He will again send His Son to rule and reign in our world, and that’s when He will judge the nations, and men will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands. Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counsellors.- Psalm 119: 18-22, 24