Micah 4:6 begins, in that day, a reference to the latter
days when the mountain of the LORD’s
house shall be established (4:1-5). We
noted yesterday that the fact that the LORD would be present at that time was
declared loudly in today’s passage. We
first see this in v7: the LORD will reign
over them in Mount Zion. And then we
see it in 5:2 in the amazing Bethlehem prophecy.
·
4:6-8: Micah again speaks of the remnant (cf. 2:12). This refers to what is left of God’s people
after His fury is poured out on them.
God promises to gather them, put
them together like sheep of the fold, like a flock in the midst of their
pasture (2:12). Here we see them as
those who were afflicted by God, who were the outcasts and we might imagine, the
kinds of people who were treated wrongfully by the rulers in Micah’s day. When the LORD reigns over them they will be a
strong nation and a restored kingdom. In
4:8 the language speaks of the time when David was king, over a united kingdom
and a time when Jerusalem was a stronghold.
·
4:9-5:1: But at the moment, in Micah’s time, the
nation is not strong. There are
difficult days ahead. If you pay
attention you will see that this section is quite profound in its prediction of
Israel’s future until the Millennium.
o
4:9-10: For now Jerusalem will go off
into Babylon, referring to the 70 year captivity. What is amazing is that in Micah’s time
Assyria was the world power; Babylon’s time was around one hundred years
off. (Isaiah also predicted the time of
Babylon well in advance. In Isa. 1-37
the enemy is Assyria; in Isa. 38-66 the enemy is Babylon.)
o
4:11-12: For now many nations will be
against Israel, nations that do not know what God is doing as He chastens His
people. In the time of Babylon Israel’s
neighbors looked upon Zion in hopes it would be theirs.
o
4:13-5:1:
In the future God will cause Israel to arise and thresh the nations; but
for now He has laid siege against Israel, even to strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. The Davidic dynasty will be set aside for a
period of time.
·
5:2: What an important word: BUT!
God’s taking the lame and outcast and afflicted to become strong (4:6-8)
will begin by exalting Bethlehem
Ephrathah, a village that is little
among the thousands of Judah. Yet
what will God do? From that village will
come the One to be Ruler in Israel. Israel has been afflicted with terrible
rulers; but the LORD promises One who will bring about the panacea we saw in 4:4-5. But
who is this Ruler? It is the One whose goings forth are from of old, from
everlasting! Literally, He is from the days of eternity. God was identified by Abraham as El Olam, the Eternal God (Gen.
21:33). God the LORD is the ruler of
Israel.
(We are just
beginning with this prophecy and will continue tomorrow.)
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