 A Future Hope  5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."The severe judgment that Micah has warned will soon fall upon His people is met with hope of a better future in chapters 5 through 7. In chapter 5, Micah names Bethlehem as the birthplace of the coming Messiah who will bring true peace on Earth for the first time since the fall (5:2-5). This future hope includes the promise of Israel's regathering to their homeland, followed by the final overthrow of Israel's perennial enemies. This is an amazing prophecy in light of events in our time. Israel has been regathered after nearly 2,000 years of exile from their homeland. And we cannot help but see the ever-present possibility of war between Israel and the nations that surround her. Nations that are committed to Israel's destruction. A war, however, that will end with God's promises of Israel's final victory (5:6-15). Micah concludes by describing the unequalled mercy of God. Though holy beyond our comprehension, He is willing to pass over our sins. He finds pleasure in showing us His mercy and compassion as He "subdues the sins" we cannot conquer and casts them into the sea to remember no more. This is our God. This is the hope of a new beginning no matter how far we have fallen or how hard our hearts have become. He will subdue the sins that enslave us and cleanse our hearts as pure as mountain spring water. Let reason and logic convince you that God is like no other. His mercy is beyond measure. May this revelation of God become your refuge from the alienation and sorrow of a guilty heart, trapped by the folly of our own rebellious sins. | |||
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Micah 5:1-7:20  1 Now gather yourself in troops,O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. The Coming Messiah 2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." 3 Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; 5 And this One shall be peace. Judgment on Israel's Enemies When the Assyrian comes into our land, And when he treads in our palaces, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight princely men. 6 They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, And the land of Nimrod at its entrances; Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, When he comes into our land And when he treads within our borders. 7 Then the remnant of Jacob Shall be in the midst of many peoples, Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on the grass, That tarry for no man Nor wait for the sons of men. 8 And the remnant of Jacob Shall be among the Gentiles, In the midst of many peoples, Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Who, if he passes through, Both treads down and tears in pieces, And none can deliver. 9 Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries, And all your enemies shall be cut off. 10 "And it shall be in that day," says the LORD, "That I will cut off your horses from your midst And destroy your chariots. 11 I will cut off the cities of your land And throw down all your strongholds. 12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you shall have no soothsayers. 13 Your carved images I will also cut off, And your sacred pillars from your midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands; 14 I will pluck your wooden images from your midst; Thus I will destroy your cities. 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury On the nations that have not heard. Micah 6 God Pleads with Israel 1 Hear now what the LORD says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice. 2 Hear, O you mountains, the LORD's complaint, And you strong foundations of the earth; For the LORD has a complaint against His people, And He will contend with Israel. 3 "O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the LORD." 6 With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Punishment of Israel's Injustice 9 The LORD's voice cries to the city— Wisdom shall see Your name: "Hear the rod! Who has appointed it? 10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness In the house of the wicked, And the short measure that is an abomination? 11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales, And with the bag of deceitful weights? 12 For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13 "Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, By making you desolate because of your sins. 14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied; Hungershall be in your midst. You may carry some away, but shall not save them; And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword. 15 "You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; And make sweet wine, but not drink wine. 16 For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab's house are done; And you walk in their counsels, That I may make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people." Micah 7 Sorrow for Israel's Sins 1 Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. 2 The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net. 3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks for gifts, The judge seeks a bribe, And the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together. 4 The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity. 5 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. 6 For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household. 7 Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. Israel's Confession and Comfort 8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The LORD will be a light to me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness. 10 Then she who is my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will see her; Now she will be trampled down Like mud in the streets. 11 In the day when your walls are to be built, In that day the decree shall go far and wide. 12 In that day they shall come to you From Assyria and the fortified cities, From the fortress to the River, From sea to sea, And mountain to mountain. 13 Yet the land shall be desolate Because of those who dwell in it, And for the fruit of their deeds. God Will Forgive Israel 14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock of Your heritage, Who dwell solitarily in a woodland, In the midst of Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, As in days of old. 15 "As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders." 16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; They shall put their hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf. 17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, And shall fear because of You. 18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. 20 You will give truth to Jacob And mercy to Abraham, Which You have sworn to our fathers From days of old. | |||
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Micah 5:1-7:20 v. 1 in troops, O daughter of troops – Refers to the conquering Chaldean armies. Can also refer to the Roman army that besieged Jerusalem in 70 AD. He has laid siege against us – either the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar, or the Roman emperor Vespasian strike the judge of Israel – A double reference. Refers to Zedekiah, king of Judah and judge of Israel (Jer. 52:10, 11) who had his eyes put out and was imprisoned in Babylon. Also refers to the Messiah, who received physical abuse and mistreatment at the hands of the Jews and Romans (Is. 50:6, Matt. 26:67). v. 2 Bethlehem Ephrathah – Known by both names, this is the city where Jesus was born (Matt. 2:4-6). Bethlehem (Beyth Lechem, Heb.) means "house of bread" and Ephrathah ('Ephraath, Heb.) means "place of fruitfulness." The One to be Ruler in Israel – A reference to the Messiah. When King Herod questioned his chief priests and scribes about the prophecies regarding the birth of the Messiah, they referred to this verse in Micah. Whose goings forth are from of old – a reference to the deity of Christ (Matt. 2:6, John 1:1-3) everlasting – owlam (Heb.), meaning long duration, antiquity, for ever, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient v. 3 He shall give them up – The Lord will give the Jews over to their enemies, who will experience trouble and distress as a result. Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth – Referring to the end times, when the fullness of Gentiles has occurred (Luke 21:24, Rev. 12:1). The woman in labor represents the Christian church, who are expectantly awaiting the return of Christ (Isa 66:7,8). the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel – Referring to the Jews, who will know Christ as the Messiah and return to the Lord (Rom. 11:26). v. 4 He shall feed His flock – The Messiah shall support and rule His followers. He shall be great To the ends of the earth – The truth of Jesus Christ will be spread to every person in every area of Earth. v. 5 this One shall be peace – The Messiah will bring peace to all nations, will be the author of peace (Zech. 9:10, Eph. 2:14). Seven shepherds and eight princely men – Used to mean many, or an unknown number (Ecc. 11:2, Job 5:19). v. 6 the land of Nimrod – Babylon. A reference to the first king of Babylon, Nimrod. v. 7 the remnant of Jacob – the Jews, God's chosen people in the midst of many peoples – All those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, whether Gentile or Jew. dew – as plentiful and countless as dew in the morning Like showers on the grass – will revive and refresh and provide life-sustaining growth tarry for no man Nor wait – The dew and rain showers are controlled by God; man is powerless to bring the rain or stop it. sons of men – literally, the "sons of Adam" v. 8 Like a lion among the beasts of the forest – strong, mighty, powerful, and courageous. v. 10 cut off your horses…And destroy your chariots – There will be no need for the weapons of war, for the Lord will battle for them (Hosea 14:3). v. 12 cut off sorceries from your hand – There will be no idols or pagan worship in the Christian church. There will only be worship of the Lord. no soothsayers – diviners v. 15 execute vengeance in anger and fury – Refers to those who know the truth of God but have refused to believe and accept the salvation that Jesus Christ offers (Rev. 16:18-21). Micah 6 v. 1 before the mountains – In other words, loudly. v. 2 Hear, O you mountains – A call to those who were supposed to be the "pillars" of society, the chief priests and principle men of the nation. v. 3 Testify against Me – The Lord is willing to have the case for His judgment debated. He does this because He knows He is obviously not in the wrong. v. 5 Balak king of Moab counseled – Balak connived and called upon Balaam (a soothsayer) to curse Israel, but instead wound up blessing them (Num. 22:5, 6; 23:5-8, 20-24). From Acacia Grove to Gilgal – Or, from place to place v. 7 give my firstborn – Giving a child as a sacrifice was part of some pagan practices. This was abhorred by God and would never have been an acceptable sacrifice (2 Kings 3:27, Lev. 20:27). v. 8 do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God – The Lord has made it plain through His Law what is expected of them. Here the Law is summed up. Jesus spoke of the Law in a similar way (Matt. 22:37-40). v. 9 Wisdom shall see Your name – Also translated, "and the man of wisdom shall see thy name" (KJV). Hear the Rod! Who has appointed it? – The rod refers to God's rod of correction and judgment, which He holds over all peoples. The wise man will see the rod and know it comes from the Lord. v. 10 the short measure – Referring to the marketplace. To receive a short measure means the shopkeeper has sold you less than what you paid for. v. 11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales…bag of deceitful weights? – More reference to cheating others. This is treating others unjustly. v. 13 make you sick by striking you – Also translated, "I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins" (NIV). v. 14 eat, but not be satisfied; Hunger shall be in your midst – Either not having enough to eat, or not being able to receive nourishment from food. There are medical illnesses with these symptoms. v. 15 reap, but not sow – This promise of the Lord, along with the others listed in this verse, are the result of God's judgment upon them. v. 16 statutes of Omri are kept – Omri was one of the kings of Israel, and was very wicked (1 Kings 16:16, 24-26). works of Ahab's house are done – Ahab was the son of Omri and was also very wicked. This verse refers to idolatry in Israel. hissing – shrieking or whistling Micah 7 v. 1 glean vintage grapes – This means to pick grapes after they are ripe. The few grapes that would be left would not be almost rotten (Is. 17:6). v. 3 do evil with both hands – In other words, urgently or greedily v. 4 The day of your watchman and your punishment comes – The Lord's prophets were called His watchmen. Now shall be their perplexity – The Lord's judgment will make those who have not heeded His call to repentance confused, not knowing which way to turn. v. 5 Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom – The NIV translates this, "Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words." v. 9 Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me – On the day of judgment, Christ will plead the case for those who have accepted His atoning sacrifice. v. 10 she who is my enemy – the city of Babylon v. 11 when your walls are to be built – referring to the restoration of Jerusalem (Hag. 1). v. 14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff – refers to Christ leading His people dwell solitarily in a woodland – Or, alone in the world, separated by the grace of God through Christ. midst of Carmel – a fruitful field feed in Bashan and Gilead – These cities were famous for having wonderful and rich pastureland. v. 15 will show them wonders – This refers to the miracles God performed when leading the Israelites out of Egypt. v. 16 their hand over their mouth – be silent; not speak ears shall be deaf – be deafened by the sounds of the Lord's people v. 17 lick the dust like a serpent – According to the curse pronounced upon it in the Garden of Eden, the serpent's food is dust (Gen. 3:14). v. 19 cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea – Our sins will be completely forgiven, blotted out, and forgotten (Is. 38:17). | |||
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"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." –Micah 5:2 Jesus, what an amazing thing to read of the prophecies regarding You in the Old Testament! We can read for ourselves, Lord, all about the things that were foretold about You, things that no one could engineer. And we so clearly see the truth of Your divine nature in these words, Jesus. We know that You are God, and were with God in the beginning. You are truly from everlasting! | |||
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This is our God. ~ Bob Caldwell
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