Lesson 12 - Micah 5:1-14 - FROM YOU ONE WILL GO FORTH
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in Micah 3:1-12, we heard this Southern Kingdom prophet warn the rulers and powerful elite of Judah that the LORD God of Israel (YHWH) was preparing to judge them for their faithless hypocrisy. Micah's first message was directed against the 'heads and rulers,' which included that king and all the government officials under him who were responsible for administering justice for the common people of the nation, especially the poor and the weak. Instead of acting as shepherds who cared for their flocks, the prophet accused leaders of acting more like butchers. Later, when they had reason to cry out to the LORD for help, He would not answer them. Micah's second message criticized the false prophets, really messengers for hire who were telling the power elite of Judah what they wanted to hear-a future that assured continued peace and prosperity. In this day and time, we should beware of false Christian prophets who promise prosperity in return for financial contributions. From Micah's example, we learned that True prophets of God are primarily concerned with bring people into a right relationship with God and with people. As Christians today, we can do this by applying God's biblical justice to the way we live and treat others around us. Lastly, like Micah, we know that the world we live in today will end and be reduced to ruin, and like the prophet, we need to warn people by sharing the gospel and adding them to God's kingdom.
This week, in Micah 5:1-12-the section of prophecies for which this prophet is best-known and most often quoted-we'll hear Micah issue a three-part prophecy: (1) a time of war in which Judah will ultimately be defeated and its people exiled; (2) a time when a mighty Messiah born in Bethlehem would arise from the returned remnant of Judah to proclaim a new spiritual kingdom; and (3) an End-Time when the Messiah king would return to reign over a world-wide spiritual kingdom.
Micah 5:1 - MUSTER YOURSELVES IN TROOPS
1 Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.
v. 1: Micah warns of a terrible time-a coming time of siege and war, and calls Judah to prepare for it. The expression "daughter of troops" is a figure of speech for Jerusalem as a city plagued by incessant warfare. Ironically, Jerusalem's rich elite had been at war with the poor but now their foreign enemies would wage a real war against them. The "judge of Israel" refers to Zedekiah, the reigning king of Judah at the time Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army attacked and ultimately conquered Jerusalem in 587 B.C. The Babylonians did in fact "smite" Zedekiah when they killed both of his sons in his sight, then blinded him in both eyes and took him into captivity (2 Kings 25:6-7).
Read Micah 5:2-5 - HE WILL ARISE AND SHEPHERD HIS FLOCK
2 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." 3 Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has given birth. Then the remainder of His kinsmen Will return to the sons of Israel. 4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth. 5 This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.
v. 2a: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel." - In a complete contrast (i.e., a divine reversal) to the humiliation of king Zedekiah in v. 1, Micah predicts that a much greater "ruler" will emerge in Israel's future. He would be the LORD GOD's representative and arise from the comparatively insignificant town of Bethlehem (= house of bread). The NT identifies this greater ruler as the Messiah, Jesus Christ, though ironically, when He did come, many of the Jews of His time did not know that Bethlehem had been His birthplace. Since Bethlehem had been the hometown of David, the least notable among his brothers, it infers that the greater ruler will come from that family line. Thus, God's choice to begin the redemptive process here reflects His preference for the lowly and unassuming rather than the great and mighty. Like God's choice of David as the least likely, He gave His Son as a baby in a manger-a son who would die on a cross to save the world. The suffix "Ephrathah" is a historical name for the district where Bethlehem is located.
v. 2b: "His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." - While the first phrase asserts the Messiah's humanity, this phrase declares His deity (i.e., fully God) because He comes from "the days of eternity"; the Messiah, therefore, will be fully God and fully man.
v. 3a: "Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has given birth." - This phrase has a double meaning: NT Christians often see it as an implied reference to Mary and the birth story of Jesus (Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:27); however, Micah is most likely referring to the ordeals (like labor pains) that Judah/Israel will experience because of her unfaithfulness as a nation and a people.
v. 3b: "Then the remainder of His kinsmen Will return to the sons of Israel." - Although some view this as the return of the remnant to Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity, most Bible scholars, citing the term "remainder of His kinsmen," see this as a reference to Jesus' Second Coming, when the Jews will return to the land and join other Jews as 'Messianic Christians' under Jesus' leadership. We know from recorded history that after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the Jews were scattered all over the world in what is termed the 'Great Diaspora' and became a much persecuted people. The establishment of the secular state of Israel in 1948 did not fulfill this.
v. 4: "And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth." - As the prophet continues to explain Jesus' Second Coming, this verse describes Christ's shepherd care for Israel and His worldwide power and dominion that will based "In the strength of the LORD." And He will benevolently rule "In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God" in a kingdom that will be never-ending.
v. 5a: "This One will be our peace.' - This refers to Jesus Christ as the Jews' Messiah King and their "peace" (Heb. shalom) means more than an absence of warfare; it stems directly from the kind of security that is derived from faith that God loves you and will meet all of your needs. True peace.
v. 5b: "When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men." - In Micah's day, Assyria was the chief military threat in the Ancient Near East but in a future, End-Time context, it stands as a metaphor that represents Israel's future enemies. The phrase, "Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men," is generally seen as a figure of speech that could translate to 'more than enough" and the numbers seven and eight reflect completeness and perfection. Thus, Christ will assemble a leadership team that will stand against and totally prevail over this new Assyria.
Read Micah 5:6-12 - YOUR ENEMIES WILL BE CUT OFF
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory. 7 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men. 8 The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to rescue. 9 Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off. 10 "It will be in that day," declares the LORD, "That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots. 11 "I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications. 12 "I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. 13 I will eliminate your carved images And your memorial stones from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands. 14 I will uproot your Asherim from among you, And destroy your cities.
v. 6: "They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory." - This verse continues the End-Time prophecy: With Jesus and the leaders mentioned in v. 5, the revived Israel will fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:13-18) and expand its land far beyond its historic borders. They will conquer the land that was once under Assyrian control (the "land of Nimrod" is another metaphor for Assyria). And, Jesus, as the Redeemer leading His army with the power of God, will defeat all of the Assyria-like enemies that rise up against them. Note: We need to keep in mind that Micah's End-Time vision of Israel's future has been contextualized to use terminology that would have been understood by his Israelite audience. The essential point is that Jesus, as Messiah king, would bring peace and security to God's people.
v. 7: "Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men." - In that day, the "remnant of Jacob" will live all over the world scattered among the nations-the current Diaspora. And these converted Israelites, acting for Christ as Messiah, will be a positive and stimulating force among all the nations of the world.
v. 8: "The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to rescue." - Secondly, Israel will be the dominant power among the nations, invincible in its strength. As a "young lion," among sheep, Jesus Christ will be like the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5; Num. 23:24), and He "is set for the fall and rising again of many" (Luke 2:34). In short, with the irresistible strength of Jesus Christ, Israel will prevail over all enemies.
v. 9: "Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off." - This is thought to be a prayer of the remnant; that Jesus, their Messiah, will "cut off" their enemies.
v. 10-11: "It will be in that day," declares the LORD, "That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots. I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications. " - In that future eschatological day, the Lord also promises to remove the sources of military might, e.g., horse and chariots, that once made the Israelites proud (Deut. 17:16). And likewise, the walls and fortifications they once needed to protect themselves from outside attack will no longer be needed.
v. 12-14: "I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. 13 I will eliminate your carved images And your memorial stones from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands. 14 I will uproot your Asherim from among you, And destroy your cities." - Having removed all external threats, in these three verses, the Lord promises that He will remove all of the internal threats-forbidden things that had tempted and plagued the people of God for ages: Sorceries and fortune-telling through demonic information, carved images that formed pagan idols, pillars and stones that were considered sacred. God would free people from the human inventions that oppressed them. Cities are the places where sin flourishes, and God will destroy them. Occultism will continue into the Tribulation period (Rev. 9:21), but the Lord will root it out during the Millennium.
APPLICATION-The Redemption of Israel
1. Micah reminds us that any nation that ignores the will of God will ultimately fall. Israel, the people of God, ignored the repeated warnings of many prophets over hundreds of years. Instead of depending on God, they relied on military power-armies, walls, and fortifications to protect themselves. They corrupted their worship of One True God (YHWH), with false gods and idols. They repeatedly violated the Covenant God made with them by failing to maintain a just society that cared for all people. As we learned last week in Micah 3:12, God will ultimately reduce all nations to "ruin" during the End-Times, as later described in the Book of Revelation.
2. Micah reminds us that God isn't finished with Israel. God promised to would send "a ruler of Israel" who would be born in the insignificant town of Bethlehem. This demonstrates that God's choice to begin His redemptive plan reflects His preference for the lowly rather than the mighty: He would give His Son in manger-a Son who die on a cross to save the word. Jesus' First Coming represented phase one of God's plan: an age of Grace during which Christ will build His church. At Jesus' Second Coming, the Jews will be re-gathered and return to Israel to join other Jews as Messianic Christians under the headship of Jesus Christ and their Messiah King.
Comment: In our time, we live in a world largely opposed to God. In our own United State, Christians have dropped to an increasingly unpopular minority. We see a society where secular man manipulates life by his use of science and technology more effectively than his ancestors did with false religion and magic; however, he is no closer than they were to securing eternal life for himself. By continuing to substitute the creation for the Creator, secular man individually deprives himself of eternal life and by doing so, hastens his eternal death.
