The Minor Prophets: Micah

Introduction: Before we move into the great indictment of the Judeans in chapter six next week, there is this prophecy of hope for the future contained in this short section before us today. According to my several commentators, we may divide these two oracles into three prophetic themes:

Development: We begin with the first oracle, in verses seven-nine. This passage concerns the elect of every nation, the church: in the future New Covenant age. Verse seven reads: “Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man.” Commentator Bruce Waltke tells us that “the future tense, [shall be], connects the fulfillment of this oracle with the coming of the Messiah.” The immediate remnant of the coming captivity must be tried by conquest and challenges so that those who finally return to the land may be better able to serve the Lord God of Jacob and Abraham. “The remnant of Jacob” here has a special intention, related back to Micah 4: 7: “and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation.” Waltke again shows us the intention of the text: “The weak ‘remnant’ forged out of the Babylonian captivity will become the strong nation that overturns the tables of history. After the Messiah comes, the vanquished remnant will become the victors.”

This New Covenant crowd will be as Matthew describes them: “the salt of the earth.” And as we have seen and known the church has indeed gone to the ends of the earth in search of the elect of every nation under the sun. In this passage the prophet likens the remnant to the dew and showers which enrich the crops and makes even the deserts bloom. Commentator Michael Bentley commends this aspect of prophecy for the future in these words: “the remnant of the people were going to bring great refreshment to the nations who were feeling parched and dry.”

I might also add that it was indeed the scattered Jewish settlements to whom Paul and the other Apostles went throughout Palestine and on into the Roman world to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. We might also understand from the contemporary records of the time of Christ, that very much of the ancient world not only knew of the promised Jewish Messiah but also shared in the expectation for His righteous reign. The last phrase in this verse shows us that it will be the work of the Lord that moves forth because it is not delayed for any mere man or generation of men.

Verses eight and nine show us a different aspect of the promised future. The presence of the elect remnant will be “like a lion among the beasts of the forest,” and the hand of God’s people “shall be lifted up over [their] adversaries and all [their] enemies shall be cut off.” The metaphor here, according to Waltke: speaks of God’s “sovereignty”, then describes His “subjugating, destructive power” and further: even of “death”. And last in this rehearsal of the four short predicates: “God’s inescapable judgment.” The life of the church in the ongoing accomplishment of God’s providence will not be easy as the Apostle John (16: 33) grasps it from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ who told us: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Paul too speaks of dominion and conquest, Matthew records the great commission to go forth in Christ’s Name above all names. And all agree that the conflict with Satan and his helpers will be featured in every age.

Just as in the great commission of Matthew, the mandate for God’s people is made clear here in verse nine: “Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. Now, we may all be wondering how that is being accomplished in our day and time, but we have to remember that our lives are far too short to see and comprehend the mighty acts of God that thereby advance the Kingdom even when it seems that the Kingdom is being shorted. What evidence did God provide to the people of Micah’s time and what encouragement must be ours in this regard? Quite simply, in the immediate context of this Prophet, the Assyrian Army was not only defeated but utterly destroyed! And once the power and might of God was displayed: even the cold calculating hearts of the Judean’s locked up in their fortress city were melted and the great revival transformed many of the people.

The second oracle before us today, is in verses ten through fifteen. Commentator Waltke informs us that God will indeed “protect his kingdom. This he will do, first, by purging it from the unholiness within and so preserve it from his wrath (10-14) and, second, by punishing foes without and so protect his people (15). His punishment of Israel is remedial, and of the nations penal.” What we mean by remedial and penal punishments may be drawn out from the Martha Stewart case, which was in the headlines again this week. One of the jurors sensed that the popular icon seemingly acted as if she was above the common crowd and that her actions and judgments ought not to be regulated by the ordinary laws, rules and regulations. And so she was found guilty for the manner in which she sought to save a paltry few thousand dollars by selling short of a greater loss. Any potential time spent in prison would be considered penal. But, if she has learned anything at all, the multi-millions lost aside from breaking the law should break her heart and cause her to ponder her place and position in the grand scheme of things. Charles Colson, of Nixon’s plumbers union – came to a life changing focus in the midst of all his troubles. So – what are a few millions, if there loss thereby might melt a frozen heart and transform a lost soul? These things do not happen outside the providence of the Lord Creator God, but it must depend upon the work of the Holy Spirit to make them better understood.

The Judean priests, princes and population have sinned mightily and even as the Lord delivers them from the Assyrians to melt their foolish pride – still their descendents will forget the lesson learned and repeat many and more of the same sins that rocked the capital of Zion. Micah charges the people here with three forms of apostasy. The first is seen in verses ten and eleven. It reads like any modern headline: “I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots.” Further on we see that He will also “cut off the cites of your land and throw down all your strongholds.” In modern language these descriptions are simply the mobile forces that would engage the enemy in open territory plus all of the defensive works, forts and towers behind which the second line troops could protect the families and dependants of the nation. In both world wars, the Belgian nation sensing its weakness in mobile offensive operations – did built a fortress system the envy of the world. However, as history well demonstrates it is not the apostasy of believing in the power of the strength of the sword that saves – but the Lord God who Himself has determined how safe the city and state may remain.

The second apostasy is described in verse twelve. “I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes.” Here we are reminded that the Lord our God is indeed a jealous God who will not tolerate the apostasy of worshipping false gods. Years ago, I wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper complaining about the sudden appearance of a weekly Astrological advice column. I was informed indirectly that Christianity was not the only spiritual activity ongoing in the county, and that the editors meant to serve a larger crowd in our newly progressive age. That worldly concern has certainly paled in comparison for newer increasingly devilish interests which have become pestilent in the intervening years. Several times, during twenty-five years of public service I came face to face with self-described witches and warlocks. Only one of whom decided to find something better once they found out they were personally being groomed for sacrifice as their deviant group worked its way up the sacrificial food chain!

The third apostasy here is described in verses thirteen and fourteen, and that is the one of idolatry. Of course we may well suppose that there is not much of a difference between idolatry and witchcraft? Except for pious scholars we might rightly ignore any such discussion. While the difference is subtle – nevertheless it is real. Many idolatrous religions are seemingly sincere in their attempts to placate the gods and goddesses who they mistakenly perceive to be in power. By contrast the real earthy, wicked and deviant Satanists are united in their total opposition to the One true God of heaven and earth. The difference is this, the pagans are betting on the wrong horse, while the Satanists are gunning for the only true Horse in the race, so to speak.

The pagans, according to Waltke, with their interest in natural images, “sought to manipulate the innate forces of life within nature through magical words and ritual. Carved images were part of the magic.” And sacred groves, hills and places were supposedly the official seats for communication with the other worldly objects of their affection. For this reason and the others, the nation of Israel must cease, even as the Lord prepares His people for a new administration of the ancient Covenant. In the light of future Jewish developments after Micah and Isaiah, we can certainly understand from history that these three worldly attachments were more detached from their experience than is common. Never again, until the modern era has Israeli military might been a question of unlimited success. And certainly, with the final exception to accepting their own Messiah – the people of Israel were finally weaned away from their interest in and worship of the common pagan symbols that had once competed for their affection to the One true God.

Application: We are left with one final verse in this selection: “And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.” A better translation for “vengeance” here would be “sovereign vindication.” By this term, we mean the ending of all things – the final appointment of the Divine prerogative to consummate all things at the end of the age according to His divine pleasure and judgment.

We must always understand here in any prophetic context in the Old Covenant that not only is their usually an immediate application but also and always a Messianic one as well. The late James Montgomery Boice, in his commentary on the Minor Prophets summarizes the threefold implications of the Judean experience in and through the words before us today.

1. The future, in spite of present problems could be glorious.
2. The nation could be a source of blessing and corrective judgment for others.
3. The nation may be purified of its sin so that an attitude of devotion to God may be maintained.

Of course, as we well know, these things happen only as the Lord God of Creation allows and orders any and every affair of mankind. As I have poorly explained over these last few weeks, we are in a very similar situation as a nation to the period of time in question here. The good news of the Old Covenant revelation is that in and through the message of Micah a great revival in Judea broke out and the captivity and punishment was thereby seemingly postponed for several generations. It is in this sense that we should be regular in our understanding and prayer for God’s holy and righteous will to be carried out. Even as we read and heard described the tragic situation in which Micah and Isaiah worked – they expected and hoped for the best that God could and would do.

Again, we should realize, even as the Hebrew and American experiences have transformed a blighted world over the centuries, what happens here does not stay here, contrary to the worldly advertisements for a Las Vegas weekend. A greater part of the Islamic opposition to America is the increasing secular and humanist spirit that pervades almost all of our institutions. As the nation’s political headlines continue to defile every sacred instinct – we should look carefully to see how easily we fit the mold for divine judgment. Even though, the Islamic vendetta is seemingly impotent at the present, the very military might which holds the terrorists off could just as easily be diminished and done away with if certain politicians could have their way. However, if a present revival should take place and these things could be removed – the ongoing process of the Lord’s discipline and providence could prove a blessing to the whole world.

Finally, we can hope that in the Lord’s providence not only our own souls and lives, but that of the nation as well could be cleansed of the gross impurities that now pollute the land. And if the Lord would allow: a greater peace and affection for the Creator God might be revived in our time. Even so, if this is not to be allowed and accomplished – the Lord is still coming and He will not be slow. “Come quickly Lord Jesus, come quickly.”
Amen.

PREACHING RESOURCES

Bentley, Michael. Balancing the Books: Micah & Nahum.
Boice, James Montgomery. The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary 2.
Smith, George A. The Expositer’s bible: The Book of the Twelve Prophets.
Waltke, Bruce. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Micah
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.
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