Micah 4:9-13

DISTRESS AND REDEMPTION. Micah 4:9 to Micah 5:1

RV. Now why doest thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee, is thy counsellor perished, that pangs have taken hold of thee as of a woman in travail? Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city; and shalt dwell in the field, and shalt come even unto Babylon: there shalt thou be rescued; there will Jehovah redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. And now many nations are assembled against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye see our desire upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and thou shalt beat in pieces many peoples: and I will devote their gain unto Jehovah, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. Now shalt thou gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us; they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
LXX. And now, why hast thou known calamities? was there not a king to thee? or has thy counsel perished that pangs as of a woman in travail have seized upon thee? Be in pain, and strengthen thyself, and draw near, O daughter of Zion, as a woman in travail: for now thou shalt go forth out of the city, and shalt lodge in the plain, and shalt reach even to Babylon: thence shall the Lord thy God deliver thee, and thence shall he redeem thee out of the hand of thine enemies. And now have many nations gathered against thee, saying, We will rejoice, and our eyes shall look upon Zion. But they know not the thought of the Lord, and have not understood his counsel: for he has gathered them as sheaves of the floor. Arise, and thresh them, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horns iron, and I will make thine hoofs brass: and thou shalt utterly destroy many nations, and shalt consecrate their abundance to the Lord, and their strength to the Lord of all the earth. Now shall the daughter of Zion be completely hedged in: he has laid siege against us: they shall smite the tribes of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

COMMENTS

WHY DOST THOU CRY ALOUD?. Micah 4:9-10

The term tower of the flock (Micah 4:8) appears also in Genesis 35:16 -ff. There is the record of Rachel, beloved of Jacob, dying in childbirth as they journeyed from Bethel to Bethlehem.

Just as Rachel died in childbirth, so the nation of Israel would die at the hands of Titus (70 A.D.) and Hadrian (135 A.D.) in the height of her Messianic expectancy. First century Israel looked for a king, but could find none. Micah's question is pertinent, Is there no king in thee? The king would indeed be in her, but she would die in travail without seeing (recognizing) Him just as Rachel died.
The nation, even in Micah's time, in pain would go away into Babylon. there to be rescued. To all outward appearances the Hebrew nation was dead when they were led away into Babylon. In truth, however, it was there they were molded into a people who never again forgot God.
True, their national ambition blinded them to the Christ. He was recognized only by the remnant, not the nation. Nevertheless, there is a real sense in which Micah can truly use the plural, both the remnant and the nation (Micah 5:7) shall be ruled over by Jehovah.

In all this, Micah is looking beyond the Assyrian Dynasty to the supremacy of Babylon, and through Babylon to the Persians, and beyond Persia to the Messianic Age.

(Micah 5:11) It is the prophet's purpose in these verses to return to the warnings of Micah 3:12, Before there can be a national restoration and a deliverance of the remnant there must be the captivity.

Having projected hope which lay nearly two centuries in the future in its first instance i.e. the deliverance from Babylon, and some eight centuries in the future in its Messianic fulfillment, Micah returns in Micah 5:11 to the situation immediately before him. Between the present and the blessed future was an array of enemies bent on Israel's destruction.

In Micah's own time the Assyrians dominated the international scene, They would wipe out the northern kingdom and in their turn be replaced by Babylon. Babylon would enslave the southern kingdom, only to be destroyed by the Persians.
The Medo-Persians would themselves yield to Alexander and the Greeks.
Against the oppression of the Greeks would rises a blood bath known to history as The Maccabean Period, including a Jewish civil war, to be ended only by Roman occupation.

(Micah 4:12 to Micah 5:1.) This array of foreign powers who, from the beginning of recorded history, have used the land of Israel as a military pawn and buffer state have reckoned without God's thought and counsel. He has gathered them, i.e. the nations arrayed against Israel, as sheves to the threshing floor. Jerusalem, daughter of Zion, is called to arise and thresh. Jehovah will make her horn iron and her hoofs brass.

Thus, against the figure of oxen treading out grain, God promises power which will beat many people in pieces.
Nothing in history to date, fully accords with the prediction. The only period of history since Micah in which Israel has had any military power was the Maccabean period of victory over Antiochus Epiphanes and that victory was on nothing like the scale indicated here in the threshing of many nations.

To find the fulfillment of this prophecy, we must look to more recent history. We have previously referred to Romans 11 in reference to the first group here presented by Micah i.e., the true Israel, the covenant people called the remnant. But what of the cast off ones who are to become a strong nation to whom the former dominion shall come?

It is concerning them that Paul writes as touching the Gospel, they are enemies for your (Christians) sake, but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sake. For the gifts and calling of God are not repented of. For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown you they also may now obtain mercy. (Romans 11:24 -ff) (See Don DeWelt, Romans Realized, p. 174-f)

The Jews are precious to Jehovah because of His past relations with them. There is little doubt that the Bible predicts another period of national life and prosperity. To recognize this ought, not, however, to engender in us such earthly, material and sordid hopes as proved their undoing in the rejection of Christ two thousand years ago. Whatever is in store for the Jewish nation in terms of earthly identity, it can in no way preclude the longing of God and His church to win them to Christ.

It is my opinion that in our day, which is called the latter days, the time of the Messiah (Cp. Micah 4:1; Micah 4:6), we are seeing the fulfillment of Micah 4:9 to Micah 5:1 in the present history of the Israeli nation. As we have previously indicated, no time in the interval between Micah and the present has met the fullness of this passage. From Assyria to now many nations have been assembled against the Jews (Micah 5:11). In all this historic desire to see these people defiled, the nations have not considered God's will nor known His counsel (Micah 5:12). The present Arab-Russian-Chinese coalition against modern Israel certainly takes none of this into account.

Yet, in a strength unbelievable, reported by every news media of our time, this little postage stamp country has not once but four times in turn defied the strength of Britain and all the Arab world could hurl against her and has each time threshed them soundly (Micah 5:12). In six days in June, 1967, Israel literally beat in pieces many people.

Micah promised this would come to pass during the Christian era. It ought be no great source of amazement that we are seeing it happen!

(Micah 5:1) But before the remnant shall be gathered by Messiah, before those cast off can become a strong nation, the inevitable must happen. The kingdoms will gather their armies together and attempt in vain to hold off the armies of Assyria and of Babylon. But it will be to no avail. The price of their apostacy must be paid.

Chapter IXQuestions

Future Exaltation and Messianic Hope

1.

Demonstrate that Micah's prophecy in Micah 4-5 has to do with the day of the Messiah, our own Messianic time.

2.

What does John tell us about this end time? (1 John 2:18 -f)

3.

What is the meaning of the mountain of Jehovah's house?

4.

Comment on all peoples walk everyone in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:5)

5.

Discuss many nations. (Micah 4:2)

6.

Discuss ... out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. (Micah 4:2 cp. Luke 24:44 -f)

7.

Men are at war with men because ________________________.

8.

God must become ruler of our ____________ as well as our church doctrine. (Micah 4:4)

9.

In that day (Micah 4:6-7) refers us back to ___________________.

10.

That which is lame is the image of ____________.

11.

Discuss her that halted is become a remnant. (Micah 4:7)

12.

Distinguish between that which was lame and that which was driven away.

13.

Discuss I will make. that which was cast far off a strong nation in Micah 4:7 in light of Romans 11:1.

14.

What is meant by tower of the flock? (Micah 4:8)

15.

Discuss Micah 4:11 in connection with Micah 3:12.

16.

In Micah's own time the nation of ____________ dominated the international scene.

17.

____________ would wipe out the northern kingdom.

18.

____________ would enslave the southern kingdom.

19.

____________ would conquer the Medo-Persian empire.

20.

The Maccabean revolt was against the rule of ____________.

21.

All these powers, and others since have used the land of ____________ as a political pawn and a ____________ state.

22.

Discuss Romans 11, Micah 4:11-13 in light of current events in the Middle East.

23.

The Jews are precious to Jehovah because ____________.

24.

This does not imply ____________.

25.

What New Testament reference is made to Micah 5:2 -ff?

26.

What is the meaning of Ephratah? (Micah 5:2)

27.

Bethlehem nestles on the ____________ slopes of a ridge some ____________ miles ____________ of Jerusalem.

28.

Discuss, the conditions of Jesus birth in contrast to what might have been expected for the birth of a king.

29.

The sheep tended on the slopes of Bethlehem were traditionally intended for _________.

30.

Why did the Roman emperor Harian forbid Jews to live in or near Bethlehem?

31.

Perhaps no other term in the Old Testament has been more grossly misunderstood than _____________.

32.

Humanly speaking, it was the Jews-' ambitious vision of ____________ that was responsible for the death of Jesus.

33.

It is the failure of many to recognize the kingly office and authority of Jesus that has brought about the ____________ in the modern church.

34.

Discuss the temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-12) in relation to the Jewish dream of world power in the Messianic age.

35.

The real issue in Micah 2:6 is the assurance that ____________.

36.

Why do the Jews object that Jesus cannot be the Messiah?

37.

Discuss the pre-existence of Christ in light of Micah 5:2.

38.

God would not, Micah promised, fully vindicate His people and exalt them until ____________,

39.

The Messiah is to be a glorious prince, but His relationship to His people is that of a ____________.

40.

What is the significance of His greatness shall be to the ends of the earth?

41.

Discuss and this man shall be our peace.

42.

Discuss seven shepherds. eight principal men. (Micah 5:5-6)

43.

What is meant by the remnant shall be as dew in a summer morning?

44.

Messiah's people are to be as bold as _____________.

45.

Micah 5:15 must be almost unbelievable to ____________.

46.

The prophet sees in the age of

____________ God executing vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations which hearken not