Micah 5:7-15

THE GLORIOUS FUTURE OF THE REMNANT. Micah 5:7-15

RV. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from Jehovah, as showers upon the grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he go through, treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and there is none to deliver. Let thy hand be lifted up above thine adversaries, and let all thine enemies be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day; saith Jehovah, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots: and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strongholds. And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: and I will cut off thy graven images and thy pillars out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands; and I will pluck up thine Asherim out of the midst of thee; and I will destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations which hearkened not.
LXX. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples, as dew falling from the Lord, and as lambs on the grass; that none may assemble nor resist among the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many nations, as a lion in the forest among cattle, and as a lion's whelp among flocks of sheep, even as when he goes through, and selects, and carries off his prey, and there is none to deliver. Thine hand shall be lifted up against them that afflict thee, and all thine enemies shall be utterly destroyed. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will utterly destroy the horses out of the midst of thee, and destroy thy chariots: and I will utterly destroy the cities of thy land, and demolish all thy strong-holds: and I will utterly destroy thy -sorceries out of thine hands; and there shall be no soothsayers in thee. And I will utterly destroy thy graven images, and thy statues out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt never any more worship the works of thine hands. And I will cut off the groves out of the midst of thee, and I will abolish thy cities. And I will execute vengeance on the heathen in anger and wrath, because they hearkened not.

COMMENTS

Micah writes glorious things in this passage concerning the remnant. Israel according to the flesh dwelt alone until her destruction. The nearer destruction finally came, the more she dwelt alone, turned in upon herself the less certain it was God's Messiah would save her and make the Gentiles her slaves, Not so the remnant, the true Israel; she will be in the midst of many people. as the salt of the earth, or as seed sown upon the ground. (Cp. Hosea 2:23)

The remnant shall be as dew from the lord, covering all as dew in a summer morning. (Cp. Psalms 110:3) They shall be pure and clear as dew drops, as the water of life. Dependent upon the Spirit, they shall tarry not for man, nor wait upon the sons of man. They shall be a great blessing to those people among whom they live, just as the refreshing dew from heaven is a blessing to thirsty earth.

But the remnant shall not be tread upon as is the dew. They shall be as a lion among the flocks of sheep... as a lion treadeth down and teareth in pieces and there is none to deliver.
Messiah's people shall be silent and gentle and bringers of blessings, as the dew, but they shall be as bold as lions. The forces which today threaten to destroy Christian civilization cannot stand against the power of the Gospel in the lives of committed people any more than a hyena can stand against a lion.

The strength of God's covenant people is that which derives from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Israel of old had been instructed to not go to Egypt for horses (Deuteronomy 17:16) lest they depend upon chariots and cavalry rather than upon God. (Psalms 20:7) From Solomon on they would disregard this command (1 Kings 10:26-28). The new Israel has no such arms. She stands or falls upon her trust in Christ. So long as she is faithful nothing can stand against her. (Cp. Romans 8:31 -ff)

Note those things against which His people are to prevail. Micah 5:10. horses and chariots are cut off and destroyed. Micah 5:11. Cities and strongholds will be thrown down. The temptation to trust worldly power are so to be eliminated. The church has been slow to relinquish these things, but the circumstances of our day now leave us no choice. Only the Gospel can stand against the armed atheism which threatens our existence.

Witchcrafts and soothsayers (Micah 5:12) are also to be cut off. There is a revival of such evil in our day, but not in the hands of the church.

Graven images and pillars and the graven images which are the works of our hand (Micah 5:13) are to be eliminated. Even the Roman church has recently decommissioned two hundred saints before whose idols thousands have prayed! In the New Testament church such things were an abomination.

Micah 5:15 must be almost unbelievable to the one today who thinks the God of the Old Testament was only a primitive fore-shadowing of the God of Love revealed in the new. Nevertheless, the prophet sees, IN THE AGE OF THE MESSIAH, God executing vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations which hearken not.

The concept of a God Who does not bring vengeance against anyone is of very recent origin and completely foreign to the Christian God of the New Testament as well as the Old.

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

CHAPTER X

JEHOVAH'S CONTROVERSY WITH HIS PEOPLE

Chapter s six and seven are composed of a series of lamentations, threatenings and denunciations. These are directed against all classes of people in Israel and Judah, whereas those which introduce each of the three earlier cycles (Chapter s 1-3) are directed against the upper classes only. The themes struck there are extended here.
We are pressed to conclude that, just as the sins of society's leaders filter down through all classes so the judgements of God upon those sins are also applied to all classes of people. This is a lesson which is much needed today among revolutionaries who are critical of those in authority. Too many times protests against the system are merely the pot calling the kettle black.

Chapter XQuestions

Jehovah's Controversy With His People

1.

Micah Chapter s six and seven are composed of a series of __________.

2.

Just as the sins of society's leaders filter down through all classes so __________ are applied to all people.

3.

Jehovah's first controversy with His people is occasioned by their having forgotten __________.

4.

God's controversy with His people is before all creation because __________.

5.

How does Micah connect the final section of his book to the first section?

6.

In Micah 6:3-5 the __________ is made. In Micah 6:9 to Micah 7:6, the case will be __________.

7.

The cry of Micah 6:3-5 is the plea of a __________.

8.

Explain Micah's reference to Balaam. (Micah 6:5)

9.

Why remember from Shittim to Gilgal? (Micah 6:5(b))

10.

Show how Micah 6:1-5 is timely in our day.

11.

What is alluded to by shall I give my first-born for my transgression? (Micah 6:7 (b))

12.

Discuss Micah 6:8 in connection with Matthew 26:16 and Hebrews 2:1-4,

13.

God's insistence upon faithfulness is not unreasonable when we remember __________ His __________ and __________.

14.

How does Micah answer the question, what doth Jehovah require of thee? (Micah 6:8)

15.

The __________ is the Bible quoted by Jesus and the apostles.

16.

Micah 6:8 does not claim that __________ an attribute of God's character is required of God's people.

17.

Rather than compassion, Micah insists that we are required to __________.

18.

Discuss Micah 6:8 in connection with Matthew 23:23.

19.

Why must the outward forms of obedience always be expressive of inner reality?

20.

Compare Micah 6:9 and Proverbs 9:10.

21.

What is the significance of shall I be pure? Micah 6:10-12

22.

The persistent fact of __________ is a prime factor in Micah's message.

23.

Compare Micah 6:14 and Job 20:15.

24.

What is meant by Micah 6:15?

25.

What are the statutes of Omri? Micah 6:15(a)

26.

Compare Micah 6:16(b) and Micah 3:12.

27.

Discuss the historic phenomena known as anti-semitism in light of Micah 6:16.

28.

Compare Micah 7:1-2(a) and Psalms 14:1-2.

29.

Discuss Micah 7:1-2 in light of Romans 3:9-18.

30.

Micah 7:2(b) - Micah 7:4(a) refers to __________.

31.

Compare Micah 7:2(b) - Micah 7:4(a) with 2 Samuel 23:6-7, Isaiah 55:13, and Ezekiel 2:6.

32.

Who are listed as those whom honest men cannot trust? (Micah 7:5-6)

33.

Discuss Micah 7:5-6 in connection with Matthew 10:35-36 and Luke 12:53.

34.

Discuss Micah 7:7 in connection with Joshua 24:14-15.

35.

Despite the wickedness of his time, Micah is unshaken in the conviction that __________.

36.

Discuss Micah 7:8-10 in light of Romans 8:31-39.

37.

Compare Micah 7:9 to Psalms 22:1-24 and Romans 7:24 to Romans 8:1.

38.

What is meant by a day for rebuilding thy walls? (Micah 7:11-13)

39.

If one requires proof of Micah's highest motives in writing his prophecies, his prayer for __________ provides it amply.

40.

The nations shall see what and be ashamed?