Micah 4:10

Only the *remnant will remain after enemies defeat Jerusalem’s people. God orders them to feel the pain. The pain is like when a woman is having her baby. These pains show to the *remnant that they must leave Jerusalem city. They must camp in the open field. They must go to Babylon. The word ‘Babylon’ also refers to the worst level of *spiritual darkness. In other words, it will feel as if God has left his people. But in fact, God still has a plan for them. He will be present with his loyal *remnant, even in Babylon. Micah repeats the word ‘there’. He uses it twice. This shows that it is important. The *LORD will save the *remnant ‘there’. ‘There’ he will save them from their enemies. These pains will last for a long time. But one day they will end. A new birth will mean the start of a new age, a new period in time. And that will happen only when the *remnant returns to Jerusalem.

This *prophecy became true. The *remnant returned to Jerusalem in 538 *BC (Ezra chapter 2). God’s kingdom (rule) comes by means of tests. So *Israel’s people must suffer these tests. The *remnant had left the safety that they had in the old city (2 Kings 25:2-7; Jeremiah 52:7). They had camped in the open field (Jeremiah 6:25; Jeremiah 14:18). The *remnant had gone to Babylon. But then they returned home. Later, the *remnant will become the new *Israel.

v11 Now many nations gather to oppose you. They have come to fight against you. Those nations say, ‘Look, there is Zion (Jerusalem)! Let us attack it! Let us make it *spiritually unclean (unholy).’