Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

MICAH - CHAPTER 4

Verses 1-8:

Universal Reign in Zion

Verse 1 describes how that in the last days of earth’s measured time, at the coming of the Christ to Zion, Jerusalem, to begin His millennial reign, over all governments of the earth, people shall flow to it for peace, glory, praise, and adoration, when it is exalted above the hills to heaven, as also described, Isaiah 2:2-4. It shall have a firm foundation and permanent continuity, Luke 1:32.

Verse 2 asserts the universality of the coming millennial kingdom of the Lord, as one of peace and prosperity, when all nations will flow to Jerusalem, the center of the government of the rule of the Lord, Genesis 49:1; Jeremiah 48:47; Ezekiel 38:16; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 10:14; Hosea 3:5; Acts 2:17. In this glory era of one thousand years, as the earth is restored to Edenic glory, the Lord Himself shall teach men His ways in Zion, give them His laws in which men shall then walk obediently, Isaiah 2:1-5; Isaiah 11:1-12; Revelation 20:4-6; Luke 1:32-33.

Verse 3 describes the equitable and peaceful nature of this reign of the Messiah. His judgment and rebuke will convict of sin and subdue enemies in judgment, John 16; John 8, 9; Psalms 2:5; Psalms 2:9; Psalms 110:5-6; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 12:5. Israel and Judah, who once for defense, beat their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears, will reverse the order, in this Golden millennial era, Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 11:6; Isaiah 11:9; Hosea 2:18; Joel 3:10. Thereafter they shall learn war no more, Psalms 72:7. Implements of war will forever thereafter be implements of peace.

Verse 4 speaks of universal prosperity when every person will sit under his own vine or fig tree, without fear, because of the favor and nearness of the Lord. To sit conveys an image of rest and safety, even in open fields. There men shall enjoy prosperous tranquillity, as described 1Ki 4;25. The fig tree and vine will be all the shelter one will need in that day, because the Lord has said so; His mouth has spoken, Psalms 119:160. See also Leviticus 26:6.

Verse 5 describes the walk or deportment of every person in that millennial day, in the name of his god, Jeremiah 2:11, and Micah asserts that all the remnant of the house of Jacob will walk in the name, by, or as authorized of, their Lord God for ever, Exodus 3:14-15; Zechariah 10:12, as described also 1 Samuel 17:45; Zechariah 10:12; Proverbs 18:10. Those who walk after heathen gods find that they can do nothing for them. They can not hear them, see them, speak to them, walk before them, or lift a hand to help them as attested Psalms 115:4-9.

Verse 6 offers a divine pledge to regather the nation of Israel, the house of Jacob, whom He has formerly driven out and afflicted, because of her rejection of Him and His laws -of conduct and worship and Divine service. Those who have halted or limped about, like sore-footed sheep from a weary journey, will be brought to Him again, Psalms 35:15; Psalms 38:17-18. This salvation or deliverance shall not fail, for the miserable and disbursed shall be brought back to their homeland, Psalms 147:2; Isaiah 56:8; Ezekiel 34:13; Ezekiel 37:21-22. Those regathered are called the Lord’s flock, Jeremiah 13:17; Zephaniah 3:19.

Verse 7 further expressed God’s unconditional pledge to make those of Israel who once halted, wounded, chastened, and footweary, to be a strong nation, to be reigned over by Him from Mount Zion, from Jerusalem, forever thereafter, as pledged Daniel 7:14; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15.

Verse 8 is a direct, divine address to Jerusalem, called the tower of the flock, and strong hold of the daughters of Zion. From Jerusalem this "tower", the Messiah, will both administer as King over Israel and lead the church, (His flock-bride) while her twelve apostles sit on 12 thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and members of His church-flock join Him in ruling, some over 5, 10, and 20 cities, in that day---O Blessed Day! Luke 22:28-30; Revelation 21:14; Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Luke 19:17; Luke 19:19. The dominion once given to Israel, from the days of Moses, through the faith pledge of the land grant to Abraham, shall surely come to Israel again, even as it was confirmed in David, 2 Samuel 7:10-17; Psalms 89:3; Psalms 89:20-37; Luke 1:32-33.

Verse 9, 10:

The Intervening Babylonian Captivity

Verse 9 presents an inquiry of irony and chiding sarcasm. Tauntingly Israel was asked, as the Chaldean army approached, if she did not have a king to devise resistance against the armed enemy. Are her counselors too mentally deranged to give any guidance? With her king subdued by the Chaldeans, Israel had anguish compared with the sudden sharp and severe pains of a woman in travail of birth, Jeremiah 52:9; Lamentations 4:20; Hosea 3:4-5. The king was a sign of God’s presence in Israel, His absence a sign of God’s displeasure.

Verse 10 calls upon Zion to be in pain, and to labor to bring forth, like a woman in travail, Jeremiah 4:31. In her bitter sorrows and grieving, God brings her consolation. The suffering is her lot for a time, deliverance is assured, after awhile, Isaiah 59:20. Israel is told by God’s prophet Micah that she must go forth from the city into the field, open places, defenseless fields, even to Babylon, some 400 miles east of the Jordan river, there to languish in captivity 70 years because of her disobedience, Psalms 137:1; Ezekiel 3:15; Isaiah 39:6-7; Isaiah 43:14. They are assured, however, that they shall be delivered from that captivity, Isaiah 48:20. Cyrus, a type in deed, of Christ the Great deliverer, did deliver them, a remnant, back to Jerusalem after seventy years, Judges 14:14; Jeremiah 25:11-12; Daniel 9:1-2.

Verses 11-13:

Gentile Nations Come Against Jerusalem---The Armageddon

Verse 11 describes the arrogance of Gentile nations in armed array marching against, boisterously swooping down upon Jerualem. They came, not to hear the law of the Lord, v. 2, but for war purposes, to destroy and plunder. As they approached the city, they cried in greed and lustful collusion, "let her be defiled," or ravished like a virgin. Babylon, Edom, Ammon, and Moab joined for the kill on Judah, the southern kingdom of the nation of Israel, Lamentations 2:16; Obadiah 1:11-13. These raping Gentile nations connived to shed blood in Jerusalem, then gaze insultingly upon her in her naked and ravished shame, Micah 7:20. They desired to feast their eyes on her calamity.

Verse 12 asserts that these rapacious, greedy, lustful Gentile nations were without or void of real knowledge or thoughts of the Lord in their degenerate nature and deeds, Isaiah 55:8-9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. God will one day gather the Gentile enemies, who then threshed His people, Israel, and shall bind them as a sheaf of wheat to be threshed in His threshing floor. And their threshing shall be thorough, when they assault Jerusalem and the King of glory in that day, v. 13. See Isaiah 2; Isaiah 10; Jeremiah 51:33.

Verse 13 calls upon Israel to rise up against these Gentile nations who have come to humiliate her, and start threshing them, even treading them under feet as grain in a threshing floor, Isaiah 41:15-16. The Lord pledges, to make Israel’s horn iron, and her hoofs brass, meaning she shall be given the strength of the two strongest domesticated animals, the ox and the ass, to tread out, crush the Gentile assailants, 1 Kings 22:11; Daniel 2:44; Isaiah 60:6; Isaiah 60:9. God promises to consecrate their gain as Gentiles, subdued by Israel, for the good of the whole earth, Zechariah 14:20; Zechariah 12:1-8; Zechariah 14:14.