Study 3 From The Book of Micah Is: Micah 4:8-5:15
Two
prophecies with a ‘Now … But…’
1. 4:8-5:1. Zion will be besieged and her inhabitants exiled. But what will follow? On a personal level,
what is man’s true perspective to be? Cf. 4: 12 and 1 Cor. 2:9, 10.
2. 5:2-6. From this early Messianic prophecy what do we learn of the
Messiah’s origins and activity? How did Jesus fulfil the longings of prophet
and people?
3. 5:10-15. The life of the restored remnant of Israel will be one of
God-given (verse7) victory (verses 8:9), but purification will be involved
(verse 10, 14). Disobedience is
disastrous (verse 15). See 1 Pet. 2:9-12,
16; 4:7 and consider how the same principle still applies.
Notes
1. 4:10 ‘Go to Babylon’: a remarkable instance of prophetic
prevision, because at the time the great enemy was Assyria, not Babylon. But, see Is. 39:6, 7.
2. 4:11. The nations gather to
ogle, and worse. But, one day the roles
will be reversed; cf. 7:10b, 17.
3. 4:13 Devoting spoil to the Lord was an old custom; cf. Jos. 6:24.
4. 5:3 Israel shall be surrendered up until the Messiah is born;
then, the Messiah’s family will be reunited.
5. 5:5 ‘Seven…eight’: an indefinite number according to Hebrew idiom;
whatever the need for leaders is, it will be met.
6. 5:6. Read (with mg) ‘he (I.e., the Messiah) ‘shall deliver us…’
7. 5:14. ‘Cities’: probably, better, ‘sacrificial stones’. Verses 10-14 (like 6:7b) hint at the sort of
unfaithfulness which characterized the reign of Ahaz; cf. 2 Ki. 16:3.
