THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE OF ONE WHO WILL RISE FROM A HUMBLE SMALL TOWN WHO WILL DELIVER HIS PEOPLE AND WILL BECOME GREAT TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (MICAH 5:2). The promise is now made that from the small town of Bethlehem Ephrathah, which is comparatively insignificant, will come one is to be ruler... [ Continue Reading ]
PRIOR TO HIS COMING YHWH WILL BRING ABOUT THE WASTING OF THE ASSYRIANS BY MEANS OF SEVEN SHEPHERDS AND EIGHT PRINCIPAL MEN BUT HIS PEOPLE WILL NEVERTHELESS END UP IN EXILE AMONG THE NATIONS. (MICAH 5:5). The total change of subject, and the lack of any mention of the Ruler previously described, com... [ Continue Reading ]
MEANWHILE ISRAEL/JUDAH WILL HAVE BEEN SCATTERED AMONG MANY NATIONS, WHERE THEY WILL BE LIKE SHOWERS OF RAIN, AND YHWH WILL BE WITH THEM AND WATCH OVER THEM (MICAH 5:7). The defeat of Assyria will not solve the problem of the large numbers of people from Israel/Judah who have been deported. There we... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REASON WHY GOD ALLOWS THE EXILE OF HIS PEOPLE AND WILL YET CAUSE MORE EXILES UNTIL THE LAND IS EMPTY (MICAH 5:10). In another oracle (‘says YHWH') Micah now explains why all Israel's troubles must come upon her. It is in order to purify her and rid her of all the trappings of idolatry. Micah 5... [ Continue Reading ]