Micah 4:1-5

XION, CENTER OF WORSHIP. Micah 4:1-5

RV. But in the latter days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it. And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem; and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it. For all the peoples walk every one in the name of his God; and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever.

LXX. And at the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest, established on the tops of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and the peoples shall hasten to it. And many nations shall go, and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and they shall shew us his way, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth a law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many peoples, and shall rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares; and their spears into sickles; and nation shall no more lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn to war any more. And every one shall rest under his vine, and every one under his fig-tree; and there shall be none to alarm them: for the mouth of the Lord Almighty has spoken these words. For all other nations shall walk every one in his own way, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

COMMENTS

(Micah 4:1) It will come to pass gives us transport to the future (from Micah's day). We leap the centuries far beyond the captivity to Messiah's day.

In the latter days is the English rendering of the phrase which fixes the time when it shall come to pass. The phrase is reminiscent of Hebrews 1:2. There we are told that God, having spoken to the fathers in the prophets has spoken to us in a Son. No more conclusive evidence is needed to connect Micah's prophecy with the Messianic age The rabbis so understood this term. (The age was to be final and eternal. Nothing lies beyond it so far as earthly history is concerned. It is itself the final goal of history.) Upon the last of the days is the exact opposite of in the beginning of Genesis 1:1 (LXX) and John 1:1. As Lange points out, it denotes the completion of the world in contrast to its beginning.

John indicates that we are in this end time. (CF. 1 John 2:18 -f) *(See my comment in Hereby We Know, College Press, pp. 59-ff)

In this end time, says Micah, the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on top of (or at the head of) the mountains. In the place of the literal mountain which is to be plowed as a field (Micah 3:12), the ideal of God will be established.

Those who would take Micah literally here see the ultimate establishment of the kingdom with Jerusalem as the capital (The New Scofield Reference Bible). This is, of course, not in keeping with Jesus-' concept of true Jehovah worship. Just as Micah predicts that all peoples shall flow into God's exalted mountain, so Jesus said Neither in these (Samaritan Gerazim and Ebal) mountains, nor in Jerusalem (Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah) shall ye worship the Father. but the hour cometh and now is (italics mine) when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. God is spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

The psalmist used this same metaphor in Psalms 68:17 to indicate the eminence of Jehovah worship on Mt. Zion over the other high places. The emphasis upon and contrast of high places, or mountains, is set against the backdrop of the tension between Jehovah worship on Mt. Zion and Baal worship on the various surrounding high places. In the last times, or Messianic age, true worship is to be firmly and finally exalted above all else.

In Micah 4:5, Micah says all the peoples walk everyone in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever. The coming of the Messianic age has not eliminated false religion. The very site of Jehovah's temple is now the second most holy spot in Islam. But true Jehovah worship, i.e., Christian worship, has been exalted above them all.

(Micah 4:2) Many nations here is not be understood in terms of political empires. The people in the Old Testament are generally all those in covenant relation to God while the nations are all those not in covenant relationship.

Many who in Micah's day were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise. (Ephesians 2:12) are now made nigh in the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

Isaiah looked forward to this same glorious day (Isaiah 2:2) when the universal concern of God for all men would be realized.

Significantly, both Micah and Isaiah see the movement of Gentiles toward the exalted mountain of Jehovah's house as voluntary. The religion of the prophets is of such quality as makes it independent of nationality or election. As the Jews understood election, any interpretation of prophecy which overlooks this basic truth cannot be correct,

The statement ... out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem is not to be understood as limited to or even indicative of the law of Moses. Rather it is the law of the Spirit of life. (Romans 8:1-2) It is in keeping with Jesus-' assertion that thus it is written. that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name unto all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45-47) There is little doubt that such passages as this in Micah were in Jesus-' mind when He taught the apostles to so read and understand the Old Testament.

(Micah 4:3-4) Men are at war with men because men are at war with God. In the Messianic age (our own time included) the ideal is peace based on His judgement. He will judge between peoples. He will decide concerning strong nations. When and if the leaders of nations seek His will together. when His judgement is taken seriously, there can be peace.

History has demonstrated in blood that this peace will not prevail so long as each nation believes God has only its own national interests at heart. When asked if he did not believe that God was on the side of the north, Abraham Lincoln answered that it was more important that we be on God's side than He on ours. This is the Messianic ideal.

Both in the matter of war as described in Micah 4:3 and the relation of races described in Micah 4:2, the church, as Messiah's kingdom does not have the answer. The church is the answer. In the true church there is no Jew nor Greek, east nor west, male nor female. We are all one, and until we are all one, we are not truly the church!

The implements of war will be beaten into implements of peace, not by voting funds for welfare rather than warfare, but by seeking the will of God's Messiah in international relations.

The ideal described in Micah 4:4 of every man in the security and plenty of his own vine and fig tree will come not by civil rights agitation and legislation but by seeking the will of God's Christ in human relations. God must become the ruler of our economy as well as our church doctrine!

(Micah 4:5) On this verse we noted above that all false religion would not be obliterated in the age of the Messiah. This is obvious to anyone with definite conviction concerning the faith once for all delivered. We would simply add here that this verse is evidence Micah is not describing the final summing up of the ages when all false religion will be forever wiped out. When Micah says ... all the peoples walk everyone in the name of his god, and (but) we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God. he is not condoning false religion. He is describing an era of tolerance or religious freedom unknown in the ancient world. It is, after all, better to discuss religious differences than to kill over them, as in the great religious wars of western European history.

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