Mic. 5:1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
This chapter continues in context from the previous chapter, and Micah calls for the people of Jerusalem to join together in defense of the enemy who had laid siege against them. The Hebrew for daughter is a reference to “apple of the eye,” and Jerusalem is recognized as the pride of Israel, a place she treasures. The judge of Israel is a reference to the one who governs or rules Israel. I don’t know if the last phrase is an idiom, but it certainly is a picture of disgrace of Israel’s leader. The leader of Israel/Judah never recovered from this disgrace because we know that Israel never had a king after their return from the Babylonian captivity.
Mic. 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
In this verse Micah is God’s direct mouthpiece. God declares that there will be a future ruler of Israel born in Bethlehem (house of bread) Ephratah (fruitfulness), one of the smallest towns in Judah. This coming ruler is described as one whose family descent is from old, “the front of place or time.” In fact, His descent is from everlasting, “always, perpetual” (Hebrew), “existing or continuing without end, immortal” (Webster). This is a declaration that He will be Divine.
This verse was referenced by Matthew as he detailed the birth of Jesus.
Matthew 2:6 “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”
This is just one of many prophecies fulfilled by the birth of Jesus, who called Himself “the bread of life.”
John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
He also described Himself as One Who would produce much “fruit” through His followers.
John 15:4-5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
He also boldly declared Himself to be Divine, the Son of God and one with God.
John 9:35-37 “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.”
John 10:36-38 “Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”
John 10:30 “I and my Father are one.”
John 14:9 “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”
Scripture also reveals that Jesus is eternal and was in fact the Creator.
John 1:1–3 & 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made….And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Colossians 1:12–17 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
1 Peter 1:18–20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you….”
Mic. 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
Mic. 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
“Therefore will he give them up” – This is a statement of God’s intention to abandon Israel to her enemies until He once again intervenes in their history by sending His Son Jesus as the Messiah to redeem them and eventually establish His kingdom.
Verse 3 can be a bit confusing. Travail is a term associated with childbirth. It seems to be saying that when Jesus is born, Israel will be delivered from her enemies and established in strength under the leadership of this ruler. We have the privilege of hindsight and knowing that the prophets didn’t always understand that time intervals were involved in their revelations. Pastors often explain that they saw the mountain peaks without realizing there were valleys in between those peaks.
It is true that when Jesus came, His disciples and followers became established as the believing remnant of that day, those whose hearts were truly turned to follow God in faith and obedience. Verse 4 jumps ahead to the time when Jesus is established as King in the name of YHWH, His Father, and the people of Israel are gathered together from all over the world to dwell in Israel under His strong and protective care. Abide is a reference to continuing and remaining; in other words, Israel will never again be driven out of their land. Not only will Jesus be ruler over Israel from the throne of David, His rule will extend to the “ends of the earth.”
This is the kingdom that was prophesied by the dream of Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 2:44 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
And by Daniel’s dream.
Daniel 7:13-14 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
And by the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.”
Mic. 5:5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
Mic. 5:6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
“this man” = Jesus, the Son of God, the ruler referenced above
1Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus….”
“The Assyrian” is a term that continually shows up in scripture as an enemy of Israel. The Assyrian King Shalmaneser carried off the people of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria as captives .
2Kings 17:6 “In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”
Babylon was actually part of Assyria until the early 600’s BC, so the title could also make reference to Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian King who took the Southern Kingdom captive. There are many scriptures that seem to reference Satan/Lucifer as the power behind the evil Assyrian. (See journals on Isaiah 14, 30, and Ezekiel 31.) I believe that in context with reference to the millennial kingdom of Messiah that this is a reference to the Antichrist who will seek to establish his throne in God’s temple in Jerusalem.
2Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
“then shall we raise…” – This last half of verse 5 (according to most commentators) seems to be a general reference to their being a sufficient number of men willing to follow God’s leading in destroying Israel’s enemy. Somehow, I think there is more. Shepherds and principal men have to identify with leaders, both spiritual and royal. The word and is not in the Hebrew, and most translations consider the eight to include the seven, which would lead me to conclude that the eighth is the LORD Jesus.
I just finished reading these verses several times again, and I sure wish I knew Hebrew. I couldn’t get out of my mind the similarity of the wording to a section in Revelation
Revelation 17:10-11 “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.”
It was the wording of the NIV and CJB that caught my attention.
NIV - “They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He will deliver us from the Assyrian when he invades our land and marches into our borders.
CJB - “They will shepherd the land of Ashur with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its gates; and he will rescue us from Ashur when he invades our land, when he overruns our borders.”
I still can’t put it together yet, but it sounds like there could be a connection here. All of the kingdoms referenced in Revelation 17 (if I am correct) are part of Assyria, excepting Egypt. There was an intriguing verse in my study of Isaiah, however, that would include Egypt as well.
Isaiah 52:4 “For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.”
An excerpt from that journal follows.
In recent years I heard a teaching by Chuck Missler that cast an interesting possibility regarding this scripture. Following is a quote from one of the articles on his website.
“Much has been speculated about the specific Pharaoh in this book. Stephen gives us a clue when he notes that, ‘Another king arose who knew not Joseph.’ The Greek term used was 'eterwV, heteros, another of a different kind, not alloV, allos, another of the same kind. This Pharaoh was of a different race and dynasty. (Josephus also makes mention of this fact, who describes ‘the crown being come to another family.’) It seems that he was the Assyrian of Isaiah 52:4.”
This would seem to make a bit more sense to me in reference to the phrase “oppressed them without cause.” This Pharaoh had no cause to oppress the Jews. They had been invited to Egypt during the famine and had been given the land they occupied. The only reason the Hebrews were placed in bondage were because of Pharaoh’s fear that they would turn on him—not because of anything they had done to him or his country. [end excerpt]
The Antichrist (as have all kings empowered by Satan) and his leaders will rule with the sword, but that will be worthless in defense when Jesus, the man of peace, comes to rescue His people and His land with the sword of His mouth.
Revelation 19:13-15 “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
Obviously, I need to do some more prayerful study and thinking about this section.
Mic. 5:7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
Mic. 5:8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
I like the CJB translation of these verses: “Then the remnant of Ya‘akov, surrounded by many peoples, will be like dew from ADONAI, like showers on the grass, which doesn’t wait for a man or expect anything from mortals. The remnant of Ya‘akov among the nations, surrounded by many peoples, will be like a lion among forest animals, like a young lion among flocks of sheep — if it passes through, tramples and tears to pieces, there is no one to rescue them.”
Again, “the remnant of Jacob” would be a reference to the believing remnant that God is preserving in order to fulfill His covenant with Abraham. Dew and showers are representative of God’s blessings. Point is being made that in Messiah’s Kingdom Israel will stand as the strong young lion among the Gentile nations that are pictured as sheep in comparison.
Mic. 5:9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
I liked the NIV wording for this verse: “Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.”
Mic. 5:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:
Mic. 5:11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
“cities” = a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch)
“strong holds” = fortifications
In other words, the people of Israel will have no need for any source of protection other than the mighty hand of their King, Jesus.
The Lord prophesied through Moses that the people would one day ask for a king, and He very carefully instructed that they were not to provide themselves with horses (which would include chariots) to defend themselves. They were to depend solely on God for their defense.
Deuteronomy 17:14-16 “When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.”
Sadly, they ignored His command and lost sight of Him as their true King.
Mic. 5:12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:
In the Messiah’s Kingdom witchcraft and soothsayers will not be tolerated. At that time, the people of Israel will serve God in obedience and look to Him for their every need.
Mic. 5:13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.
Mic. 5:14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
Idolatry will be a thing of Israel’s shameful past.
Mic. 5:15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
The time of God’s wrath is coming when He will execute vengeance “in anger and fury” upon the Gentile nations. The KJV is the most confusing translation of this verse; the reason for His wrath is their refusal to listen to God and obey Him. The CJB states it clearly: “I will wreak vengeance in anger and fury on the nations, because they would not listen.”
First off, vengeance is the sole prerogative of God according to scripture.
Psalm 94:1 “O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth….”
Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
Heb. 10:30 “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.”
Also important to note is that God will only direct His vengeance, anger and fury against His enemies—those who reject Him as Lord.
Nahum 1:2 “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.”
Mic. 6:1 Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
Mic. 6:2 Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
In these verses the LORD is calling for the mountains and hills to act as witnesses as in a courtroom setting. This is similar to some of the prophecy of Isaiah, who was contemporary with Micah. The LORD is basically establishing a public forum to cause His people to consider their actions before Him. He has an accusation to make and will reason with the people even as He makes accusation.
Ironside: “God always has a controversy with those who walk in disobedience. There can be no fellowship or communion while His Word is not bowed to. He desires truth in the inward parts: nothing else will satisfy ‘Him that is holy, Him that is true.’”
Mic. 6:3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.
These two questions are basically rhetorical. There is no valid response in testimony against YHWH in consideration of His dealings with Israel. In spite of their rebellion and public disregard for the honor of His name, the LORD still references them as “My” people.
Mic. 6:4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
Mic. 6:5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.
In establishing the truth YHWH highlights some of the ways He has provided for His people.
He provided for their escape from Egypt.
He rescued (from Hebrew for redeem) them from slavery.
He gave them good leaders—not perfect leaders—in the persons of Moses, Aaron and Miriam.
He protected them from cursing by Balaam and gave them blessing instead.
Balaam did tell Balak how to lure the people into sin against God, however; and at Shittim they “committed whoredom” with the daughters of Moab and their false gods (Numbers 25). Because of their sin God judged them with a plague that killed 24,000. Still God determined to bring them into the Promised Land, and at Gilgal the people were circumcised in an act of recommitment to the Lord.
All of God’s dealing with His people were and are righteous (right and just).
Mic. 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
Mic. 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
It’s like Micah is speaking on behalf of the people at this point. He’s wondering what it will take to appease God and serve as an acceptable sacrifice for their sin. Will burnt offerings do? Will thousands of rams or a huge offering of the abundance of the land? Will He accept the service of my firstborn son, or is the reference to human sacrifice? We know that Israel fell into practicing the pagan rituals of human sacrifice to appease their false gods.
2Kings 17:17-18 “And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.”
Spurgeon: “Men will still give to God anything but what he asks for; majestic edifices, gorgeous services, ecstatic music, gold and silver; anything but what the Lord demands.”
Wiersbe: “Doing penance without truly repenting and trusting God’s mercy only multiplies the sin and deadens the conscience.”
Mic. 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The LORD makes it clear through the prophet that there was no excuse for their wicked actions. God had clearly explained what was good and what He required of His people.
Deuteronomy 10:12 “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul….”
To do justly – This speaks of approving and acting according to that which is right and honest. There has to be a basis for determining what is just, and this verse declares that basis as being established by God—“He hath shewed thee….” In our world today men reason that each person has the right to determine what is good and just; we should not be held accountable to someone else’s standards. This in no way changes the truth that only God has the right to declare right from wrong, good from bad, and truth from lie.
To love mercy – This is a reference to desiring to show kindness and compassion toward your fellowman. It also includes a willingness to spare someone harsh treatment even when they might deserve it because of provocation. What a rare trait in our world today. We are surrounded by a culture focused on personal rights. God is much more honored when we are willing to surrender our rights to Him and allow Him to bring about justice. It’s a matter that requires great faith and humility. When we show mercy, we are mirroring how God acts toward us. When we take the time to remember how much God has forgiven us and how mercifully He has treated us, we should desire to do no less to others.
To walk humbly with thy God. – This is a reference to living before God with humility and submission in recognition of His authority and power regarding His creation. If we really think about Who God Is and who we are in comparison, this is the only proper response to Him. It is actually an attitude that embraces the previous two instructions. We should be willing to treat others with the same righteousness and compassion that God shows to us.
Psalm 86:5 “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
The LORD had declared through the prophet Samuel that obedience was far more pleasing to Him than sacrifice.
1Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
Solomon affirmed the same truth in his proverbs. Obviously, to do justice is to be obedient to God’s will.
Proverbs 21:3 “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
The prophet Hosea, who is contemporary with Micah, declares that God desires mercy more than sacrifice.
Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
A heart that is merciful is aligned with God’s heart. I think the point being made is that sacrifices without the proper heart attitude as reflected in one’s actions are empty of meaning.
Spurgeon: “The prophet does not say, ‘to do mercy,’ but to ‘love’ it, to take a delight in it, to find great pleasure in the forgiveness of injuries, in the helping of the poor, in the cheering of the sick, in the teaching of the ignorant, in the winning back of sinners to the ways of God.”
Constable: “There is a progression in these requirements from what is external to what is internal and from human relations to divine relations.”
Mic. 6:9 The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
I think the CJB is a bit clearer translation: “The voice of ADONAI! He calls to the city — and it is wisdom to fear your name — “Listen to the rod and to him who commissioned it.”
When I looked at the Hebrew for rod, it referenced a branch, a tribe, and a rod used for correction. The wording indicates that the rod is a person that has been appointed to speak by God. I think this is a call to listen to Micah, God’s prophet, as he declares God’s message to the people. I think the city would have to be Jerusalem as the capital and representative of all of Israel.
As I read through this section again, I thought of the words of Isaiah referencing Jesus as “the Branch.”
Isaiah 11:1 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots….”
I believe Micah is a type of Christ in this regard. Jesus declared God’s truth boldly and faithfully as instructed by His Father.
Mic. 6:10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
Mic. 6:11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
Mic. 6:12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
I think the NLT expresses the heart of these verses well: “Will there be no end of your getting rich by cheating? The homes of the wicked are filled with treasures gained by dishonestly measuring out grain in short measures. And how can I tolerate all your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights? The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.”
I am afraid this description is becoming more and more an apt description of the peoples of the world today, especially in America.
Mic. 6:13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
“Therefore” – Because of the indictment of the previous chapters and verses…
God is going to strike His people with judgment; they will suffer grief and pain and will become weak. In fact, they are going to be stunned at the devastation and destruction that God inflicts upon them because of their sin. They have erroneously assumed that, as His covenant people, they were immune to such devastating judgment. They had no scriptural basis for that assumption; in fact, God had been very clear from the beginning that disobedience to Him would result in judgment.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”
Deuteronomy 29:22-26 "So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it; And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath: Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them….”
Deuteronomy 30:15-18 “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.”
Mic. 6:14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
Mic. 6:15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
Again, I think the NLT expresses the heart of the message: “You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will still remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you. You will plant crops but not harvest them. You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves. You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine.”
Mic. 6:16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
Omri and Ahab, his son, were evil kings.
1Kings 16:25-26 & 29-30 “But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities….And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.”
This is a terrible indictment from God. He is declaring that His people have chosen to follow the example of these evil kings rather than obey Almighty God. Because of their wickedness and rejection of Him, He is going to bring the nation to ruin and make His people an object of shame and derision among the nations.
I can’t help but want to make application to America today. No matter how the revisionist historians try to paint it, we were founded as a Christian nation, a people that honored God. We have steadily and purposely chosen to follow a path of rejection of God and His Word through the leadership of those in our government and judicial system. God is not going to allow our rejection of Him and our disregard for His word to go unpunished. He will hold us accountable just as surely as He held Israel and Judah accountable. I personally believe we are already feeling the effects of judgment, but I also believe that there is much worse to come. I am also reminded that the LORD established a principle in His dealings with Israel, and it’s found in the book of Chronicles. And since He never changes, I believe that principle applies to all who are called by His name.
2Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
This verse has been echoing in my thoughts a lot recently. The principle is that if God’s people, we who claim His name, who call ourselves Christian, will—
Humble ourselves
Pray
Seek God’s face
Turn from our wicked ways
--then God will hear, forgive and heal the land.
The call is to God’s people, not those who have rejected Him. I can’t help but wonder how many of us are quick to condemn the heathen in our nation without consideration of our own responsibility and where we are falling short. Have we as Christians truly humbled ourselves to make God the LORD of our life? Are we fervent in prayer with a burden for the church and our nation and ALL its leaders? Do we seek God’s face in asking Him to identify where we need to change and what we need to do differently? Do we seek His face as to how we can encourage other Christians to yield to Him as LORD? Are we willing to give up our own sins—no matter how minor we might consider them to be? Do we discern and identify what is wicked and what is good according to God’s word rather than the world’s standards? Do we justify compromises in the name of tolerance and political correctness? The LORD wants each one of us to examine ourselves and make corrections where we don't measure up.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”