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Micah Chapter Four The Mountain of the LORD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) In the last days, what will be established as chief among the mountains, where will it rise above, and who will stream to it?
______________________________________________________________________________ The phrase "in the last days" describes the
days when God will reign over his perfect kingdom (see 4:1-8).The "mountain of
the LORD" is Mount Zion. This will be an era of peace and
blessing, a time when war will be forever ended. We cannot pinpoint its date,
but God has promised that it will arrive (see also Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah
16:15, Joel 3:1ff; Zechariah 14:9-11; Malachi 3:17,18; Revelation 1-21). 2) What will many nations come and say, why will the LORD teach them in his ways, what will go out from Zion, and what will go out from Jerusalem?
______________________________________________________________________________ The object of the people's attraction to Jerusalem is to be their desire for God's word that emanates from the city. Micah sees a change in the hearts of all peoples at this time when the law of the Lord will be received universally rather than by Israel and Judah alone. (NIV Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishers) 3) Who will God judge between, whom will he settle disputes for, what will the people beat their swords into, what will they beat their spears into, what will nations not do anymore, and what will they not train for?
______________________________________________________________________________ The result of God's rule in this time will be that the nations of the world will experience peace. The prophecy is national and even universal in scope and looks forward to a time when the nations will come so fully under the peaceful influence of God's Word that war will be no more. Because of this, weapons of war will be fashioned into agricultural implements. The pastoral motif reflects the peace that Micah sees as the ruling element of the messianic kingdom (cf. Isaiah 11:6-10; Hosea 2:15; Amos 9:13-15). The close identification between the Lord and the messianic King is evident in the prophecy of Micah. (NIV Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishers) 4) Where will everyman sit, for what reason will no one make them afraid, how do all the nations walk, and how will Israel walk?
______________________________________________________________________________ The peacefulness of this era is further
described in pastoral imagery (cf. 1Kings 4:25; Zechariah 3:10). The people will
dwell in peace and safety because of the word of the LORD
of Hosts. The certainty of this event is established in Micah's mind because God
has sovereignty declared that such will happen; "The LORD
Almighty has spoken." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The LORD's Plan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5) In that day, whom will the LORD gather, whom will he assemble, whom will the LORD make a remnant, and where will the LORD rule over them from that day and forever?
______________________________________________________________________________ "In that day" refers back to the era of Jerusalem's exaltation (4:1). The future regathering of Israel in the time of Zion's exaltation is described differently from the way Micah described it earlier (2:12-13). Micah depicts those who are gathered as lame, referring to their weakness as a result of God's afflicting them; and he further describes them as exiles, connoting the shame of expulsion from one's homeland. The emphasis is on the misery and helplessness of the exiles and forms a striking contrast to the "strong nation" they are to become as a result of God's intervention on their behalf. (NIV Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishers) 6) Whom will the former dominion be restored to, and what will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem?
______________________________________________________________________________ The climax of this representation of
Jerusalem's future glory is described in terms of its restoration as the seat of
the "former dominion." The dominion soon will be lost in the dark time just
ahead will be restored! 7) For what reason did Micah ask them why they cry out loud, because their counselor has perished, how does the pain seize them, why does Micah tell the Daughter of Jerusalem to wither in agony, from where will the people be rescued, and then, what will the LORD do?
______________________________________________________________________________ The writer shifts the reader's attention
abruptly from the description of the future glory to the realities of the
current crisis. The rhetorical questions are affirmations. Israel would have no
king. She would be left without a counselor. The king was the Lord's anointed
and stood as his vicegerent, mediating God's law to the people. The loss of
Israel's ruler would lead many to question the veracity of God's promises as
they related to the future of the nation and to the Messiah who was to come from
Israel. The extreme anguish the nation was to endure through losing its national
sovereignty is pictured as that of a woman in childbirth. 8) What do the nations that have gathered against Zion say, what did Micah say these nations did not know, what did he say they do not understand, and how does the LORD gather these nations?
______________________________________________________________________________ When God reveals the future, his purpose goes beyond satisfying our curiosity. He wants us to change our present behavior because of what we know about the future. Forever begins now; and a glimpse of God's plan for his followers should motivate us to serve him, no matter what the rest of the world may do. 9) Why did the LORD tell the Daughter of Zion to rise and thresh, what did the LORD say Zion will break to pieces, and whom did the LORD say they will devote their ill-gotten gains and wealth to?
______________________________________________________________________________ The prophet pictures the nations as sheaves brought to the threshing floor; and only too late do they recognize that they are to be threshed and broken by Israel herself. The "horns of iron" symbolizes strength (cf. Deuteronomy 33:17; 1Samuel 2:1). The wealth of the world is to be devoted to God, and all its might is to be under his dominion. (NIV Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishers) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers Micah Chapter Four ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) the mountain of the LORD's
temple...the hills...peoples ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taken from The NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan Publishers |