TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
Micah 5:1-7:20
Revelation 7:1-17
Psalm 135:1-21
Proverbs 30:5-6
Micah 5:2 — Read through this verse again. A promised ruler in Israel that is from everlasting? Who can that be other than God? This is the promised Messiah! Coming from Bethlehem Ephratah!
People were aware of this prophecy in Jesus’ adult ministry (John 7:42), and this was part of the confusion – Jesus was thought to be from Galilee (John 7:41). The chief priests and scribes knew this when Jesus was born (Matthew 2:6). But when we look at Matthew 2:6, it’s missing the last phrase: “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” That’s the key phrase in the verse; this is no mere created being, but the very Mighty God, Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6).
By the way – let’s compare the prophecies of the contemporaries Micah and Isaiah:
| Isaiah 9 | Micah 5 |
| “unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6) |
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah… out of thee shall he come forth unto me” (Micah 5:2). |
| “the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6) “of the increase of his government… there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:7) |
“that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2) |
| “his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller (Isaiah 9:6) |
“and he shall stand and feed” (Micah 5:4) |
| “the Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) | “in the strength of the LORD” (Micah 5:4) |
| “the Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6) | “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2) |
| “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) “of the increase of his …peace… there shall be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7) |
“and this man shall be the peace” (Micah 5:5) |
| “of the increase of his government … there shall be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7) |
“for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:4) |
Micah 5:5 — Jesus is the peace! He made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). Then we see Micah shifting to the present day challenge of the Assyrians. “After the pattern of the prophets, Micah blended near and distant ages in his prophecy” (EnduringWord.com).
Micah 5:10-14 — Notice how the LORD is cleansing His people by going back to the Law. Horses and chariots (Deuteronomy 17:16), witchcraft (Exodus 22:18, Deuteronomy 18:10), graven images (Exodus 20:4, Leviticus 26:1, Deuteronomy 5:8), groves (Exodus 34:13, Deuteronomy 7:5, Deuteronomy 12:3).
But why cities? The LORD destroyed cities before Israel (Sodom and Gomorrah – Genesis 19:25), enlisted Israel in the destruction of the Canaanite cities (Numbers 21:2 and Joshua 6:17 – “accursed/under the ban“), and threatened to destroy rebellious cities (Leviticus 26:31-33). Destruction of cities is a “capital punishment” judgment for egregious sin, and we’ve seen the sins listed already.
Micah 6:8 — Micah has simplified the Old Testament Law – the 613 commands of the Torah and the 10 Commandments of Moses – into three requirements: do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.
- Do justly – the “second tablet” of negative commandments – murder, steal, lie, covet, adultery (Exodus 20), not to mention the “divers weights” (Deuteronomy 25:13-14, Proverbs 20:10, Proverbs 20:23).
- Love mercy – the “positive” second greatest commandment – “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31). Mercy is the word “hesed” (see exposition at Ligonier).
- Walk humbly with thy God – the “first tablet” of commandments – no other gods, no graven images, no name in vain, remembering the Sabbath (Exodus 20), not to mention literal “humility before God” (Exodus 10:3, Deuteronomy 8:2, 1 Kings 21:29, 2 Kings 22:29, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 2 Chronicles 12:7, 2 Chronicles 12:12, 2 Chronicles 34:27, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 51:17, Proverbs 29:23, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 18:4, Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14, James 4:6, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5-6).
Micah 7:2-3 — The world hasn’t changed much. “There is none upright among men … that they may do evil with both hands.”
Micah 7:6 — Jesus referred to this in Matthew 10:35.
Micah 7:9 — Even for those who have sinned against the LORD, God will hear (Micah 7:7) if we will repent, i.e. if we refuse to avoid the consequences of our sin but bear them. As Micah concludes, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity” (Micah 7:18)? He will have compassion (Micah 7:19) and will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19)! Yes, my sins have been cast in the depth of the sea! Down, deep in the sea! Join Martha and Bradley Garvin as they perform:
Revelation 7:4 — No, the 144,000 are not the number of people who will reign with Christ!
Revelation 7:17 — Yes, there is coming a day when no heartaches shall come, no more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye. All is peace forevermore, On that happy golden shore. What a day, glorious day, that will be!
Psalm 135:5 — What a mighty God we serve!
Proverbs 30:5 — We are holding the pure Words of God in our hands! Thank God that we have His Word!
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