Title: Micah 5
Content Micah Chapter 5
“The coming of the Messiah King” (1-3) as Israel’s hope, Israel’s protection (vv. 4-5), and the resistance of the remnant
(vv. 6-8), and the cleansing of Israel through discipline (vv. 9-14).
Verse 2 is the first verse in the Hebrew Bible.
1. The Messiah Is Coming
“Ebdarah, Bethlehem, though you sleep among the clans of Judah, you will find for yourself one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of ancient times” (verse 2). It is a famous Messianic passage in the Old Testament as well as in Micah.
(1) He comes from the tribe of Judah.
“Among the house of Judah.”
(2) He rules over Israel.
“He who will rule over Israel” (v. 2).
(3) He comes from a long family.
“His origin was from ancient times, from the beginning” (v. 2). “From Ancient Days” is an indefinite period of time, meaning something very old here.
(4) Israel's suffering is temporary.
“Therefore, the pregnant woman will keep them until she gives birth” (verse 3), and after childbirth, the pain will go away.
(5) There is the return of the remnant.
“The remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel” (verse 3).
The prophet indicates that the captives will return and be united with the remnant. It is the promise of the ideal form of the messianic age.
2. There is protection of Israel
“He stood in the power of the LORD, and in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God” (4).
“Who shall rule” (verse 2) ① the power of the king ② he trusts in the name of the Lord ③ feeds them ④ puts them at rest ⑤ he is great and reaches to the ends of the earth. Then actively he becomes Israel's peace and Israel withstands foreign invasions. “The seven shepherds and the prince” (v. 5) have a symbolic meaning, not a literal one. Seven is a holy number, meaning perfection, eight is more than seven, an incredibly large number. Shepherd and prince have different meanings, but both mean the leader and ruler of the people.
It is because of the help of “the one who will rule over Israel” (v. With their help, the seven shepherds and the eight princes devastate the land of Assyria with the sword, the entrance to the land of Nimrod, and even stop the Assyrian invasion (verse 6).
3. There is the power of the remnant
“The remnant of Jacob shall be among many people” (verse 7).
“The remnant of Jacob” refers to the entire people of Jehovah, not Israel or the Jews. These are ①
It is among many people ② like the dew from the Lord ③ like the rain that falls on the grass ④ does not wait for “Sons of Man” (Sons of Man).
Then, the remnant of Jacob is among the nations and peoples, and his majesty is like a young lion, and he has a power that “no one could save” (verse 8). He opposes “all enemies” of Israel (v. 9).
4. There is chastity through discipline
“You will have no more fortune tellers” (verse 12).
Various disciplines from God are mentioned.
① horses are destroyed ② chariots are destroyed ③ towns are destroyed ④ strong walls are destroyed ⑤ divination is cut off ⑥ fortune tellers are not found ⑦ idols and statues are destroyed (verse 13). This turns into an atmosphere of “no more serving the work of hands” (v. 13).
Thus, something like this shows a new state of grace from a former corrupt state.
“The Asherah pole” (verse 14) was like a pillar used as a sign of a place of worship among the Canaanites (Ex 34:13, Judges 6:25) and Hebrews (2 Kings 23:6, Isaiah 17:8). The Hebrews learned this from the Canaanites, but Deuteronomy forbids this practice (Deut. 7:5, 12:3). However, the exact origin of the Ashera phase is unknown.
The Prophet said that the Asherah pole was “taken out from among you” (verse 14). Defeating idols is the basic condition for enjoying the grace of God.