LEARNING THE WAYS OF GOD MICAH 4:1-13

1 Commentary by Charles Box Questions by John C. Sewell LEARNING THE WAYS OF GOD MICAH 4:1-13

2 Learning the Ways of God Commentary By Charles Box Text: Micah 4:1-13, 1. In the future the Lord s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; it will be more prominent than other hills. People will stream to it. 2. Many nations will come, saying, Come on! Let s go up to the Lord s mountain, to the temple of Jacob s God, so he can teach us his commands and we can live by his laws. For Zion will be the source of instruction; the Lord s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. 3. He will arbitrate between many peoples and settle disputes between many distant nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not use weapons against other nations, and they will no longer train for war. 4. Each will sit under his own grapevine or under his own fig tree without any fear. The Lord who commands armies has decreed it. 5. Though all the nations follow their respective gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever.

3 6. In that day, says the Lord, I will gather the lame, and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. 7. I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, and those far off into a mighty nation. The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion, from that day forward and forevermore. 8. As for you, watchtower for the flock, fortress of Daughter Zion your former dominion will be restored, the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem. 9. Jerusalem, why are you now shouting so loudly? Has your king disappeared? Has your wise leader been destroyed? Is this why pain grips you as if you were a woman in labor? 10. Twist and strain, Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor! For you will leave the city and live in the open field. You will go to Babylon, but there you will be rescued. There the Lord will deliver you from the power of your enemies. 11. Many nations have now assembled against you. They say, Jerusalem must be desecrated, so we can gloat over Zion! 12. But they do not know what the Lord is planning; they do not understand his strategy. He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed at the threshing floor. 13. Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion! For I will give you iron horns; I will Give ive you bronze hooves, and you will crush many nations. You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them, and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler of the whole earth. (NET)

4 Introduction: I. The mountain of the Lord s house that was established in Jerusalem was the church. A. Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries. 1. God inspired both of them to write an identical message. a. Isaiah wrote, This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: And it shall come to pass in the last days the mountain of the LORD s house shall be established in the top of the mountains; and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:1-4 b. With the eyes of a prophet Micah saw God s word going forth from Jerusalem to bring men and women to salvation. II. The Savior resolves conflicts between individuals and nations. A. The Messiah and His message change the hearts and actions of people.

5 1. Micah wrote, Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. a. This is not a peace in which people have been beaten down with the sword, but the peace in which people have been lifted up with the gospel. b. In the church or kingdom of God, people will be free from ignorance because He will teach us His ways. c. In the kingdom or church, there will be perfect peace because neither shall they learn war anymore. d. There will be freedom from want because everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree. e. And all fear will be gone because no one shall make them afraid. f. You will enjoy great blessing and peace if you live your life for the Lord. III. In most cases, the prophet first talked about the physical kingdom of Israel and then made application to the spiritual kingdom or church. A. However, Micah talked about the church and then moved to discuss the restoration of physical Israel. 1. God promised to take the lame and outcast and make a nation out of them. 2. There would be glory for the nation, but it would only follow severe pain.

6 Commentary: 3. A part of the pain that the nation would experience had to do with a lack of leadership. a. They had no king or counselor to direct the way. b. Many nations would oppose Israel, but God would deal with the enemies of His people. 4. The Lord promised that when He restored the Jews from Babylon that He would give them power. The Lord s House Established in Jerusalem Micah 4:1-3, In the future the LORD s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; it will be more prominent than other hills. People will stream to it. Many nations will come, saying, Come on! Let s go up to the LORD s mountain, to the temple of Jacob s God, so he can teach us his commands and we can live by his laws. For Zion will be the source of instruction; the LORD s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. He will arbitrate between many peoples and settle disputes between many distant nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not use weapons against other nations, and they will no longer train for war. (NET) I. The Lord promised that His kingdom would be established in the last days or latter days. A. But in the latter days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills, and peoples shall flow to it. (Micah 4:1)

7 1. Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17 both refer to that same time when the church or kingdom of Christ would be established. a. Joel 2:28, And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (NET) b. Acts 2:17, In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. (NET) 2. The last days refer to the last days of the Jewish dispensation spoken of in Daniel 2:44. And in the days of the 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 forever. a. People from many nations will flow into this kingdom. b. Concerning the birthday of the church, Acts 2:5 says, And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. II. People from many nations gladly receive the word, are baptized and are added to the church. A. Acts 2:41, Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (NET) B. Acts 2:47, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NET)

8 C. Those that make up the kingdom are those that have accepted and obeyed the law of the Lord. 1. This law is elsewhere called the gospel, the faith or the truth. 2. Those that are saved will be those who are willing to obey God. a. He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. (Hebrews 5:9) D. Micah said that in the kingdom they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hook; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Micah 4:3) 1. This is not a prediction that carnal warfare will cease after the kingdom of Christ was established. a. The Christian dispensation is strictly religious. b. Christians will not resort to the material sword for any benefit. c. The sword that they will use is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) Walking in the Name of God Micah 4:4-5, Each will sit under his own grapevine or under his own fig tree without any fear. The LORD who commands armies has decreed it. Though all the nations follow their respective gods, we will follow the LORD our God forever. (NET) I. Here God describes the spiritual safety and the security that a citizen of Christ s kingdom will enjoy.

9 A. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. (Micah 4:4) 1. Citizens in the kingdom of Christ find rest and they are able to live in peace. 2. This is a certain promise because it is a solemn promise of the Lord All-powerful. II. Christians make a genuine commitment to God. A. Other people may follow their gods, but Christians will always follow the Lord our God. 1. Even though people from every race are in the kingdom the majority of mankind will never follow God. 2. Some will follow their gods and their wicked lifestyles, but Christians honor the Lord our God. The Lord Will Redeem His People Micah 4:6-10, In that day, says the LORD, I will gather the lame, and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, and those far off into a mighty nation. The LORD will reign over them on Mount Zion, from that day forward and forevermore. As for you, watchtower for the flock, fortress of Daughter Zion your former dominion will be restored, the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem. Jerusalem, why are you now shouting so loudly? Has your king disappeared? Has your wise leader been destroyed? Is this why pain grips you as if you were a woman in labor? Twist and strain, Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor! For you will leave the city and live in the open field. You will go to Babylon, but there you will be rescued. There the LORD will deliver you from the power of your enemies. (NET)

10 I. Many times the prophets of God talked first about the physical kingdom of Israel and then moved to talk about the spiritual kingdom, the church. A. Here Micah reverses the order. 1. He had first talked about the spiritual kingdom or church and now he moves to discuss the restoration of physical Israel from captivity. 2. God gave several predictions through Micah concerning the return of Israel from bondage. B. That day is a well-known term in the Bible. 1. Context usually has to be considered to determine what day is meant. 2. Here it is easy to see that the day under consideration was the time of the return from captivity. 3. God said of the remnant that would be brought back, I will gather my people, the lame and the outcasts, and all into whose lives I have brought sorrow. 4. The Almighty had used the heathen nations to inflict the chastisement on His disobedient people. 5. God said, The lame and the outcasts will belong to my people and become a strong nation. II. Jerusalem was to be the tower for watching over God s physical kingdom. A. God had dominion over the same Jewish nation at Jerusalem as before. 1. Now He will rule over the nation again.

11 a. While in captivity the Jews were in sorrow. b. They were crying like a woman in childbirth with no king or counselor to rely upon. III. God gave two certain promises to His people. A. First, He promised that they would go into captivity. 1. Keep on groaning with pain, you people of Jerusalem! If you escape from your city to the countryside, you will still be taken as prisoners to Babylonia. B. Second, God promised that when the time was right He would bring the remnant out of captivity. 1. But later I will rescue you from your enemies. The Heathens Did Not Understand God s Plan Micah 4:11-13, Many nations have now assembled against you. They say, Jerusalem must be desecrated, so we can gloat over Zion! But they do not know what the LORD is planning; they do not understand his strategy. He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed at the threshing floor. Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion! For I will give you iron horns; I will give you bronze hooves, and you will crush many nations. You will devote to the LORD the spoils you take from them, and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler of the whole earth. (NET) I. It is sad when people take pleasure in the misfortune of others. A. However, there were many nations that surrounded Israel that said, We can hardly wait to see you disgraced. 1. There are many today that would love to see the church disgraced in some way.

12 2. But those nations were going to learn that the Lord would rescue His people after the proper chastisement had been given. II. The heathen nations misunderstood the Lord s dealing with His own people. A. They, heathen nations, thought He had turned away from them, Israel. 1. They, the heathen nations, now thought that they would enjoy God s favor. 2. They were so mistaken about what God had in mind! a. He promised that He would gather them to grind them like grain. b. He would smash them into pieces. B. God called the Jews, O Zion. Conclusion: 1. This was a term of love and endearment that God used for His people. 2. God promised complete devastation to those nations that He had used to chastise His people. 3. He said to the Jews, I will let you be like a bull with iron horns and bronze hoofs. Crush those nations and bring their wealth to me, the LORD of the earth. 4. Let us learn that both individuals and nations are better off when they follow God. I. Let us arise with hearts filled with repentance and serve God.

13 II. You must become a child of God and stand strong in the faith.

14 Questions By John C. Sewell Micah 4:1-13 (Questions based on NIV text) 1. What identical message did Isaiah and Micah proclaim? 2. How does the Savior resolve conflicts between individuals and nations? 3. Micah wrote of some things pertaining to the kingdom of Israel and God s spiritual kingdom, the church. How do we know of which he wrote in each case? Do some things Micah wrote apply to both national Israel and God s spiritual kingdom?

15 4. Which thing s Micah wrote apply to national Israel? 5. Which thing s Micah wrote apply to God s spiritual kingdom, the church? 6. Which thing s Micah wrote apply to both national Israel and God s spiritual kingdom, the church? 7. According to Micah 4:1, when will the mountain of the Lord s temple be established? What is the meaning of verse 1? When did or will this happen? 8. List eight things the nations will say: 1)

16 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9. What is meant by each of the above eight statements? When was or when will each of these things occur? 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 10. What is that day mentioned in verse 6?

17 11. What things did the Lord say would happen in that day? (See verses 6-8.) 1 2) 3) 4) 12. What is meant by each of these declarations? When did or will each come to pass? 13. Who was the Daughter of Zion?

18 14. Why and when did the Daughter of Zion cry aloud with agonizing pain like that of a woman in labor? 15. Now the Daughter of Jerusalem must the to in the. They would go to. When did this happen? 17. Many against the of. They said, her be, let our over! When did this happen? 18. What did Israel s enemies not know? 19. What was the Daughter of Zion directed to do? What would God give the Daughter of Zion? What is the literal meaning of this figurative language?

19 20. What lessons have you learned from your study of Micah 4 which will help you walk more closely with the Lord?