Micah 5
Outline
I. \\#Mic 1:1-16\\ A Nation Destroyed
A. \\#Mic 1:1\\ An Introduction
B. \\#Mic 1:2-7\\ The Coming Judge
C. \\#Mic 1:8-9\\ Micah’s Reaction
D. \\#Mic 1:10-15\\ The Sin Belt
II. \\#Mic 2:1-13\\ Loss of the Land
A. \\#Mic 2:1-5\\ Sins and Consequences
B. \\#Mic 2:6-13\\ A Message to the People
III. \\#Mic 3:1-12\\ Judgment on the Leaders
A. \\#Mic 3:1-4\\ A Word to the Rulers
B. \\#Mic 3:5-7\\ A Word to the Prophets
C. \\#Mic 3:9-12\\ A Word of Truth
IV. \\#Mic 4:1-5:1\\ A Bright Future
A. \\#Mic 4:1-8\\ A Glorious Day
B. \\#Mic 4:9-12\\ A Present Dilemma
C. \\#Mic 4:13-5:1\\ A Future Victory
V. \\#Mic 5:2-15\\ A Glorious King
A. \\#Mic 5:2\\ His Birth
B. \\#Mic 5:3\\ A Separation
C. \\#Mic 5:4-5\\ A Mighty Kingdom
D. \\#Mic 5:5-6\\ An Intrusion
E. \\#Mic 5:7-15\\ A Mighty Campaign
Review:
In chapter 4, Micah was moving between several time periods.
\\#Mic 4:1-8\\ Dealt with millennium blessings.
\\#Mic 4:9-12\\ Dealt with elements of both the Assyrian and
Babylonian conquests.
\\#Mic 4:13\\ Dealt with a yet future battle in which Israel helps
themselves.
Even though these prophecies span many centuries, they are largely
held together by the fact that enemy armies were to attack Jerusalem.
That central event gives us some bearing in understanding when these
prophecies could be fulfilled.
Transition:
In chapter 5, the theme changes from a siege against Jerusalem to
the Ruler of Jerusalem. Although I commented on \\#Mic 5:1\\ in the
last chapter, the verse mentions Israel’s judge or ruler. Regardless
of whether that judge was Christ or not, \\#Mic 5:2\\ definitely
speaks of Christ; and throughout the remainder of the chapter, the
Messiah and His victory over enemy nations.
I. \\#Mic 5:2-15\\ A Glorious King
A. \\#Mic 5:2\\ His Birth
1. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah" - God speaks to the city of
Bethlehem near Ephratah, located about six miles southwest
of Jerusalem.
2. "though thou be a little among the thousands of Judah"
Bethlehem was a small city.
3. "out of thee shall …come …ruler in Israel" - Most probably
in contrast to the ruler who was smitten in \\#Mic 5:1\\,
this Ruler is introduced.
a. "unto me" - This Ruler shall be God’s Ruler.
b. "in Israel" - He will rule over God’s people.
c. "whose goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting" He is the eternal God.
d. \\#Matt 2:5-6\\ record this prophecy as being
fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.
B. \\#Mic 5:3\\ A Separation
1. "Therefore will he give them up"
a. Understanding the exact prophecy is difficult due to
the use of pronouns.
b. Here is what I see:
(1) "he" is Jesus.
(2) The "them" who are given up are the Jews.
(3) Although Jesus was born to be the King of the
Jews, He gave up His nation when they rejected
them.
2. "until the time that she which travaileth hath brought
forth"
a. The separation between the Ruler and His people will
last until a painful birth happens.
b. This is a prophecy of the spiritual birth of the Jews
which will occur as the result of the tribulation
\\#1Thess 5:3\\.
c. Until that time, the Ruler has given up His people.
3. "then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the
children of Israel"
a. Once Israel is born again, the remnant, those left,
will return.
b. They will once again be the "children of Israel."
Presently, the may be the children of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, but Israel was the name God gave to the
"new" Jacob, the Jacob to whom He made a covenant.
C. \\#Mic 5:4-5\\ A Mighty Kingdom
1. \\#4\\ "he shall stand and feed in the strength of the
Lord" - Once Israel returns and the kingdom is
established, the Ruler will draw His power from God. Of
course, as Jesus is God, there could be no other Source.
2. "in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God" - The
kingdom will be adorned with the majesty of God.
3. "they shall abide" - The kingdom, the King, and the union
they will have will be eternal \\#Mic 4:5\\.
4. "shall he be great unto the ends of the earth" - King
Jesus will rule over all the earth.
5. \\#5\\ "And this man of peace"
a. The Ruler is a "man." This text never gives the
indication that the Ruler will be God incarnate, both
man and God, only a man.
b. The promised end time Ruler will be one of peace and
overall, His reign will be one of peace. However,
there will be some exceptions as detailed.
D. \\#Mic 5:5-6\\ An Intrusion
1. "Assyria …the Assyrian … Assyria" - As Micah spoke to the
Jews, Assyria was coming to destroy the northern kingdom
and most of the southern kingdom; but this passage
reaches far beyond the present to events which have not
happened as yet.
a. Could this be a reference to the anti-Christ? I think
it could be. It is obvious that the nation of
Assyria leads some type of attack against Israel in
the end time. It could be that the anti-Christ will
use "the land of Nimrod" \\#6\\ as a headquarters
(Rev 18). Since Assyria is part of the Roman Empire,
it is possible that the anti-Christ could be born in
Assyria.
b. However, I think to a lesser possibility, since
Assyria was against Israel at the time, it is
possible that God was using them as a picture of
an end time army which will come against Israel.
c. Since we do not know that the term "the Assyrian"
refers to the anti-Christ, I will assume it is a
reference to the end time Assyrian nation for this
study.
2. \\#5\\ "when the Assyrian shall come into our land"
a. The Ruler of Peace will react to Assyria because they
instigate an incursion.
(1) "when" - The verse does not tell us which will
come first, the Ruler’s appointment or the
incursion by the Assyrian. It merely connects
the two events, one being caused by the other.
If this is end time, the incursion definitely
comes first, then the Ruler (Christ) deals with
him.
(2) "he shall tread in our palaces" - The Ruler will
move against Assyria because they come into the
land of Israel (borders \\#6\\ and conquer it,
i.e. they take the palace \\#5\\.
(a) This could be the aftermath of
\\#Zech 14:2\\.
(b) \\#Zech 14:3-7\\ and \\#Rev 19:11-21\\
details what happens to the armies outside
of the city of Jerusalem.
(c) Micah may be telling us that the Lord will
then take an army of Jews to those lands to
deliver any captives and to judge the
enemies of the Jews \\#Mic 4:13-5:1\\.
b. "then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and
eight principal men" - There is no clear
understanding of this prophecy; but it could be that
God will set up ranks and appoint leaders under Him
to lead His army into these enemy lands.
3. \\#6\\ "And they shall waste the land of Assyria with
the sword"
(1) The final result is the land of Assyria will be
destroyed.
(2) Like in \\#Mic 4:13\\, this is not a defeat where
God miraculously destroys the enemy as described
in \\#Zech 14:3-7, Rev 19:11-21\\, rather, the Jews
themselves defeat their enemies in His power.
(3) "and the land of Nimrod" - Nimrod was the father of
Assyria and Babel \\#Ge 10:9-10\\ so this conquest
likely takes in the whole area.
(4) See the notes on \\#Mic 7:12-13\\.
4. "thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian" - The end
result is that the Ruler will deliver the Jews from
Assyrians.
E. \\#Mic 4:7-15\\ A Mighty Campaign
1. \\#7-8\\ "the remnant of Jacob"
a. The phrase is used in both verses.
b. It means the survivors and implies that God’s judgment
(the tribulation) is complete.
c. The remnant shall:
(1) \\#7\\ "be in the midst of many people" - They
will be scattered throughout many nations, like
the dew or showers.
(2) \\#8\\ "among the Gentiles" - While \\#5-6\\
spoke directly of the Assyrians, the reference
to Gentiles opens the possibility for this
Jewish army to go to any and all Gentile nations
that have oppressed the Jews.
2. \\#8-15\\ The Jewish people shall now be an enemy to their
enemies. I consider this to be part of the Judgment of
the Nations \\#Mat 25:31-46\\.
a. They will be a fierce lion to devour them.
Micah 5:8 … 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.
9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine
adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be
cut off.
b. \\#10\\ "I will cut off"
(1) Notice that God starts to speak of Himself as the
person giving out the judgment.
(2) It is difficult to determine whether God is still
speaking to the heathen or to Israel as well,
although \\#15\\ is a definite reference to the
heathen.
(3) It is possible that the graven images and groves
are in the land of Israel and that God’s land will
need to be cleansed.
(4) God will take away the strength of the enemies
(i.e. their horses and chariots).
c. \\#11\\ God will give the Jews conquest over their
"cities" and "strong holds."
d. \\#12\\ God will destroy those involved in cults.
e. \\#13-14\\ God will destroy the false gods of those
lands so that the people will never worship them
again.
f. \\#15\\ God’s last comment in this section is a
warning that He is about to move upon those enemy
nations in a way they have never imagined.
Micah 5:15 And I will execute vengeance in anger
and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not
heard.
Woe to any and all nations who have not stood with Israel in that
day!
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