Micah moved from the destruction of Jerusalem (606–586) to “the last days,” when there will be a new Jerusalem and a rebuilt temple at the heart of the righteous kingdom of Messiah. The period known as “the last days” began with the ministry of Christ (Heb. 1:1–2) and it climaxes with His return to establish His kingdom on earth. The Lord gave His people four wonderful promises.
A promised kingdom (4:1–8). The situation of the two little Jewish kingdoms was hopeless when Micah delivered his messages. Assyria was about to pounce on Israel and put an end to that nation, and then the Assyrian army would ravage Judah and almost take Jerusalem. When the outlook is grim, try the uplook. Thus the prophet encouraged the people to look ahead to what God had promised for His chosen people.
God promised that the nation would be united and the people returned to their land. Jerusalem would become the world’s most important city, the temple would be rebuilt, and the true worship of Jehovah would be restored (see Ezek. 40—48). Instead of the Gentile nations fighting the Jews, they would “stream” to Jerusalem to worship God and hear His Word. There would be peace among the nations because they would obey God’s truth, submit to the Messiah’s rule, and destroy their instruments of war.
Every Jewish family wanted to achieve what Micah described in 4:4: a pleasant home with a productive garden in a peaceful land (see 1 Kings 4:25; Isa. 36:16). But even more than peace and economic stability was the blessing of knowing the Lord and obeying Him (Mic. 4:5). This verse doesn’t refer to the future, because during the kingdom Age all the nations will worship Jehovah. It was an affirmation of faith on the part of the true believers, the remnant in the land: “The other nations may now be serving their own gods, which are false gods; but we will walk in the name of Jehovah, the true God, and obey Him alone.”
Though the remnant of Jews might be small, weak, and lame, God will gather them from all the nations and make a mighty army out of them (vv. 6–7a). Messiah will rule over them, and Jerusalem will become the glorious capital city for His kingdom. Jerusalem had once been David’s capital city, the shepherd–king who cared for the flock (Ps. 78:67–72), but after the death of Josiah, not one of his four successors was a godly man. Messiah, the Son of David, will one day reign from Jerusalem and care for His flock as a faithful Shepherd–King.
A promised deliverance (4:9–10). The city of Jerusalem is called “daughter of Zion” (cities are usually classified as feminine), a term of endearment that assured the people of God’s loving care no matter what might happen. But the city was in travail, like a woman with child, because the enemy had arrived and was capturing the people and taking them to Babylon. However, the exile wasn’t the end; for God will redeem a remnant and bring them back to the land.
Had the leaders listened to the prophet Jeremiah and peacefully surrendered to the Babylonians, they would have saved the city and the temple, but they resisted God’s will, and their city and temple were ruined. However, Jeremiah promised that the exile would last only seventy years, and then the remnant could return and rebuild the city and the temple.
A promised conquest (4:11–13). Once again, the prophet looked down the centuries to the end times and saw his people being attacked by many Gentile nations, all of them gloating over Israel because they are so sure of defeating the Jews (see Zech. 12:1–9; 14:1–11). The nations are sure of victory because they ignore Scripture and don’t know God’s plans for His people (Jer. 29:11).
Israel will look weak and defenseless, but the Lord will make their soldiers sharp threshing instruments to “harvest” the nations (Rev. 14:14–20). God will give them “horns” (a symbol of power) and “hoofs” so that they will have both power and speed as they attack their enemies. This great battle is usually called “the Battle of Armageddon,” although that phrase is not found in Scripture (Rev. 16:16; 19:17–21). When the battle is over, the victorious Jewish army will devote all the spoils to the service of the Lord.
A promised King (5:1–5a). Now Micah looks ahead to the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. So many soldiers are encamped around Jerusalem that Micah calls her “the city [daughter] of troops.” When King Zedekiah and his officers see that their situation is hopeless, they try to escape, but the Babylonians catch up with them and capture them (2 Kings 25:1–7). Of course, they humiliate the king by striking him with a rod across his face. Then they kill his sons, put out his eyes, bind him, and take him to Babylon.
The fact that Micah 5: is in contrast to verse 1 (“But, thou, Bethlehem”) is another proof that verse 1 is not speaking about Jesus; for verses 2–5 definitely refer to Messiah. God selected the “little town of Bethlehem” as the place where the King of the Jews was to be born. It was this prophecy that the priests shared with the magi who came to Jerusalem looking for the King (Matt. 2:1–12).
Bethlehem (“house of bread”) has an interesting history. Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, died near Bethlehem when she gave birth to Benjamin, and she was buried nearby (Gen. 35:16–20). Matthew cites this when he reports the slaying of the innocent children by Herod (Matt. 2:16–18; see Jer. 31:15). In her pain, Rachel named her son Ben-oni, which means “son of my sorrow”; but Jacob renamed the boy, calling him Benjamin, “son of my right hand.” These two names remind us of our Lord’s suffering and glory, the cross and the throne at the Father’s right hand.
Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem; there Boaz fell in love with Ruth and married her. Ruth is an ancestor of the Messiah (Matt. 1:5). Of course, David was Bethlehem’s greatest son; and it was through David’s family that the promised Messiah would be born (2 Sam. 7; Matt. 1:1; Luke 1:26–27; Rom. 1:3). The Jews knew that their Messiah would come from Bethlehem (John 7:42).
In this prophecy, Micah reveals a number of important facts about the Messiah. To begin with, He is eternal God, for His “goings out are from old … from days of eternity” (see niv margin). Jesus stepped out of eternity into human history, sent by the Father to die for the sins of the world (1 John 4:14). But He is also truly a man, for He is born as a human child. We have here the miracle of the Incarnation (John 1:14).
You would think that the very Son of God would come to a great city like Athens or Jerusalem, but He chose to be born in a humble stable (or cave) in Bethlehem. But the day would come when He would be glorified and take His throne in heaven; and one day, He shall return to be Ruler over His people.
However, before He can stand as a Shepherd and care for His flock, His own people must reject Him. Between the cross and the kingdom Age, Israel will be “given up” by the Lord until the time when Jesus returns and the nation is “born” into her kingdom (see Isa. 66:8). This King will reign to the ends of the earth and will bring peace to all nations. Today, of course, Christ gives peace to all who will come to Him by faith (Matt. 11:28–30; Rom. 5:1).
Micah presented an encouraging scenario to the people, but they didn’t seem to grasp the significance; for if they had, they would have turned to the Lord in gratitude and repentance. Whenever a prophet foretold the future, it was to awaken the people to their responsibilities in the present. Bible prophecy isn’t entertainment for the curious; it’s encouragement for the serious.