CRITICAL NOTES. Thou] invading army (not Judah). Us] The prophet identifies himself with the nation. Smite] The greatest insult (Lamentations 3:30; Matthew 5:39; Matthew 27:30). Judge] or king (Amos 2:3).
Micah 5:2. Beth.] The ensuing prophecy (Micah 5:1-5) combined with what goes before and what follows, consummates the witness of the O. T. concerning Christ, and is the groundwork of his history in the New [Words.]. Eph.] To distinguish it from another Beth, in Zebulon (Joshua 19:10; Joshua 19:15). Little] So insignificant in size and population that it was not enumerated among the cities of Judah (Joshua 15:21); nor in the list (Nehemiah 11:25); it became a city under Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:6). Thous.] Tribes divided into thousands, over which a leader presided, and commanded them in war (Exodus 18:21; Exodus 18:25; Numbers 1:16; Deuteronomy 1:15). ‘Family’ is given, Judges 6:15. Out] Lit. shall one come forth to me to be ruler. Out of] Beth., as his native place, antithetic to. From of old] Lit. from the days of eternity; expressing the eternity of Christ’s Divine nature and person [Gill]; and the displays of his power of old from everlasting, which may be referred to his covenant engagements, and to the work of creation [Boothr.].
Micah 5:3. Therefore] On account of this fixed plan of God, his people will be given up to suffer, until she] “the virgin” mother of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14); or the people of Judah, from whom a ruler was to come forth (Genesis 49:10). Suffering is the necessary travail-pain which precedes the joy of birth. Then] Blessings described which result from the Messiah’s birth. Rem.] The remainder, not only inhabitants of Judah left from the judgment, but members of the revolted ten tribes; all Israelites dispersed in foreign lands. Only brethren, sons of Israel, his race, have the right to return.
Micah 5:4. Feed] Lit. rule (Matthew 2:6) [margin]; (Isaiah 40:11). Stand] Persevering and diligent, in the attributes and name of his God, i.e. one in relation and purpose with Jehovah (Isaiah 9:5). They] Returned remnant. Abide] Dwell in perfect peace and security (cf. chap. Micah 4:4; Isaiah 14:30). Now] in the fulfilment. He] Alone (cf. Joel 2:20-21; Luke 1:32).
HOMILETICS
THE CHURCH MILITANT—Micah 5:1
Calamities are to precede prosperity. Lest Israel should fall into carnal security, she is warned of her danger, and roused to defend herself. Zion, in her warlike attitude, is a type of the Church militant.
I. She is endangered by the foe. “He hath laid siege against us.” In this world the Christian Church is engaged in conflict and exposed to suffering. The powers of evil have arrayed themselves against her. Infidelity, popery, and persecution have besieged her gates. Sin threatens her character, liberty, and existence. The foes are numerous, strong, disciplined to arms, and possessing manifold advantages. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood,” &c.
II. She is often deprived of earthly leaders. “They shall smite the judge of Israel.” Hengstenberg thinks this expression indicates a time when no king of the house of David reigned. Deplorable is the city with an enemy at the walls, and without a commander within to help. In early days the Church has been without leaders to teach and guide. Apostles were imprisoned and martyrs put to death. Men were determined to destroy the very existence of Christianity. Hence the great persecutions through which it has passed. But when the godly men cease and the faithful fail, then God will help (Psalms 12:1). “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is out king; he will save us.”
III. She is roused to action. “Now gather thyself in troops.”
1. Immediate action. “Now.” Every Christian, weak or strong, is commanded to arise and be ready. The present is the day for exertion, and those who work should do it with vigour.
2. United action. “Gather thyself in troops.” Dangers are great. United and personal action are required. Stragglers may be taken prisoners. Never let the enemies’ watchword prevail—“Divide and conquer.” Close thy ranks, and let each soldier keep his place. Supported by the promise and presence of God we should fear no evil and shun no duty. “The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
THE RULER OF ISRAEL.—Micah 5:2-3
In the greatest danger and the deepest degradation of Zion a ruler shall arise to deliver her, and raise her to be a dreaded power in the world.
I. The place from which the ruler came. Bethlehem, the most insignificant, not Jerusalem, the royal, city, gave birth to Jesus. Little, in a worldly sense, it was not the least among the cities of Judah; but eclipsed them all in spiritual dignity. God perfects strength out of seeming weakness, and immortalizes obscure places by the events of his providence. Some men derive honours from, and others confer celebrity upon, the place in which they were born. Many cities have striven for the honour of Homer’s birth. In Bethlehem we see the Divine purpose to choose “the base things of the world, and to bring to nought things that are.”
II. The method in which the ruler came.
1. He was promised. “Out of thee shall he come forth.” Chief priests and scribes gave the right answer to Herod’s questions (Matthew 2:4-6). When it was rumoured that he would come out of Galilee, his enemies could say, “Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was.” When we think that the promise has failed, God is arranging events, choosing agents, and fulfilling his word.
2. He was appointed. In the purpose of God he was set apart, and according to the command of God he come. He came not of himself, but the Father sent and sealed him (John 6:27). “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me” (Psalms 40:7-8).
3. He was born of a woman. “She which travaileth hath brought forth.” He was born of a woman; the virgin conceived and bore a son (Isaiah 7:14). His goings forth were of old, but his birth was in time. He was real God and true man. God was manifest in the flesh; and in the coming of the Messiah we may read the truth of God, and discern the purpose and presence of God. “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass.”
III. The purpose for which the ruler came. “Who shall be ruler in Israel?” The circumstances of his birth and life seemed to bespeak anything rather than royal dominion. Pilate put the question, “Art thou a king, then?” The answer was, “I am a king. But my kingdom is not of this world.” He had no temporal dominions, but he governs the hearts and lives of his people. He rules the nations of the earth, and will rule to the end of time. The judge of Israel was smitten, the empire of Cæsar came to nought, but the reign of Christ shall endure for ever. Napoleon rose with rapidity to boundless inheritance, but finished his course in disgraceful exile; contrasted empires founded on force with that of Jesus founded upon love, and exclaimed, “What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is proclaimed, loved, and adored, and is extending over the whole earth!”
IV. The results which spring from the ruler’s coming. “Then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.”
1. Deliverance from captivity. They shall return from bondage to Canaan and to Jehovah. The remnant shall become genuine sons of Israel, people again in covenant with God.
2. Restoration to unity. Exiled Jews, Gentiles of heathen nations, shall be united as brethren under his reign, and incorporated into a spiritual commonwealth. Then men become Israelites not in name, but in spirit and truth. Grace makes all sons of God. The promise is not only to Israel after the flesh, but to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:39).
THE INCARNATION AND BIRTH OF CHRIST
I. Who it was that sent Christ forth. “Out of thee shall he come forth to me.” Jesus Christ did not come forth without his Father’s permission, authority, and assistance. We are too apt to forget that while there are distinctions as to the persons in the Trinity, there are no distinctions of honour; and we frequently ascribe the honour of our salvation, or at least the depths of its mercy and the extremity of its benevolence, more to Jesus Christ than we do to the Father. Contemplate that the Father sent him, and in every period of his life think that he suffered what the Father willed; that every step of his life was marked with the approval of the great I Am.
II. Where did he come to at the time of his incarnation? First, it seemed necessary that Christ should be born in Bethlehem, because of Bethlehem’s history. Again, there is something in the name of the place. The word Bethlehem has a double meaning. It signifies “the house of bread,” and “the house of war.” Jesus is the bread of his people on which they feed. Here the bread of life was first given to man to eat. It is also called “the house of war,” because Christ is to every man “the house of bread” or “the house of war.” Ephratah signifies “fruitfulness” or “abundance.” All our fruitfulness is from Christ. His incarnation fattens the soil of our hearts. Next, notice the position of Bethlehem “Little among the thousands of Judah.” There are many little ones, unknown and dwelling in obscurity. Christ is always born among the little ones; lieth not in great hearts, but in little ones. A broken heart and a low spirit shall have the Saviour, and none else. Another thought, how wonderfully mysterious was that providence which brought Jesus Christ’s mother to Bethlehem at the very time when she was to be delivered.
III. What did Jesus come for? “To be ruler in Israel.” He was “born the King of the Jews.” Men are born princes, but seldom born kings. But he is not ruler of Israel after the flesh, but after the spirit. Hast thou submitted to the sway of Christ?
IV. Did Jesus ever come before? “Whose goings forth have been ever of old.” First, Christ has had his goings forth in his Godhead. “From everlasting.” He has not been a secret and a silent person up to this moment. That new-born child is the infant of to-day, but the ancient of eternity.
1. Of old he went forth as our covenant-head in election.
2. He had goings forth for his people, as their representative before the throne, even before they were begotten in the world. Secondly, we believe that Christ has come forth of old, even to men, so that men have beheld him. He appeared to Abraham, to Jacob, to Joshua, and to the three youths in the fiery furnace. Observe that each of these four great occurrences happened to the saints, when they were engaged in very eminent duty, or when they were about to be engaged in it. When Abraham interceded for Sodom, Jacob engaged in wrestling, Joshua exercising bravery, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in high places of persecution. Christ hath not left going forth yet. Recollect he goes to Bethlehem. Are you little? He will go forth to meet you. He will come to your poor house,—wretched heart. Trust him, and he will go forth to abide with you for ever [Spurgeon].
THE SHEPHERD KING.—Micah 5:4
The government of this ruler is further described under the similitude of a shepherd feeding and defending his flock, establishing and extending his kingdom in all the earth.
I. The work of the shepherd king. He shall “feed”—a word which indicates to feed by ruling, as in the Greek in Matthew 2:6, “Out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule (feed marg.) my people Israel.”
1. He will feed his flock. The soul is hungry, and men crave for food. The word of Christ can feed the soul, and satisfy the wants of humanity. Those who believe in him “shall not hunger nor thirst” any more.
2. He will rule his flock. He will teach and guide, rule and provide. We require control as well as nourishment. All his sheep “follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”
II. The qualifications of the shepherd king. Israel’s princes had no power, but he shall stand, clad in the strength and displaying the glory of the Lord.
1. He has Divine power. “Rule in the strength of the Lord.” He is invested with power to defend his flock against wolves and robbers (John 10:11-12). Care would be in vain if the sheep could not be secured from danger. “No man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
2. He has Divine tenderness. His power is not tyrannical. He loves where he feeds. His might is used to protect, not to destroy the flock. He does not flee away like an hireling, but lays down his own life for the sheep. “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
3. He has Divine majesty. “In the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.” All power in earth and heaven is given to him. Majesty is displayed in his love and teaching, in his nature and work. He is invested with more dignity than ordinary kings. He bears the name of God (Isaiah 9:5; Isaiah 10:21); the spirit of might rests upon him (Isaiah 11:1); and in the greatness of his majesty he overthrows every enemy (Exodus 14:7).
III. The attitude of the shepherd king. “He shall stand and feed.”
1. He is actively engaged. To sit is the attitude of a judge, to stand is the position of one ready to succour and defend. He defended Israel from the attack of heathen nations. He will watch and feed his Church to the end of time. He is always present and vigilant. “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither sleep nor slumber.”
2. He is constantly engaged. He never sits down in ease and neglect. He stands fixed in purpose, and none can hinder or remove him. He endures, surveys, and guards his flock on every side. “He shall not fail nor be discouraged until he hath set judgment in the earth.”
IV. The blessings which flow from the work of the shepherd king. Through the care and providence of Christ his people shall be increased, established, and acquire greatness and dominion.
1. The perpetual existence of the Church. “And they shall abide.” His people shall not wander to and fro, as hitherto. They shall rest and abide in permanent security and peace. None can hurt or destroy them. Because he lives they shall live. The original promise, often forfeited through disobedience, shall be fulfilled: “Ye shall dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid” (Leviticus 26:6; Isaiah 14:30).
2. The increasing greatness of the Church. “For now shall he be great.” A “little flock” only follow him now, but this flock shall be great in numbers and influence. Its king shall become famous, precious, and attractive to others. “I have made thee a great name, like the name of the great that are in the earth.”
3. The universal dominion of the Church. “He shall be great unto the ends of the earth.” There shall be no end to the increase, no limit to the power of his empire. Souls shall be converted, nations brought under the yoke of Christ, thus the greatness of his love and grace shall be set forth to the very ends of the world. “I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”
HOMILETIC HINTS AND OUTLINES
1. Christ’s ordinary harbingers and forerunners, when he is to come with mercies to his Church, are afflictions to fit them for such manifestations.
2. These afflictions are often very grievous. The contempt and injury done to authority and magistrates, under whom a people may be kept from confusion and the Church protected, is a special ingredient in the affliction of the visible Church. See Hutcheson. To be smitten on the face betokens shame; to smite with a rod betokens destruction. Now both shall meet in one; as in the Great Day, the wicked shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt, and shall perish for ever [Pusey].
Micah 5:2. Bethlehem. God orders all in the continuous course of his wisdom. All lies in perfect harmony in the Divine mind. Each event is the sequel of what went before. So here the prophet joins on, what to us stands in such contrast with that simple and. Yet he describes the two conditions as bearing one another. He had said that the judge was smitten, and that Israel had no counsellor nor king; now he speaks of the Ruler in Israel. He had said that the rule was to come to the tower of the flock; now, retaining the word, he speaks of the ruler in whom it was to be established. But he has greater things to say, so he pauses—And thou! People have admired the brief appeal of the murdered Cæsar, “Thou too, Brutus.” The like energetic conciseness lies in the words, And thou! Bethlehem Ephratah [Pusey].
Goings forth.
1. In the purposes of eternity.
2. In the creation of the world.
3. In the manifestations of Old Testament.
4. In human birth.
5. In the events of providence.
Micah 5:4. The shepherd character of Jesus indicates:—
1. The helpless and lost condition of man.
2. The love of God in assuming the character and office of a shepherd.
3. The benevolent design in redeeming mankind.
Feed. This expression shows how Christ stands towards his own, the sheep that have been intrusted to him. He does not rule over them like a dreadful tyrant, who oppresses his subjects with fear, but he is a shepherd, and cares for his sheep with all the gentleness that can be desired. But since we are surrounded with enemies, the prophet adds: He works with power; that is, with all the power there is in God, all the protection there is in Christ, as soon as there is need to protect the Church. We should learn, therefore, to expect from Christ just as much salvation as there is power in God [Calvin]. But neither feed nor rule conveys the full idea of the original expression (Matthew 2:6). The full idea is, who shall act the part of a shepherd to my people Israel,—who shall at once protect, and guide, and feed, and govern or rule them [Morrison].
“As the good shepherd tends his fleecy care,
Seeks freshest pasture and the purest air,
Explores the lost, the wandering sheep directs,
By day o’ersees them, and by night protects;
The tender lambs he raises in his arms,
Feeds from his hand, and in his bosom warms;
Thus shall mankind his guardian care engage,
The promised Father of the future age.” [Pope.]
The world hates the Church, and feasts its eyes upon its misery.
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 5
Micah 5:2. Bethlehem. By a remarkable interposition of providence, interwoven, however, with the course of events in the world, was it brought about that the promised King should be born in Bethlehem (as Micah the prophet had foretold), the very place where the house of David had its origin; while, at the same time, the lowly circumstances of his birth were in striking contrast with the inherent dignity and glory that were veiled in the new-born child [Neander]. Both names were derived from “fruitfulness,” “House of Bread” and “fruitfulness;” and despite of centuries of Mohammedan oppression, it is fertile still. It had been rich in the fruitfulness of this world; rich, thrice rich, should it be in spiritual fruitfulness [Pusey].
Micah 5:3. Give them up.
(1) Into the hands of their enemies. Indeed the far greater part never returned from the Captivity, but remained, although willingly, in the enemy’s land, outwardly shut out from the land of the promise and the hope of their fathers. But
(2) all were, more than before, given up to follow their own ways. God was less visibly present among them. Prophecy ceased soon after the return from captivity, and many tokens of the nearness of God and means of his communications with them,—the Ark and the Urim and Thummim,—were gone. It was a time of pause and waiting, wherein the fulness of God’s gifts was withdrawn, that they might look on to Him who was to come. Until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth, i.e. until the Virgin should conceive and bear a Son [Pusey].