MICAH LESSON 5
We will begin this lesson in Micah 5:1 "Now gather thyself in
troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they
shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek."
We know that Israel, and Jerusalem in Israel, had been besieged,
and had been taken, and had been scattered. They certainly had been
humiliated like a slap on the face. Those in authority fell to the
same fate as the everyday citizen of the country.
Micah 5:2 "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little
among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth
unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have
been] from of old, from everlasting."
The name "Bethlehem" means house of bread. Jesus is the Bread of
life. The name "Ephratah" means fruitfulness. Ephratah is another name
for Bethlehem. Jesus produced more believers {fruit} than anyone ever
in history. Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, is just outside of
Jerusalem about 5 miles. It is a small village. At the time of the
deepest sorrow of God's people {they were under Roman rule}, God sent
the Saviour of the world. He was their Messiah. He was their King. He
is our Saviour. Notice, that Jesus is everlasting. He is the Beginning
and the Ending. Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son
is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace."
Micah 5:3 "Therefore will he give them up, until the time [that]
she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his
brethren shall return unto the children of Israel."
This is saying, that God's people will be controlled by others,
until the virgin Mary brings forth the Christ child. Christ will bring
in His kingdom, and all who will believe {the true family of Abraham}
will be His family. This includes those who are spiritual Israel and
physical Israel.
Micah 5:4 "And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the
LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall
abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth."
Jesus is the Ruler, spoken of here, who is their Messiah. Jesus
is spoken of as the good Shepherd. He feeds all of His flock. Jesus
was not just for the Hebrews. I Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both
labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is
the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." The feeding
here, is speaking of feeding on the Word of the Lord. No one can take
the believers away from Jesus. The word "abide" means continually
live. John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me:" John 10:28 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand."
John 10:29 "My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and
no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand." John 10:30
"I and [my] Father are one."
Micah 5:5 "And this [man] shall be the peace, when the Assyrian
shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then
shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men."
Jesus not only brings peace, but is the King of Peace. He is our
peace. The Assyrians, here, are speaking of the worldly people who
come against God's people. "Seven" means spiritually complete. This,
then, is saying that the peace that Jesus brings is perfect and
complete. "Eight" means new beginnings, and these are some of Jesus'
subordinates spoken of here.
Micah 5:6 "And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the
sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he
deliver [us] from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when
he treadeth within our borders."
The sword, that Jesus fights with, is the sword of His mouth {the
Word of God}. "Nimrod and Assyria", here, are speaking, generally, of
the enemies of God's people.
Micah 5:7 "And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many
people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that
tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men."
This "remnant of Jacob" is speaking of those who have received
the Messiah. They actually are the spreaders of Christianity across
the lands, as dew would refresh the land. Most of the apostles of
Christ were Hebrews. They carried the gospel message to the known
world. The grace of God is a free gift from God poured out to all
mankind. It was to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. All could
be refreshed by this grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Micah 5:8 "And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles
in the midst of many people 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."
The Lamb of God {Jesus Christ} is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Jesus is the Judge of all the world. He is strong and protective to
those who accept Him. He is, also, the destroyer of those who totally
reject Him. Luke 19:27 "But those mine enemies, which would not that I
should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me."
Micah 5:9 "Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries,
and all thine enemies shall be cut off."
Jesus had a gentle, loving, forgiving side of Him. He, also, had
a side that spoke strongly to the money changers in the temple. His
righteous indignation drove the money changers out. He is our Saviour
who forgives and gives us new life, but He is, also, the King who
rules with an iron hand. I Corinthians 15:25 "For he must reign, till
he hath put all enemies under his feet."
Micah 5:10 "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the
LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I
will destroy thy chariots:"
The day spoken of, here, is when Jesus reigns as King. God had
never wanted His people to trust in their horses and chariots. There
will be no need for them. Jesus has won the war. Victory is in Jesus.
Micah 5:11 "And I will cut off the cities, of thy land, and throw
down all thy strong holds:"
This is speaking of the glory of the cities, and the formalities
of government. There will be no threat of war, so there will be no
need for strongholds.
Micah 5:12 "And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and
thou shalt have no [more] soothsayers:"
This is some of the things that had misled God's people. Magic,
and sorcery, and witches, and warlocks are all part of the witchcraft
mentioned here. These things are an abomination to God. Soothsayers
were just as bad. In fact, they were about the same. We could,
possibly, add enchanter, or mind reader, or hypnotist to that list.
Micah 5:13 "Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy
standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more
worship the work of thine hands."
Anything you make with your hands, or can see with your physical
eye, is not God. God is Spirit. Idolatry {worship of images of false
gods} is the very thing that had caused separation from God. God,
Himself, will destroy all of them.
Micah 5:14 "And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of
thee: so will I destroy thy cities."
The groves were some of the places where the worship of false
gods went on. Notice, God destroys these places. The cities involved
in this is "thy cities" that He destroys.
Micah 5:15 "And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon
the heathen, such as they have not heard."
This is speaking of the wrath of God, which comes on all who
reject Jesus. II Thessalonians 1:8 "In flaming fire taking vengeance
on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ:" This is 3 1/2 years of torment from God on those who
totally reject Jesus.
Micah 5 Questions
1. What things had happened to Israel and Jerusalem that was like a
slap in the face?
2. What happened to those in authority?
3. What does "Bethlehem" mean?
4. What does "Ephratah" mean?
5. Where was Bethlehem located?
6. At the time of Jesus, Jerusalem was under the control of the
_______.
7. Who was Jesus to the natural Jew?
8. Quote Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6.
9. What time is verse 3 speaking of?
10. Who are the true family of Abraham?
11. Jesus is the Ruler spoken of in verse 4. He is spoken of as the
good _____________.
12. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 10.
13. What does "abide" mean?
14. Quote John chapter 5 verse 24.
15. Quote John chapter 10 verses 28 through 30.
16. Jesus not only brings peace, but is the _______ of _______.
17. What does "seven" mean?
18. "Eight" means ______ ___________.
19. What is the sword Jesus fights with?
20. What are "Nimrod and Assyria" speaking of in verse 6?
21. Who are the "remnant of Jacob" in verse 7?
22. Most of the apostles of Christ were ________.
23. The Lamb of God {Jesus Christ} is the ________ of the tribe of
Judah.
24. Quote Luke chapter 19 verse 27.
25. Jesus' __________ __________ drove the money changers out of the
temple.
26. Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 25.
27. What is verse 10 saying?
28. What would be classified as witchcraft?
29. What are soothsayers?
30. Anything you make with your hand, or can see with your natural
eye, is _____ ____.
31. What were the groves?
32. Who will He execute anger and fury upon?
33. Quote 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 8.
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