But there was something
more definite still to be declared; the principal enemy
of the last days was to be pointed out, and this in
special connection with another and fatal sin of
Jerusalem and her people. The Messiah and His rejection
are introduced. The daughter of troops gathers herself in
troops to besiege Jerusalem—the Assyrian army (see
v. 5). But here it is quite a different thing from the
attack of Sennacherib. Judah had now plunged much deeper
into sin and rebellion. The true Judge of Israel should
be smitten with a rod upon the cheek. The Christ should
be mocked and beaten.
The birthplace of
Christ predicted: the eternal glory of His person
Verse 2 describes Him in a
striking manner. It was on this verse that the scribes
and chief priests rested, when they certified Herod that
Christ should be born in Bethlehem. It represents Him as
being born at Bethlehem, and at the same time as eternal,
and as the true Ruler in Israel.
The second verse is in
parenthesis. It declares the birthplace, whence He that
should rule over Israel for Jehovah should go forth; and,
at the same time, it reveals the eternal glory of His
Person.
The consequences
of Messiah's rejection
Verse 3 is connected with
verse 1, and exhibits the consequences of the sin there
pointed out. Israel, and more especially Judah, is given
up, yet only for a season, the period of which is
designated in a remarkable and instructive
manner—until she which travaileth hath brought
forth. Israel (exercised, travailing, long preferring to
stand on the footing of Hagar rather than on that of
Sarah) must pass through all the afflictions, the
anguish, the judgments, the chastisements of God,
necessary to lead her to the acceptance of the punishment
of her iniquity; being at length by His grace thoroughly
convinced of the need of that grace, and of the mercy of
God, and thus brought into a condition fitted to her
being the vessel of the manifestation of that Son who
should be born unto her —the Naomi brought back by
grace, to whom (with respect to His manifestation in this
world) the King is reputed to be born. Compare Isaiah 9,
where the idea is developed in connection with Israel,
"to us a Son is born"; and Revelation 12, where
the historical fact, and its connection with Israel in
the last days, are brought together.
The remnant not of
Christ's body, but return to the children of Israel
Another very important
element of this last scene of the present age is pointed
out in this verse. Israel is given up to judgment,
forsaken of God, in a certain sense, for having rejected
the Christ, the Lord. But now she who travaileth has
brought forth. Afterwards (and this is the element I
refer to) the remnant of the brethren of this first-born
Son, instead of being added to the church (Acts 2),
return unto the children of Israel. The Christ is not
ashamed to call them His brethren; but at this period
they no longer become members of His body. Their relation
is with Israel. This is the position in which they are
placed before God.
The rejected One
the Shepherd of Israel
He, then, who had been
rejected becomes the Shepherd of Israel, and that
according to the strength of Jehovah in the majesty of
the name of Jehovah His God. Israel dwells in safety, for
His King becomes great unto the ends of the earth. By Him
the Assyrian should be overthrown, and his land laid
waste by that Israel whom he had sought to overthrow.
Israel as the
instrument of refreshing and the testimony of God's power
Israel in that day
possesses a double character. The remnant of Jacob is the
instrument of refreshing, in the precious grace that
comes from God, and waits not for the laboured and varied
efforts of man. They shall be as the showers upon the
grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of
men. But, nevertheless, Israel is also that which rises
up among the nations, as a lion among the beasts of the
field, from whom none can deliver. They are the
instruments and testimony of the power of God. The
blessing and the strength of Jehovah is with them. The
prophet declares. that all the enemies of Israel shall be
cut off and perish. But Jehovah will at the same time
destroy out of the midst of Israel all their false human
strength, their chariots, their strong cities—all
that ministers to the pride of man and leads him to trust
in himself. He will destroy all their idols; Israel shall
no longer worship the works of their own hands; every
trace of idolatry shall be taken away. At the same time
vengeance and wrath, such as had not been heard of, shall
be executed upon the nations.
The first two
divisions of the prophecy
This division of the
prophecy ends here: the first at the close of chapter 2:
chapter 4: 9-13 giving, in general, the two evils with
which judged Jerusalem had to do—Babylon and the
gathering of the nations in the latter day, and her
glorious deliverance; and chapter 5 the connection of
Messiah both with the judgment and with the deliverance
from the latter of these evils and the introduction of
the blessing, of which the description had been given in
chapter 4: 1-8, as being the purpose of Jehovah. In that
sense, chapter 4: 8 closes the second part; but from
thence to the end of chapter 5 are two appendices, so to
speak, which unfold the double evil which comes on
Jerusalem, and the connection of the people with their
deliverers in judgment first, and then deliverance.
Micah 5 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
But there was something more definite still to be declared; the principal enemy of the last days was to be pointed out, and this in special connection with another and fatal sin of Jerusalem and her people. The Messiah and His rejection are introduced. The daughter of troops gathers herself in troops to besiege Jerusalem—the Assyrian army (see v. 5). But here it is quite a different thing from the attack of Sennacherib. Judah had now plunged much deeper into sin and rebellion. The true Judge of Israel should be smitten with a rod upon the cheek. The Christ should be mocked and beaten.
The birthplace of Christ predicted: the eternal glory of His person
Verse 2 describes Him in a striking manner. It was on this verse that the scribes and chief priests rested, when they certified Herod that Christ should be born in Bethlehem. It represents Him as being born at Bethlehem, and at the same time as eternal, and as the true Ruler in Israel.
The second verse is in parenthesis. It declares the birthplace, whence He that should rule over Israel for Jehovah should go forth; and, at the same time, it reveals the eternal glory of His Person.
The consequences of Messiah's rejection
Verse 3 is connected with verse 1, and exhibits the consequences of the sin there pointed out. Israel, and more especially Judah, is given up, yet only for a season, the period of which is designated in a remarkable and instructive manner—until she which travaileth hath brought forth. Israel (exercised, travailing, long preferring to stand on the footing of Hagar rather than on that of Sarah) must pass through all the afflictions, the anguish, the judgments, the chastisements of God, necessary to lead her to the acceptance of the punishment of her iniquity; being at length by His grace thoroughly convinced of the need of that grace, and of the mercy of God, and thus brought into a condition fitted to her being the vessel of the manifestation of that Son who should be born unto her —the Naomi brought back by grace, to whom (with respect to His manifestation in this world) the King is reputed to be born. Compare Isaiah 9, where the idea is developed in connection with Israel, "to us a Son is born"; and Revelation 12, where the historical fact, and its connection with Israel in the last days, are brought together.
The remnant not of Christ's body, but return to the children of Israel
Another very important element of this last scene of the present age is pointed out in this verse. Israel is given up to judgment, forsaken of God, in a certain sense, for having rejected the Christ, the Lord. But now she who travaileth has brought forth. Afterwards (and this is the element I refer to) the remnant of the brethren of this first-born Son, instead of being added to the church (Acts 2), return unto the children of Israel. The Christ is not ashamed to call them His brethren; but at this period they no longer become members of His body. Their relation is with Israel. This is the position in which they are placed before God.
The rejected One the Shepherd of Israel
He, then, who had been rejected becomes the Shepherd of Israel, and that according to the strength of Jehovah in the majesty of the name of Jehovah His God. Israel dwells in safety, for His King becomes great unto the ends of the earth. By Him the Assyrian should be overthrown, and his land laid waste by that Israel whom he had sought to overthrow.
Israel as the instrument of refreshing and the testimony of God's power
Israel in that day possesses a double character. The remnant of Jacob is the instrument of refreshing, in the precious grace that comes from God, and waits not for the laboured and varied efforts of man. They shall be as the showers upon the grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men. But, nevertheless, Israel is also that which rises up among the nations, as a lion among the beasts of the field, from whom none can deliver. They are the instruments and testimony of the power of God. The blessing and the strength of Jehovah is with them. The prophet declares. that all the enemies of Israel shall be cut off and perish. But Jehovah will at the same time destroy out of the midst of Israel all their false human strength, their chariots, their strong cities—all that ministers to the pride of man and leads him to trust in himself. He will destroy all their idols; Israel shall no longer worship the works of their own hands; every trace of idolatry shall be taken away. At the same time vengeance and wrath, such as had not been heard of, shall be executed upon the nations.
The first two divisions of the prophecy
This division of the prophecy ends here: the first at the close of chapter 2: chapter 4: 9-13 giving, in general, the two evils with which judged Jerusalem had to do—Babylon and the gathering of the nations in the latter day, and her glorious deliverance; and chapter 5 the connection of Messiah both with the judgment and with the deliverance from the latter of these evils and the introduction of the blessing, of which the description had been given in chapter 4: 1-8, as being the purpose of Jehovah. In that sense, chapter 4: 8 closes the second part; but from thence to the end of chapter 5 are two appendices, so to speak, which unfold the double evil which comes on Jerusalem, and the connection of the people with their deliverers in judgment first, and then deliverance.