by Wells, Steve
6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
(3.9-12) Because the prophets and leaders of the nation were corrupt, God punishes everyone.
9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
(3.9) “Hear this … ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.”
10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
(3.11) “The prophets thereof divine for money.” Some things never change.
12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
(3.12) “Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps.”
MICAH 4
4 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
(4.1) “In the last days … the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.” In the last days God will put “the mountain of the house of the Lord” on “top of the mountains.”
2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
(4.3) “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Well, it’s a nice thought, but Joel 3.10 says just the opposite. But what do you expect from a “God of Peace” (Rom 15.33, Heb 13.20) who calls himself a “man of war”? (Ex 15.3)
4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
(4.5) “All people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God.” God approves of religious tolerance?
6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
(4.13a) “I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD.” God will strengthen the Israelites so they can “beat in pieces many peoples” and give the booty to God.
(4.13b) “The Lord of the whole earth.”
161 Who is the Lord of the earth?
MICAH 5
5 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.
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.
(5.2) “But thou, Bethlehem 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 gospel of Matthew (2.5-6) claims that Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem fulfils this prophecy. But this is unlikely since
“Bethlehem Ephratah” in Micah 5.2 refers not to a town, but to a clan: the clan of Bethlehem, who was the son of Caleb’s second wife, Ephrathah (1 Chr 2.18, 2.50-52, 4.4).
The prophecy (if that is what it is) does not refer to the Messiah, but rather to a military leader, as can be seen from verse 5.6. This leader is supposed to defeat the Assyrians, which, of course, Jesus never did.
It should also be noted that Matthew altered the text of Micah 5.2 by saying: “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda” rather than “Bethlehem Ephratah” as is said in Micah 5.2. He did this, intentionally no doubt, to make the verse appear to refer to the town of Bethlehem rather than the family clan.
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.
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.
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.
(5.6-15)
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.
(5.6) “They shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword.”
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.
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.
(5.8) “The remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion … among the flocks of sheep: who … teareth in pieces.” Like a young lion, the Jews will tear the Gentiles to pieces.
9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine a
dversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
(5.9) “Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.”
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:
(5.10) “I will cut off thy horses.”
11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:
(5.11-12) “I will cut off the cities … And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers.” God will “cut off” the witches and soothsayers.
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.
(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.”
14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
(5.14-15) “So will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” God will destroy entire cities, and “execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen such as they have not heard.”
317 Does God get furious?
MICAH 6
6 Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
2 Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
(6.2) “Ye strong foundations of the earth.” The earth is set upon foundations and does not move.
3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.
4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.
6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
(6.6-7) “Shall I come before him with burnt offerings … Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams?”
20 Does God desire animal sacrifices?
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
(6.8) “What is good … but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly?”
9 The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
(6.13-16) God will make his people sick, hungry, and desolate. Those who survive he will “give up to the sword.”
13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
(6.13) “Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.”
14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
(6.14) “Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied … and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.”
15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
(6.16) “I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing.”
MICAH 7
(7.1-5) Woe is you, me, and everyone else. Never trust a friend or lover.
7 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
(7.1) “Woe is me!”
2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
(7.2) “There is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.”
3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
(7.3) “That they may do evil with both hands.”
4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
(7.5) “Trust ye not in a friend … keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.” Advice like this is only found in the Bible.
6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
7 Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
11 In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.
12 In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13 Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.
(7.16-17) The Gentiles will be made deaf, shall lick dust and be forced to crawl like worms from fear of God and his people.
16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
(7.16) “The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.”
17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their
holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.
(7.17) “They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.”
18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
(7.18) “Who is a God like unto thee … he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”
144 How long does God’s anger last?
120 Is God merciful?
19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
NAHUM
I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile. — Nahum 3.6
There’s not much new in Nahum. God continues to behave in a way that would be unacceptable for any human. But God can get away with anything.
Here are a few highlights:
God is jealous and gets furious. He takes vengeance on his adversaries and wrath on his enemies. 1.2
Whirlwinds, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires are caused by God and are signs of his anger. He dries up oceans and rivers, melts mountains, and throws stones. “The clouds are the dust of his feet.” 1.3-6
God doesn’t just get even. He drowns or burns to death his enemies. 1.8-10
There is “much pain in all loins.” 2.10
God will “discover thy skirts upon thy face … show the nations thy nakedness … and cast abominable filth upon thee.” 3.5-6
He punished Nineveh by enslaving the people and smashing the little children in the streets. 3.10
“Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women.” I guess this (“You’re all just a bunch of women.”) was the biggest insult God could think of at the moment. 3.13
God says that “the fire shall devour thee, the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm.” 3.15