The prophet's call, "rise and go," seems a little strange at first glance: where should faithful Yahwists go from Judah, where the people of God live, flawed though they are, where the Temple stands, where, finally, the place of God's presence is? Of course, God Himself, through the mouth of His prophet, says that His people...
The prophet's call, "rise and go," seems a little strange at first glance: where should faithful Yahwists go from Judah, where the people of God live, flawed though they are, where the Temple stands, where, finally, the place of God's presence is? Of course, God Himself, through the mouth of His prophet, says that His people, in the state in which the prophet found them, are almost no people at all; but God Himself is certainly not going to begin the history of His people from the beginning, from a blank slate. So where then should His faithful ones go? This can be understood only in the context of all that the pre-exilic prophets, beginning with Isaiah of Jerusalem, said about the remnant that, in times of universal apostasy and spiritual decline, would preserve faith while remaining faithful to the God of the fathers.
The historical fate of this remnant, according to the testimony of all the prophets, was not going to be simple: the people were threatened by a historical catastrophe that was to become the consequence of spiritual decline, and the remnant would have to preserve faithfulness to God in exile, in dispersion, in foreign countries, among pagans. It did not become clear at once that the land of exile would be Babylonia. In such a context, the prophet's call to leave sounds like a warning that the prophecies of those who spoke of the coming catastrophe and of the remnant would soon be fulfilled.
But there is something else in Micah's words as well: an understanding that God's long-suffering is not infinite. Of course, God can wait, and sometimes He waits a very long time. But He waits as long as there is meaning in waiting. And meaning remains as long as there are chances to correct the situation without radical measures, including such a catastrophe as defeat in war, exile, and dispersion.
God plainly resorts to such extreme measures only when all other possibilities have been exhausted. But before the catastrophe, He warns His faithful ones so that they know what to prepare for. And the prophet's words, as we can see, should also be understood in this way: they are a warning that the situation is critical, that catastrophe is inevitable, and that God will no longer delay it by holding the situation back from complete collapse. Not because He has changed His plans for His people, but because the people have left Him only one way to carry out His plans.
2 The sins of Israel and the judgments hanging over them, Mic 2:1-11.
Gracious promises of comfort, Mic 2:12-13.
2:1 That devise - Contrive and frame mischief.Evil work - Contrive how to work it. It is in the power - Because they can; without regarding right or wrong.
2:2 And his house - His family, which by this means is left to poverty.And his heritage - And this is done against ancient right and possession, nay, in a case where God hath forbidden them to sell their heritage.
2:3 Against this family - God will devise evil against their family, as they devised evil against the family of their neighbours.Haughty - You have made others hang the head; so shall you now.Is evil - Full of miseries on the whole family of Jacob.
2:4 A parable - A taunting proverb. And lament - Your friends for you, and you for yourselves. He - God. Portion - Their wealth, plenty, freedom, joy and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief and dishonour. How - How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing their persons into captivity, and transferring their possession to their enemies? Turning away - Turning away from us in displeasure.God hath divided our fields among others.
2:5 Thou shalt have - None that shall ever return to this land, to see it allotted by line and given them to possess it.In the congregation - They shall no more be the congregation of the Lord, nor their children after them.
2:6 They shall not prophesy - So God doth in his displeasure grant their desire. Take shame - That will not take shame to themselves.
2:7 That art named - You are in name, not in truth, the seed of Jacob. Straitened - The power, wisdom, and kindness of God is not less now than formerly. Are these - Are these severe proceedings the doings your God delighteth in? Do not my words - My words promise all good, to those that with honest hearts walk in the ways of God.
2:8 Is risen up - They have risen up, Israel against Judah, and Judah against Israel, and of late the tribes have conspired against one another; subjects against their kings, and great ones against the meaner sort. With the garment - You strip those that fearing no evil, go about their private affairs.
2:9 The women - The widows. Of my people - Of Israelites, not strangers, that were by peculiar provision from God's law, to be tenderly dealt with, Exo 22:22.Cast out - You have turned out of their old habitations.From their children - You have turned their children out of their houses, and estates, which were secured by the law of God from any sale beyond the jubilee; yet you have confiscated them for ever.My glory - Which was the glory of my bounty to them.
2:10 Arise ye - Ye inhabitants of Israel, prepare for your departure out of this land. Your rest - Though it was given this people for a rest under God's wing; yet it was on condition of continued obedience. Polluted - With many, and great, and old sins.Destroy - It shall spue you out.
2:11 Walking - If a man pretend to have the spirit of prophesy.Saying - You shall have plenty of days, and may eat, drink, and be merry.He shall even be the prophet - Such they like and chuse.
2:12 Them - All the remnant. As the sheep - ln great numbers.Their fold - Their own fold, where they are safe.The multitude of men - This was fulfilled in part, when the Jews returned out of Babylon, but more fully when Christ by his gospel gathered together in one, all the children of God that were scattered abroad.
2:13 The breaker - To break down all opposition. The gate - The door of escape out of their captivity. No cities so strong, which the Assyrians shall not take and possess, and enter in through the gates.The Lord - Even Jehovah, as he was at the head of Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt.