MICAH: GOD’S PUNISHMENT AND HIS RESTORATION

XI: God’s Fulfilled Messianic Blessings Of The Abrahamic Covenant

(Micah 7:11-20)

I. Introduction

A. Micah, who was “a Judean from Moresheth in the SW of Palestine, preached to the common people of Judah.” (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1283, “Introduction to the Book of Micah: The Prophet.”)

B. The message of Micah’s prophecy was that God’s coming judgment for Judah’s sin would be unavoidable and severe, but in the end, His Abrahamic Covenant would be honored, and Israel would be blessed.

C. Micah 7:11-20 concludes with an encouraging prophecy of God’s fulfillment of His ancient Genesis 12:1-3 Abrahamic Covenant involving the Messianic Kingdom. We view this passage for insight and application:

II. God’s Fulfilled Messianic Blessings Of The Abrahamic Covenant, Micah 7:11-20.

A. God led Micah to predict encouraging times for Israel in her coming Messianic Kingdom, Micah 7:11-17:

1. The Messianic Kingdom would be a time of building “walls” and extending boundaries, Micah 7:11. This would not be a time of war when the people would build city walls, for “walls” here translates the Hebrew noun gader, “a wall around a vineyard.” (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1490) It would be an era of peace and bounty when the boundaries of vineyards would be extended far out due to their great production!

2. Lands like Assyria and Egypt where Israel’s foes had dwelt will be inhabited by people who would travel to Jerusalem to learn from the Lord and to worship Him (Micah 4:2). Indeed, people around the world, from sea to sea and mountain to mountain, would come, Micah 7:12. As they traveled, they would cross lands made desolate in God’s judgment for sin in the previous Tribulation, Mic. 7:13 ESV; Ibid., p. 1491.

3. Micah then called on the Lord to shepherd His people with His shepherd “club . . . used in mustering or counting sheep” (shebet, B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 986-987), that God’s inheritance, His people “then isolated like sheep in a forest, would enjoy prosperity and peace as they had in Bashan and Gilead . . . in former days,” Micah 7:14; Ibid., B. K. C., O. T., p. 1491. Bashan and Gilead east of the Jordan “were fertile grazing grounds for sheep and cattle” (Ibid.), so Micah called on God to shepherd His people who had suffered and been scattered, returning them to their land to live in peace and abundance.

4. In response to Micah’s request, God predicted that as in days of old when He performed marvels to bring Israel up out of the land of Egypt during the Exodus, He would perform marvels once again to gather them from the lands of the world and return them to Israel for the Messianic Kingdom, Micah 7:15.

5. In response, the Gentile nations that had troubled Israel would behold this demonstration of God’s might in Israel’s behalf, and they would be ashamed since God’s power was far greater than their might, Micah 5:16a. They would be “speechless and will refuse to hear about Israel’s victories. In humiliation they will lick the dust like snakes . . . and like animals coming out of their hiding places . . . they will surrender to the Lord and will be fearful of Israel,” Ibid.; Micah 7:16b-17. This turn of Israel’s fortunes would have been a great encouragement for the godly remnant in Micah’s time! (Ibid.)

B. In response to this revelation, Micah praised the Lord for his uniqueness and goodness as God, Micah 7:18-20:

1. Micah’s question, “Who is a God like You?” (mi’el kamoka, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 941) may be a wordplay on Micah’s own name (mikah, Ibid., p. 932) which means, “Who is like Yahweh?” (Ibid.); Micah 7:18a.

2. The answer to this question is, “No one is like the Lord,” and Micah 7:18b-20 then described God, Ibid.:

a. God pardons the sin and transgressions of the remnant of His inheritance unlike pagan gods, Micah 7:18b.

b. He does not stay angry forever with His people, Micah 7:18c.

c. The Lord does not stay angry forever because He delights in hesed, “loyal love,” Micah 7:18d; Ibid., Kittel, p. 941; H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, Vol. I, p. 305-307.

d. God once again will express His rehem, “tender, heartfelt concern” for Israel, Micah 7:19a; Ibid.

e. The Lord will deal with Israel’s sins by treading them underfoot, casting them into the depths of the sea so that they no longer function even as a potential threat to Israel’s relationship with God, Micah 7:19b; Ibid.

f. Micah knew God would do these things because of His faithfulness to Jacob and His “loyal love,” His hesed to Abraham, fulfilling His promises to Abraham and to Israel’s forefather Jacob as rooted in the ancient Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12:1-3; Micah 7:20; Ibid.

Lesson: Due to His great grace, God will remarkably, literally fulfill His ancient Abrahamic Covenant for Israel.

Application: May we glory in God’s great faithfulness and grace and live in hope of our glorious future with Him.