For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Micah 5:1-6

1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
    for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
    on the cheek with a rod.

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peace
    when the Assyrians invade our land
    and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
    even eight commanders,
6 who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
    the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
    when they invade our land
    and march across our borders.

A. Find Out

1. What is about to happen? v.1
2. Who will come from where? v.2
3. But yet what must happen first? v.3
4. What will he do and with what outcome? v.4
5. What will happen when who invades? v.5
6. What will the outcome be? v.6

B. Think:

1. What appears ‘bad news’ in these verses?
2. Yet what ‘good news’ is also here?

C. Comment:

This chapter brings us a prophecy which appears to be sometime in the future but it is also mingled with present difficulties, and thus is not easy to understand. The easy part is the talk of a ruler coming from Bethlehem, which the scholars of Israel took to mean their Messiah (see Mt 2:4-6) but prophecies often have more than one application and we need to ask, what the people of Micah’s day would have thought.

First of all there is a warning that a siege against Jerusalem is about to take place (v.1). Such a thing did happen in Hezekiah’s day (2 Kings 18:13,17) of course, an invader who sought to humiliate the king.

It is into this context that Micah brings the thought of a new ruler whose origins go back to the beginning of time (v.2) from the town of Bethlehem (the home of David), a short distance from Jerusalem.

Thus there will come a time when Israel appears abandoned (v.3) but the reference to one in labour may simply be a short time in the future, or it may be until Israel recognise their Messiah. Between now and the exile, the only ‘good king’ was Josiah who would come and perhaps be seen to do these things in less than fifty years. One will come who will shepherd these people in a new godly way (v.4)

Whoever this ruler is, they will strengthen the people to raise up warriors (v.5) against enemies and make them triumphant of those enemies (v.6). Within these verses there is hope being brought within the warnings.    

D. Application:

1. Future history is often difficult to discern. Rest in God.
2. Don’t jump to conclusions how God will work it out, just trust.

Micah 5:7-15

7 The remnant of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,
which do not wait for anyone
    or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
    like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles as it goes,
    and no one can rescue.
9 Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies,
    and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will destroy your horses from among you
    and demolish your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities of your land
    and tear down all your strongholds.
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
    and you will no longer cast spells.
13 I will destroy your idols
    and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
    to the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[p]
    when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
    on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

A. Find Out

1. What will there yet be after this disciplining? v.7
2. Where will these people be, doing what? v.8
3. What can they anticipate? v.9
4. How many things does the Lord say he will destroy? v.10-13
5. What will this involve? v.14b
6. How is this seen to be a ‘wider-then-Israel’ word? v.15

B. Think:

1. What is the general point within these verses?
2. How will Israel be involved?

C. Comment:

Again this needs careful reading to avoid confusion. The focus of these verses seems twofold – Israel and the nations – but the main thrust seems to be the nations of the world. First Israel will be among the nations (v.7,8) and it is only at the end (v.15) that it is made clear that these disciplinary judgements being referred to, apply to the rest of the world.

Israel’s role here, seems to be as salt, for they will be among the nations (in their exile between AD70 and the twentieth century) ‘like dew’, an added blessing to the life of the nations. Yet they will be their with victorious strength and power (v.8) overcoming their enemies (v.9) (?so they prosper and survive that time)

The follows (v.10-15) a list of the things that the Lord will do among the nations – destroying their strength (v.10), destroying cities and strongholds (v.11), destroying the occult (v.12), destroying false worship (v.13,14) and bringing His righteous anger to bear in the form of judgments on rebellious nations (v.15).

The thrust of the verses thus appears to shine a spotlight on the nations of the world, this fallen world, highlighting their sins of rebellion against God and turning to the occult and false idolatry, all of which stand against the kingdom of God, and making clear that is God is against all these things and will be working to destroy them from Hs world. Somehow the people of God are to be agents to achieve this.

D. Application:

1. The Church co-partners Israel in revealing the Lord to the world.
2. We too are called to be salt and light in it (Mt 5:13-16).