Looking beyond present distress (Mic 7:11-17)
Mic 7:11-17
Several of my friends start a novel by looking at the last few pages. Once they know how it will all end, they can settle down to reading. Uncertainty can be difficult to endure in real life even more, especially when we are facing distress. It is no wonder that horoscopes and fortune tellers have the appeal they do because they offer a sense of certainty and hope in a seemingly unpredictable world. Biblical prophecy also gives assurance but there is a difference. The future is rarely laid out in great detail; rather, certain broad themes are depicted based on God’s character and His dealings with Israel in the past. This is not surprising since we walk by faith, not by sight. Our trust is not in events but in the Lord.
Following on from the repentance of the people and their renewed confidence in God (Mic 7:9-10), the prophet sounds a note of hope in our reading: restoration will follow reconciliation. While Isaiah prophesies the removing of the wall around God’s vineyard, Israel, in judgment (Isa 5:5, 7), Micah looks to the day when those walls will be rebuilt and God’s people can enjoy His protection once more (Mic 7:11).[1] In the future, many will travel to Israel from all directions, from north (Assyria) to south (Egypt) and from east to west (sea to sea, i.e. from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf; Mic 7:12). In other words, the prophet describes the whole world as it was known to him. Thus, the point is not that these people will come from the specific countries mentioned but from everywhere. These are likely the nations attracted to Jerusalem because of God’s presence and teaching (Mic 4:2-3). In contrast, the Lord will bring judgment on the rest based on their actions (Mic 7:13).
Knowing the final outcome does not stop the prophet from interceding for his people in their present distress (Mic 7:14). Kings were regularly styled as shepherds of their people in the ancient Near East, so the prayer here implies God’s kingship as He leads His flocks back to fruitful pastures, such as Bashan and Gilead in the Transjordan (north- and south-east of the Sea of Galilee and once part of Israel).
The theme of judgment is further developed as the prophet reflects on God’s promise that, once again, He will show miracles to Israel just as He did in the exodus (Mic 7:15). Then His people faced a haughty Pharaoh who refused to acknowledge the Lord (Exod 5:2) and was brought to his knees by the plagues. Other arrogant nations who bragged about their strength (e.g. the Assyrian king in Micah’s time, 2 Kings 19:20-28) will be silenced and forced to acknowledge God (Mic 7:16-17). The image of the serpent licking the dust evokes the humiliation of defeated enemies kissing the feet of their conqueror, as well as the serpent in Eden (Gen 3:14-15). We may feel a little uncomfortable at the idea of such subjugation, but the point is that the Lord will ultimately deal with those who raise their fist in defiance against Him. The prophet cannot be sure how or when but is confident that it will happen.
Today, we still cannot know for sure how these events will unfold. The nations streaming to Jerusalem for teaching may have been partially fulfilled at Pentecost when many found true faith in Jesus Christ but much of this grand future is opaque to us. When we are comfortable and busy in this life, it is difficult to get excited about these grand events and the defeat of ultimate evil. Yet, just as we cling to personal promises from God relating to our present circumstances, we can also take heart from the greater vision painted here. Moreover, we are challenged not to lose sight of this larger perspective and narrow our horizon to this life only. To paraphrase Paul, if we do so, we are indeed to be pitied (1 Cor 15:19). Rather, like the prophet who was assured of the future, yet interceded for its fulfilment and his people, we are to pray, ‘Thy kingdom come’ (Matt 6:10).
[1] Some commentators argue that the rebuilding of the walls refers to Nehemiah’s efforts in relation to the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 2:17) after Jews returned from Babylonian exile. However, the Hebrew word gader used in Micah means a mortarless stone wall that encircles a vineyard (e.g. Ps 80:12), rather than a city wall (Hebrew ḥoma). Ezra in the postexilic period uses gader in a similar way to Micah as a symbol of protection (Ezra 9:9; note that God gave a wall [gader] in Judah and Jerusalem).
