The God who perseveres (Mic 4:6-8)

The Chinese American writer, Amy Tan, started writing a week after her boss at the time told her that writing was her worst skill and she would do better developing her talents in accounts management. Her first novel, The Joy Luck Club, became a bestseller and a feature film and over thirty years on she continues to be a successful writer. Her story is not unusual. Einstein was said by his teachers to be ‘mentally slow’, while Edison was thought ‘too stupid to learn’. The issue is not that these individuals had no potential, but that we tend to be quick to judge and give up on others. Micah’s description of Israel in chapter 3 looks morally-spiritually hopeless, a lost cause. Yet God did not give up on them and Micah prophesied their future renewal ‘in that day’ (a period of time rather than a literal twenty-four hours).

Three things stand out in this description. First, Israel will be lamed before they can be gathered implying their exile in Babylon (Mic 4:6).[1] The Hebrew word tsoleʿa in the meaning ‘lame’ is rare when applied to people. It occurs only here, in Zeph 3:19 (a later prophecy that echoes Micah) and in the story of Jacob. As Israel’s ancestor, Jacob sought blessing but deceiving his father to get it led to his exile (Gen 27:1-29, 41-45). As he returned to the Promised Land years later, he wrestled with God who touched his hip and made him lame or limping (tsoleʿa; Gen 32:25, 31).[2] Sometimes rebellion goes so deep that like Jacob and his descendants, we, too, have to become weak and broken before we can submit to God with the right spirit.

Secondly, Israel will be a remnant (Mic 4:7), a common way of speaking in the ancient near East about overcoming the threat of extinction. The emphasis is not so much on the negative (‘only’ a remnant will be restored), but on the positive fact that the people continue to live (note the parallel line takes the progression further: the outcasts will be a ‘strong nation’). Not only will Israel survive but they will thrive and become powerful again alluding to the heyday of the monarchy with David and Solomon as kings (Mic 4:8). When God ultimately renews, it is no partial remedy but full restoration. Although this seems a contradiction to being described as ‘lame’ earlier, their brokenness will paradoxically make them aware that the source of their power is not their own strength. Rather, they are equipped by the Lord through their weakness (2 Cor 12:9).

Finally, such transformation is brought about by God. He afflicts and brings discipline to a rebellious people, but He also gathers His flock like a shepherd and rules over them with compassion. God’s own will be strong when they live under His reign and acknowledge Him as king. The watchtower, identified as Jerusalem (Zion) in Mic 4:8, is a structure shepherds used to guard the flock and make sure that no predators were approaching to threaten the sheep. God is the Good Shepherd whose rule involves loving care for His people.[3]

Once again, we cannot be sure how exactly this prophecy is fulfilled, but we can still learn principles from the way God deals with His people. He is serious about sin and sometimes it takes hardship and becoming broken in the process for us to come to our senses and seek Him. Yet paradoxically, the consequent weakness enables self-reliant people to recognise and seek God’s strength, instead of their own. Finally, while recognition of God’s kingship by all is still in the future, those who submit to His rule in a spiritual sense now can experience the goodness and care of our King and Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He is the one who persevered to the bitter end and laid down His life to save us, His sheep (John 10:1-18). Let us be grateful that He did not give up on us and may we, too, persevere in God’s work for the sake of others.

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[1] Although King Hezekiah repented and was saved from the Assyrian threat in Micah’s time (701 BC; 2 Kings 18-19; Jer 26:18-19), the people slipped back into sin and were eventually taken into Babylonian exile in 587 BC. It seems more logical that this gathering from exile would precede the nations streaming to Jerusalem for instruction, so that the two prophecies in vv.1-4 and vv.6-8 are not in chronological order. Presumably, the compiler/editor of the book thought it more important to juxtapose Mic 3:9-12 with Mic 4:1-4 to highlight in the hopeful future a mirror image reversal of the conditions beforehand (see my post describing this here).

[2] Although the OT is often obscure when it comes to these encounters and describes the divine in human terms as a man or an angel of the Lord, the participants generally recognise that they have encountered God (e.g. Gen 32:30; Judg 13:21-22).

[3] In the ancient Near East, kings often described themselves as shepherds of their people, so this cultural language was familiar for Israel.

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