Micah 4:1-8 - Homiletics

The Messiah's spiritual kingdom.

These verses call us away from the contemplation of sin and its effects as set forth in the previous chapters, and hid us turn our thoughts to the golden age that rose before the prophet's vision, and animated and cheered his heart in the dark days in which his lot was cast. We live in happier times. Much that was to him only distant expectation has become fully realized by us. "Blessed are our eyes," etc. ( Matthew 13:16 , Matthew 13:17 ). Still, favoured as we are, the kingdom of Christ has not, even in our own day, attained unto the highest perfection. The noontide splendour of his rule has not yet been reached. The cross has brought the crown, and the Lord Christ now reigneth as King in Zion; but u we see not yet all things put under him." There are still many difficulties and discouragements, and there is much to sicken and sadden the hearts of all to whom his Name is precious, and his truth and kingdom dear. And amidst all this we do well, like this seer, to look on to the ultimate complete triumph which the Christ shall assuredly win, and by this bright vision to gain the renewal of heart and hope. We have indicated here—

I. CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MESSIAH 'S KINGDOM .

1 . Its spirituality . We shall assuredly lose sight of the beauty of these prophetic descriptions if we give to them a literal and material significance. This, indeed, is what the Jews themselves did, and hence the true Messiah was by them "despised and rejected." "As upon the figure of David the prophetic figure of the Messiah is developed, so upon the figure of Jerusalem is the prophetic figure of the holy community of the future" (Lange). Connecting Micah 4:1 with the last verse of the previous chapter, we are reminded that whilst the material kingdom was marked to fall, and should, in due course and as the result of national guilt, decay and pass away, yet this mournful apostasy of the chosen race should be rendered in the Divine wisdom "the riches of the world" ( Romans 11:11 , Romans 11:12 ). The old economy should eventually disappear, but the new dispensation should follow. The long promised Messiah should appear and establish a spiritual kingdom, the subjects of which should be renewed and sanctified men; to which kingdom higher privileges and honours should be attached than Judaism had ever presented, and the influence of which should extend to the wide world.

2 . Its pure and righteous principles of government. "For the Law shall go forth of Zion," etc. ( Micah 4:2 ). These have been framed with a due regard to the interests of all the subjects; they are not only designed to regulate the outward conduct and actions of men, but they go deeper and effect the heart and the secret springs of action. The great law of the kingdom is love—love to God and to man. "Love is the fulfilling of the Law" ( Romans 13:10 ).

3 . Its comprehensiveness. "Peoples shall flow unto it" ( Micah 4:1 ); "And many nations shall come" ( Micah 4:2 ). Judaism was marked by its exclusiveness. Its privileges were confined to a particular nationality. But lo! it is here declared that the kingdom of the Messiah should be world embracing. It shall become indeed "a great nation," for "unto it" all peoples and tribes "shall flow." The King whom Jehovah has "set upon his holy hill of Zion," and who shall "reign in righteousness," shall sway his sceptre at length over a ransomed, regenerated, happy world.

4 . Its perpetuity. "It shall be abidingly established" ( Micah 4:1 ). "The Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth, even forever " ( Micah 4:7 ). The kingdoms of this world are unenduring. "They all shall perish." They rise, progress, attain unto their zenith, and then decline and pass away. Egypt and Tyre, Assyria and Babylon, Greece and Rome, powers that once dominated the world, their glory is laid in the dust, their pomp has passed away like a dream, their works survive only in chambers of antiquity, and their deeds have only a record in historical lore. So perishes the glory of this world! But this spiritual kingdom of the Lord Christ lives and shall never fail. Its throne shall never be shaken, its riches shall never be impoverished, its glory shall never be dimmed. "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom," etc. ( Psalms 145:13 ).

5 . And hence, its pre-eminence . "It shall be exalted above the hills" ( Micah 4:1 ). It shall attain unto heights such as no worldly power has ever reached, and its King shall enjoy distinction and honour such as earthly monarchs have never known. "He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high" ( Isaiah 52:13 ); "And he shall bear the glory" ( Zechariah 6:13 ).

II. THE INFLUENCE OF THE MESSIAH 'S RULE . It is here predicted that this should be of the most healthy and beneficent nature. Under his sway:

1 . Enthusiasm should be enkindled . "Come, and let us go up," etc. ( Micah 4:2 ). Men drawn to him in the spirit of whole souled devotion should seek to lead others to participate with them in the enjoyment of the blessings he imparts. "The love of Christ" has "constrained" men to the consecration of all their energies to his service. So Paul ( Acts 20:23 , Acts 20:24 ). Xavier said, "You say they will kill me by poison. It is an honour unto which such a poor sinner as I dare not aspire; but I am ready to die ten thousand deaths for the salvation of a single soul." In our own day we have seen men thus impelled to go forth to distant and uncivilized tribes; and when they have been stricken down by fever ending in death, lo! others have been found ready to be "baptized for the dead."

2 . Knowledge should be diffused. "And he will teach us," etc. ( Micah 4:2 ). The true Messiah is also "the true Light," "the Light of men," "the Light of the world." He came to rule, but his rule should be an enlightened one. Where his influence touches there is light. He dissipates the darkness of error, superstition, idolatry; and his enlightening power shall extend until the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth" ( Isaiah 11:9 ).

3 . Obedience should be rendered . "And we will walk in his paths" ( Micah 4:2 ). The connection between this and the preceding sentence is very intimate. All true knowledge is designed to affect the conduct and life. Knowing and doing are closely related ( John 13:17 ). How purifying and elevating Christ's moral influence upon the world has proved! Wherever the influence of his truth is felt, there, as sure as day succeeds night, a higher morality becomes developed.

4 . Peace should be established. ( Micah 4:3 .) The Messiah is "the Prince of Peace" ( Isaiah 9:6 ). "Glory to God in the highest," etc. ( Luke 2:14 ), was the song of angels as they welcomed his advent. Strange, then, that men should ascribe to his religion the prevalence in the world of war and conflict. His religion has often been made the pretext for entering into deadly strife; but underlying this there has been some ambitious design which has been the real though concealed cause. The growing disposition amongst the nations to seek peaceful solutions of existing difficulties, and not to draw the sword until these have been exhausted, is an effect of the influence of the principles of Christ upon society at large. The universal dissemination of his truth shall be followed by the complete fulfilment of this glowing prediction ( Micah 4:3 ).

5 . Security should be realized. ( Micah 4:4 .) In the Assyrian monuments representations are given of men in a reclining posture, with the vines in rich profusion over their heads, suggestive of quiet and rest and freedom from everything calculated to disturb and alarm. And this is the idea expressed here. Fear had taken possession of the hearts of those whom the prophet was addressing. They thought with sadness and dismay of the awaiting judgments to follow national sin. The enemy had come well nigh to the gates; but lo! the seer cheers them by the prospect of happier days which should at length dawn upon them. As it had been with the nation in the peaceful days of Solomon, so he declared it should be in a spiritual sense under the rule of the Messiah. "Such is that most quiet fearlessness which the law of Christ bringeth as being the law of charity, peace, and concord."

6 . Restoration should be effected. ( Micah 4:6 , Micah 4:7 .) Into the enjoyment of these high blessings even they should be brought who had erred from God's ways, who had "halted" in his service, and had divided their allegiance between him and Baal. They must, in consequence of their sin, be "driven out" and "afflicted" and "cast off;" yet in their exile he would watch over them, seeking them in his deep compassion, "devising means that his banished be not expelled from him" ( 2 Samuel 14:14 ), and in his own time and way these should be brought in with "the fulness of the Gentiles," to form "a strong nation" over whom he would reign forever and ever ( Micah 4:6 , Micah 4:7 ).

III. THE CERTAINTY OF THE REALIZATION OF ALL THUS EXPRESSED . The seer throughout uses the language of holy confidence. And he was warranted in this; for:

1 . Such is the Divine purpose. The issue is divinely guaranteed. God has promised the kingdom to his Son.

2 . This Divine purpose has been repeatedly expressed. "For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" ( Micah 4:4 ).

3 . That which God has purposed and declared, his power can and will fulfil. Despite the humble circumstances and conditions through which the chosen of Heaven would have to pass, "the kingdom should come to the daughter of Jerusalem"—"the first or former dominion;" i.e. the rich spiritual honour which had been promised to David's line should be bestowed ( Micah 4:8 ), for such was the Divine will and which the Divine power would assuredly accomplish. Our hope for a bright future rests upon the same foundation. And as God requires us to put him in remembrance of his Word, we will say, "For Zion's sake," etc. ( Isaiah 62:1 ); and will cry in the words of our own Milton, "Come forth out of thy royal chamber, O Prince of all the kings of the earth! Put on the visible robes of thy imperial majesty; take up that unlimited sceptre which thy Almighty Father hath bequeathed thee; for now the voice of thy bride calls thee, and all creatures sigh to be renewed."