Under Own Vine & Fig Tree, Reclined
wield heavy reigns in haughty soft hands
against ‘dust’ particles of exhaustive earth
plowing a vast hot and thirsty land.
Yet, still ‘appointed’ songbirds ‘must’ sing
as ‘dew’ among many or ‘copious rain’
pouring upon vegetation…”That do not put hope in man
Or wait for the sons of men.” Micah 5:7.
To sweet drips from on high
judiously spring.
For only this delight
to us
does He bring
as chants to other ‘gods’
reach His ears as an offensive thing.
*
“For even though there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many “lords,”
there is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are
and we for him;
and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are
and we through him.” 1 Cor. 8:5-8.
*
But, dark clouds do cover an expansive sky
with most eyes raised weeping in question, “Why?”
Ripped wares gripped in fingers worn bare.
Morales sinking in stagnant air.
For many sit lofty without a care:
{“‘Do you not fear me?’ declares Jehovah,
‘Should you not tremble before me?
It is I who placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, A permanent regulation that it cannot pass over.
Although its waves toss, they cannot prevail;
Although they roar, they still cannot pass beyond it.
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
They have turned aside and gone their own way.
And they do not say in their heart:
“Let us now fear Jehovah our God,
The One who gives the rain in its season,
Both the autumn rain and the spring rain”. Jer. 5:22-24.
Even some who claim to serve him,
as in Micah’s day, forget to beware… In shame:
“They keep peering, as when birdcatchers crouch down.
They set a deadly trap.
It is men whom they catch.
Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of deception.
That is why they have become powerful and rich.
They have grown fat and smooth;
They overflow with evil.
They do not plead the legal case of the fatherless, That they may gain success;
And they deny justice to the poor.’”
“Should I not call them to account for these things?” declares Jehovah.
“Should I not avenge myself on such a nation?
Something appalling and horrible has occurred in the land:
The prophets prophesy lies,
And the priests dominate by their own authority.
And my own people love it that way.
But what will you do when the end comes?”” Jer. 5:26-31.
For worshippers of the false god—Mammon, or Riches, they became…
Although, offering no sure hope for the future, Riches grew in stature, he did rise
while the ‘true’ and ‘living God’ they began to disdain:
For,
“No one can slave for two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other.
You cannot slave for God and for Riches.” Matt. 6:24.
However, a growing multitude Jah will reclaim after stripped of justice and honor; defamed:
“In the final part of the days,
The mountain of the house of Jehovah
Will become firmly established above the top of the mountains,
And it will be raised up above the hills,
And to it peoples will stream.
And many nations will go and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah
And to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will instruct us about his ways,
And we will walk in his paths.”
For law will go out of Zion,
And the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem.
He will render judgment among many peoples And set matters straight respecting mighty nations far away.
They will beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning shears.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.
They will sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree,
And no one will make them afraid,
For the mouth of Jehovah of armies has spoken.” Micah 4:1-4.
This is how bright your future can be
under
Christ Jesus’ Kingdom Reign!
The book of Micah
WHY BENEFICIAL
16. (a) How did the prophecy of Micah prove beneficial in Hezekiah’s day? (b) What powerful admonitions does it contain for this present day?
16 Almost 2,700 years ago, the prophesying of Micah proved most ‘beneficial for reproving,’ for King Hezekiah of Judah responded to his message and led the nation to repentance and religious reformation. (Mic. 3:9-12; Jer. 26:18, 19; compare 2 Kings 18:1-4.) Today this inspired prophecy is even more beneficial. Hear, all professing worshipers of God, Micah’s plain warnings against false religion, idol worship, lying, and violence! (Mic. 1:2; 3:1; 6:1) Paul corroborates these warnings at 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, where he says that true Christians have been washed clean and that no one who indulges in such practices will inherit God’s Kingdom. Simply and clearly, Micah 6:8 states that Jehovah’s requirement is for man to walk with Him in justice, kindness, and modesty.
17. What encouragement does Micah provide for those who serve God under persecution and difficulty?
17 Micah delivered his message among a people so divided that ‘a man’s enemies were the men of his household.’ True Christians often preach in similar circumstances, and some even meet with betrayals and bitter persecution within their own family relationship. Always they need to wait patiently on Jehovah, the ‘God of their salvation.’ (Mic. 7:6, 7; Matt. 10:21, 35-39) In persecution or when faced with a difficult assignment, those who rely courageously on Jehovah will, like Micah, “become full of power, with the spirit of Jehovah,” in telling forth His message. Micah prophesied that such courage would be especially evident in “the remaining ones of Jacob.” These would be like ‘a lion among the nations, in the midst of many peoples,’ and at the same time like refreshing dew and showers from Jehovah. These qualities were certainly manifest in the ‘remnant of Israel (Jacob)’ who became members of the Christian congregation of the first century.—Mic. 3:8; 5:7, 8; Rom. 9:27; 11:5, 26.
18. What prophecy of Micah ties in with God’s Kingdom rule by means of Christ Jesus?
18 Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, in fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy, not only confirms the divine inspiration of the book but illuminates the context of the verse as prophetic of the coming of the Kingdom of God under Christ Jesus. Jesus is the one who appears out of Bethlehem (House of Bread) with life-giving benefits for all who exercise faith in his sacrifice. He it is that does “shepherding in the strength of Jehovah” and that becomes great and spells peace to the ends of the earth among the restored, unified flock of God.—Mic. 5:2, 4; 2:12; John 6:33-40.
19. (a) What faith-inspiring encouragement is provided for those who live in “the final part of the days”? (b) How does Micah exalt Jehovah’s sovereignty?
19 Great encouragement is to be found in Micah’s prophecy concerning “the final part of the days,” when “many nations” seek instruction from Jehovah. “And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore. And they will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble; for the very mouth of Jehovah of armies has spoken it.” Abandoning all false worship, they join with Micah in affirming: “We, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.” Truly Micah’s prophecy is faith-inspiring in providing a forevision of these momentous happenings. It is outstanding, too, in exalting Jehovah as the eternal Sovereign and King. How thrilling the words: “Jehovah will actually rule as king over them in Mount Zion, from now on and into time indefinite”!—Mic. 4:1-7; 1 Tim. 1:17.
[Footnotes]
Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by James B. Pritchard, 1974, page 284.
Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles, by A. K. Grayson, 1975, page 73.
Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 1974, page 288; Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. 2, pages 894-5.
ITH & SB 