Commentary - Micah 5:7-9

Bird's-eye view

In these three verses, Micah gives us a picture of the New Covenant church that is both startling and profoundly encouraging. Having just prophesied the coming of the Messiah from little Bethlehem, he now describes the nature of the people this Messiah will create. This is not a description of ethnic Israel after the exile, but rather a prophecy of the Church of Jesus Christ, the true remnant of Jacob, scattered among the nations. The church's influence in the world is described with two powerful and seemingly contradictory metaphors: it is like the gentle, life-giving dew from heaven, and it is like a ferocious, conquering lion among sheep. This is not a contradiction but rather a paradox that reveals the multifaceted nature of the Kingdom's advance. The gospel comes quietly and brings life, but it also comes with unassailable power to tear down strongholds and overcome all opposition. The passage is a potent dose of postmillennial confidence. The work of God's people in the world is not a desperate, failing enterprise. It is a divinely initiated, supernaturally sustained, and ultimately victorious conquest.

Outline

Context In Micah

This passage comes in the second major cycle of Micah's prophecy, which contains judgment and then consolation. We are at the high point of the consolation. Chapter 4 described the future glory of Zion, with nations streaming to it. Chapter 5:2-6 gave us the glorious prophecy of the Messiah's birth in Bethlehem and His role as our peace. What we have in verses 7-9, then, is the logical result of the Messiah's coming. What will His people, the remnant of Jacob, be like? How will they function in the world? Micah answers that question here. This is a description of the church's mission and effect in the era between Christ's first and second comings. It is a prophecy of the Great Commission age.

Verse by Verse Commentary

7 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from Yahweh, Like showers on vegetation Which do not hope for man Or wait for the sons of men.

The passage begins by identifying the subject: the "remnant of Jacob." In the New Testament economy, this remnant is the church, composed of both Jew and Gentile, who are the true children of Abraham by faith. This remnant is not huddled in a ghetto but is scattered "among many peoples." This is the salt and light principle. We are to be in the world, not of it, and our presence has an effect.

That effect is first described as being "like dew from Yahweh." Dew is quiet. It forms silently in the night, without any noise or fanfare. You don't hear it happening. But in the morning, the whole world is wet and refreshed. This is a picture of the pervasive, quiet, life-giving influence of the gospel. It is not a political revolution with shouting and banners. It is a spiritual transformation that happens heart by heart, family by family, until entire cultures are refreshed by it. It is like "showers on vegetation." It brings growth and life where there was dryness and death.

And where does this influence come from? It is "from Yahweh." It is not a human program. It does not "hope for man or wait for the sons of men." The growth of God's kingdom is not dependent on a grant from the government, or a favorable review in the New York Times, or a resolution passed by the United Nations. It is a supernatural work. God does not wait for our permission to send revival. He does not check with a committee before He sends His Spirit. This is a profound declaration of the sovereignty of God in the work of redemption. The church's influence is divine in its origin and therefore unstoppable in its application.

8 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if it passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to deliver.

Now the metaphor shifts, and it shifts dramatically. The gentle, quiet dew is now a ferocious lion. The remnant of Jacob, the church, is not only a source of quiet blessing but also a force of terrifying power. This is the other side of the gospel. Christ is the Lamb of God, but He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The gospel brings peace to those who repent, but it declares war on all idols, all rebellion, all falsehood.

The church is "like a lion among the beasts of the forest." In the face of other worldviews and ideologies, Christianity does not come as one option among many. It comes as the king of the jungle. It is like a "young lion among flocks of sheep." Before the truth of the gospel, man-made systems are as defenseless as a flock of sheep before a predator. When this lion passes through, it "tramples down and tears." This is not talking about literal, physical violence by Christians. It is describing the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural power of the truth. The gospel confronts sin and error. It refutes lies. It tears down faulty arguments (2 Cor. 10:4-5). It tramples on pagan assumptions. It cannot be negotiated with; it must be submitted to. And when this lion attacks, "there is none to deliver." No human institution, no government, no university, no philosophy can rescue a lie from the jaws of the truth. The gates of Hell cannot prevail against the church.

9 Your hand will be raised up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off.

This final verse is the promised outcome. It is a declaration of total victory. Whose hand is this? It is the hand of God's people, the remnant, but it is powerful because it is God's hand working through them. The church militant will be the church triumphant. The adversaries here are all the spiritual and ideological forces that set themselves up against Christ. The promise is not for partial victory, or a noble defeat. The promise is that "all your enemies will be cut off." This is the engine of a robust, optimistic, postmillennial eschatology. We are not fighting for a lost cause. We are on the side that has already won in Christ, and we are tasked with the administration of that victory throughout history. The dew is doing its work, the lion is on the prowl, and the final result is not in doubt.

Application

We must learn to hold these two truths together. The church is to be like dew, and the church is to be like a lion. Some Christians want only the dew. They want a quiet, inoffensive, "nice" faith that never makes anyone uncomfortable. They want to bring refreshment, but they shrink from confrontation. This results in a compromised, syncretistic faith that has no power to change anything. Other Christians are drawn only to the lion. They love the fight, the polemics, the tearing down of arguments. But without the life-giving dew, this can become a harsh, graceless, and sterile orthodoxy that wins arguments but not hearts.

The biblical vision is for both. We are to bring the life-giving water of the gospel to a dry and thirsty world. We are to do this with gentleness and respect. But we are also to be utterly fearless in confronting the lies that hold men captive. We must not be intimidated by the sheep who bleat about tolerance, or the other "beasts of the forest" who roar their opposition. We must remember that our work does not depend on them, but on God alone. He sends the dew. He strengthens the lion. And He has guaranteed the victory.