Dew and Lion Text: Micah 5:7-9
Introduction: The Potency of the Remnant
The prophet Micah, having just announced the coming of the ruler from Bethlehem whose goings forth are from everlasting, now turns his attention to the people of this ruler. What will they be like? What will their impact on the world be? Our modern evangelical sensibilities have been trained to think of the people of God as a perpetually beleaguered and tiny minority, huddled together for warmth, waiting for the cavalry to rescue them from a world that is spiraling into the abyss. We think of ourselves as a retreating army, conducting a reasonably orderly evacuation before the whole planet blows.
But this is not the vision of the prophets. It is not the vision of Micah. After promising the Messiah, the one who will be their peace, he describes the effect of Messiah's people, the remnant of Jacob, on the nations. And the description is one of startling potency and global influence. The world cannot ignore this people. They are a force to be reckoned with. They are not waiting for history to end; they are the ones through whom God is driving history to its appointed end.
Micah uses two distinct and powerful metaphors to describe this remnant. They will be like dew from Yahweh, and they will be like a lion among the beasts. These are not contradictory images; they are complementary. They describe two sides of the same glorious reality. The influence of the gospel in the world, through the Church, is both gentle and ferocious. It is life-giving and life-taking. It brings refreshment and it brings terror. It is a savor of life unto life for those who believe, and a savor of death unto death for those who persist in their rebellion. This is the paradox of the gospel's power. It is quietly pervasive and overwhelmingly dominant. Let us not miss this. The remnant is not a weak thing. It is a world-shaping thing.
The Text
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.
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.
Your hand will be raised up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be cut off.
(Micah 5:7-9 LSB)
Supernatural Refreshment (v. 7)
We begin with the first image, that of dew and showers.
"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." (Micah 5:7)
The "remnant of Jacob" refers to the covenant people of God. In the Old Testament, this was faithful Israel. In the New Testament, this is the Church of Jesus Christ, which is comprised of both Jew and Gentile, all who are heirs of the promise to Abraham by faith. And notice their location. They are not cordoned off in a holy ghetto. They are "among many peoples." They are scattered throughout the nations, intended to be a blessing to all the families of the earth, just as God promised Abraham.
Their influence is described as "dew from Yahweh." What is the nature of dew? First, it is silent and gentle. It forms quietly in the night, without thunder or fanfare. This is how the kingdom of God often grows. It is not with the observable pomp of earthly kingdoms, but like yeast in a lump of dough, or a mustard seed growing into a great tree. The influence of the gospel works its way into a culture quietly, pervasively, changing everything from the ground up.
Second, dew is life-giving. In an arid land like Palestine, the dew was a crucial source of moisture for the crops. Without it, everything would wither and die. In the same way, the people of God bring spiritual life and refreshment to a dry and thirsty world. We bring the good news of forgiveness, the life-giving water of the Word. Where the gospel takes root, cultures begin to flourish. Hospitals are built, literacy spreads, economies stabilize, and justice begins to roll down like waters.
But the most crucial point is the source. It is "dew from Yahweh." And it is "like showers on vegetation which do not hope for man or wait for the sons of men." This is a declaration of divine initiative. The blessing that the church brings to the world is not a human achievement. It does not depend on political maneuvering, or clever marketing strategies, or the approval of the cultural elites. It is supernatural in its origin. Just as the crops cannot summon the rain, the world cannot produce its own salvation. The blessing comes down from God, through His people, by His sovereign grace. This is a great encouragement. Our success does not depend on our own strength or cleverness. We are simply the conduits of a blessing that originates in the throne room of heaven. We are not the rainmakers; we are the rain.
Supernatural Ferocity (v. 8)
But the picture is not all gentle refreshment. Micah immediately follows with a second, much fiercer image.
"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." (Micah 5:8)
This is the other side of the gospel's effect. To those who receive it, it is life-giving dew. To those who resist it, it is a terrifying lion. The remnant of Jacob, the Church, is not a domesticated housecat. It is a lion. And not just any lion, but a young lion, full of vigor and strength, let loose among flocks of sheep. The imagery is one of irresistible power and conquest.
This is not talking about military conquest by the church. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. This is the power of the preached Word, the advance of the Great Commission. When the gospel enters a pagan culture, it does not politely ask for a seat at the table. It overturns the table. It confronts idols, challenges false worldviews, and tears down corrupt institutions. It tramples and tears the flimsy structures of human rebellion.
Think of the advance of the early church through the Roman Empire. They were a small remnant, yet they were a lion. They devoured the pagan philosophies, they tore apart the idolatrous cults, and they trampled on the imperial claim that Caesar is Lord. There was none to deliver Rome from the steady, relentless advance of this gospel. The same has been true throughout history as the gospel has conquered other cultures and kingdoms.
This is a picture of the victory of Christ the King, exercised through His people. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. And He does this through us. When we preach the truth, when we live in faithfulness, when we build robust Christian communities, we are participating in this leonine work. We are demonstrating the crown rights of King Jesus over every area of life. And for those who stand in opposition, for the beasts of the forest and the sheep who belong to another shepherd, there is "none to deliver." No political power, no philosophical system, no military might can ultimately stop the advance of Christ's kingdom.
Inevitable Victory (v. 9)
The prophecy concludes with a direct promise of triumph addressed to God's people.
"Your hand will be raised up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off." (Micah 5:9)
This is the logical conclusion of the previous two verses. Because the church is the instrument of God's life-giving dew and His conquering lion, her ultimate victory is assured. "Your hand will be raised up." This is a posture of triumph and dominion. It is the opposite of a cowering, defeated posture. It speaks of confidence, authority, and successful engagement with the enemy.
And the result is decisive. "All your enemies will be cut off." This is a promise of total victory. Not some of your enemies, not most of them, but all of them. This is the heart of a postmillennial eschatology. We are not fighting a losing battle. We are on the winning side of history. The gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church. The Great Commission will be successful. The knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
The enemies here are ultimately the enemies of Christ. They are the spiritual forces of darkness and the human systems and ideologies that are animated by them. And they will all be cut off. They will be dismantled, discredited, and destroyed by the power of the gospel. This does not mean that every individual will be converted, but it does mean that every system of organized rebellion against Christ will be broken. His enemies will be made His footstool.
Conclusion: Be a Drenched Lion
So what does this mean for us, here and now? It means we must reject the fearful, pessimistic, and retreating mindset that has characterized so much of the modern church. We have a world to win for Christ, and He has given us everything we need to do it.
We must be like the dew. We must be a people saturated with the Word of God, so that His grace and truth condense on us and bring refreshment to the parched ground around us. This happens through faithful worship, through family discipleship, through hospitality, through quiet faithfulness in our vocations. It is the steady, silent, supernatural work of being salt and light.
And we must be like the lion. We must be bold and courageous in our proclamation of the truth. We must not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. We must not be intimidated by the roaring of our adversaries, for our Lion, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, has conquered. We must be ready to confront error, to tear down arguments, and to trample on every proud thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
We are to be a drenched lion. We are to be a people who are soaked in the life-giving grace of God, and who therefore go out into the world with the ferocious confidence of a lion. The dew and the lion are not at odds. The grace we receive (dew) is the source of the strength we exercise (lion). Because we do not wait for the sons of men, because our help comes from Yahweh, we can therefore be utterly fearless before the sons of men. Our hand will be raised against our adversaries, and all our enemies will be cut off. This is our promised future. Let us therefore live like it is true, because it is.