The Shepherd King: Micah 5 (4)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 58.1, 2
Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

Psalm 58.1, 2
(Arlington: This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made)
Do you indeed speak righteousness, you rulers of the earth?
And do you judge the sons of men according to their worth?

No, not at all, but in their hearts they seek unrighteous ways.
Their hands weigh out upon the earth cruel violence all their days.

Read Micah 5.5, 6

Preparation
1. Which nations did Micah see coming into the promised land?

 2. What would happen to that nation?

Meditation
The nation of Assyria played an important role in the life of God’s people. First, God used the Assyrians to bring judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel, and to carry the people away into captivity. Thus, He used the Assyrians to demonstrate His power to enforce His threats against His sinful and unrepentant people.

Second, God demonstrated His power to save His people by divine intervention alone when He destroyed the Assyrians as they lay siege to Jerusalem (2 Kgs. 19.35-37). The 19^th century English poet George Gordon, Lord Byron captured the glory of God’s deliverance of His people:

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
   Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.
   For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!
   And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.
   And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.
   And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! 

The mention of “shepherds” and “princely men” may be a reference to the Angel of the Lord as He exercised both His shepherding care for His people and His kingly power over their foes – a portent and foreshadowing of the coming Shepherd King. Thus the Lord gave His people a “down payment” on the promised Kingdom and salvation of the last days.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“…and this One shall be peace.”

This King. This Jesus. Only the One in control can bring peace. Only the Victor can choose the way the battle ends. Our God is King, and there is no other!

“Inasmuch as there is none like You O LORD
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due.
For among all the wise men of the nations,
and in all their kingdoms,
there is none like You” (Jer. 10.6,7).

This demonstration of power culminated in peace. Our peace.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4.7)

Reflection
1. How did God use the Assyrians for His glory?

2. What “peace” has Jesus accomplished for us? How do we access that peace?

3. Is God sovereign over the nations still today? Explain.

Those that threaten ruin to the church of God, soon bring ruin on themselves… let us trust our Shepherd’s care and power. If he permits the assault of our enemies, he will supply helpers and assistance for us. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Micah 5.1-6

Closing Prayer: Psalm 58.3-11
Pray that God will overthrow spiritual powers of wickedness that tempt and assail us in many ways, and that He will bring those who oppose His people to shame and repentance (Ps. 83.16), that they might serve Him.

Psalm 58.3-11
(Arlington: This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made)
The wicked from the womb rebel; from birth they utter lies.
Their tongues of serpent’s venom tell; all truth their ears despise.

Break, shatter, and destroy them, Lord; dissolve them from the day.
Consume them by Your mighty Word; and sweep them all away.

The righteous will rejoice to see the vengeance of the Lord;
All men will say, “Then God must be, the righteous to reward.”

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to our summary of last week’s study by clicking here.

Micah in God’s Covenant
Where does the book of Micah fit in God’s covenant with His people? Our workbook, God’s Covenant, can help you to answer that question and to gain a better understanding of how the grace of God reaches and transforms us in Jesus Christ. Order your free copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scripture are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.