Micah 7

Notes

Ver. 1-6. Alas! few upright men are now left in the country with whom I can conscientiously associate; and early religion, and noted progress in holiness, are scarcely to be found. Good and upright men are almost entirely gone out of this world; and almost every one is ready, for self-interest, to murder or oppress the most innocent, or most nearly related. Bent upon doing as much mischief as they can, their very princes and judges even impudently demand bribes, and, without sense of shame, they agree to perpetrate the most shocking mischiefs. The very best of them are mischievous and hurtful; therefore shall God quickly plunge them into just and most inextricable miseries. So terribly treacherous are they become, that no one is safe in trusting even his nearest relations; nay, none are more to be suspected. 7-10. Therefore will I, by faith and patience, wait on the Lord, and pray and look for deliverance and safety from him alone, as my God in Christ; nor shall mine enemies have any reason to rejoice over and insult me, for the all-sufficient Jehovah shall support, comfort, and deliver me in all my troubles. I will therefore justify God, and submit to his corrections, as procured by my own iniquity, until he revenge the injuries done to me, and publicly own me as his, and honour me to behold the exertions of his equity, mercy, and faithfulness; and till the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syro-Grecians, Romans, Antichristians, and Mahometans, who have oppressed us, be altogether disgraced and ruined. 11-13. Though the country shall be desolated, on account of the sins of the inhabitants, yet, whenever the time fixed in God's mind for relieving the nation, rebuilding Jerusalem, or other cities, and for the re-establishment of the churches, comes, all restraints and hindrances shall be entirely taken out of the way, and the gospel preached over all the world; and not only shall the Jews return from all lands in which they have been dispersed, but Gentiles, from all parts of the world, shall be persuaded to Christ. 14. Lord, since thy peculiar people must be thus destroyed and scattered, do thou, as their Shepherd, care for, protect, direct, and provide for them, as a nation separated from the world, and bring them back to their wonted habitations and happiness. 15-17. I the Lord will do as great things for them as I did when I brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt. And the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syro-Grecians, Romans, Papists, or Mahometans, shall, in their turns, be astonished at the wonderful deliverance of my people, and be trampled under their feet, and with terror submit themselves to their power. 18-20. Who is a God like unto thee, in perfections, persons, purposes, relations, or works! Who so ready and abundant as thou art in pardoning the most aggravated iniquities of thy people! Thou wilt, in infinitely tender mercy, return to us, and when we repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ fully and irrevocably pardon all our iniquities; yea, thou will perform all thy ancient promises which were graciously made to Abraham, and confirmed to Jacob and other patriarchs, when we accept as our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Ver. 11. Thy walls. The doctrines of salvation and discipline of holiness are spiritually intended, though the idea of rebuilding the material walls is not to be rejected, Is. 26. 1. C.

Reflections.—Few are the eminently pious amidst the many notoriously wicked in times of general corruption. And where sin prevails what unnatural monsters of violence, fraud, injustice, and everything horrid, are formed by it. But universal contempt and violation of relative duties is a fearful presage of God's awful judgments, and a sad proof of prevalent corruptions. And under divine rebukes nothing is more proper than to consider our ways, repent of our sins, justify God, and look to him alone. His deliverance of his people will quickly issue in the complete overthrow of opposition. And every impediment of his salvation is easily removed in the day of his power and time of his love. Even after the most desolating judgments, he will have mercy upon the penitent. Quickly and graciously he answers those prayers which are presented to him for their re-establishment and prosperity; and marvellous things he performs for their relief. Thrice happy then and pleasant is it when he gets the glory, and men by faith take the comfort, of his perfections, promises, and works.

Concluding Remarks on the Book of Micah.

The distinguishing peculiarity of the book of Micah is its discovery of the place where the Saviour should be born; which prediction may be said to lay the foundation of the New Testament. From this book Herod learned the place of Messiah's birth; and, by seeking his life, gave occasion to the flight into Egypt, and the fulfilment of another prophecy. But this prophecy is not less remarkable for the manner in which it delineates our Lord's character and office as Shepherd of his flocks on earth; while it equally reveals his eternal glory with the Father before the world was. That the ancient Jews understood this prophecy to apply to Messiah is certain from the decision of the chief priests and elders, Mat. 2. 6; while the Targum of Jonathan concurs with the Talmud in giving the same view. And if the modern Jews have been led, from their opposition to Christianity, to adopt any other interpretation, it only proves how far prejudice may blind the eyes against the clearest evidence, and induce us the more earnestly to pray, that when Moses and the prophets are read, the Lord would be mercifully pleased to remove the veil from their eyes.