The Sufferings and Triumph of God's People (Micah 4:9—13)

 Homiletical Commentary 

on the Minor prophets

Israel's history, like human life, has its dark and its bright side. Before the glory promised is ever gained, sorrow and trial must be endured. This is—1. A constant rule; and—2. A necessary order in God's discipline. But the scene of trial was to be the place of deliverance. The sufferings shall be over-ruled for the salvation of his people and the destruction of their enemies. Notice :—

1. The bitterness of the affliction. "Pangs have taken thee," &c. Pangs without remedy, and painful as a woman in travail. 1. The loss of kings."Is there no king in thee?" A visible king was a protection, and a symbol of God's presence to them. The loss was most serious and irreparable. It was a condition of helplessness and shame. 2. The loss of counselors."Is thy counselor perished?" Kings and judges were their counselors and guides; but they were bereft of wisdom to direct, left in the hands of the enemy, and governed by captive nations. 3. The loss of liberties."Now shalt thou go forth out of the city," which shall be captured; "dwell in the field " exposed to danger; and be carried "even to Babylon" into long captivity. This was a sad exchange of liberty and luxury for bondage and misery. But it is the picture of many a soul reduced to slavery, bereft of God and writhing in agony.
2. II. The comforts under the affliction. All is not lost, though they have neither king nor counselor. God will make up for everything. 1. Affliction will end in good. "Jerusalem's pangs are not as dying agonies, but as travailing throes, which after a while will be forgotten for joy that a child is born into the world." Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Ps. 30:6; 73:24: Jer. 10:24). 2. Deliverance will be granted. "There shalt thou be delivered." There, where sorrow is greatest and hope is faintest—even in Babylon, the most unlikely place, "the Lord shall redeem thee." The utmost degree of affliction is often the nearest to the end, and help is not in the holy city, but in the stronghold of the foe. "Man's extremity is God's opportunity." The Red Sea must be the scene of triumph to Israel, and the prison the place of deliverance to Joseph and Peter. This magnifies God's grace and power. "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream." 3. Enemies will be subdued. "Thou shalt beat in pieces many people." In their weakness, God will be their strength, and make them victorious over confederate nations. Their horns shall be iron, to push their enemies; and their hoofs brass, to tread them down. The destruction is universal and complete. All enemies shall be put under their feet, as conquered foes, or willing subjects. "Fear not, thou worm Jacob. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument, having teeth: thou shalt thresh tho mountains and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff" (Is. 41:13—15).
3. III. The spirit in which they should bear the affliction. If such be their prospects in the trial, how should they demean themselves? 1. They should cherish a patient spirit. "Why dost thou cry out aloud?" Calm fear and hush grief; though affliction be grievous at present, it shall afterward yield the fruits of joy and peace. Patience defeats the menace of the foe, but passion takes his part

"Patience doth conquer by out-suffering all" [Peel].

2. They should cherish a submissive spirit. "Be in pain," &c. Grieve, but remember excessive grief, fretfulness, and rebellion, are unreasonable. Resistance is folly, submission is triumph.

"By not opposing, thou dost ills destroy,

And wear thy conquered sorrows into joy" [Young'].

3. They should cherish a spirit of hope. What a bright prospect opens up before them! Why doubt or despair? God will accomplish his word. Hope will sweeten trial, and, like the sun, paint the rainbow on the clouds. "Black though our side of tho canvas be," said Sir Harry Vane, in going to be executed, "the Divine hand paints a beautiful picture on the unseen side."

“The First Dominion” - Matthew Poole

“And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem” (Micah 4:8)

The first dominion; the former dominion, not in outward splendour, but because the government and supreme dignity among this people was restored (after seventy years’ captivity) to the former royal family, and continued in it till Shiloh came. This in the type was fulfilled upon the settlement under Zerubbabel and his successors; but the whole antitype concerns the Messiah’s kingdom, and the gospel Jerusalem, and is fulfilled in the spiritual glory of it. Christ’s kingdom is the ancient, supreme, and most glorious kingdom; and by his redeeming us from the bondage of hell, is set up, and shall be continued firm and unmovable, more than Edar, Ophel, Zion, or Jerusalem typical, as #Lu 1:32,33, and more large than ever David’s or Solomon’s kingdom, #Da 7:14, and therefore greater in glory, for Christ is King of kings, #Re 17:14 19:16. This spiritual kingdom came first to the Jews, #Ac 13:46. It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. The gospel was to be preached first to the daughter of Jerusalem. There the preachers of repentance and remission of sins were to begin, and thence they were to publish it to all nations, #Lu 24:47. This text, and such like, the blinded Jew doth take in a literal sense only, as if it promised a temporal dominion over all nations, and worldly kingdom to the Messiah, in which they expect a large share; but what is literal, and concerned the Jews alone, was limited to them that came out of the Babylonish captivity, and hath been fulfilled to them. 

When We Receive One Another - John MacArthur

 When we receive one another it should be with gladness, not with condescension, not with reluctance. I remember when I was in the south in Mendenhall, Mississippi, a pastor of a church there, white fellow, opened his heart to teach the Bible to a black man. And I remember driving by the church and seeing the sign, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest," this was the sign in front of the church. A black man came who was heavy laden and who was laboring and who needed help. And this pastor began to disciple this black man and the church told him to stop because he was creating a racial problem.

And the pastor continued to do it and so he couldn't buy gas at the gas station, groceries in the grocery store, cancelled his insurance policy, they harassed his children. This is at the church that says, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." And finally he had a total nervous breakdown, they put him in a hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. And the second day he dove out of the third floor and killed himself. I was...extreme trauma, I don't know all of the dynamics that made him take his life, I can't know what built up all of that and I do not commend what he did, obviously, it's a tragedy of tragedies, but it's illustrative of the fact that we can have a theology and can even hold it out as if it's the identifying mark of our fellowship, and in our hearts be living something in the exact opposite realm. We are to receive one another, not reluctantly, not condescendingly, but with gladness, with gladness.

Secondly, Christ not only receives sinners with gladness but he receives sinners in spite of their sin. He receives them in spite of their sin. They don't have to clean up their act first. God doesn't say, "Look, if you can get your life cleaned up I'll take you." No, that's heresy. Not for a minute do we believe that there are some pre-salvation works which man can do for himself to make him receptive....uh, receivable, if you will, to make him acceptable to Christ. He receives sinners in spite of their sin. That's the beauty of grace, that's the wonder of Christ's attitude. Go back to Matthew and back to the house, many tax collectors, many sinners sitting down and Jesus is there.... He receives them in spite of their sin, not because they clean their act up. 

Opposition - William Huntington

After I had been some time in London, I found our chapel in Margaret street was open to every erroneous preacher. This stirred up the hearts of my hearers to look out for another place for me, and very soon a larger chapel was proposed to be built. This still appeared to pave the way more and more for the fulfilment of the words brought to my mind, " prophesy on the thick boughs." The chapel was soon erected; and the good hand of our God was with us, in the work, to our comfort. But when it was opened, I saw the strong opposition it would meet with from every quarter. This at first rather surprised me; but soon after these words returned on my mind, " prophesy on the thick boughs." I was enabled to rest on them, and gathered much comfort to my soul from the consideration of its being opposed ; for I have ever observed that when a work has appeared to be of God, it has generally met with the greatest opposition; and when a cause flourishes in the face of many opposers, it appears still plainer to be God's work. The fewer human props there are to support the ark, the clearer God's hand is perceived; for then God appears to work, and none can let it, though they try at it. In this way God endears himself to the instrument he employs, weans the instrument from the creature, and secures all the glory to himself. I have often thought that if Martin Luther, John Bunyan, or George Whitefield, had been alive in my days, they would rather have invited me, than shut me out of their pulpits. However, I believe I shall still prophesy on the thick boughs; and according to my faith, so it will be unto me. I have found my very soul at times melted down with gratitude at the goodness of God to so unworthy a creature as myself, when I have heard that several good people in London have asked great men, employed under God, to let me preach in their pulpits, as Margaret street chapel was too small for me; but this favor could not be granted. I thought my case was similar to that of poor sore-eyed Leah, who said, " the Lord saw that I was despised, therefore he gave me this son also." And I have now reason to conclude with her, that God hath endowed me with a good dowry of spiritual children, though he saw that I was hated, and these spotted sheep shall be for my hire when they shall appear before the Lord; so shall the righteousness which I have preached answer for me in that day when my ministry and the seals of it shall appear before God to witness for me.

“It Shall Be Well with the Righteous” (Is 3:10) - Scott Richardson

In spiritual things, all your temptations, all your darkness, all your wanderings, God will overrule. It shall be well with you.  There shall never be a night, but that morning shall come; there shall never be a day of trouble, but a day of prosperity shall follow; there shall never be an emptying, but there shall be a filling; there shall never be a bringing down, but that He shall raise you up again.  Let it be either darkness or night, sorrow or grief, night or day, life or death, time or eternity, “it shall be well with the righteous”.

The Providence of God: Mysterious and Minute (Rom 8:28) Fortner

Too much joy would intoxicate me. Too much misery would drive me into despair. Too much sorrow would crush me. Too much suffering would break my spirit. Too much pleasure would ruin me. Too much defeat would discourage me. Too much success would puff me up. Too much failure would keep me from doing anything. Too much criticism would harden me. Too much praise would exalt me. – My God knows exactly what I need. His providence is wisely designed and sovereignly sent for my good! Let him therefore send and do what he will. By his grace, I will…

* Face it.

* Bow to it.

* Accept it.

* Give thanks for it.

http://www.all-of-grace.net/studies/Don_Fortner_Bible_Doctrine/Notes/gcdoc-sn0056.htm

The Terms of Discipleship (J. Brown)

“He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:25-26).

THE TERMS OF DISCIPLESHIP, my brethren, are unaltered, and unalterable. Are we thus servants of Christ? We call him Lord, Lord; but are we following him in self-denied service and suffering? are we lovers of our lives in the sense in which he requires us to be haters of them ? i. e., are we lovers of ourselves more than the lovers of him,—fonder of earth than heaven, —more taken up with time than eternity ? Let no man be deceived—let no man deceive himself—on this point. A mistake here, even though temporary, is hazardous—if persisted* in, it must be fatal. We can have no part in making atonement—it is unnecessary—it is impossible; but we must have part in the spirit in which the atonement was made. If we have not, we may rest assured we are not yet savingly interested in him; and, continuing destitute of this spirit, we never can be sharers of the blessings procured by him. No man who is not really disposed to lay down his life for Christ—to lay down his life for the brethren—to make his glory and their salvation the great objects of life—can have satisfactory evidence that Christ's death for sinners has become effectual for reconciling him to God.

John Brown