Miquéias 3
John Calvin · Citado em PreceptAustin
Miquéias 3
Calvin remarks that "Micah confronts us here with the greatest evil that could ever befall us, that is, that God rejects those who reject Him, and that God refuses to answer them, so that all their prayers are in vain and are no longer received by God." (cf the fate of all who reject God and His free gift of the Gospel = 2Th 1:8-9) Is that is not a horrible thought, that the Omniscient, all seeing God (cf Jer 16:17) would be so offended by our sin that He would hide His face! Lord, by Thy Spirit keep us from becoming such evildoers that you must hide Thy face from our face. Amen! The day would come when these evil men would cry out for mercy but would find none as God had warned... Deut 31:17 “Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will come upon them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?’ 18 "But I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods. (Dt 31:17, 18, cf Dt 32:20, Isa 54:8, 57:17, Jer 33:5, Ezek 39:23,24, but contrast when Messiah returns and redeems a believing remnant - Ezek 39:29!) Even David a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22) experienced this terrible sense of abandonment. For the choir director. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (Ps 13:1)
Miquéias 3
Calvin - Micah confronts us here with the greatest evil that could ever befall us, that is, that God rejects those who reject Him, and that God refuses to answer them, so that all their prayers are in vain and are no longer received by God. Matthew
Miquéias 3
Calvin - Thus, when Micah proclaims: On the other hand I am filled with power with (by) the Spirit of the LORD, let us realize that Micah is confessing that in himself he is only a man, that he is not boasting of having a keener mind than others in order to glean their praise; rather, he only wants them to recognize what God has put in his soul. Consequently, if we want our Lord to fortify us with power, then let us acknowledge the absence of such in ourselves, and how empty we are of any good. Above all, let those who are charged with preaching the Word of God acknowledge their insufficiency. (Sermons) Matthew
Miquéias 3
Calvin - So long as hypocrites trust in God’s promises, without thinking too much about God, they imagine God to be on their side and in approval of their conduct. In brief, they want to keep God in their pocket, and treat Him like a little child, who, when He becomes upset, can be mollified with a toy and forced to condescend to their will. That is how hypocrites treat God’s promises, while mocking Him and His majesty in total disregard of His Word (Sermons on Micah). (Ed: They may "mock" him for a moment, but will surely suffer His righteous wrath in His perfect timing. God is not mocked! Gal 6:7-8-note) Micah 3:12 Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest. Zion Micah 1:6; Ps 79:1; 107:34; Jeremiah 26:18; Matthew 24:2; Acts 6:13,14 the mountain Micah 4:1,2; Isaiah 2:2,3 Therefore - Always take a moment to pause to ponder every encounter with this strategic Term of conclusion. What is Micah concluding? As with the therefore in Micah 3:6, Micah concludes that the sentence will fit the crime. Here we the "divine hammer" fall -- we see the consequences God would bring about because of the corrupt leaders, priests and prophets, all of whom had flagrantly flouted (flout = to indulge in scornful behavior) God's perfect and holy law. As a country's leaders go, so goes the country! Do we hear that in America or do we lean on His past blessings and protection, thinking that we too can flout His righteous instructions on marriage and the sanctity of life? (Pr 14:34-Joseph Parker's comment) On account of you - You is plural indicating judges (leaders), priests and prophets will all be held responsible for the coming tragedy! "Corrupt leaders who use their positions of power and influence for self-aggrandizement will be judged severely." (Barker) Micah is not saying the general lay public was guiltless, but that the leaders were the driving force of national sin. Zion (originally a Jebusite stronghold, 2Sa 5:7) will be plowed as a field - Zion is the easternmost ridge of Jerusalem, adjacent to the Kidron Valley and the Gihon Spring and here is used as a synonym for the city of Jerusalem. Plowed as a field implies that the site would be "wiped clean," since ‘an area had to be totally cleared of debris in order to be ploughed and planted.' (IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament) Kaiser - What a shock to be told that the holy city, inviolable as it was in the theology of Scripture, would experience what apostate Samaria experienced (cf. Micah 1:6)! Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins - Zion and Jerusalem are synonyms (cf Isa 4:3, 40:9) Solomon's Temple was razed by Nebuchadnezzar some 100+ years later (586BC). Patterson - God’s commitment to justice is such that he is willing to lay waste to his “hometown.” Heap (05856) (iy) describes ruins, a heap of rubble or rubbish, like a pile of useless trash or garbage or a mound of building material in a random pile. Job 30:24 describes a "broken man" (NIV) one experiencing distress or hardship and therefore in great need. Most of the uses describe a city city that has been besieged and demolished (Ps. 79:1; Jer. 26:18; Mic. 1:6; 3:12). Note that "heap" is the metaphor used for the fate of both Samaria and Jerusalem (no partiality with God, even in judgement!) Iy - 5v - Job 30:24; Ps 79:1; Jer 26:18; Mic 1:6; 3:12. NAS Usage: heap of ruins(3), ruins(2).