Miquéias 4

Miquéias 4

Constable - The mountain of the house of the LORD is Mt. Zion where the Temple, the LORD’s house, stood in the past and will stand in the future (cf. Ezek 40–43). In the future, Mt. Zion would become the chief of all the mountains on earth rising above all other hills in its importance (cf. Ge 12:3; Zech 8:3) Mountain is also a figure for a kingdom in the Old Testament (e.g., Da 2:35-see discussion of this great prophecy , Da 2:44-45-note). Here it probably has the double significance of literal Mt. Zion (Jerusalem) and the whole kingdom of Israel that Mt. Zion represents (by metonymy). In the ancient world, the mountains (harim) were considered to the abode of the gods. In fact almost every ancient near eastern religion and deity had a mountain (or hill) dedicated to it and often had a pagan temple situated on top. Consider, the famous Athenian Acropolis, where akros means highest or topmost and polis means city, this city being the site of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron deity. Certainly then it is no accident that the true and living God's house in Zion will be the chief mountain in the end times! Praise God! Will be established as the chief (highest) of the mountains. Isaiah frequently calls Mt. Zion the “holy mountain” (Is 11:9; 27:13; 56:7; 57:13; 65:11,25; 66:20). Zechariah 8:3 refers to the site of the future Temple as "the Holy Mountain." Davis - Micah’s new geology is a put-down of pagan religion. Pagan deities allegedly dwelt on their various divine mountains; Micah chalks that up as nonsense and says Yahweh’s mountain will outdo the lot of them. If you look closely at the representation below, you can see the mountain of the House of the LORD raised above the surrounding hills. Used by permission Middletown Bible Church It will be raised above the hills - Zechariah describes this great day when "Jehovah will be king over all the earth" and "all the land will be changed into a plain." (Zech 14:9,10-listen to comment by J Vernon McGee) Barker - Is “be raised above the hills” to be understood literally or figuratively? In view of the topographical changes prophesied in passages like Zech 14:4–5, 10, Delitzsch argues for both. He insists that “it is not merely an exaltation of the temple mountain in the estimation of the nations that is predicted, but a physical and external elevation also.” (Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah - Franz Delitzsch) Thus Mount Zion and its temple will be elevated probably both physically and in prominence. And the peoples will stream to it (cp Micah 7:12, Jer 51:44 = stream to idolatry!) - Isaiah 2:2 echoes Micah declaring "all the nations (kol-haggoyim; Lxx = ethne = Gentiles, cf study of ethnos) will stream to it." Consider the scene - A house on a hill, God's Temple on a mountain and Gentiles like a river flow upward! This is miraculous magnetism! The Spirit supernaturally drawing the nations to the Messiah in this great day. We can apply this even today, for we should all be supernaturally drawn to worship the King. Worship is not just personal introspection, or we would worship our feelings. Worship is not even a warm glow, or we would worship that. We worship One outside ourselves. We concentrate on Him, we praise Him, we adore Him, we hear His Word for He is announcing it to us. We listen in holy awe to the Word of God, for it is a part of that "all" of Scripture which is given by the out breathing of God and is personally necessary for "my" correction and "my" instruction in righteousness. (Roger Palms) This Spirit driven supernatural magnetism is reminiscent of Jesus' words in John 6:44… No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. And again Jesus alludes to His supernatural magnetism in John 12 declaring… And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. (John 12:32) Comment: Of course in context Jesus was referring to the Cross (Jn 12:33) but in a sense Micah 4:1 describes a "fruit" of His finished work on the Cross. Peoples is a synonym for Gentiles, which pictures the Gentile nations (cf "nations" Mic 4:2) coming to Jerusalem, to "worship the King, the LORD of hosts and to celebrate the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles)." (Zech 14:16-21-note) Steven