Micah v. 4. He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God ; and they shall abide : for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
OF whom the prophet speaks, there can be no doubt. The preceding context indisputably refers to
the Lord Jesus Christ a Till he should come
into the world, the kingdoms of Israel and of Judah should never be re-unitedb: but after he should have come, and finished his course on earth, he should establish his empire over the whole earth ; and unite all, both Jews and Gentiles, in one body, as one fold under one Shepherd. Of this the prophet speaks in our text, even of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ : and he declares, I. Its first establishment —
[Christ is " the Shepherd of Israel." As such, he feeds and rules his people0. In his appearance, indeed, he was mean ; but he established his kingdom with power. It was announced as at hand by his forerunner, John d : and was de- clared by himself as already comee. By all his words and actions he shewed himself entitled to establish itf. And at the judgment-seat of Pilate he confessed himself a Kingg. For this, indeed, he was put to death h: as the superscription on his cross proclaimed1. On the very cross he acknowledged himself a King, and promised to the dying suppliant a parti- cipation of his throne k. Indeed, it was upon the cross that he triumphed over his enemies, and established his kingdom1. After his resurrection, he gave commission to his disciples to go forth in his name"1: on the day of Pentecost he subdued multitudes to himself; and from that day he has been en- larging his kingdom in every quarter of the globe. Through the whole of his ministry on earth, he acted with authority, as here foretold; " standing and feeding in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God."]
a ver. 2. with Matt. ii. 6. and John vii. 42. b ver. 3. c Matt. ii. 6. The Greek. d Matt. iii. 2. e Matt. xii. 28.
f John v. 22—29. Matt. xxv. 31, 32. e John xviii. 37.
h John xix. 3, 12 — 15. ' John xix. 19. k Luke xxiii. 42.
1 Col. ii. 14, 15. m Matt, xxviii. 18, 19.