Vers. 2-7.-The Divwjud,gments against Israel,. Micah was a prophet of Judah, and had special reference in his prophecy to that kingdom. Still, he referred also to the kingdom of Israel. In these verses be directed attention to the tribulations speedily to come upon the kingdom of Israel; and, whilst his words have reference to "the dead past," they suggest lessons for all times. Consider- L THE DIVlNE JUDGMENTS AGAINST THE KINGDOM OP ISRAEL AS HEBB PREDICTED, Note: 1. Their occasion. (Ver. 5.) The secular historian has his account of the causes of the calamities which overtook the Jewish people. He traces these to lust of power a!ld dominion on the part of the ancient monarchies, Assyrian, Chaldean, Baby- lonian, by whlcb they were attacked and conquered, But the true spiritual teacher probes deeper, and seeks to get at the root of it all, and finds this to be sin-national transgression (ver. 5). There were three stages in the downward progress of the nation. (1) Degeneration in worship. Jeroboam, influenced by mere political con- siderations and worldly policy, set up, at Dan and Bethel, new seats of national worship, and represented the Divinity under the outward figure of the sacred calf. Thus did he "sin and make Israel to sin." (2) Degener<Jtion in the form of worldliness. The reign of Omri was marked by the nation's growth in pride and self-sufficiency, in the arts and luxuries of life. He founded Samaria, and made it the capital of the country. "The town sloped down from the summit of the hill. A broad wall with a terraced top ran round it. It stood amidst a circle of bille commanding a view of its streets and slopes, itself the crown and glory of the whole scene. Its soft, rounded, oblong platform was, as it were, a vast luxurious conch, in which its nobles rested, securely propped and cushioned up on both sides, as in the cherished corner of a rich divan " (Stanley's 'Jewish Church,' ii. 239, 240), (3) Degeneration resulting from foreign alliances, and specially the union of Ahab to Jezebel, and the consequent establish- ment in the land of the Pha!nician worship, the heathen temples rising, and worship to Asbtaroth and Baal being presented side by side with the degenerate worship offered to the God of heaven. These evils wrought their natural effects in the moral degradation of the land, calling for those Divine judgments which the prophet here declared to be impending. Drunkenness and revellings prevailed (Hos. iv. 11 ; vii. 5); immorality reigned (Hos. iv. 13; vii. 4; Amos ii. 7); oppression, swearing, lying, theft, murder, were crimes of constant occurrence (Hos. iv, 1, 2). 2. Their necessity. (Ver. 3.) "For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place "-a striking sentence employed to express the ntcessity that existed for retribution to be exercised. "God's place" is bis mercy, Rt is love. He is good and gracious. It is his nature to show compassion. Let all prumioence be given to this characteristic of our God. We cannot dwell too much Oll, I, 1-16,] THE BOOK OF MICAH. 9
upon H, and can never exhaust the rich theme. "God is love," and mercy ie "his place." But there are times when there is a stern necessity for him to "come forth out of hie place." He is not only loving, he is also righteous, and he is righteous because he is loving. True love excludes partiality, and true justice requires that men be dealt with according to their actions ; eo that, if God would be true to hie character as n God of love, both the recompense of the good and the punishment of the evil is demanded. We are to warn men of the terrible and far-reaching consequences of sin and whilst joyfully proclaiming "the accepta,ble year of the Lord," we are also to declare with true solemnity the fact of" the day of vengeance of our God." Whilst delighting to speak of mercy as his dwelling-place, we must also declare that there is the necessity,.for him "to come forth out of his place" to vindicate the right and to punish the wrong. 3. Their severity. (Vera. 3, 4.) This is set forth here in striking metaphor. God is represented as treading upon the high places, the pride of the haughty being ae the duet beneath his feet. His judgments are described ae fire, under the influence of which the mountains should be molten and the valleys be cleft; whilst as wax melts before the fire, and as the rushing waters, poured over a steep place, no more return, but are scattered in spray and dissipated io vapours, so should the evil-<loers at length be brought to nought. Samaria, the centre of the nation, and the source whence proceeded noxious and pestilential influences, should be brought to utter desolation (vers. 6, 7). Thie stern sentence was literally fulfilled (see Porter's 'Giant Cities of Bashan,' p. 227; Stanley's 'Jewish Church,' ii. 311, 312). 4. Their equity. The p:-ophet, like other seers, summons the nations and the earth to bear testimony to the rightness which marks all God's judgmeots (ver. 2). The acknowledgment of the universe shall be that the Divine judgments are "true and righteous altogether." I[, THE BEARING OF THE STORY OF ISRAEL 1S GUILT AND FALL UPON NATIONAL LIFE JN THE PRESENT DAY. 1. It warns us that if we use the pre-eminence God has assigned to us as a nation, simply with a view to our own aggrandizement and the furtherance of our own selfish ends, if, instead of worshipping him, and living with a single eye to his glory, we prostrate ourselves before wealth and luxul"y, ease and sloth, hnman reason and human applause, God will be against us, and wiil come forth "out of his place" to jndgment, and national decay and death will assuredly follow. A haughty Frenchman once taunted an English captain, saying, " When will yo~ English fetch Calais again?" The captain replied, "When your sins shall weigh down ours!" 2. It reminds us how essential it is, in order to national prosperity, that the sovereign should be a pattern of every virtue; that rulers should not only be men of wisdom and foresight, but also God-fearing; and that religion, spiritual and practical, should charncterize all classes of the community. 3. It indicates to us the forbearance of God in sparing our nation, despite all the defections which have marked ns as a people, and should lead us to repentance and a new life. And this must be personal and individual. "He who would reform the world must first improve himself." Then let us each "fear God, and keep his commandments," and so prove good citizens of the land we love. And conscious of our weakness. as Nature in all her helplessness offers herself to the kindly influence of the sun and the refreshing effects of the shower, so let us offer our hearts to the quickening and fertilizing influences of God's Spirit, that as Nature becomes clothed with verdure, so we may abound in all holy graces, and in us the Lord and God of all the nations of the earth be abundantly glorified I