“The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.”
Micah 5:7-8
In reflecting upon the closing of the fifth chapter of Micah’s prophesy one thing becomes abundantly clear. This is that the Prophet is looking ahead to the age of the coming Messiah. Micah is describing the characteristics of the Kingdom of the coming Messiah as a perfect fulfillment of the covenant blessings of God to His people. In Genesis 12:2-3 God says this to Abraham.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.”
That promise was deeply rooted into Micah’s consciousness. As he thought and prayed about the situation that Judah faced in his days Micah could not get away from the thought that an all powerful, faithful God would not make a promise to His people that He could not, or would not keep. All that they were about to face would serve to lead to the fulfillment of this promise. They would be scattered into exile. Many of them would not return, some would but others would remain scattered. God’s promise would remain true. When the Messiah came and set up His Kingdom they would be part of it. Micah focuses his attention upon it and he sees three key points which must guide our understanding of the Lord’s purposes for those who are part of His Church.
1) The remnant will be like dew from the Lord. In Palestine the dew is heavy, and during the dry season it is a great blessing. It comes without our working for it. So too does the grace of God come upon us as a consequence of the Kingdom of God. Wherever we are there is blessing upon the people. Christians are a blessing as they pray for and minister to the people they encounter.
2) The remnant will be like a lion among us, mauling and mangling all it encounters. Again the image suggests something which is uncontrollable. Having the Church among us brings us to a point of decision. How we respond to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, as it lived and proclaimed by His people will determine how God treats us. To reject Him is to experience a cursing, a judgment from God.
3) Micah goes on to say that the final element of this Kingdom of the Messiah will be that the people of that Kingdom will be refined by God. He will remove and destroy everything that we find ourselves trusting in that is not Him. At the heart of the Gospel is the call to repent and to seek first, and only, the Kingdom of God. That is, to seek Him alone. We live in a culture that seeks so many other things. Our hopes, dreams, and security are anchored on all kinds of “other things”. We must seek Him alone.
Micah saw this for us. He calls us to really be part of the Messiah’s Kingdom. There really is no other way forward for us.