calamities sent to punish people at any time, and these God. Israel has returned to their land in unbelief, and

calamities sent to punish people at any time, and these God. Israel has returned to their land in unbelief, and

Obadiah as stubble. (See Ex. 15:7; Isa. 10:17; and Matt. 3:12 for parallels.)

Edom's fourth sin was that of ignoring the impending wrath of God (Obad. 15–16). "For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations" (v. 15 nasb), and that included Edom, but Edom was proud and didn't care about what the Lord might do to them. "The day of the Lord" is a phrase that describes the time when God will pour His wrath out upon a wicked world, judge the nations, and then establish His kingdom, thus fulfilling the promises made to Israel.3 However, the phrase was also used to describe God-ordained calamities sent to punish people at any time, and these judgments were foretastes of the future worldwide "day of the Lord."

God will defeat your enemies (vv. 19–20). Israel will reclaim the land formerly inhabited by the Edomites (the Negev), the Philistines (the Shephelah), and the Samaritans (Ephraim). The Jews have been struggling to possess their inheritance for centuries, but other powers have always stood in the way. The Jews will "possess their possessions" without the help of any nation, but only through the help of the Lord their God. Israel has returned to their land in unbelief, and the nation was established in 1948. However, one day they shall see their Messiah and believe on Him, and the nation will be "born in a day" (Isa. 66:8; Zech. 12:10–13:1; 14:1–9). God will establish the kingdom (v. 21). The Lord will reign from Mount Zion, where His temple will stand, "and all the nations will stream to it" (Isa. 2:2 nasb). It's interesting to note that King Messiah will have "deliverers" ("saviors" kjv) assist Him in His rule over the nations. This fact should be studied with reference to our Lord's promises to His apostles (Matt. 19:27–30) and those who are faithful to Him today (24:42–51; 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27). Jesus teaches that faithfulness to Him today will mean reigning with Him in the kingdom.

4. Ignoring God's wrath—15–16

III. God's message to the Jewish people (17–21) A.God will deliver them—17–18 B.God will defeat their enemies—19–20 C.God will establish their kingdom—21

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets" (Matt. 7:12 nkjv). We call this statement "the Golden Rule," and it points out a positive approach to personal relationships. But Obadiah 15 gives the negative side: "As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head" (nasb). Or, as Paul expressed it, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal. 6:7 nkjv). Edom had drunk in joyful celebration at Jerusalem's fall, but all the nations will one day drink of the cup of wrath that God will hand them—a cup they cannot refuse (see Isa. 51:17, 21–23; Jer. 25:15–33). No matter how discouraging the day may be for God's people, there is a just God in heaven who pays sinners back in kind: what they did to others is ultimately done to them. Since Pharaoh ordered all the Jewish boy babies drowned, God drowned the Egyptian army (Ex. 1; 14:26–31). The men who lied about Daniel in order to have Daniel thrown to the lions were themselves thrown to the lions (Dan. 6). The unbelievers on earth who shed the blood of God's servants will one day drink water turned into blood (Rev. 16:5–6). "The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead" (Prov. 11:8 nkjv). Indeed, God's judgments are true and righteous (Rev. 16:7).

All of God's children look forward to the day when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord, and He shall reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15). Then every knee shall bow to Him and every tongue confess that He is Lord of all.

Meanwhile, God's people must do all they can to get the gospel out to the billions of people in this world who have never had the opportunity to hear the name of Jesus or learn how to trust Him and be saved. When the great and terrible day of the Lord dawns, the nations of the world will be judged for the way they have treated one another and the nation of Israel. Until that day dawns, God's church must keep praying "Thy kingdom come" and seek to obey His command to take the gospel to the whole world.

God's Message to the Jewish People (17–21) Now that the prophecy about Edom has been delivered, Obadiah turns to his own people and announces three divine promises.

Notes

1 Edom and the Edomites are found over one hundred times in the Old Testament. They are mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah (chap. 34), Jeremiah (chap. 49; Lam. 4:21–22), Ezekiel (25:12–14; 35:1–15), Daniel (11:41), Joel (3:19), Amos (1:6–11; 2:1; 9:12), and Malachi (1:4), as well as Obadiah. King Saul overcame them (1 Sam. 14:47), and so did David (2 Sam. 8:13–14; 1 Kings 11:14–16), but Edom was a thorn in Israel's flesh for centuries. Consult a map of Bible lands for the location of Edom. 2 Compare Obadiah 1–6 with Jeremiah 49:7—22. The prophets often quoted from one another. 3 The prophet Joel has a great deal to say about the day of the Lord. See the section of this book "Joel," which expounds Joel's prophecy.

God will deliver you (vv. 17–18). God did deliver His people from Babylonian captivity, and He will again deliver them in the last days and establish His kingdom. Mount Zion will be consecrated to the Lord and all defilement removed. "Jacob" refers to the southern kingdom and "Joseph" the northern kingdom. They will be united into one nation and enter the messianic mingdom together, possessing the inheritance promised to them. It appears from Isaiah 11:10–16, a parallel passage, that Moab and Edom will be restored as nations in the last days, but the Jews will burn them

J o n a h M i c a h N a h u m H a b a k k u k Z e p h a n i a h H a g g a i Z e c h a r i a h M a l a c h i

G e n e s i s E x o d u s L e v i t i c u s N u m b e r s D e u t e r o n o m y J o s h u a J u d g e s R u t h

1 S a m u e l 2 S a m u e l 1 K i n g s 2 K i n g s 1 C h r o n i c l e s 2 C h r o n i c l e s E z r a N e h e m i a h

E s t h e r J o b P s a l m s P r o v e r b s E c c l e s i a s t e s S o n g o f

J e r e m i a h L a m e n t a t i o n s E z e k i e l D a n i e l H o s e a J o e l A m o s O b a d i a h

Jonah in His Time Those who consider the Book of Jonah an allegory or a parable should note that 2 Kings 14:25 identifies Jonah as a real person, a Jewish prophet from Gath Hepher in Zebulun who ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (793–753 BC). They should also note that our Lord considered Jonah a historic person and pointed to him as a type of His own death, burial, and resurrection (Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:32).

OUTLINE Key theme: Obeying God's will brings blessings to us and to others through us; disobedience brings discipline. Key verse: Jonah 2:9

I. GOD'S PATIENCE WITH JONAH (1:1–17)

A. Jonah's disobedience—1:1–3 B. Jonah's indifference—1:4–10 C. Jonah's impenitence—1:11–17

The reign of Jeroboam II was a time of great prosperity in Israel; the nation regained lost territory and expanded both its boundaries and influence. But it was a time of moral and spiritual decay as the nation rapidly moved away from God and into idolatry. Jonah's contemporaries, Hosea and Amos, both courageously denounced the wickedness of the rulers, priests, and people. It's worth noting that Hosea and Amos also showed God's concern for other nations, which is one of the major themes of Jonah.

II. GOD'S MERCY TOWARD JONAH (2:1–10)

A. He hears his prayer—2:1–2 B. He disciplines him—2:3 C. He honors his faith—2:4–7 D. He accepts his confession—2:8–9 E. He restores his ministry—2:10

III. GOD'S POWER THROUGH JONAH (3:1–10)

A. The gracious Lord—3:1–2 B. The obedient servant—3:3–4 C. The repentant people—3:5–9 D. The postponed judgment—3:10

While Jonah had a ministry to Nineveh, a leading city in Assyria, he also had a ministry to Israel through this little book. He discovered God's compassion for those outside Israel, even those who were their enemies. God had called His people to be a blessing to the Gentiles (Gen. 12:1–3), but, like Jonah, the Jews refused to obey. And, like Jonah, they had to be disciplined; for Assyria would conquer Israel and Babylon would take Judah into captivity. Jonah's book magnifies the sovereignty of God as well as the love and mercy of God. Jehovah is the "God of the second chance," even for rebellious prophets.

IV. GOD'S MINISTRY TO JONAH (4:1–11)

A. God hears him—4:1–4 B. God comforts him—4:5–8 C. God teaches him—4:9–11

CONTENTS

Jonah 1—2 1442 Patience and Pardon

Jonah 3—4 1446 Preaching and Pouting

Jonah 1 is the expression of the love of God (Ps. 33:11), and that God called him to Nineveh because He loved both Jonah and the Ninevites.

CHAPTER ONE Jonah 1—2 PATIENCE AND PARDON M

Jonah also had a wrong attitude toward the Word of God. When the word of the Lord came to him, Jonah thought he could "take it or leave it." However, when God's Word commands us, we must listen and obey. Disobedience isn't an option. "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46 nkjv).

ost people are so familiar with the story of Jonah that nothing in it surprises them anymore, including the fact that it begins with the word and.1 If I opened one of my books with the word and, the editor would probably wonder if something had been lost, including my ability to use the English language.

Jonah forgot that it was a great privilege to be a prophet, to hear God's word, and know God's will. That's why he resigned his prophetic office and fled in the opposite direction from Nineveh.3 Jonah knew that he couldn't run away from God's presence (Ps. 139:7–12), but he felt he had the right to turn in his resignation. He forgot that "God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29 niv). At one time or another during their ministries, Moses, Elijah, and Jeremiah felt like giving up, but God wouldn't let them. Jonah needed Nineveh as much as Nineveh needed Jonah. It's in doing the will of God that we grow in grace and become more like Christ.

Jonah is one of fourteen Old Testament books that open with the little word and. These books remind us of God's "continued story" of grace and mercy. Though the Bible is comprised of sixty-six different books, it tells only one story; and God keeps communicating that message to us, even though we don't always listen too attentively. How longsuffering He is toward us!

What is the book of Jonah about? Well, it's not simply about a great fish (mentioned only four times), or a great city (named nine times), or even a disobedient prophet (mentioned eighteen times). It's about God! God is mentioned thirty-eight times in these four short chapters, and if you eliminated Him from the book, the story wouldn't make sense. The book of Jonah is about the will of God and how we respond to it. It's also about the love of God and how we share it with others.

Jonah had a wrong attitude toward circumstances; he thought they were working for him when they were really working against him. He fled to Joppa4 and found just the right ship waiting for him! He had enough money to pay the fare for his long trip, and he was even able to go down into the ship and fall into a sleep so deep that the storm didn't wake him up. It's possible to be out of the will of God and still have circumstances appear to be working on your behalf. You can be rebelling against God and still have a false sense of security that includes a good night's sleep. God in His providence was preparing Jonah for a great fall.

In these first two chapters, Jonah has three experiences.

Rebellion (1:1–17) Jonah must have been a popular man in Israel, because his prediction had been fulfilled that the nation would regain her lost territory from her enemies (2 Kings 14:25). Those were days of peace and prosperity for Israel, but they were autumn days just before the terrible winter of judgment.

Finally, Jonah had a wrong attitude toward the Gentiles. Instead of wanting to help them find the true and living God, he wanted to abandon them to their darkness and spiritual death. He not only hated their sins—and the Assyrians were ruthless enemies—but he hated the sinners who committed the sins. Better that Nineveh should be destroyed than that the Assyrians live and attack Israel.

Jonah the prophet disobeys God's call (vv. 1–3). Jonah got into trouble because his attitudes were wrong. To begin with, he had a wrong attitude toward the will of God. Obeying the will of God is as important to God's servant as it is to the people His servants minister to. It's in obeying the will of God that we find our spiritual nourishment (John 4:34), enlightenment (7:17), and enablement (Heb. 13:21). To Jesus, the will of God was food that satisfied Him; to Jonah, the will of God was medicine that choked him.

Jonah the Jew becomes a curse instead of a blessing (vv. 4–10). God called the Jews to be a blessing to all the nations of the earth (Gen. 12:1–3), but whenever the Jews were out of the will of God, they brought trouble instead of blessing.5 Twice Abraham brought trouble to people because he lied (vv. 10–20; 20:1–18); Achan brought trouble to Israel's army because he robbed God (Josh. 7); and Jonah brought trouble to a boatload of pagan sailors because he fled. Consider all that Jonah lost because he wasn't a blessing to others.

I. God's patience with Jonah (1:1–17) A.Jonah's disobedience—1:1–3 B.Jonah's indifference—1:4–10

Jonah's wrong attitude toward God's will stemmed from a feeling that the Lord was asking him to do an impossible thing. God commanded the prophet to go to Israel's enemy, Assyria, and give the city of Nineveh opportunity to repent, and Jonah would much rather see the city destroyed. The Assyrians were a cruel people who had often abused Israel, and Jonah's narrow patriotism took precedence over his theology.2 Jonah forgot that the will of God

First of all, he lost the voice of God (Jonah 1:4). We don't read that "the word of the Lord came to Jonah," but that a great storm broke loose over the waters. God was no longer speaking to Jonah through His word; He was speaking to him through His works: the sea, the

Jonah 1—2 and confessed his sins to God, Jonah might have seen the storm cease and the door open to a great opportunity for witness on the ship.

wind, the rain, the thunder, and even the great fish. Everything in nature obeyed God except His servant! God even spoke to Jonah through the heathen sailors (vv. 6, 8, 10) who didn't know Jehovah. It's a sad thing when a servant of God is rebuked by pagans.

It's significant that the heathen sailors at first rejected Jonah's offer and began to work harder to save the ship. They did more for Jonah than Jonah had been willing to do for them. When they saw that the cause was hopeless, they asked Jonah's God for His forgiveness for throwing Jonah into the stormy sea. Sometimes unsaved people put believers to shame by their honesty, sympathy, and sacrifice.

Jonah also lost his spiritual energy (v. 5b). He went to sleep during a fierce storm and was totally unconcerned about the safety of others. The sailors were throwing the ship's wares and cargo overboard, and Jonah was about to lose everything, but he still slept on. "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man" (Prov. 24:33 niv).

However, these pagan sailors knew some basic theology: the existence of Jonah's God, His judgment of sin, their own guilt before Him, and His sovereignty over creation. They confessed, "For you, O Lord, have done as you pleased" (Jonah 1:14 niv). However, there's no evidence that they abandoned their old gods; they merely added Jehovah to their "god shelf." They threw themselves on God's mercy and then threw Jonah into the raging sea, and God stopped the storm.

He lost his power in prayer (Jonah 1:5a, 6). The heathen sailors were calling on their gods for help while Jonah slept through the prayer meeting, the one man on board who knew the true God and could pray to Him. Of course, Jonah would first have had to confess his sins and determine to obey God, something he wasn't willing to do. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Ps. 66:18).6 If Jonah did pray, his prayer wasn't answered. Loss of power in prayer is one of the first indications that we're far from the Lord and need to get right with Him.

When the storm ceased, the men feared God even more and made vows to Him. How they could offer an animal sacrifice to God on board ship is a puzzle to us, especially since the cargo had been jettisoned, but then we don't know what the sacrifice was or how it was offered. Perhaps the sense of verse 16 is that they offered the animal to Jehovah and vowed to sacrifice it to Him once they were safe on shore.

Sad to say, Jonah lost his testimony (Jonah 1:7–10). He certainly wasn't living up to his name,7 for Jonah means "dove," and the dove is a symbol of peace. Jonah's father's name was Ammitai, which means "faithful, truthful," something that Jonah was not. We've already seen that he wasn't living up to his high calling as a Jew, for he had brought everybody trouble instead of blessing, nor was he living up to his calling as a prophet, for he had no message for them from God. When the lot pointed to Jonah as the culprit, he could no longer avoid making a decision.

The seventeenth-century English preacher Jeremy Taylor said, "God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy." He was referring, of course, to being happy with God's will for our lives. For us to rebel against God's will, as Jonah did, is to invite the chastening hand of God. That's why the Westminster Catechism states that "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." We glorify God by enjoying His will and doing it from our hearts (Eph. 6:6), and that's where Jonah failed. Jonah could say with the psalmist, "The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death" (Ps. 118:18 nkjv). God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and protect his life for three days and three nights.9 We'll consider the significance of this later in this study.

Jonah had already told the crew that he was running away from God, but now he told them he was God's prophet, the God who created the heaven, the earth, and the sea. This announcement made the sailors even more frightened. The God who created the sea was punishing His servant and that's why they were in danger!

Jonah the rebel suffers for his sins (vv. 11–17). Charles Spurgeon said that God never allows His children to sin successfully, and Jonah is proof of the truth of that statement. "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives" (Heb. 12:6 nkjv). We must not make the mistake of calling Jonah a martyr, for the title would be undeserved. Martyrs die for the glory of God, but Jonah offered to die because selfishly he would rather die than obey the will of God!8 He shouldn't be classified with people like Moses (Ex. 32:30–35), Esther (Est. 4:13–17), and Paul (Rom. 9:1–3), who were willing to give their lives to God in order to rescue others. Jonah is to be commended for telling the truth but not for taking his life in his own hands. He should have surrendered his life to the Lord and let Him give the orders. Had he fallen to his knees

C.Jonah's impenitence—1:11–17

Repentance (2:1–9) From an experience of rebellion and discipline, Jonah turns to an experience of repentance and dedication, and God graciously gives him a new beginning. Jonah no doubt expected to die in the waters of the sea,10 but when he woke up inside the fish, he realized that God had graciously spared him. As with the Prodigal Son, whom Jonah in his rebellion greatly resembles (Luke 15:11–24), it was the goodness of God that brought him to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Notice the stages in Jonah's spiritual experience as described in his prayer.

II. God's mercy toward Jonah (2:1–10) A.He hears his prayer—2:1–2

He prayed for God's help (vv. 1–2). "Then Jonah prayed" (2:1) suggests that it was at the end of the three days and three nights when Jonah turned to the Lord for

Jonah 2

His own children. "But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons" (v. 8 nkjv). And the father chastens us in love so that "afterward" we might enjoy "the peaceable fruit of righteousness" (v.11).

help, but we probably shouldn't press the word then too far. The Hebrew text simply reads, "And Jonah prayed." Surely Jonah prayed as he went down into the depths of the sea, certain that he would drown. That would be the normal thing for any person to do, and that's the picture we get from verses 5 and 7.

He trusted God's promises (vv. 4–7). Jonah was going in one direction only—down. In fact, he had been going in that direction since the hour he rebelled against God's plan for his life. He went "down to Joppa" and "down into the sides of the ship" (1:3, 5). Now he was going "down to the bottoms of the mountains" (2:6); and at some point, the great fish met him, and he went down into the fish's belly (1:17). When you turn your back on God, the only direction you can go is down.

His prayer was born out of affliction, not affection. He cried out to God because he was in danger, not because he delighted in the Lord. But better that he should pray compelled by any motive than not to pray at all. It's doubtful whether any believer always prays with pure and holy motives, for our desires and God's directions sometimes conflict.

However, in spite of the fact that he prayed, Jonah still wasn't happy with the will of God. In chapter 1, he was afraid of the will of God and rebelled against it, but now he wants God's will simply because it's the only way out of his dangerous plight. Like too many people today, Jonah saw the will of God as something to turn to in an emergency, not something to live by every day of one's life.

What saved Jonah? His faith in God's promise. Which promise? The promise that involves "looking toward God's holy temple" (2:4, 7). When King Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem, he asked God for this special favor (1 Kings 8:38–40 nkjv):

Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know … that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

Jonah was now experiencing what the sailors experienced during the storm: he felt he was perishing (1:6, 14). It's good for God's people, and especially preachers, to remember what it's like to be lost and without hope. How easy it is for us to grow hardened toward sinners and lose our compassion for the lost. As He dropped Jonah into the depths, God was reminding him of what the people of Nineveh were going through in their sinful condition: they were helpless and hopeless.

B.He disciplines him—2:3 C.He honors his faith—2:4–7 D.He accepts his confession—2:8–9

God heard Jonah's cries for help. Prayer is one of the constant miracles of the Christian life. To think that our God is so great He can hear the cries of millions of people at the same time and deal with their needs personally! A parent with two or three children often finds it impossible to meet all their needs all the time, but God is able to provide for all His children, no matter where they are or what their needs may be. "He who has learned to pray," said William Law, "has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life."

Jonah claimed that promise. By faith, he looked toward God's temple (the only way to look was up!) and asked God to deliver him; and God kept His promise and answered his call. "I remembered [the] Lord" (Jonah 2:7) means, "I acted on the basis of His commitment to me." Jonah knew God's covenant promises and he claimed them.

He yielded to God's will (vv. 8–9). Now Jonah admits that there were idols in his life that robbed him of the blessing of God. An idol is anything that takes away from God the affection and obedience that rightfully belong only to Him. One such idol was Jonah's intense patriotism. He was so concerned for the safety and prosperity of his own nation that he refused to be God's messenger to their enemies the Assyrians. We shall learn from chapter 4 that Jonah was also protecting his own reputation (4:2), for if God spared Nineveh, then Jonah would be branded a false prophet whose words of warning weren't fulfilled. For somebody who was famous for his prophecies (2 Kings 14:25), this would be devastating.

He accepted God's discipline (v. 3). The sailors didn't cast Jonah into the stormy sea; God did. "You hurled me into the deep … all your waves and breakers swept over me" (v.3 niv, italics mine). When Jonah said those words, he was acknowledging that God was disciplining him and that he deserved it.

How we respond to discipline determines how much benefit we receive from it. According to Hebrews 12:5–11, we have several options: we can despise God's discipline and fight (v. 5); we can be discouraged and faint (v. 5); we can resist discipline and invite stronger discipline, possibly even death (v. 9);11 or we can submit to the Father and mature in faith and love (v. 7). Discipline is to the believer what exercise and training are to the athlete (v. 11); it enables us to run the race with endurance and reach the assigned goal (vv. 1–2).

Jonah closes his prayer by uttering some solemn vows to the Lord, vows that he really intended to keep. Like the psalmist, he said, "I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, which my lips have uttered and my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble" (Ps. 66:13–14 nkjv). Jonah promised

The fact that God chastened His servant is proof that Jonah was truly a child of God, for God disciplines only

Jonah 2

Jonah was now free to obey the Lord and take God's message to Nineveh, but he still had lessons to learn.

to worship God in the temple with sacrifices and songs of thanksgiving. He doesn't tell us what other promises he made to the Lord, but one of them surely was, "I will go to Nineveh and declare Your message if You give me another chance."

Notes

1 The KJV translates the Hebrew connective "now," while the NIV and NASB ignore it completely. 2 Jonah's hometown of Gath Hepher was on the border of Zebulun, one of the northernmost tribes, and therefore extremely vulnerable to the attacks of invaders. Perhaps he had seen what the Assyrians could do. 3 Tarshish was probably in Spain, over one thousand miles west of Joppa. Jonah was supposed to travel east to Nineveh. The Jews weren't seafarers, but Jonah forgot his prejudices and fears in his attempt to escape doing God's will. 4 It was at Joppa that Peter got his divine call to go the Gentiles with the message of the gospel (Acts 10). Though he protested somewhat at first, unlike Jonah, he obeyed God's call and opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. What a privilege! 5 One exception is when the fall of the Jews brought salvation to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11ff.). Israel was out of God's will when they rejected Christ and opposed the gospel, but this opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles. 6 The word translated "regard" means "to look upon with knowledge and approval." It isn't only knowing that we've sinned that hinders prayer, but holding on to that sin, approving of it, and protecting it. (See 1 John 1:5–10.) 7 It appears that the sailors gave Jonah a nickname: "he who is responsible for causing all this trouble" (Jonah 1:8 niv). Since the lot had already fallen on Jonah, the crew didn't need to ask him who was to blame. He was to blame, and they knew it; and that's why they gave him that embarrassing nickname. The KJV, NASB, and NIV all make the nickname into an unnecessary question. 8 The fact that Jonah wanted to die even after Nineveh was delivered (4:8–9) indicates that his heart was still bitter and unyielding with reference to God's will. A surrendered servant will say, "Not my will but Thy will be done." 9 Jonah 1:17 in the English versions is Jonah 2:1 in the Hebrew text. 10 Some expositors believe that Jonah actually died and was resurrected, and base their interpretation on statements in his prayer like "From the depths of the grave [sheol—the realm of the dead] I called for help" (2:2 niv) and "But you brought my life up from the pit" (v.6 niv). But Jonah's prayer is composed of quotations from at least fifteen different psalms, and while some of these psalms describe near-death experiences, none describes a resurrection miracle. The reference to sheol in verse 2 comes from Psalm 30:3 (and see 16:10 and 18:4–6), and the reference to "the pit" comes from 49:15, both of which were written by David. If these two psalms describe Jonah's resurrection, then they must also describe David's resurrection, but we have no evidence that David ever died and was raised to life. Instead, these psalms describe frightening experiences when God delivered His servants from the very gates of death. That seems to be what Jonah is describing as he quotes them in his prayer. Furthermore, if Jonah died and was resurrected, he could not be an accurate type of Christ (Matt. 12:39; 16:4; Luke 11:29); for types picture the antitype but don't duplicate it, for the antitype is always greater. It's a dan-

Jonah couldn't save himself, and nobody on earth could save him, but the Lord could do it, for "salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9b nkjv)! This is a quotation from Psalms 3:8 and 37:39, and it is the central declaration in the book. It is also the central theme of the Bible. How wise of Jonah to memorize the Word of God; because being able to quote the Scriptures, especially the book of Psalms, gave him light in the darkness and hope in his seemingly hopeless situation.

Redemption (2:10) "And [the fish] vomited out Jonah upon the dry land." What an ignominious way for a distinguished prophet to arrive on shore! In chapter , the sailors treated Jonah like dangerous cargo to be thrown overboard, and now he's treated like a foreign substance to be disgorged from the fish's body. But when Jonah ceased to be an obedient prophet, he cheapened himself, so he's the one to blame. We can be sure that he was duly humbled as he once again stood on dry land.

The miracle. Few miracles in Scripture have been attacked as much as this one, and Christian scholars have gathered various kinds of evidence to prove that it could happen. Since the Bible doesn't tell us what kind of fish swallowed Jonah, we don't have to measure sharks and whales or comb history for similar incidents. It was a "prepared" fish (1:17), designed by God for the occasion, and therefore it was adequate for the task. Jesus didn't question the historicity of the miracle, so why should we?

E.He restores his ministry—2:10

The sign (Matt. 12:39; 16:4; Luke 11:29). The "sign of Jonah" is seen in his experience of "death," burial, and resurrection on the third day, and it was the only sign Jesus gave to the nation of Israel. At Pentecost, Peter preached the resurrection (Acts 2:22–26) and so did Paul when he preached to the Jews in other nations (13:26–37). In fact, the emphasis in the book of Acts is on the resurrection of Jesus Christ; for the apostles were "witnesses" of the resurrection (2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39).

Some students are troubled by the phrase "three days and three nights," especially since both Scripture and tradition indicate that Jesus was crucified on Friday. In order to protect the integrity of the Scripture, some have suggested that the Crucifixion be moved back to Thursday or even Wednesday. But to the Jews, a part of a day was treated as a whole day, and we need not interpret "three days and three nights" to mean seventy-two hours to the very second. For that matter, we can't prove that Jonah was in the fish exactly seventy-two hours. The important thing is that centuries after the event, Jonah became a "sign" to the Jewish people and pointed them to Jesus Christ.

Jonah 3 speak to him through thunder and rain and a stormy sea. But now that Jonah had confessed his sins and turned back to the Lord, God could once again speak to him through His word. One of the tests of our relationship to God is, "Does God speak to me as I read and ponder His Word?" If we don't hear God speaking to us in our hearts, perhaps we have some unfinished business that needs to be settled with Him.

gerous thing to build an interpretation on the poetic language of Scripture when we don't have a clear New Testament interpretation to lean on. 11 "There is a sin unto death" (1 John 5:17 kjv). "The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:30–31). Professed believers who play with sin and trifle with God's loving discipline are asking for trouble. Better that we should die than that we should resist His will and bring disgrace to the name of Christ.

God commissioned Jonah. "The victorious Christian life, " said George H. Morrison, "is a series of new beginnings." When we fall, the enemy wants us to believe that our ministry is ended and there's no hope for recovery, but our God is the God of the second chance. "Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time" (Jonah 3:1). "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a Light to me" (Mic. 7:8 nkjv).

CHAPTER TWO Jonah 3—4 PREACHING AND POUTING T he question is usually asked in Old Testament survey classes, "Was the great fish more relieved to be rid of Jonah than Jonah was to get out of the great fish?" Maybe their sense of relief was mutual. At any rate, we hope that Jonah gave thanks to God for the divinely provided creature that rescued him from certain death.

You don't have to read very far in your Bible to discover that God forgives His servants and restores them to ministry. Abraham fled to Egypt, where he lied about his wife, but God gave him another chance (Gen. 12:10—13:4). Jacob lied to his father, Isaac, but God restored him and used him to build the nation of Israel. Moses killed a man (probably in self-defense) and fled from Egypt, but God called him to be the leader of His people. Peter denied the Lord three times, but Jesus forgave him and said, "Follow me" (John 21:19). However encouraging these examples of restoration may be, they must never be used as excuses for sin. The person who says, "I can go ahead and sin, because I know the Lord will forgive me" has no understanding of the awfulness of sin or the holiness of God. "But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared" (Ps. 130:4 nkjv). God in His grace forgives our sins, but God in His government determines that we shall reap what we sow, and the harvest can be very costly. Jonah paid dearly for rebelling against the Lord.

In these two chapters, we are confronted with four marvels that we dare not take for granted:

The Marvel of an Undeserved Commission (3:1–2) Did anybody see Jonah emerge when the great fish disgorged him on the dry land? If so, the story must have spread rapidly and perhaps even preceded him to Nineveh, and that may help explain the reception the city gave him. Had Jonah been bleached by the fish's gastric juices? Did he look so peculiar that nobody could doubt who he was and what had happened to him? Since Jonah was a "sign" to the Ninevites (Matt. 12:38–41), perhaps this included the way he looked. What the people saw or thought really wasn't important. The important thing was what God thought and what He would do next to His repentant prophet. "The life of Jonah cannot be written without God," said Charles Spurgeon; "take God out of the prophet's history, and there is no history to write."1

III. God's power through Jonah (3:1–10) A.The gracious Lord—3:1–2

God challenged Jonah. Four times in this book, Nineveh is called a "great city" (1:2; 3:2–3; 4:11),2 and archeologists tell us that the adjective is well deserved. It was great in history, having been founded in ancient times by Noah's great-grandson Nimrod (Gen. 10:8–10).3 It was also great in size. The circumference of the city and its suburbs was sixty miles, and from the Lord's statement in Jonah 4:11, we could infer that there were probably over six hundred thousand people living there. One wall of the city had a circumference of eight miles and boasted fifteen hundred towers.

God met Jonah. We don't know where the great fish deposited Jonah, but we do know that wherever Jonah was, the Lord was there. Remember, God is more concerned about His workers than He is about their work, for if the workers are what they ought to be, the work will be what it ought to be. Throughout Jonah's time of rebellion, God was displeased with His servant, but He never once deserted him. It was God who controlled the storm, prepared the great fish, and rescued Jonah from the deep. His promise is, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5 nkjv; see Josh. 1:5). "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you" (Isa. 43:2 nkjv).

The city was great in splendor and influence, being one of the leading cities of the powerful Assyrian Empire. It was built near the Tigris River and had the Khoser River running through it. (This fact will prove to be important when we study the book of Nahum.) Its merchants traveled the empire and brought great wealth into the city, and Assyria's armies were feared everywhere.

God spoke to Jonah. After the way Jonah had stubbornly refused to obey God's voice, it's a marvel that the Lord spoke to him at all. Jonah had turned his back on God's word, so the Lord had been forced to

Nineveh was great in sin, for the Assyrians were known far and wide for their violence, showing no

Jonah 3 faith (see Acts 17:22ff.). Did Jonah expose the folly of their idolatry? Did he recount his own personal history to show them that his God was powerful and sovereign? We simply don't know. The important thing is that Jonah obeyed God, went to Nineveh, and declared the message God gave him. God did the rest.

mercy to their enemies. They impaled live victims on sharp poles, leaving them to roast to death in the desert sun; they beheaded people by the thousands and stacked their skulls up in piles by the city gates; and they even skinned people alive. They respected neither age nor sex and followed a policy of killing babies and young children so they wouldn't have to care for them (Nah. 3:10).

Nineveh's message to God (vv. 5–9). In the Hebrew text, there are only five words in Jonah's message; yet God used those five words to stir the entire population, from the king on the throne to the lowest peasant in the field. God gave the people forty days of grace, but they didn't need that long. We get the impression that from the very first time they saw Jonah and heard his warning, they paid attention to his message. Word spread quickly throughout the entire district, and the people humbled themselves by fasting and wearing sackcloth.

It was to the wicked people of this great city that God sent His servant Jonah, assuring him that He would give him the message to speak. After making the necessary preparations, it would take Jonah at least a month to travel from his own land to the city of Nineveh, and during that trip, he had a lot of time available to meditate on what the Lord had taught him.

The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God can't keep you and the power of God can't use you. "And who is sufficient for these things? … Our sufficiency is of God" (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5).

When the message got to the king, he too put on sackcloth and sat in the dust. He also made the fast official by issuing an edict and ordering the people to humble themselves, cry out to God, and turn from their evil ways. Even the animals were included in the activities by wearing sackcloth and abstaining from food and drink. The people were to cry "mightily" ("urgently" niv) to God, for this was a matter of life and death.

B.The obedient servant—3:3–4 C.The repentant people—3:5–9 D.The postponed judgment—3:10

The Marvel of an Unparalleled Awakening (3:3–10) From a human perspective, this entire enterprise appears ridiculous. How could one man, claiming to be God's prophet, confront thousands of people with this strange message, especially a message of judgment? How could a Jew, who worshipped the true God, ever get these idolatrous Gentiles to believe what he had to say? For all he knew, Jonah might end up impaled on a pole or skinned alive! But, in obedience to the Lord, Jonah went to Nineveh.

When Jonah was in dire straits, he recalled the promise concerning Solomon's temple (Jonah 2:4, 7; 1 Kings 8:38–39; 2 Chron. 6:36–39), looking toward the temple, and called out for help. Included in Solomon's temple prayer was a promise for people outside the nation of Israel, and that would include the Ninevites. "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel … when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you" (2 Chron. 6:32–33 niv). Jonah certainly knew this promise, and perhaps it was the basis for the whole awakening.

Jonah's message to Nineveh (vv. 3–4). "Three days' journey" means either that it would take three days to get through the city and its suburbs or three days to go around them. The NIV translation of verse 3 suggests that it would take three days to visit all of the area. According to Genesis 10:11–12, four cities were involved in the "Nineveh metroplex": Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen (niv). However you interpret the "three days," one thing is clear: Nineveh was no insignificant place.

Like the sailors in the storm, the Ninevites didn't want to perish (Jonah 3:9; 1:6, 14). That's what witnessing is all about, "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 nkjv). Their fasting and praying, and their humbling of themselves before God, sent a message to heaven, but the people of Nineveh had no assurance that they would be saved. They hoped that God's great compassion would move Him to change His plan and spare the city. Once again, how did they know that the God of the Hebrews was a merciful and compassionate God? No doubt Jonah told them, for this was a doctrine he himself believed (Jonah 4:2).

When Jonah was one day into the city, he began to declare his message: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Throughout Scripture, the number forty seems to be identified with testing or judgment. During the time of Noah, it rained forty days and forty nights (Gen. 7:4, 12, 17). The Jewish spies explored Canaan forty days (Num. 14:34), and the nation of Israel was tested in the wilderness forty years (Deut. 2:7). The giant Goliath taunted the army of Israel forty days (1 Sam. 17:16), and the Lord gave the people of Nineveh forty days to repent and turn from their wickedness.

At this point, we must confess that we wish we knew more about Jonah's ministry to Nineveh. Was this the only message he proclaimed? Surely he spent time telling the people about the true and living God, for we're told, "The people of Nineveh believed God" (Jonah 3:5). They would have to know something about this God of Israel in order to exercise sincere

God's message (v. 10). At some point, God spoke to Jonah and told him that He had accepted the people's repentance and would not destroy the city. The phrase "God repented" might better be translated "God relented," that is, changed His course. From the human point of view, it looked like repentance, but

Jonah 3—4 judgment, and then Jonah would be branded as a false prophet! Remember, Jonah's message merely announced the impending judgment; it didn't offer conditions for salvation.

from the divine perspective, it was simply God's response to man's change of heart. God is utterly consistent with Himself; it only appears that He is changing His mind. The Bible uses human analogies to reveal the divine character of God (Jer. 18:1–10).

Jonah was concerned about his reputation, not only before the Ninevites, but also before the Jews back home. His Jewish friends would want to see all of the Assyrians destroyed, not just the people of Nineveh. When Jonah's friends found out that he had been the means of saving Nineveh from God's wrath, they could have considered him a traitor to official Jewish foreign policy. Jonah was a narrow-minded patriot who saw Assyria only as a dangerous enemy to destroy, not as a company of repentant sinners to be brought to the Lord.

How deep was the spiritual experience of the people of Nineveh? If repentance and faith are the basic conditions of salvation (Acts 20:21), then we have reason to believe that they were accepted by God; for the people of Nineveh repented and had faith in God (Jonah 3:5). The fact that Jesus used the Ninevites to shame the unbelieving Jews of His day is further evidence that their response to Jonah's ministry was sincere (Matt. 12:38–41).

The Marvel of an Unhappy Servant (4:1–11) If this book had ended at the last verse of chapter 3, history would have portrayed Jonah as the greatest of the prophets. After all, preaching one message that motivated thousands of people to repent and turn to God was no mean accomplishment. But the Lord doesn't look on the outward things; He looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7) and weighs the motives (1 Cor. 4:5). That's why chapter 4 was included in the book, for it reveals "the thoughts and intents" of Johah's heart and exposes his sins.

When reputation is more important than character, and pleasing ourselves and our friends is more important than pleasing God, then we're in danger of becoming like Jonah and living to defend our prejudices instead of fulfilling our spiritual responsibilities Jonah certainly had good theology, but it stayed in his head and never got to his heart, and he was so distraught that he wanted to die!5 God's tender response was to ask Jonah to examine his heart and see why he really was angry.

God comforted Jonah (vv. 5–8). For the second time in this book, Jonah abandoned his place of ministry, left the city, and sat down in a place east of the city where he could see what would happen. Like the elder brother in the parable, he wouldn't go in and enjoy the feast (Luke 15:28). He could have taught the Ninevites so much about the true God of Israel, but he preferred to have his own way. What a tragedy it is when God's servants are a means of blessing to others but miss the blessing themselves!

If in chapter 1 Jonah is like the Prodigal Son, insisting on doing his own thing and going his own way (Luke 15:11–32); then in chapter 4, he's like the Prodigal's elder brother—critical, selfish, sullen, angry, and unhappy with what was going on. It isn't enough for God's servants simply to do their Master's will; they must do "the will of God from the heart" (Eph. 6:6). The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart, and that's where Jonah's problems were to be found. "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry" (Jonah 4:1).

IV. God's ministry to Jonah (4:1–11) A.God hears him—4:1–4 B.God comforts him—4:5–8

God knew that Jonah was very uncomfortable sitting in that booth, so He graciously caused a vine (gourd) to grow whose large leaves would protect Jonah from the hot sun. This made Jonah happy, but the next morning, when God prepared a worm to kill the vine, Jonah was unhappy. The combination of the hot sun and the smothering desert wind made him want to die even more. As He had done in the depths of the sea, God was reminding Jonah of what it was like to be lost: helpless, hopeless, miserable. Jonah was experiencing a taste of hell as he sat and watched the city.

The remarkable thing is that God tenderly dealt with His sulking servant and sought to bring him back to the place of joy and fellowship.

God listened to Jonah (vv. 1–4). For the second time in this account, Jonah prayed, but his second prayer was much different in content and intent. He prayed his best prayer in the worst place, the fish's belly, and he prayed his worst prayer in the best place, at Nineveh where God was working. His first prayer came from a broken heart, but his second prayer came from an angry heart. In his first prayer, he asked God to save him, but in his second prayer, he asked God to take his life! Once again, Jonah would rather die than not have his own way.

A simple test of character is to ask, "What makes me happy? What makes me angry? What makes me want to give up? Jonah was "a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8 nkjv). One minute he's preaching God's Word, but the next minute he's disobeying it and fleeing his post of duty. While inside the great fish, he prayed to be delivered, but now he asks the Lord to kill him. He called the city to repentance, but he wouldn't repent himself! He was more concerned about creature comforts than he was about winning the lost. The Ninevites, the vine, the worm, and the wind have all obeyed

This petulant prayer lets us in on the secret of why Jonah tried to run away in the first place. Being a good theologian, Jonah knew the attributes of God, that He was "a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity" (v. 2 niv). Knowing this, Jonah was sure that if he announced judgment to the Ninevites and they repented, God would forgive them and not send His

Jonah 4

When the handsome youth opened the door, what came out: the beautiful princess or the man-eating tiger?

God, but Jonah still refuses to obey, and he has the most to gain.

God instructed Jonah (vv. 9–11). God is still speaking to Jonah and Jonah is still listening and answering, even though he's not giving the right answers. Unrighteous anger feeds the ego and produces the poison of selfishness in the heart. Jonah still had a problem with the will of God. In chapter 1, his mind understood God's will, but he refused to obey it and took his body in the opposite direction. In chapter 2, he cried out for help, God rescued him, and he gave his body back to the Lord. In chapter 3, he yielded his will to the Lord and went to Nineveh to preach, but his heart was not yet surrendered to the Lord. Jonah did the will of God, but not from his heart.

We sincerely hope that Jonah yielded to God's loving entreaty and followed the example of the Ninevites by repenting and seeking the face of God. The famous Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte believed that Jonah did experience a change of heart. He wrote, "But Jonah came to himself again during those five-and-twenty days or so, from the east gate of Nineveh back to Gath Hepher, his father's house."7 Spurgeon said, "Let us hope that, during the rest of his life, he so lived as to rejoice in the sparing mercy of God."8 After all, hadn't Jonah himself been spared because of God's mercy?

C.God teaches him—4:9–11

Jonah had one more lesson to learn, perhaps the most important one of all. In chapter 1, he learned the lesson of God's providence and patience, that you can't run away from God. In chapter 2, he learned the lesson of God's pardon, that God forgives those who call upon Him. In chapter 3, he learned the lesson of God's power as he saw a whole city humble itself before the Lord. Now he had to learn the lesson of God's pity, that God has compassion for lost sinners like the Ninevites; and his servants must also have compassion.6 It seems incredible, but Jonah brought a whole city to faith in the Lord and yet he didn't love the people he was preaching to!

God was willing to spare Nineveh, but in order to do that, He could not spare His own Son. Somebody had to die for their sins or they would die in their sins. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32). Jesus used Jonah's ministry to Nineveh to show the Jews how guilty they were in rejecting His witness. "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas [Jonah]; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here" (Matt. 12:41).

How is Jesus greater than Jonah? Certainly Jesus is greater than Jonah in His person, for though both were Jews and both were prophets, Jesus is the very Son of God. He is greater in His message, for Jonah preached a message of judgment, but Jesus preached a message of grace and salvation (John 3:16–17). Jonah almost died for his own sins, but Jesus willingly died for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2).

The people who could not "discern between their right hand and their left hand" (4:11) were immature little children (Deut. 1:39), and if there were 120,000 of them in Nineveh and its suburbs, the population was not small. God certainly has a special concern for the children (Mark 10:13–16); but whether children or adults, the Assyrians all needed to know the Lord. Jonah had pity on the vine that perished, but he didn't have compassion for the people who would perish and live eternally apart from God.

Jonah's ministry was to but one city, but Jesus is "the Savior of the world" (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14). Jonah's obedience was not from the heart, but Jesus always did whatever pleased His Father (John 8:29). Jonah didn't love the people he came to save, but Jesus had compassion for sinners and proved His love by dying for them on the cross (Rom. 5:6–8). On the cross, outside the city, Jesus asked God to forgive those who killed Him (Luke 23:34), but Jonah waited outside the city to see if God would kill those he would not forgive.

Jeremiah and Jesus looked on the city of Jerusalem and wept over it (Jer. 9:1, 10; 23:9; Luke 19:41), and Paul beheld the city of Athens and "was greatly distressed" (Acts 17:16 niv), but Jonah looked on the city of Nineveh and seethed with anger. He needed to learn the lesson of God's pity and have a heart of compassion for lost souls.

The Marvel of an Unanswered Question (4:11) Jonah and Nahum are the only books in the Bible that end with questions, and both books have to do with the city of Nineveh. Nahum ends with a question about God's punishment of Nineveh (Nah. 3:19), while Jonah ends with a question about God's pity for Nineveh.

Yes, Jesus is greater than Jonah, and because He is, we must give greater heed to what He says to us. Those who reject Him will face greater judgment because the greater the light, the greater the responsibility.

But the real issue isn't how Jonah answered God's question; the real issue is how you and I today are answering God's question. Do we agree with God that people without Christ are lost? Like God, do we have compassion for those who are lost? How do we show this compassion? Do we have a concern for those in our great cities where there is so much sin and so little witness? Do we pray that the gospel will go to people in every part of the world, and are we helping to send it

This is a strange way to end such a dramatic book as the book of Jonah. God has the first word (Jonah 1:1–2) and God has the last word (4:11), and that's as it should be, but we aren't told how Jonah answered God's final question. It's like the ending of Frank Stockton's famous short story "The Lady or the Tiger?"

Jonah 4 there? Do we rejoice when sinners repent and trust the Savior?

receive remission of sins" (v. 43 nkjv), the people present believed the promise, trusted Christ, and the Holy Spirit came upon them. Peter never got to finish his sermon (10:43–48). The legalistic Jews in the Jerusalem church argued late that Gentiles could not be saved apart from obeying the law of Moses, and Paul had to debate with them to protect the truth of the gospel (Acts 15; Gal. 1). Jonah would have sided with the legalists. 5 Both Moses (Num. 1) and Elijah (1 Kings 19) became so discouraged that they made the same request. We lose our perspective when we focus on ourselves and fail to look by faith to the Lord (Heb. 12:1–2). 6 The phrase in 4:11 "and also much cattle" reminds us of God's concern for animal life. God preserves both man and beast (Ps. 36:6), and the animals look to God for their provision (104:10–30). God has made a covenant with creation (Gen. 9:1–17); and even in the law of Moses, He shows concern for His creation (Deut. 22:6–7; Lev. 22:26–28). An understanding of God is the basis for a true ecology. 7. Alexander Whyte, Bible Characters from the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1990), 387. 8 Charles H. Spurgeon, 84.

All of those questions and more are wrapped up in what God asked Jonah.

We can't answer for him, but we can answer for ourselves.

Let's give God the right answer.

Notes

1 Charles H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publication, 1977), vol. 42, 73. 2 "Great" is one of the key words in the book of Jonah. Besides a "great city," the book mentions a great wind and tempest (1:4, 12); great fear (vv. 10, 16); a great fish (v. 17); great people, probably nobles (3:5, 7); and Jonah's great displeasure and great gladness (4:1–6). 3 Some date Nineveh's founding as early as 4500 BC 4 The early church faced this problem when Peter took the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10—11; 15). According to Jewish theology, Gentiles had to become Jews (proselytes) before they could become Christians, but Cornelius and his family and friends were saved simply by believing on Jesus Christ. When Peter said "whoever believes in Him will

G e n e s i s E x o d u s L e v i t i c u s N u m b e r s D e u t e r o n o m y J o s h u a J u d g e s R u t h

1 S a m u e l 2 S a m u e l 1 K i n g s 2 K i n g s 1 C h r o n i c l e s 2 C h r o n i c l e s E z r a N e h e m i a h

E s t h e r J o b P s a l m s P r o v e r b s E c c l e s i a s t e s S o n g o f

J e r e m i a h L a m e n t a t i o n s E z e k i e l D a n i e l H o s e a J o e l A m o s O b a d i a h

J o n a h M i c a h N a h u m H a b a k k u k Z e p h a n i a h H a g g a i Z e c h a r i a h M a l a c h i

Micah 6—7 1458 "Thy Kingdom Come"

OUTLINE Key theme: God judges sin and calls for justice. Key verse: Micah 6:8 Micah delivered three messages (Note "Hear" in 1:2; 3:1; 6:1)

Micah in His Time Micah's name is an abbreviated form of "Micaiah" and means "Who is like Jehovah?" (see 7:18). He was from the village of Moresheth near Gath, about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem; he prophesied during the last half of the eighth century BC, during the reigns of Jotham (750–735), Ahaz (735–715), and Hezekiah (715–686). He was a contemporary of Isaiah (1:1) in Judah and Amos and Hosea (1:1) in Israel.

I. A WARNING MESSAGE: JUDGMENT IS

COMING (1:1—2:13)

A. The Judge appears—1:1–5 B. The nations are judged—1:6–16

1. Judgment on Samaria—1:6–9 2. Judgment on Judah—1:10–16 C. Why judgment is coming—2:1–11

1. Because of covetousness—2:1–5 2. Because of false prophets—2:6–11 D. Hope for the remnant—2:12–13

During Jotham's reign, Assyria grew stronger. When Ahaz ascended the throne, both Syria and Israel tried to pressure him into joining a rebellion against Assyria (Isa. 7). Jeremiah 26:18 informs us that it was the ministry of Micah that encouraged the great reformation in Judah under the leadership of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18—20).

II. A PROMISE MESSAGE: A DELIVERER IS

COMING (3:1—5:15)

A. The sins of the leaders—3:1–12 B. The future of the nation—4:1–13 C. The coming of Messiah—5:1–5 D. The defeat of the enemy—5:6–15

Society in Judah was rapidly changing from rural to urban. In defiance of the law of Moses, wealthy investors were buying up small family farms and developing huge land holdings, which created serious problems for the poor. Having come from a farming community, Micah championed the oppressed poor and rebuked the "robber barons" for their selfishness. Amos echoed his message.

III. A CHALLENGE MESSAGE: TRUST THE LORD

NOW (6:1—7:20) A. In spite of the indictment—6:1–8 B. In spite of the sentence—6:9—7:6 C. Because of the Lord's mercies—7:7–20

Micah saw the coming judgment of the Israel under Assyria (722) as well as the fall of Jerusalem and Judah under the Babylonians (606–596). He sought to call the Jews back to faithful worship of Jehovah and sincere obedience to His covenant, but they refused to listen. He pled for social justice and a concern for the helpless, but the people would not repent.

CONTENTS

Micah 1—2 1452 Judgment Is Coming!

Micah 3—5 1455 A Ruler Is Coming!

Micah 1 nesses. God is angry at His people because of their sins. That's why His coming makes the earth split and the mountains melt so that the rock flows like melted wax or a waterfall.1

CHAPTER ONE Micah 1—2 JUDGMENT IS COMING! K

The Judge names the defendants (v. 5). God points an accusing finger at His own people—Israel and Judah—as represented by their capital cities, Samaria and Jerusalem. After seeing what Assyria did to Israel in 722, the leaders of Judah should have repented and turned to the Lord, but they didn't. In fact, during the reign of Hezekiah, the Assyrians plundered Judah and would have taken Jerusalem had not the Lord miraculously intervened (Isa. 36—37).

ing David had a great many talented men in his army, but the most valuable were perhaps the men of Issachar, who had "understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do" (1 Chron. 12:32). Because they understood the times, the men of Issachar abandoned the ill-fated house of Saul and joined forces with David, God's chosen king. They saw which way God's hand was moving, and they obediently moved in that direction.

Both Judah and Israel were guilty of idolatry, which is really rebellion against the Lord. When the nation was divided after Solomon's death, the northern kingdom established its own religious system in competition with the Mosaic worship in the temple at Jerusalem. But the people of Judah had secretly begun to worship the false gods of Canaan; and their hearts were not true to Jehovah, even when they stood in the temple courts and offered their sacrifices (Isa. 1). To God, the temple had become like one of the "high places" in the hills around Jerusalem, where the Jews secretly worshipped idols and offered their sacrifices.

Micah of Moresheth was a man who had the same kind of discernment because God gave him insight into the changes taking place on the national and international scene. Micah received three messages from the Lord to deliver to the people in hopes they would abandon their idolatry and return to sincere faith in the Lord. (For the three messages, see the suggested outline of the book of Micah.)

The first message (Mic. 1:1—2:13) was a warning that divine judgment was coming on both Judah and Israel (Samaria). This message was fulfilled in 722 BC when Assyria defeated Israel, and in 606–586 when the Babylonians invaded Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and took thousands of people captive to Babylon. When God's servant speaks, it pays to listen!

Lamentation: The Cities Shall Be Ruined (1:6–16) The prophet responded to God's message by acting like a grieving man at a funeral (v. 8; 2 Sam. 15:30). He was genuinely burdened because of what would happen to his people if they didn't heed God's Word and turn from their sin.

Declaration: God's Wrath Is Coming (1:1–5) When the prophet Amos was about to indict Israel and Judah, he started by condemning the Gentile nations around them (Amos 1—2); but the prophet Micah didn't take that approach. Without any formal introduction, he moved right into his message and sounded the alarm.

The ruin of Samaria (vv. 6–9). The capital city of the northern kingdom was situated on a hill that overlooked a fertile valley. The prophet Isaiah called the city "the crown of pride" with "glorious beauty" (Isa. 28:1) and predicted that God's judgment would destroy the city (vv. 2–4). The Assyrians would turn the beautiful city into a heap of rubble, and her idols wouldn't be able to protect the city from its enemies.

The court is convened (v. 2). The image in verses 2–5 is that of a court of law, with God as the Judge and Judah and Samaria as the defendants. Micah addresses all the people of the earth because God is the Lord of the whole earth (4:2–3) and all the nations are accountable to Him. God is both Judge and Witness from His holy temple, where His law was kept in the ark of the covenant. A holy God must act in righteousness and judge sin.

God destroyed the city and nation of Samaria because the people rebelled against His Word, and He destroyed the Samaritan temple because it housed a false religion that was nothing but religious prostitution. (Throughout the Old Testament, idolatry is compared to prostitution.) But God destroyed the temple in Jerusalem because the leaders had turned the true religion into a false worship of Jehovah and the gods of the nations. Jehovah is a jealous God who will not share worship or glory with another (Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15). The covenant God made with His people at Sinai was like a marriage contract, and their breaking that covenant was like committing adultery or engaging in prostitution.2

The Judge arrives (vv. 3–4). Today when a judge enters a courtroom from his or her chamber, everybody in the courtroom rises—a symbol of the respect we have for the judge and the law that he or she represents. But no judge ever came to court in the manner described by Micah! The verb "to come forth" means "to come forth for battle." God opens the court and declares war!

The destruction of the city of Samaria was begun in 722 under Sargon II, ruler of Assyria, who ordered many of the citizens to be taken captive or killed. Then he imported people into the land from various nations he had conquered; and as Jews and Gentiles intermarried, the result was a mixed race that the Jews despised.

A judge comes to court to see to it that justice is done, and he or she isn't allowed to take sides. But when God comes to judge the nations, He has all the evidence necessary and doesn't have to call any wit-

Micah 1—2 two particular sins: covetousness (Mic. 2:1–5) and listening to false prophets (vv. 6–11).

Even in our Lord's day, the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (John 4:1–9).

Covetousness (vv. 1–5). The Mosaic law required that the land remain with the families and within the tribes. The land actually belonged to the Lord (Lev. 25:2, 23, 38), and He "leased" it to the people in return for their obedience to His law. If they disobeyed Him, they defiled the land and invited His judgment (18:24–30; Num. 35:33–34). If anybody sold family property, it was only until the next Year of Jubilee, at which time all land reverted to the original owners (Lev. 25:13–17). This arrangement kept the rich from oppressing the poor and helped to stabilize the economy.

The ruin of Judah (vv. 9–16). The problem with Samaria was that she was toxic; her infection had spread to Judah. The prophet wept over his land the way you would weep over an incurable patient in the hospital (v. 9). Isaiah used a similar image to describe the plight of Judah (Isa. 1:5–6), and Jeremiah wept because the spiritual leaders in his day didn't deal drastically with the sin sickness of the people (Jer. 6:14; 7:8; 8:11). Micah describes the ruin of the southern part of Judah (the Shephelah) by the invading Assyrians in 701 BC (Mic. 1:10–16; see 2 Kings 18:7ff.).3 They swept through the land and took forty-six cities, but they could not take Jerusalem because God protected it. Micah used a series of puns based on the names of the cities similar in sound to familiar Hebrew words. For example, "Gath" is similar to the Hebrew word for "tell." Thus he wrote, "Tell it not in Gath." Beth Ophrah means "house of dust." Thus he wrote, "Roll in the dust." The people of Shaphir ("pleasant, beautiful") would look neither beautiful nor pleasant as they were herded off as naked prisoners of war.

2. Judgment on Judah—1:10–16 C. Why judgment is coming—2:1–11 1. Because of covetousness—2:1–5 2. Because of false prophets—2:6–11

But the wealthy "robber barons" in Micah's day were bent on acquiring large estates on which they could enslave the poor and thus make huge profits with little investment. So intent were they on their pursuit of wealth that they made their ruthless plans in bed at night and then got up early the next morning to carry them out. Because of their wealth and their authority in the land, these men controlled the courts and the councils at the city gates. Thus they got what they wanted.

It mattered little to these proud men that they took away farms illegally and evicted families from their homes mercilessly. They practiced the world's version of the Golden Rule: "Whoever has the gold makes the rules." They forgot that the Lord owned the land, the Lord made the laws, and the Lord has compassion on the poor and oppressed (Ex. 23:11; Lev. 25:25; Ps. 82:3; Prov. 21:13; Jer. 22:16). But even if these thieves had no fear of God, they should have had concern for their fellow human beings and treated them like people made in the image of God.

The roll call of cities goes on. The citizens of Zaanan ("come out") would not be able to come out because of the danger. Beth Ezel means "house of taking away," and the city would be taken away. Maroth is related to "mara/myrrh" and means "bitterness," and the city would experience bitter calamity ("writhe in pain" niv). Since Lachish sounds like the Hebrew word for "team of swift horses," he warned them to harness their horses to the chariots and try to escape.4

Micah came to his own city, Moresheth, which sounds like a Hebrew word meaning "betrothed"; and brides were given farewell gifts. In other words, the town would no longer belong to Judah but would "leave home" and belong to the invaders. Since Aczib means "deception," the connection is obvious; and Mareshah sounds like the word for "conqueror," and the town would be conquered by the enemy.

The name for this sin is "materialism," and it's committed by people who are covetous and obsessed with acquiring more and more wealth and "things." But "robber barons" aren't the only people who commit these sins. Parents rob their children of time and companionship by working at several jobs so they can make more money to buy more "fun." People rob God of tithes and offerings that are rightfully His just so they can enjoy "the good life" (Mal. 3:7–12). People forget Matthew 6:33 and put everything else ahead of the kingdom of God.

The tragedy of this invasion is that it need not have happened. Had the people of Israel and Judah turned to the Lord in repentance and faith, He would have given them victory. Instead, they believed the false prophets, held fast to their idols, and sinned their way right into defeat. Sad to say, even the little children suffered and went into exile (1:16), all because of the sins of the parents.

However, ultimately the covetous sinners Micah addressed would reap what they sowed; and the dreadful harvest of their sins would one day appear (Mic. 2:3–5). Their proud self–confidence would be taken from them, their authority would be gone, their crooked accomplices would turn against them and laugh at them, and their vast holdings would be snatched from their hands. They would see everything they lived for and sinned to acquire be taken over by the enemy and wasted. Many of them would go into exile and die away from the land they had coveted and stolen from innocent people.

Accusation: The Sins of the People (2:1–11) How could the Lord Jehovah permit such suffering and shame to come to His covenant people? Were they not His special heritage? Was not the land His love gift to them? That was why He was punishing them! "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins" (Amos 3:2 niv). Privilege brings responsibility, and responsibility brings accountability. The prophet held them accountable for

False prophets (vv. 6–11). Just as the false

Micah 2 any message the people wanted to hear, just so long as they were provided with their strong drink! The false prophets were using religion to make money and enjoy pleasure, and they had no concern for the future of the nation.

prophets attacked Jeremiah (5:31) and Amos (7:10–17) for preaching God's truth, so the false prophets attacked Micah for faithfully declaring the message of God. These men espoused a shallow theology that had no place for either sin or repentance. "We are God's special people," they argued, "and He would never permit these judgments to happen in the land." As long as the people participated in religious services, they would not incur the wrath of God, even if their hearts were not in their worship. The Jews were Abraham's children, and God would never break the promises He made to Abraham. Such were their false premises.

Consolation: Hope for the Future (2:12–13) The faithful prophet must expose sin and announce judgment, but he must also provide consolation and hope for those who receive his message and turn to God. Consolation without true repentance is only giving false hope; it's saying "Peace, peace!" when there is no peace. But conviction without hope creates only hopelessness, like performing surgery without providing healing.

What these counterfeit religious leaders forgot was that God's covenants involve precepts as well as promises, obligations as well as blessings. Merely going through the motions of religion isn't the same as worshipping God "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23). Anybody can join the crowd and be a part of some popular religious movement; but it takes devotion, prayer, obedience, and submission to worship God "with reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 12:28 nkjv). "Popular religion" is usually false religion, for the road to life is narrow and lonely (Matt. 7:13–20) and those who walk it are invariably persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12).

The Lord seems to be speaking here to the entire nation ("all of you, O Jacob … Israel" niv), and His promise seems to reach ahead to the end times when Israel and Judah will be united and their King Messiah will reign over them. Micah describes a triumphant procession into the land, with King Messiah at the head and the Lord leading the people, just as He had led them out of Egypt (v. 13).

D.Hope for the remnant—2:12–13

However, until that glorious day, God will deal with the "remnant" of His people. The "remnant" is a very important doctrine in the prophetic books, and there are many references to it.5 Though the nation of Israel might rebel against God, there would always be a faithful remnant that would trust Him and seek to do His will, and God would work because of the faith of this remnant. (This is also true of the professing church.) The hope of the nation lies with the remnant.

It is God who speaks in Micah 2:7b–13 as He defends His faithful servant. The fact that these religious leaders rejected Micah's message didn't mean that the message was wrong; it meant that the hearers were wrong. The way we respond to God's Word indicates our relationship to the Lord. "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God" (John 8:47 nkjv).

A remnant returned to Judah after the Babylonian captivity, but it never became the great nation that the prophets promised. That will happen when the Lord returns, claims His chosen nation, and establishes His kingdom. The Messiah is described in verse 13 as "One who breaks open the way" (niv), that is, who opens the doors that confine the Jews in the various nations so that He might bring them to their land. God certainly did this when the exiles left Babylon, but the promise here is for the last days when the Messiah shall come to overcome His enemies and redeem His chosen people.

These false prophets were deceiving and robbing the people by giving them false assurance that everything was well in the land. God pictured their sinful deeds by describing two carefree men—a rich man walking confidently down the street and a victorious soldier returning home with the spoils of the battle—and both of them are robbed! Because of the evil rich leader, the confident mother and her family find themselves thrust from their homes and robbed of their land.

God originally gave the Jewish people the land of Canaan to be their "rest" from the trials of the wilderness wanderings (Deut. 12:9–10; Josh. 22:4; 23:1). After they had conquered the land and claimed their tribal inheritance, they should have enjoyed rest and blessing in the land, but instead they turned to the idols of the surrounding nations and rebelled against God. God punished them in their land by bringing in different nations that robbed and enslaved them (see the book of Judges). But the nation didn't learn from its history; the people repeated the same sins as their ancestors but thought they would avoid the same consequences. Since they had defiled the land, God removed them from it.

Micah's first message aroused the opposition of the false prophets, but it didn't change the hearts of the people. Thus he gave a second message, announcing that "the Deliverer is coming."

But we today need to deal with our sins of covetousness, selfishness, and willingness to believe "religious lies." We must abandon "soft religion" that pampers our pride and makes it easy for us to sin. Why? Because "our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29), and "The Lord shall judge His people" (10:30). Remember, judgment begins in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17).

Notes

Micah urged the people to get out of the land because no rest would be found there, in spite of what the false prophets promised. These men would preach

1 For other pictures of God coming like a warrior, see Exodus 15, Psalm 18, Isaiah 63, and Habakkuk 3.

Micah 2—3 fore, listen to Me, My children; pay attention to the words of My mouth" (Prov. 7:24 nkjv).

2 The prophet Hosea used the image of adultery to describe the sin of the nation in worshipping idols. In fact, Hosea's own wife was guilty of adultery and prostitution, and he had to buy her out of the slave market! See the section of this book, "Hosea" for an exposition of the book of Hosea. 3 Several of these towns were located within a nine-mile radius of Micah's hometown, Moresheth Gath, and could easily be seen from there on a clear day. These were Micah's neighbors, and he had to tell them they were doomed to destruction! 4 How Lachish was "the beginning of sin" to Judah is not explained. Lachish was the most important and most powerful city-state in the Shephelah, and the Assyrians were very proud that they had conquered it. It was a highly fortified city, and the confidence of the people of Lachish and of Judah was in their military might, not in the Lord. This pride and self-assurance was the beginning of the nation's sin. The leaders depended on the outlying fortress cities to keep the enemy from invading, but these cities fell to the enemy. 5 See Isaiah 1:9; 7:3; 10:20–22; 11:11, 16; Jeremiah 6:9; 23:3; 31:7; 40:11; Ezekial 11:13; 14:22; Zephaniah 2:4–9; Haggai 1:12, 14; and Zechariah 8:1–8. Micah writes of the remnant in 2:12; 4:7;5:3, 7–8; and 7:18. Paul uses the doctrine of the remnant to prove that God has not forsaken the Jewish people in the present age (Rom. 9; see also 11:1–6).

Micah opened his message by rebuking the civil authorities (Mic. 3:1–4), men who were not only permitting the wealthy to exploit the poor but were also doing it themselves! Leaders are supposed to love the good and hate the evil, but these men were just the opposite: they "hate the good, and love the evil" (v. 2). Ideal leaders are described as "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness" (Ex. 18:21 nkjv). Micah's contemporary Amos wrote, "Seek good and not evil, that you may live. … Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate" (Amos 5:14–15 nkjv; see Prov. 8:13). The city gate was the place where the elders met to settle disputes and make official decisions (Ruth 4:1ff.). If there was no justice in the cities, there could be no justice in the land.

II. A promise message: a Deliverer is coming (3:1—5:15) A.The sins of the leaders—3:1–12

The description of these rulers' actions reminds you more of ravenous beasts than of human beings. Instead of being faithful shepherds who protected the flock (Mic. 2:12; 7:14), they attacked the sheep, skinned them alive, butchered them, chopped them up, and made stew out of them! But the day would come when these wolves in shepherd's clothing would cry out for God's mercy, but no mercy would be given. "Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured" (Deut. 31:17). Micah then turned to rebuke the false prophets (Mic. 3:5–8), whose lies made it easy for the corrupt officials to carry on their evil deeds. "An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so" (Jer. 5:30–31 nkjv). When God is left out of human government, it's easy for officials to use their authority selfishly to exploit the people.

CHAPTER TWO Micah 3—5 A RULER IS COMING! M icah's second message is at the heart of the book and focuses on Israel's future. First, Micah rebuked the leaders of the nation for their sinful conduct, which God would judge (3:1–12), and he outlined the events that would usher in the promised kingdom (4:1—5:15). Knowing that God has such a glorious future planned for their nation should have motivated the leaders to turn from their sins and obey the Lord. "Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure" (1 John 3:3 niv). Alas, they didn't even pay attention to the sermon!

As long as you gave them something to eat and drink (Mic. 2:11), the prophets would declare whatever kind of message you wanted to hear. Like the false prophets in Jeremiah's day, they announced peace when war and desolation were just around the corner (Jer. 6:13–14; 8:10–11). But the time would come when these men who claimed to see the light would be shrouded in darkness, and everybody would know that they were counterfeits. They would cry out to the Lord, but He would not answer.

Rebuke: The Sins of the Leaders (3:1–12) As with Micah's other two messages, this second message opens with a call for the people to "hear" what the Lord would say through His servant (1:2; 6:1). It's as though Micah had shouted, "Listen! God is speaking! This is important!" The statement reminds us of the Lord's repeated admonition, "Who has ears to hear, let him hear!" or the warning in Hebrews 12:25: "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks" (nkjv).

God's true prophet is described in Micah 3:8: this prophet is filled with the Spirit, faithfully proclaiming God's message and unafraid of what people might say or do. Micah fearlessly told the people their sins and warned them that judgment was coming, while the false prophets tickled the people's ears and told them what they wanted to hear.

It's a dangerous thing to turn a deaf ear to the voice of God when He speaks through His Word. "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (3:7–8 nkjv). All creation responds to the voice of God and gladly obeys His will except man made in God's image! Yet the Father lovingly says to us, "Now there-

Few men are as pitiable as those who claim to have a call from God yet tailor their sermons to please others. Their first rule is "Don't rock the boat"; their second is "Give people what they want." But a true

Micah 3—4 kingdom on earth. The Lord gave His people four wonderful promises.

servant of God declares God's message regardless of whether the people like it or not. He'd like to be a peacemaker, but sometimes he has to be a troublemaker. No wonder Jeremiah cried out, "Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!" (Jer. 15:10 niv)

A promised kingdom (4:1–8).3 The situation of the two little Jewish kingdoms was hopeless when Micah delivered his messages. Assyria was about to pounce on Israel and put an end to that nation, and then the Assyrian army would ravage Judah and almost take Jerusalem. When the outlook is grim, try the uplook. Thus the prophet encouraged the people to look ahead to what God had promised for His chosen people.

Micah also addressed all the leaders of the land (Mic. 3:9–12)—the rulers, the priests, and the prophets— and accused them of numerous sins: committing injustice, distorting the truth, murdering innocent people, accepting bribes, and while doing these evil deeds, claiming to be serving the Lord! "We are depending on the Lord," they said. "Is He not among us? Then nothing evil can happen to us." It was hypocrisy of the worst kind.

God promised that the nation would be united and the people returned to their land. Jerusalem would become the world's most important city, the temple would be rebuilt, and the true worship of Jehovah would be restored4 (see Ezek. 40—48). Instead of the Gentile nations fighting the Jews, they would "stream" to Jerusalem to worship God and hear His Word. There would be peace among the nations because they would obey God's truth, submit to the Messiah's rule, and destroy their instruments of war.5

Their ignorance of the Lord's character and the terms of His covenant gave them this false confidence. "Since we're Jews," they reasoned, "God's chosen people and sharers in His covenant, the Lord will never permit anything evil to happen to us. Even if we sin, He will never abandon us to the enemy." Their thinking was not unlike that of people today who "profess that they know God; but in works they deny him" (Titus 1:16).

Every Jewish family wanted to achieve what Micah described in 4:4: a pleasant home with a productive garden in a peaceful land (see 1 Kings 4:25; Isa. 36:16). But even more than peace and economic stability was the blessing of knowing the Lord and obeying Him (Mic. 4:5). This verse doesn't refer to the future, because during the kingdom Age all the nations will worship Jehovah. It was an affirmation of faith on the part of the true believers, the remnant in the land: "The other nations may now be serving their own gods, which are false gods; but we will walk in the name of Jehovah, the true God, and obey Him alone."

Any theology that makes it easy for us to sin is not biblical theology. Had the rulers, prophets, and priests read and pondered Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28—30, they would have discovered that the God of the covenant is a holy God who will not countenance high-handed sin. They would also have learned that the blessings of the covenant depended on their obeying the conditions of the covenant, and that God punishes His people when they disobey.

B.The future of the nation—4:1–13

What would be the result of the leaders' flouting God's law? Their Holy City and temple would be destroyed, and thousands of Jewish people would be exiled to Babylon (Mic. 4:10). God would rather destroy the city and the beautiful temple than allow His people to defile His property by their sins. The destruction of Jerusalem in 606–586 is a reminder to God's people that when God says, "Be holy, for I am holy,"1 He really means it!

Though the remnant of Jews might be small, weak, and lame, God will gather them from all the nations and make a mighty army out of them (vv. 6–7a). Messiah will rule over them, and Jerusalem will become the glorious capital city for His kingdom. Jerusalem had once been David's capital city, the shepherd–king who cared for the flock (Ps. 78:67–72), but after the death of Josiah, not one of his four successors was a godly man. Messiah, the Son of David, will one day reign from Jerusalem and care for His flock as a faithful Shepherd–King.

"For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests" (Lam. 4:13) the nation was defeated and the city and temple were destroyed. That's why the prophet opened his message by rebuking the spiritual leaders of the land, not the unbelievers. If Micah were ministering among us today, he would probably visit denominational offices, pastors' conferences, Bible colleges, and seminaries to warn Christian leaders that privilege brings responsibility and responsibility brings accountability.

A promised deliverance (4:9–10). The city of Jerusalem is called "daughter of Zion" (cities are usually classified as feminine), a term of endearment that assured the people of God's loving care no matter what might happen. But the city was in travail, like a woman with child, because the enemy had arrived and was capturing the people and taking them to Babylon. However, the exile wasn't the end; for God will redeem a remnant and bring them back to the land.

Hope: The Promises of the Lord (4:1—5:5a)2 Micah moved from the destruction of Jerusalem (606–586) to "the last days," when there will be a new Jerusalem and a rebuilt temple at the heart of the righteous kingdom of Messiah. The period known as "the last days" began with the ministry of Christ (Heb. 1:1–2) and it climaxes with His return to establish His

Had the leaders listened to the prophet Jeremiah and peacefully surrendered to the Babylonians, they would have saved the city and the temple, but they resisted God's will, and their city and temple were ruined. However, Jeremiah promised that the exile

Micah 4—5 eternal God, for His "goings out are from old … from days of eternity" (see niv margin). Jesus stepped out of eternity into human history, sent by the Father to die for the sins of the world (1 John 4:14). But He is also truly a man, for He is born as a human child. We have here the miracle of the Incarnation (John 1:14).

would last only seventy years, and then the remnant could return and rebuild the city and the temple.

A promised conquest (4:11–13). Once again, the prophet looked down the centuries to the end times and saw his people being attacked by many Gentile nations, all of them gloating over Israel because they are so sure of defeating the Jews (see Zech. 12:1–9; 14:1–11). The nations are sure of victory because they ignore Scripture and don't know God's plans for His people (Jer. 29:11).

You would think that the very Son of God would come to a great city like Athens or Jerusalem, but He chose to be born in a humble stable (or cave) in Bethlehem. But the day would come when He would be glorified and take His throne in heaven; and one day, He shall return to be Ruler over His people.

C.The coming of Messiah—5:1–5 D.The defeat of the enemy—5:6–15

Israel will look weak and defenseless, but the Lord will make their soldiers sharp threshing instruments to "harvest" the nations (Rev. 14:14–20). God will give them "horns" (a symbol of power) and "hoofs" so that they will have both power and speed as they attack their enemies. This great battle is usually called "the Battle of Armageddon," although that phrase is not found in Scripture (Rev. 16:16; 19:17–21). When the battle is over, the victorious Jewish army will devote all the spoils to the service of the Lord.

However, before He can stand as a Shepherd and care for His flock, His own people must reject Him. Between the cross and the kingdom Age, Israel will be "given up" by the Lord until the time when Jesus returns and the nation is "born" into her kingdom (see Isa. 66:8). This King will reign to the ends of the earth and will bring peace to all nations. Today, of course, Christ gives peace to all who will come to Him by faith (Matt. 11:28–30; Rom. 5:1).

A promised King (5:1–5a). Now Micah looks ahead to the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. So many soldiers are encamped around Jerusalem that Micah calls her "the city [daughter] of troops." When King Zedekiah and his officers see that their situation is hopeless, they try to escape, but the Babylonians catch up with them and capture them (2 Kings 25:1–7). Of course, they humiliate the king by striking him with a rod across his face.6 Then they kill his sons, put out his eyes, bind him, and take him to Babylon.

Micah presented an encouraging scenario to the people, but they didn't seem to grasp the significance; for if they had, they would have turned to the Lord in gratitude and repentance. Whenever a prophet foretold the future, it was to awaken the people to their responsibilities in the present. Bible prophecy isn't entertainment for the curious; it's encouragement for the serious.

Victory: The Purging of the Nation (5:5b–15) As he continued to view the distant scene, Micah announced that Israel's future enemies would be defeated (vv. 5b–6), the Jewish remnant would be blessed (vv. 7–9), and the nation would be purged of its sins (vv. 10–15).

The fact that Micah 5:2 is in contrast to verse 1 ("But, thou, Bethlehem") is another proof that verse 1 is not speaking about Jesus; for verses 2–5 definitely refer to Messiah. God selected the "little town of Bethlehem" as the place where the King of the Jews was to be born. It was this prophecy that the priests shared with the magi who came to Jerusalem looking for the King (Matt. 2:1–12).

The enemy defeated (Mic. 5:5b–6). "The Assyrian" named in verse 5 isn't the Assyrian army of Micah's day, for the Jews in that day certainly didn't defeat Assyria and rule over her land. The Assyrians soundly defeated Israel, and the land of Israel was ruined. "The Assyrian" is another way of saying "the enemy," and here it refers to Israel's enemies in the last days when all nations will gather against her (Zech. 10:10–11; 12:9; 14:1–3). The phrase "seven shepherds … eight leaders" is a way of saying "many shepherds, many leaders," and is similar to the repeated statement of Amos "for three transgressions … and for four" (Amos 1:3, 6, 9, etc.). When the enemy attacks in the last days, God will raise up leaders to face the enemy, just as He had raised up the judges and heroes like David. But Micah makes it clear that God is the Deliverer who will enable Israel to defeat her enemies and rule over their lands. The "he" of Micah 5:6 is the "ruler" of verse 2.

Bethlehem ("house of bread") has an interesting history. Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel, died near Bethlehem when she gave birth to Benjamin, and she was buried nearby (Gen. 35:16–20). Matthew cites this when he reports the slaying of the innocent children by Herod (Matt. 2:16–18; see Jer. 31:15). In her pain, Rachel named her son Ben-oni, which means "son of my sorrow"; but Jacob renamed the boy, calling him Benjamin, "son of my right hand." These two names remind us of our Lord's suffering and glory, the cross and the throne at the Father's right hand.

Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem; there Boaz fell in love with Ruth and married her. Ruth is an ancestor of the Messiah (Matt. 1:5). Of course, David was Bethlehem's greatest son; and it was through David's family that the promised Messiah would be born (2 Sam. 7; Matt. 1:1; Luke 1:26–27; Rom. 1:3). The Jews knew that their Messiah would come from Bethlehem (John 7:42).

The remnant blessed (vv. 7–9). Though small in number, the Jewish remnant of the last days will experience great help from the Lord as they face their enemies. Micah used two similes to illustrate this bless-

In this prophecy, Micah reveals a number of important facts about the Messiah. To begin with, He is

Micah 5—6 above the hills," which suggests the literal raising of Mount Zion to a place of special prominence. Zechariah 14:4–5 indicates that there will be changes in the topography when Christ returns. 5 Contrast with Joel 3:10, where the opposite picture is described. 6 It is unwise to make Micah 5:1 a prophecy of what happened to Jesus during His trial, although He was slapped in the face, beaten with a reed, and scourged (Matt. 27:30; Mark 15:19; John 19:3). The context of Micah 5:1 is definitely the siege of Jerusalem, not the trial of Jesus.

ing: the refreshing dew from heaven and the conquering strength of the lion. God will enable His people to overcome like lions and then bring fruitfulness to the world like the dew that watered Israel's crops (Ps. 133:3). Israel will triumph over her enemies through the power of the Lord.

The nation purged (vv. 10–15). In Micah's day, both Israel and Judah were guilty of sins that violated God's law and grieved God's heart. Time after time, He had sent messengers to the people to denounce their sins and warn of impending judgment, but the people wouldn't listen (2 Chron. 36:14–21). In the last days, Israel will return to her land in unbelief and practice these same sins. But God will purge the land and prepare them for a new life in the kingdom. They will see their Messiah, trust Him, and be saved (Zech. 12:10— 13:1). God will destroy all their military defenses, the things that they trusted instead of trusting the Lord. He will end their traffic with demonic powers and eliminate all idolatry from the land (Zech. 13:2). Israel will now seek to please God and obey His law and not imitate the sins of the nations on which God will "take vengeance."

CHAPTER THREE Micah 6—7 "THY KINGDOM COME" T he prophet had delivered two of his three messages: a message of warning (chaps. 1—2) and a message of promise (chaps. 3—5). His third message was a challenge for the Jews to trust the Lord and obey His will, for only then could the nation escape terrible punishment and fulfill God's purposes in this world.

God has not cast aside His people (Rom. 11:1); for today there is a believing remnant of Jews in the church. One day God will gather the unbelieving Jewish nation to their land, cause them to experience suffering, and then reveal Himself to them and give birth to a new nation. The prophets saw that day and tried to convey its message to the people of their day, but they wouldn't listen.

As you read Old Testament history and prophecy, keep in mind how important it was for Israel to be obedient to the Lord. God had raised up the nation to bring blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1–3), for it was through Israel that the Savior would come. "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). When the Jews began to adopt the practices of the godless nations around them, it defiled them and made them less able to do the work God had called them to do. It was because they despised their high and holy calling that the nation had to be chastened so severely.

Christians today look for Jesus to return to gather His people to Himself (1 Thess. 4:13–18) and then establish His righteous kingdom. Peter assures us that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night"; and then, in light of this fact, he asks, "Therefore … what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" (2 Peter 3:10, 11 nkjv) Future hope ought to produce present holiness.

III. A challenge message: trust the Lord now (6:1—7:20) A.In spite of the indictment—6:1–8

Micah's first message was presented as a courtroom drama, and so was this third message. The Judge declared the indictment (Mic. 6:1–8), pronounced the sentence (6:9—7:7) and then graciously promised mercy (7:7–20)! Micah used these three factors—guilt, punishment, and mercy—as arguments to plead with his people to repent and return to the Lord. "Trust the Lord, not in spite of these things but because of these things!" is his closing message; and it's a message we need to hear today.

Are we ready for His return?

Notes

1 This statement is found eight times in the Bible (Lev. 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8, 15; 1 Peter 1:15–16). 2 The traditional verse division at 5:4–5 is unfortunate. "And this man shall be the peace" (or "their peace") belongs at the end of verse 4, not at the beginning of verse 5. The reference is to Jesus Christ the Messiah. 3 Isaiah painted the same picture (2:1–4). Some interpret these passages in a spiritual sense as describing the church today, but I prefer to see them as specific prophecies for the Jewish nation. The conditions on earth described by Isaiah and Micah haven't appeared, especially the elimination of war, antiSemitism, and religious rivalry among nations. 4 Does the exaltation of Jerusalem (v. 1) mean only that it will be honored and distinguished by the Lord, or that there will be actual changes in the topography of the land? The latter seems to be the case. The NIV translates verse 1, "It will be raised

Because of Great Guilt, Trust the Lord (6:1–8) The sins of the people were hidden behind a veneer of religious activity—routine worship that didn't come from their hearts. Micah's contemporary, the prophet Isaiah, told the people that the nation was sick from head to foot (Isa. 1:5–6) but wouldn't admit it, and that their "worship" was nothing more than "trampling" the temple courts (v. 12). They were like the patient who asked the doctor to retouch his X-rays so he wouldn't have to endure surgery! His deceit didn't cure him; it made him worse.

In this courtroom scene, the Lord called the

Micah 6 off," for they kept raising the bid. "Shall we bring a few calves as burnt offerings? If that's not enough, maybe we could offer a thousand sacrifices, such as Solomon offered [1 Kings 3:4; 8:63]? Would rivers of oil please Him? How about the ultimate sacrifice: our own flesh and blood offered on the altar, as Abraham did with Isaac?" But God doesn't bargain with sinners, and none of the sacrifices they offered to bring could have cleansed them from their sins.

witnesses (vv. 1–2) and told the people to be prepared to plead their case. The Lord opened the proceedings by telling His side of the controversy, emphasizing the gracious way He had dealt with the nation from the very beginning. He redeemed them from Egyptian slavery; He gave them leaders who guided them through the wilderness with His help; and He brought them to their promised inheritance. And throughout this journey, the Lord had put up with their unbelief, disobedience, and repeated complaints (Ps. 106).

"Doing penance" without truly repenting and trusting God's mercy only multiplies the sin and deadens the conscience. Thinking they were good enough to please God, the people asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" He replied, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:28–29 nkjv). True saving faith comes from a heart that's been broken in repentance and realizes that no amount of good works can atone for sin (Acts 20:21; 26:20; Eph. 2:8–9).

On three occasions, Balak, king of Moab, commanded Balaam to curse Israel, but God turned the curse into blessing (Num. 22—24; Deut. 23:5; Neh. 13:2). The Israelites didn't even know that this spiritual battle was going on; yet God protected His people. What did the Jews do in return? They became friendly with the Moabites, attended their idolatrous religious rites, and committed fornication with their women! (see Num. 25). What Balaam couldn't do by means of his curses, the Jews themselves did with their sinful lusts.

The prophet spoke to the people (v. 8) and told them exactly what the Lord wanted each of them to do. It was a personal matter that each individual sinner had to consider. His reply emphasized moral and ethical conduct, not religious ceremonies.1 Of course, we can't "do justly" unless we've been justified by faith and are right with God (Ps. 32:1–2; Rom. 4:1–8). And how can we "love mercy" if we've not personally experienced God's mercy (Eph. 2:4; Titus 3:5)? If we want to "walk humbly with [our] God," we must first bow humbly before Him, confess our sins, and claim His promise of forgiveness (Luke 14:11; James 4:10).

The phrase "from Shittim unto Gilgal" (Mic. 6:5) reminded the people of Israel's crossing of the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land (Josh. 3—4). The same God who opened and closed the Red Sea also opened and closed the Jordan River so His people might claim their inheritance. He did for them what they couldn't do for themselves, but they didn't remember.

It's good for God's people to know the past and remember with gratitude all that God has done for them. The word remember is found at least fourteen times in the book of Deuteronomy, and frequently the Jews were instructed to teach their children the mighty deeds of the Lord (Ex. 10:2; 13:8, 14; Deut. 6:20ff.; Josh. 22:24; Ps. 78:1–8).

Our Lord's parable about the Pharisee and publican in the temple (Luke 18:9–14) illustrates all three points. The publican was justified by faith, not by doing the kind of good works that the Pharisee boasted about. Since the publican depended on God's mercy to save him, he humbled himself before the Lord. The Pharisee, on the other hand, informed God (and whoever was listening in the temple) how good he was and therefore how much he deserved eternal life.

While we don't live in the past, we must learn from the past or we'll commit the same mistakes. Philosopher George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Because Israel forgot God's mercies (Ps. 106:7), they also ignored God's commandments. The result was a hard heart that deliberately rebelled against God's will. God had every right to ask them, "What have I done to you that you should treat Me this way?"

To make Micah 6:8 a salvation text is to misunderstand what the prophet was saying to God's disobedient covenant people. None of us can do what God requires until first we come to God as broken sinners who need to be saved. Unsaved people who think they are doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God are only fooling themselves, no matter how moral their lives may be. "Not by works righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" (Titus 3:5).

Now the people replied to God (vv. 6–7). Instead of confessing their sins or standing mute because their mouths had been shut by their sense of guilt (Rom. 3:19), they asked what they could do to get rid of their sins. Their request shows how shallow their spiritual life really was and that they were ignorant of the enormity of their sin and the high cost of forgiveness. They were like the rich young ruler who didn't really see himself as a condemned sinner before God (Mark 10:17–27), but they were not like the people at Pentecost who were cut to the heart and cried out, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). We get the impression that these questioners were interested in bargaining with God and "buying Him

The people to whom Micah ministered simply didn't get the point of his messages. The very fact that they were so guilty before God should have motivated them to turn from their shallow religion, humble themselves, and seek God's mercy. The only people God can save are lost people; the only people God can forgive are guilty people. If we see ourselves as God sees us, then we can by faith become what He wants us to become.

Micah 6—7

Because of Impending Judgment, Trust the Lord (6:9—7:7) For the second time in this message, Micah cried out to the people, "Listen!" (vv. 1, 9 niv). Like the crowds that Jesus taught, these Jews had ears to hear His words, but they couldn't hear God's truth in those words (Matt. 13:9, 43). They lacked spiritual discernment.

damage to Judah in 701. But by the time Babylon was finished with Judah and Jerusalem, the nation would be in ruin and the people in derision. The people's sins found them out.

The Lord tried to use the judgment on the northern kingdom to awaken and warn the people of Judah, the southern kingdom, but they wouldn't listen. Their defense was "It can't happen here. We have the temple!" But they weren't obeying God's law or honoring His house. Instead, they were following the godless ways of two kings of Israel, Omri and Ahab, both of whom "did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all who were before [them]" (1 Kings 16:25; see v. 30 nkjv). They should have followed the godly ways of King David, because it was for David's sake that God held back His judgment for so long (11:13, 32, 34, 36; 15:4). The prophet speaks of his sorrow (7:1–7). The prophets not only declared God's message with their lips, but they also felt the burden of the people on their hearts. Jeremiah wept over the sins of the nation in his day and wished he could weep even more (Jer. 9:1ff.), and Micah lamented because there were no godly people left in the land. Looking for a godly person was as futile as looking for summer fruit after the harvest was over.3

B.In spite of the sentence—6:9—7:6

God speaks about sin and its consequences (6:9–16). The Lord called to the people of Jerusalem to fear His name and heed what He had to say; for without the fear of the Lord, they could have neither knowledge nor wisdom (Prov. 1:7).2 God specifically condemned the merchants of the city for being deceptive in their business practices (Mic. 6:10–12). They used weights and measures that were dishonest so that customers didn't get full value for their money (see Lev. 19:35–36; Deut. 25:13–16). Why did this sin grieve the Lord so much? Because by doing these illegal things, the businessmen were exploiting and abusing the poor and needy in the land for whom God has a special concern (Amos 8:4–10). The Mosaic economic system provided for the care of the poor and needy, but the wealthy merchants in Micah's time had abandoned the system. They robbed the poor of both justice and the necessities of life, a sin God could not overlook.

Micah compared the evil officials to hunters who wove clever nets and threw them over the helpless and trapped them. These officials and judges were skilled at weaving their nets (perverting the law so they could rob the unwary), but they weren't skilled at obeying God's laws. They were like briars and thorns that hurt people, when they should have been like concerned shepherds who helped people.

Moreover, along with making their own weights and measures and bribing the courts, the rich were openly violent (Mic. 6:12; also see 2:2; 3:1–3). They forcibly evicted people from their houses and lands and left them helpless, without homes or any source of income. When the poor tried to protect themselves through the courts, the rich merchants lied about the situation and convinced the officials that their actions were right.

"The day of your watchmen" refers to the day of judgment when the watchmen on the walls would see the enemy approaching and call out to warn the people. God's prophets were His watchmen (Ezek. 3:18–21), constantly warning the nation, but the leaders wouldn't listen. They preferred lies to truth and this brought about a "time of … confusion" (Mic. 7:4 niv). This confusion reached into every level of society. Not only was Micah grieved at the corruption of the officials, but also he was grieved at the unfaithfulness of the common people of the land (vv. 5–6). You couldn't trust anybody! When truth is no longer the standard for society, then everything starts to fall apart; for faithfulness to our word is the cement that holds society together. It had come to the place where neighbor couldn't trust neighbor and friends couldn't trust each other. The basic unit of Jewish society, the family, was quickly falling apart. (In fact, Jesus quoted Mic. 7:6 in Matt. 10:36.)

But God has ordained that people reap what they sow, whether good or evil (Hos. 8:7; Gal. 6:7–8). Therefore, judgment had to fall on the "robber barons" of the land. Indeed, God warned about two different kinds of judgments (Mic. 6:13–16). The first (vv. 13–15) was already in progress, slow and secret, but very thorough. "Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins" (v. 13 niv). This judgment was the collapse of their economic system, including their crops (stolen farms), their investments (stolen money), and even their enjoyment of all that they had accumulated. Everything these merchant thieves had amassed for their pleasure would disappear, and whatever they tried to enjoy would bring them no pleasure at all. (See God's covenant warnings in Deut. 28:15ff.) The second judgment (Mic. 6:16) would be sudden and open: the total ruin of the nation by the hand of Babylon. That Micah should point to Babylon as the aggressor (4:10) is remarkable, because Babylon wasn't a major power on the international scene at that time. It was Assyria that everybody feared, and Assyria did ruin the northern kingdom in 722 and did do great

In the light of the terrible condition of the land and the judgment that was impending, wouldn't it have been a wise thing for the people to turn from their sin and trust the Lord? Would it not have been a smart thing for them to claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 and seek

Micah 7 when they had departed from the land of Egypt. The "exodus" image is sometimes used in Scripture to point to the "exodus" of the Jews in the end times from the nations of the world to their own land (Isa. 11:15— 12:6; 35:8–10; 43:14–20; 51:9–11). God will perform great wonders for His people at a time in their history when the nations are united against them.

God's face so that He might heal their land? But sinners don't do wise things, because their eyes are blinded as they walk in the darkness (John 3:19–21).

Because of God's Great Mercies, Trust the Lord (7:7–20) The prophet reached a turning point when he looked away from the sins of the people and meditated on the faithfulness of the Lord. "But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me" (v. 7 niv). He would "watch and pray" and put his trust only in the Lord. This verse is the "bridge" that connects the sections on sin and judgment with this closing section on hope.

The voice of the prophet (vv. 16–20). When Israel departed from Egypt and God opened the sea, the other nations heard about it and feared (Ex. 15:14–16; Josh. 2:8–11). But the wonders the Lord will do for Israel in the last days will startle the nations even more. The Gentiles will see the power of God and be ashamed and unable to act. They will come out of their hiding places to submit to the Lord. It will mean total victory for Israel.

C.Because of the Lord's mercies—7:7–20

In this final section of Micah's third message, we must distinguish several voices: the nation (vv. 8–10), the prophet (vv. 11–13), the Lord (vv. 14–15), and the prophet again (vv. 16–20). We must also realize that Micah is looking down through the centuries with prophetic vision to the time when Israel will come through great tribulation to come, "dress rehearsals" as it were. But the future will bring victory to God's people, not defeat, when the Lord fulfills His promises and establishes the kingdom.

But the most important event will not be Israel's victory over her enemies but God's victory over Israel. The prophet was confident of the unchanging character of God. "Who is a God like you?" (Mic. 7:18 niv) reminds us of the meaning of Micah's name, "Who is like the Lord?" He is a God who pardons sin, forgives transgressions, and delights in showing mercy. He shows compassion to His people and deals with their sins with finality. Some students see Israel's exodus experience illustrated in verse 19: The Egyptian army was buried in the depths of the Red Sea and ended up in the mire.

The voice of the nation (vv. 8–10). Perhaps the prophet is speaking on behalf of the remnant as he expresses their faith and courage. The enemy gloated over the defeated Jews and asked in derision, "Where is the Lord your God?" (v. 10 niv; see Ps. 42:3, 10; 79:10; 115:2).4 But the people trust God and have confidence that, though they were in darkness, they would see light; and though they had been defeated, they would eventually conquer their enemies and trample them like mud in the streets.

Micah knew that God would not go back on His promises or His covenant agreements with His people. The people weren't always true to Jehovah, but He will be true to His people (2 Tim. 2:12–13). What He promised to Abraham, the father of the nation, He will fulfill in his many descendants. Micah could have sung,

Since these events did not occur after the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions, they must be assigned to a future time. According to Jesus, the Jewish nations will experience great tribulation and become the target of all the Gentile nations in the end times (Matt. 24:15–31). In the end, however, Christ will return and give His people great victory.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.

In the coming of Jesus Christ to this world, God fulfilled some of the promises He made to the Jews (Luke 1:72–73), and He will fulfill the rest of His promises as well. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ" (2 Cor. 1:20 niv).

The voice of the prophet (vv. 11–14). Micah speaks to the city of Jerusalem and assures her that, though she had been attacked and destroyed, she would one day be rebuilt. The prophets speak in glowing terms of Israel having a new city and temple (Isa. 2:1–5; Ezek. 40—48). Not only that, but also the boundaries of the nation would be expanded to include more territory than she had before.

Few passages in Scripture contain so much "distilled theology" as Micah 7:18–20. We see in them a reflection of what God told Moses on the mount (Ex. 34:5–7). The better we know the character of God, the more we can trust Him for the future. The better we know the promises and covenants of God, the more peace we will have in our hearts when things fall apart. When Micah wrote this confession of his faith, the future seemed hopeless; yet he had hope because he knew God and fully trusted Him.

In the light of this great promise, the prophet lifted his heart to the Lord in prayer (Mic. 7:14) and asked Him to be the faithful Shepherd of Israel and care for His people (see 5:4; Isa. 40:11; Ps. 80:1). Micah longed for "the good old days" when the land was fruitful and peaceful and the people were like obedient sheep who followed their Shepherd.

No matter how dark the day, the light of God's promises is still shining. No matter how confusing and frightening our circumstances, the character of God remains the same.

The voice of the Lord (v. 15). God replied to His faithful servant and assured him that He would indeed watch over His flock and care for them, just as He had

You have every reason to trust Him!

Micah

Notes

Baker Book House, 1993), vol. 2, 736. When the officials met in assembly to consider business, each tribal leader would have his official staff symbolizing his authority (see Num. 17). God addresses not only the city of Jerusalem in general but also specifically the leaders who met to consider what to do. 3 We must be careful not to develop an "Elijah complex" and think we're the only godly people left (1 Kings 19:10). David felt that way (Ps. 12:1), and so did Isaiah (57:1). But in Micah's case, the godly remnant was so small that it seemed insignificant. 4 Micah 7:8–10 certainly expresses the feelings and hopes of the exiles from both Israel and Judah. Eventually both Assyria and Babylon were defeated and passed off the scene, but it wasn't the Jews who conquered them. The Jews' return from Babylonian exile was a small picture of the greater regathering of Israel that will take place in the last days (Isa. 11:11–16; Matt. 24:31).

1 However, Micah 6:8 must not be mistaken as a condemnation of the Mosaic sacrificial system. It was right for the Jews to bring their sacrifices to God if their hearts had been broken in repentance and confession of sin. God wants obedience, not sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22), and the most important sacrifice is that of a broken and contrite heart (Ps. 51:16). See also Isaiah 1:11–15 and Hosea 6:6. Worship that doesn't produce a godly life is not true worship at all. 2 The phrase "hear ye the rod" (kjv) or "Heed the rod" (niv) is a puzzle to translators and expositors. What or who is "the rod"? Does it refer to the punishment God sent to the nation or to the nation that brought the punishment? Or does it refer to the Lord Himself? According to Isaiah 10:5, God calls Assyria "the rod of My anger" (nkjv). In The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expository Commentary, Dr. Bruce Waltke suggests an alternate translation: "Give heed, O tribe, and the assembly of the city" (Grand Rapids, MI:

G e n e s i s E x o d u s L e v i t i c u s N u m b e r s D e u t e r o n o m y J o s h u a J u d g e s R u t h

1 S a m u e l 2 S a m u e l 1 K i n g s 2 K i n g s 1 C h r o n i c l e s 2 C h r o n i c l e s E z r a N e h e m i a h

E s t h e r J o b P s a l m s P r o v e r b s E c c l e s i a s t e s S o n g o f

J e r e m i a h L a m e n t a t i o n s E z e k i e l D a n i e l H o s e a J o e l A m o s O b a d i a h

J o n a h M i c a h N a h u m H a b a k k u k Z e p h a n i a h H a g g a i Z e c h a r i a h M a l a c h i

Nahum in His Time Little is known about Nahum except that he came from the town of Elkosh (whose location we can't identify with certainty) and that he was a prophet of God who announced the fall of Nineveh, capital city of the Assyrian Empire. He mentions the capture of the Egyptian city of Thebes, which occurred in 663 BC, and he predicted the fall of Nineveh, which took place in 612 BC; so these dates place him in Judah during the reigns of Manasseh (695–642) and Josiah (640–609). His contemporaries would have been Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk.

OUTLINE Key theme: The vengeance of God on His enemies Key verses: Nahum 1:2, 7

I. GOD IS JEALOUS: NINEVEH WILL FALL

(1:1–15)

A. God declares His anger—1:1–8 B. God speaks to Nineveh—1:9–11, 14 C. God encourages Judah—1:12–13, 15

II. GOD IS JUDGE: HOW NINEVEH WILL FALL

(2:1–13)

His name means "comfort" or "compassion," and his message of Assyria's doom would certainly have comforted the people of Judah, who had suffered because of Assyria. The Assyrians had taken the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 and dispersed the people, and then they tried to take Judah in the days of Hezekiah (701), but they were defeated by the angel of the Lord (Isa. 37). Assyria was always looming over the tiny kingdom of Judah, and having these ruthless people out of the way would have greatly bettered Judah's situation.

A. The invaders appear and advance—2:1–4 B. The city is captured—2:5–10 C. The conquerors taunt their captives—

2:11–13

III. GOD IS JUST: WHY NINEVEH WILL FALL

(3:1–19)

A. Her ruthless bloodshed—3:1–3 B. Her idolatry—3:4–7 C. Her pride and self-confidence—3:8–19

Jonah had annouced Nineveh's doom over a century before, but God had relented because the people had repented. The Lord was certainly longsuffering to spare the city that long, especially since the Assyrians had returned to their evil ways. While Nahum's message was directed especially to the Assyrians, he was careful to encourage the people of Judah as well.

CONTENTS

Nahum 1—3 1464 The City Is No More

Nahum 1 protect it. A faithful husband and wife are jealous over one another and do everything they can to keep their relationship exclusive. "Jealous" and "zealous" come from the same root, for when you're jealous over someone, you're zealous to protect the relationship.

Nahum 1—3 THE CITY IS NO MORE Q ueen Victoria was celebrating sixty years on the British throne when Rudyard Kipling published his poem "Recessional." Not everybody in Great Britain liked the poem because it punctured national pride at a time when the empire was at its peak. "Recessional" was a warning that other empires had vanished from the stage of history and England's might follow in their train. God was still the Judge of the nations. Kipling wrote,

Since God made everything and owns everything, He is envious of no one, but since He is the only true God, He is jealous over His glory, His name, and the worship and honor that are due to Him alone. In the second commandment, God prohibited the worship of idols and backed up the prohibition with this reason: "for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God" (Ex. 20:5).

When we studied the book of Hosea, we learned that the Lord was "married" to Israel in a covenant relationship, and any breach of that covenant aroused His jealous love. He will not share His people with false gods any more than a husband would share his wife with his neighbor. "For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (34:14 nkjv). "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God" (Deut. 4:24 nkjv; and see 6:15; 32:16, 21; 1 Kings 14:22). Nineveh was a city given over to iniquity, especially idolatry and cruelty, and God's jealous love burned against their pride and willful breaking of His law.

Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire: Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!

The prophet Nahum would have applauded the poem, especially Kipling's reference to Nineveh, for it was Nahum who wrote the Old Testament book that vividly describes the destruction of Nineveh, the event that marked the beginning of the end for the Assyrian Empire.1 Nahum made it clear that God is indeed the Judge of the nations, and that "[p]ride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18 nkjv). In the seventh century BC, the very mention of Nineveh brought fear to people's hearts, but today, Nineveh is mentioned primarily by Bible students, archeologists, and people interested in ancient history. Sic transit gloria!

In Scripture, vengeance is usually presented as a sin. Both Jesus and Paul warned about it (Matt. 5:38–48; Rom. 12:17–21). But a just and holy God cannot see people flouting His law and do nothing about it. "It is mine to avenge; I will repay. … I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me" (Deut. 32:35, 41 niv). God's people prayed to God to avenge them when other nations attacked them. "O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!" (Ps. 94:1 nkjv). When God takes vengeance by judging people, it's because He is a holy God and is jealous (zealous) for His holy law.

In his brief book, Nahum makes three declarations about God and Nineveh.

I. God is jealous: Nineveh will fall (1:1–15) A.God declares His anger—1:1–8

God Is Jealous: Nineveh Will Fall (1:1–15) The prophet characterizes his inspired message as both a "burden" and a "vision," something he felt and something he saw. The word translated "burden" simply means "to lift up" and was often used to describe prophetic messages that announced judgment. Isaiah used the word ten times in his prophecy as he wrote about "the burden of Babylon" (Isa. 13:1), "the burden of Moab" (15:1), etc. These burdens came as a result of the visions God gave His prophets ("seers") of dreadful events determined for the nations. It wasn't easy to be a prophet and see what lay in the future, and they felt the burden of their messages. Nineveh isn't mentioned by name until Nahum 2:8, but its destruction is the theme of the book.

God's anger isn't like human anger, which can be selfish and out of control. His is a holy anger, a righteous indignation against all that defies His authority and disobeys His law. God's people ought to exercise a holy anger against sin (Eph. 4:26), for, as Henry Ward Beecher said, "A person that does not know how to be angry does not know how to be good." He was speaking, of course, about righteous anger that opposes evil. If we can stand by and do nothing while innocent, helpless people are mistreated and exploited, then something is wrong with us. "Anger is one of the sinews of the soul," wrote Thomas Fuller. "He who lacks it has a maimed mind."

In Nahum 1:2, Nahum wrote that God was "furious" ("filled with wrath" niv); and in verse 6, he described God's "indignation" as so fierce and powerful that it is "poured out like fire" with the power to "shatter" the rocks (niv). However, verse 3 assures us that God's wrath isn't a fit of rage or a temper tantrum; for "the Lord is slow to anger" (see Jonah 4:2; Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18).

God speaks of Himself (vv. 2–8). Three important words in this paragraph need to be understood because they all relate to the character of God: jealousy, vengeance, and anger.

Jealousy is a sin if it means being envious of what others have and wanting to possess it, but it's a virtue if it means cherishing what we have and wanting to

Nahum 1—2 to the proclamation of the gospel to lost sinners. We don't usually think of feet as being beautiful, but they certainly are beautiful when they enable a messenger to carry good news that God has defeated our enemies. To Judah, it meant that Assyria was completely destroyed and could never again invade her land. To us who trust Christ, it means that He has completely defeated sin, death, and Satan, and that we are now free to enjoy the blessings of salvation.

God is so powerful that if His anger were not a holy anger, and if He were not "slow to anger," He could easily destroy everything. He controls the forces of nature (Nah. 1:3); He opened the Red Sea for the people of Israel to march through, and he can turn off the rain and make the most fruitful areas of the land languish (v. 4).2 At Sinai, He made the mountain shake (Ex. 19:18), and when He pleases, He can cause the people of the world to tremble (Heb. 12:18–21).

The God that Nahum introduces to us is a jealous God who is angry at sin (Nah. 1:2), but He is also a good God who cares for His people (v.7). Nahum invites us (as Paul put it) to "consider the goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22 nkjv). "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16), but He is also light (1:5), and His love is a holy love. He is a refuge for those who trust Him, but He is an "overwhelming flood" to those who are His enemies.

God Is Judge: How Nineveh Will Fall (2:1–13) In 612 BC, the Medes and the Babylonians united to attack Nineveh, and the Lord used them to judge the evil city. This chapter is a vivid description of what happened as seen by Nahum in the vision God gave him.

The invaders appear (vv. 1–4). The guards on the walls of the city see the army advancing and the officers issue orders and encourage their soldiers. You can almost hear the sharp commands: "Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourself, marshal all your strength!" (v. 1 niv). Above all the noise, the voice of the Lord is heard as He speaks to Israel and Judah and assures them that they will be restored and reunited. (v. 2).5

God speaks to Nineveh (vv. 9–11, 14). He informs the leaders of Assyria that He knows their plots (vv. 9, 11) and will cause all of their plans to fail. When the proud nations plot against God, He laughs at them and turns their schemes into confusion (Ps. 2:1–4). The Assyrians had plotted against Judah in the days of King Hezekiah, and God thwarted their plans (Isa. 36—37), but the Lord wouldn't allow this to happen a second time. Instead of marching out triumphantly, the leaders would be like drunks entangled in thorn bushes, and stubble burned in a prairie fire (Nah. 1:10). The plotter mentioned in verse 11 is the king of Assyria, and God addresses him in verse 14, making three declarations: (1) his dynasty will end, because he will have no descendants; (2) the help of his gods and goddesses will end, because they will be destroyed; and (3) his life will end, because God will prepare his grave. What a solemn message for a man who was sure his plans would succeed! Why would God do all these things? The answer is plain: "You are vile!"

B.God speaks to Nineveh—1:9–11, 14 C.God encourages Judah—1:12–13, 15

The invading army is formidable with its manpower, armor, weapons, and chariots (vv. 3–4). Already their shields are red with blood. The chariots look like flames of fire as they dash here and there in the streets of the city, and the soldiers find it easy to slaughter the defenseless people.

II. God is judge: How Nineveh will fall (2:1–13) A.The invaders appear and advance—2:1–4 B.The city is captured—2:5–10 C.The conquerors taunt their captives—2:11–13

The city is captured (vv. 5–10). "He" in verse 5 refers to the king of Assyria, who had plotted against the Lord and His people (1:9). He gathers his best officers and gives them orders to protect the wall, but they are too late. They stumble like drunks instead of marching like heroes. The leaders were sure their fortress was impregnable, but their defenses proved to be their undoing.

God speaks to Judah (vv. 12–13, 15). Although the Assyrian army outnumbered the army of Judah, and Assyria had more allies to help them fight, that didn't mean Assyria was bound to win, for God was fighting on behalf of Judah. Yes, the Lord had used Assyria to chasten Judah in the past, but that would not happen again.3 This time, God would break the yoke and remove the shackles that Assyria had put on Judah, and Assyria would attack them no more.

The Khoser River flowed through the city, so the invaders dammed it up and then released the water so that it destroyed part of the wall and some of the buildings. It was a simple matter for the Medes and Babylonians to enter the city and take control. But they can't take credit for the victory; it was decreed by God that the city be destroyed and the inhabitants be killed or taken captive (2:7). The invaders were but God's instruments to execute His will.

In ancient days, news was carried by couriers, and the watchmen on the walls scanned the horizon hoping that messengers would bring good news. In this case, it was good news indeed: the courier would announce that Nineveh was fallen and the Assyrian army defeated and in disarray (v. 15).4 Judah could now live in peace and enjoy her annual feasts and regular religious festivals.

First, the soldiers line up the prisoners to march them off to their own lands, where they'll become slaves. Nahum compares the exodus to water draining out of a pool. Then the soldiers begin looting this fabulously wealthy city, and the people watch with dismay. "Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale" (v. 10 niv). Nineveh is being treated the way she treated others; her sins had found her out.

You find this same statement in Isaiah 52:7, where the messenger announced the defeat of Babylon, and Paul quoted the verse in Romans 10:15 and applied it

The captive leaders are taunted (vv. 11–13). Speaking on behalf of God, the prophet has the last word. As the Assyrian captives are marched away,

Nahum 2—3

In ancient times, prostitutes were often shamed by being publicly exposed, and this is what God promised to do to Nineveh. God would expose Assyria's nakedness before all the nations, and this would be the end of their evil influence. The magnificent wealthy city would become a heap of ruins.

leaders and common citizens, and the city's treasures carried off by their captors, Nahum taunts the Ninevites by contrasting their present plight with their former glory.

The image of the lion was often used by the Assyrians in their art and architecture. Visit the Assyrian room in any large museum and you will see huge statues of lions. But even more, the Assyrians acted like lions as they stalked their prey and completely devoured their captives. "Where is the lions' den now?" Nahum asks as the city is destroyed. "Where is all your prey, the treasures you ruthlessly took from others?" Lions will normally take to their lair enough food for themselves and their cubs, but the Assyrians amassed wealth beyond measure, far more than they needed, and they did it at the cost of human lives.

Their pride and self-confidence (vv. 8–19). In this closing paragraph, Nahum uses a number of images to show the Assyrians their weaknesses and assure them of their ultimate defeat.

He begins with a fact of history: the defeat of the Egyptian city of Thebes, or No-Ammon, by the Assyrians, in 663 (vv. 8–11). If you visit Karnak and Luxor in Upper Egypt, you will be at the site of ancient Thebes. This capital city of Upper Egypt was sure it was safe from any invader, yet it went down in defeat before Assyria. Like Nineveh, Thebes was situated by waters that were supposed to be their defense, but the city fell just the same. Thebes had many allies, but they couldn't protect her.

No wonder the Lord announced, "I am against you" (v. 13). Over a century before, the Lord had sent Jonah to warn Nineveh, and when the city repented, He withdrew His hand of judgment. But now their time was up and the end had come. Assyria would be left with no weapons, no leaders, and no victories to be announced by their messengers. Instead, Assyria's enemies would hear the voice of couriers announcing peace because Assyria had been defeated (1:15).

What Assyria did to the people of Thebes would in turn be done to them: their children would be dashed to pieces, the leaders would become slaves, and the people would become exiles. Now, argues Nahum, if this happened to Thebes, why couldn't it happen to Nineveh? Their pride and self-confidence would be totally destroyed as the Medes and Babylonians captured the city. Nineveh would drink the cup of God's wrath and become drunk (v. 11; see Ps. 75:8; Isa. 51:17; Jer. 25:14ff.). In fact, the conquest would be so easy, it would be like ripe figs dropping into a person's mouth (Nah. 3:12). Why? Because the ferocious Assyrian soldiers would be drained of their strength and be like women: weak, afraid, and unable to meet the enemy (vv. 13–14).6 They wouldn't be able to bar the gates or stop the enemy from setting fire to them, nor would they be able to repair the walls or carry water to put out the fires.

III. God is just: Why Nineveh will fall (3:1–19) A.Her ruthless bloodshed—3:1–3 B.Her idolatry—3:4–7 C.Her pride and self-confidence—3:8–19

God Is Just: Why Nineveh Will Fall (3:1–19) "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. 18:25), God is longsuffering, but there comes a time when His hand of judgment falls. "You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever" (Ps. 9:5 nkjv). Nahum gives three reasons why Nineveh deserved to be judged.

Their ruthless bloodshed (vv. 1–3). The Assyrians were clever diplomats who lied to other nations and then broke their promises and destroyed them. They slaughtered people without regard for age or sex, and they stacked up corpses like lumber as warning to anybody who would oppose them. The shedding of innocent blood is a serious sin that God notes, remembers, and judges (Deut. 19:11–13; 2 Kings 21:16; 24:4; Ps. 106:38; Prov. 6:16–17; Isa. 59:7). Depraved dictators who authorize the heartless slaying of innocent victims will someday answer to God for their crimes against Him and humanity.

The next image is that of insects (vv. 15–17). The invading soldiers would sweep through the land and the city like a plague of grasshoppers or locusts and wipe everything out. The Babylonian merchants were also like locusts as they collected all the treasures they could find. But the Assyrian leaders were like locusts that go to sleep on the wall on a cold day, but when the sun comes up, they feel the heat and fly away. The king and his council were overconfident, like locusts sleeping on the wall, but when the invasion occurred, they flew off to a safe place!

Their idolatry (vv. 4–7). Often in Scripture, idolatry is associated with prostitution, and when you consider that the chief deity of Nineveh was Ishtar, goddess of sexual passion, fertility, and war, you can understand why Nahum used this metaphor. Because of their spiritual blindness, the Assyrians were ensnared by this evil goddess and were under the control of lust, greed, and violence. People become like the god that they worship (Ps. 115:8), for what we believe determines how we behave. Assyria spread this evil influence to other nations and enslaved them by their sorcery. (See the description of the corrupt end-times religious system given in Rev. 17.)

Assyria was like a scattered flock with sleeping shepherds (v. 18), or like a wounded body with no way to be healed (v. 19a). They had no allies to rescue them, for all the other nations would rejoice when they heard that the Assyrian Empire was no more (v. 19b).

Like the book of Jonah, the book of Nahum ends with a question: "for who has not felt your endless cruelty?" (v. 19 niv). Nahum emphasizes the same truth that was declared by the prophet Amos: God punishes

Nahum 3 cruel nations that follow inhumane policies and brutal practices (Amos 1—2). Whether it's practicing genocide, exploiting the poor, supporting slavery, or failing to provide people with the necessities of life, the sins of national leaders are known by God, and He eventually judges.

the Lord announced that He would humble him. This God did when His angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (37:36–38; see 10:16). 4 Nahum 1:15 in our English versions is 2:1 in the Hebrew text. What a contrast between the announcement of peace in 1:15 and the declaration of war in 2:1! 5 "Jacob" probably refers to Judah, the southern kingdom, and Israel refers to the northern kingdom that was dispersed by Assyria in 722–721

If you question that fact, go and search for Nineveh.

Notes

Since this promise has not been fulfilled, its fulfillment awaits the return of Christ when He will establish His kingdom and restore the splendor of the Jewish nation. 6 This image is not meant to demean women in any way, whether civilians or in the armed forces, or to suggest that women lack strength and courage. The biblical examples of Rahab, Deborah, Jael, Ruth, and Esther prove that Scripture can magnify the courage and service of dedicated women. However, we must keep in mind that the ancient world was a masculine society; women were kept secluded and certainly wouldn't have been expected to participate in battles. Phrases like "weak as a woman" were current; both Isaiah (19:16) and Jeremiah (50:37; 51:30) used them.

1 Nineveh was destroyed by the Medes and Babylonians in 612 BC, but the empire didn't collapse immediately. Remnants of the army and of political leadership struggled on until they were overpowered in 609 at the battle of Haran. But when Nineveh fell, it was the death knell for the empire. 2 Lebanon on the north, Carmel on the east, and Bashan on the west were known for their fruitfulness. See Isaiah 2:13; 33:9; and 35:2. 3 Isaiah 10:5–18 explains that Assyria was God's tool ("the rod of My anger" nkjv) to chasten Judah because of her idolatry, but the Assyrians had gone too far and been too ruthless. In his pride, the king of Assyria had boasted of his past victories, so

↑ Back to top