4:1ffThe phrase “in the last days” describes the days when God will reign over his perfect Kingdom (see 4:1-8). The “mountain of the LORD’s house” is Mount Zion. This will be an era of peace and blessing, a time when war will be forever ended. We cannot pinpoint its date, but God has promised that it will arrive (see also Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 16:15; Joel 3:1ff; Zechariah 14:9-11; Malachi 3:17, 18; Revelation 19-22). Verses 9-13 predicted the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C., even before Babylon became a powerful empire. Just as God promises a time of peace and prosperity, he also promises judgment and punishment for all who refuse to follow him. Both results are certain.
Life Application Study BibleMicahChapter 4
Micah 4
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1469, 1470, 1471
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
4Micah 4
1and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
2People from many nations will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,to the house of Jacob’s God.There he will teach us his ways,and we will walk in his paths.”For the LORD’s teaching will go out from Zion;his word will go out from Jerusalem.
3The LORD will mediate between peoplesand will settle disputes between strong nations far away.They will hammer their swords into plowsharesand their spears into pruning hooks.Nation will no longer fight against nation,nor train for war anymore.
4Everyone will live in peace and prosperity,enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees,for there will be nothing to fear.
The LORD of Heaven's Armieshas made this promise!
5Though the nations around us follow their idols,we will follow the LORD our God forever and ever.
Israel’s Return from Exile
68 “In that coming day,” says the LORD,“L will gather together those who are lame,those who have been exiles,and those whom I have filled with grief.
7Those who are weak will survive as a remnant;those who were exiles will become a strong nation.Then IJ, the LORD, will rule from Jerusalem*as their king forever.”
8As for you, Jerusalem,the citadel of God’s people,*your royal might and powerwill come back to you again.The kingship will be restoredto my precious Jerusalem.
9But why are you now screaming in terror?Have you no king to lead you?Have your wise people all died?Pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth.
10Writhe and groan like a woman in labor,you people of Jerusalem,*for now you must leave this cityto live in the open country.You will soon be sent in exileto distant Babylon.But the LORD will rescue you there;he will redeem you from the grip of your enemies.
11Now many nations have gathered against you.“Let her be desecrated,” they say.“Let us see the destruction of Jerusalem.*”
12But they do not know the LORD’s thoughtsor understand his plan.These nations don’t knowthat he is gathering them togetherto be beaten and trampledlike sheaves of grain on a threshing floor.
13“Rise up and crush the nations, O Jerusalem!”*says the LORD.“For I will give you iron horns and bronze hooves,so you can trample many nations to pieces.You will present their stolen riches to the LORD,their wealth to the LORD of all the earth.”
5 1* Mobilize! Marshal your troops!The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem.They will strike Israel's leaderin the face with a rod.
A Ruler from Bethlehem
2* But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,are only a small village among all the people of Judah.Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
Textual footnotes
- O daughter of Zion.
- 4:7 Hebrew Mount Zion, 4:8 Hebrew As for you, Migdal-eder, / the Ophel of the daughter of Zion.
- 4:11 Hebrew of Zion.
- 4:13 Hebrew “Rise up and thresh, O daughter of Zian.’
Life Application Notes 3 notes
4:9-13Micah predicted the end of the kings. This was a drastic statement to the people of Judah who thought that their kingdom would last forever. Micah also said that Babylon would destroy the!and of Judah and carry away its king, but that after a while
4:16Micah pictured the devastating sorrow of parents seeing their children taken away to be slaves in a distant land. This happened frequently in both Israel and Judah, most horribly when each nation was completely conquered—tsrael in 722 B.C. and Judah in 586 B.C.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 1470
4:10 Hebrew
God would help his people return to their and. This all happened just as Micah prophesied, and these events are recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:9-23 and Ezra 1-2. 4:12 When God reveals the future, his purpose goes beyond satisfying our curiosity. He wants us to change our present behavior because of what we know about the future. Forever begins now; and a glimpse of God’s plan for his followers should motivate us to serve him, no matter what the rest of the world may do.
Study feature · page 1471
-14 in Hebrew text.