John Calvin Commentary Micah 2:7

"Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, Is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" — Micah 2:7 (ASV)

The Prophet now rebukes the Israelites with greater severity because they attempted to impose a law on God and on His prophets and would not endure the free course of instruction. He told us in the last verse that the Israelites were so inflated with presumption that they wished to make terms with God: “Let him not prophesy,” they said, as though it were in man's power to rule God. And the Prophet now repeats, Is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? as though he said, You see the intent of your presumption, and how far it proceeds; for you wish to subject God’s Spirit to yourselves and to your own pleasure.

The prophets doubtless did not speak of themselves, but by the bidding and command of God. Since, then, the prophets were the organs of the Holy Spirit, whoever attempted to silence them usurped for himself authority over God himself, and in a way tried to make his Spirit captive. For what power can belong to the Spirit, unless he is at liberty to rebuke the vices of men and condemn whatever is opposed to God’s justice?

When this is taken away, there is no more jurisdiction left to the Holy Spirit. We now see, then, what the Prophet means here: he shows how mad a presumption it was for the Israelites to attempt to impose silence on the prophets, as though they had a right to rule the Spirit of God and to force him to submission.

Is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? This way of speaking should be noticed, for it possesses no ordinary emphasis, inasmuch as the Prophet, by this rebuke, recalls the attention of these perverse men to the author of his teaching. It is as though he had said that the wrong was not done to men, that war was not waged against them when instruction is prohibited, but that God is robbed of his own rights and his liberty is taken away, so that he is not allowed to execute his judgment in the world by the power of his Spirit.

Furthermore, the Prophet here ironically rebukes the Israelites when he says, O thou who art called the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of Jehovah reduced to straits? For if pagans, who have never known the teaching of religion and to whom no heavenly mysteries have been revealed, had said that they would have nothing to do with the prophets, it would have been much more endurable; for what wonder would it be for ignorant men to repudiate all instruction?

But it was monstrous for the Israelites, who gloried in the name of God, to dare to rise up so rebelliously against the prophets. They always boasted of their own race, as though they surpassed all the rest of the world and were a holy nation, separated from all others.

Hence the Prophet says, “You wish to be called the house of Jacob; what is your excellence and dignity, except that you have been chosen by God to be his peculiar people? If, then, you have been accustomed to the teaching of God, what fury and madness it is that you cannot bear his prophets, but wish to close their mouths?” We now see, then, the point of this irony, when the Prophet says that they were called the house of Jacob.

He seems at the same time to hint, indirectly, that they were an illegitimate race. Just as they were called Amorites and Sodomites by other prophets, so also here the Prophet says, “You are indeed the house of Jacob, but it is only in name.” They were in reality so degenerate that they falsely claimed the name of the holy patriarch; indeed, they falsely and deceitfully boasted of their descent from holy men, though they were nothing more than, as it were, rotten members. Since, then, they had departed so far from the religion of Abraham and of other fathers, the Prophet says, “You are indeed called what you are not.”

He later adds, Are these his works? Here he puts the Israelites to the test, as if he said, How is it that the prophets are so troublesome and grievous to you, except that they sharply rebuke you and denounce God's judgment on you? But God is, in a way, forced, unless he were to change his nature, to treat you so sharply and severely.

You boast that you are his people, but how do you live? Are these his works? That is, do you lead a life and conduct yourselves according to the law laid down by him? But since your life does not in any way correspond with what God requires, it is no wonder that the prophets handle you so roughly. For God remains the same, always like himself; but you are faithless and have completely rejected the covenant he has made with you. Then this harshness, of which you are accustomed to complain, should not be considered unjust to you.

He then adds, Are not my words good to him who walks uprightly? Here the Prophet shows more distinctly why he had previously asked whether their works were those of the Lord; for he compares their life with the teaching, which, on account of its severity, displeased them. They said that the words of the prophets were too harsh.

God answers here that his words were gentle and kind, and therefore pleasant—that is, to the pious and good—and that therefore the fault was theirs when he treated them less kindly than they wished. The import of the whole, then, is that the word of God, since it brings life and salvation to man, is in its own nature gracious, and cannot be bitter, hard, or grievous to the pious and the good, for God unfolds in it the riches of his goodness.

We hence see that God here rejects the impious slander that was cast on his word; as though he had said that the complaints prevalent among the people were false, for they transferred the blame for their own wickedness to the word of God. They said that God was too severe, but God here declares that he was gentle and kind, and that the character of his word was the same, provided men were tractable and did not, through their perversity, extort from him anything other than what he himself wished.

David means the same thing in Psalm 18 when he says that God is perverse with the perverse. For in that passage he indicates that he had experienced the greatest goodness from God, since he had made himself teachable and obedient to him. On the contrary, he says, God is perverse with the perverse; that is, when he sees men obstinately resisting and hardening their necks, he then puts on, as it were, a new character and deals perversely with them—that is, severely—as their stubbornness deserves. As, according to a common proverb, a hard wedge is necessary for a hard knot.

We now perceive, then, the meaning of this passage: that God’s words are good to those who walk uprightly. That is, they breathe the sweetest fragrance and bring nothing but true and real joy. For when can there be complete happiness, except when God embraces us in the bosom of his love? But the testimony concerning this love is brought to us by his word. The fault, then, is ours, and ought to be attributed to us, if the word of God is not delightful to us.

Some interpret this whole passage differently, as though the Prophet is here relating what was usually the boast of the Israelites at that time. They therefore think that it is an imitative narrative (narrationem esse mimiticam) in which he represents their sentiments, as though the Prophet here introduced the ungodly and the rebellious encouraging one another in their contempt for God’s word: O thou who art called the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? Hypocrites, we know, are so blind and intoxicated by a false confidence that they do not hesitate to heedlessly abuse all God's favors.

Since, then, God had conferred great excellence on his people, they thus emboldened one another: “Are we not the children and posterity of Abraham? What will it profit us to be a holy and chosen race, the peculiar people of God, and a royal priesthood, if we are to be treated so unkindly?

We find that these prophets shamefully rebuke us: Where is our dignity, unless we show that we have more privileges than other nations?” These interpreters therefore think the meaning is this: that they make a show of their own privileges so that they might more freely reject all instruction and shake off every yoke.

And when it is said, Is the Spirit of God diminished? these interpreters regard this as meaning that they were satisfied with God's solemn promise, and that since they were a holy race, they now arrogantly despised all the prophets: “Is the Spirit of God dead, who was formerly the interpreter of the everlasting covenant that God made with us?

Has he not testified that we should be to him a holy and elect people? Why then do you now attempt to reduce to nothing this sacred declaration of the Holy Spirit, which is inviolable?” Then it is added, Are these his works? “You talk of nothing but threats and destruction; you denounce countless calamities on us. But God is beneficent and kind in his nature, patient and merciful; and you represent him to us as a tyrant. But this view is wholly inconsistent with the nature of God.”

And, finally, God adds (as these interpreters think) an exception: “All these things are indeed true, if faithfulness exists among you and the authority of my word continues; for my words are good, but not to all without distinction. Be upright and sincere, and you shall find me dealing kindly, gently, tenderly, and pleasantly with you. Then my harshness will cease, which now through my word so much offends and exasperates you.”

This interpretation may to some extent be admitted; but since it is difficult to understand, we should retain the former interpretation, as it is easier and more natural. There is nothing forced in the view that the Prophet derides the foolish arrogance of the people, who thought they were sheltered by the privilege of being the holy seed of Abraham.

The Prophet answers that this nominal superiority did not deprive God of his right or prevent him from exercising his power by the Spirit: “O thou then who art called the house of Jacob; but only as far as the title goes, the Spirit of God is not reduced to straits.

But if you boast of being the peculiar people of God, are these your works the works of God? Does your life correspond with what he requires? It is no wonder then that God chastises you so severely by his word, for there is not in you the spirit of teachableness that allows the exercise of his kindness.”

But although the Prophet here rebukes the ancient people for ingratitude, yet this truth that God declares is especially useful to us: that his word is good and sweet to all the godly. Let us, then, learn to become submissive to God, and then he will convey to us by his word nothing but sweetness, nothing but delights.

We shall then find nothing more desirable than to be fed by this spiritual food, and it will always be a real joy to us whenever the Lord opens his mouth to teach us. But whenever the word of the Lord goads and wounds, and thus exasperates us, let us know that it is through our own fault.