John Calvin Commentary Micah 4:1-2

"But in the latter days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of Jehovah`s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it. And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem;" — Micah 4:1-2 (ASV)

Here Micah begins his address to the faithful, who were a remnant among that people; for though the infection had nearly extended over the whole body, there were yet a few, we know, who sincerely worshipped God. Hence Micah, so that he might not dishearten God’s children by extreme terror, reasonably adds what we have now heard—that though for a time the temple would be demolished and laid waste, it would yet be only for a season, for the Lord would be again mindful of His covenant.

When, therefore, the Prophet had until now spoken of God’s dreadful vengeance, he directed his discourse to the whole people and to the princess; but now, especially, and as it were apart, he addresses the pious and sincere servants of God. It is as though he said, “There is now a reason why I should speak to the few: I have until now spoken of the near judgment of God on the king’s counselors, the priests, and the prophets; in short, on the whole community, because they have all become wicked and ungodly; a contempt of God and an irreclaimable obstinacy have pervaded the whole body. Let them therefore have what they have deserved. But now I address the children of God by themselves, for I have something to say to them.”

For though the Prophet publicly proclaimed this promise, there is yet no doubt that he had regard only to the children of God, for others were not capable of receiving this consolation. Indeed, he had shortly before condemned the extreme security of hypocrites, since they leaned upon God; that is, relied on a false pretense of religion, in thinking that they were redeemed by a lawful price when they had offered their sacrifices.

And we know that we meet with the same thing in the writings of the Prophets, and that it is a practice common among them to add consolations to threatenings, not for the sake of the whole people, but to sustain the faithful in their hope, who would have despaired had not a helping hand been extended to them. For the faithful, we know, tremble as soon as God manifests any token of wrath; for the more anyone is touched with the fear of God, the more he dreads His judgment and fears on account of His threatenings.

We therefore see how necessary it is to moderate threatenings and terrors when prophets and teachers have regard for the children of God; for, as I have said, they are fearful enough without these. Let us then know that Micah has until now directed his discourse to the wicked despisers of God, who yet put on the cloak of religion; but now he turns his address to the true and pious worshippers of God. Furthermore, he addresses the faithful of his age in such a way that his doctrine especially belongs to us now. For how has it been that the kingdom of God has been propagated through all parts of the earth? How has it been that the truth of the gospel has come to us, and that we are made partakers with the ancient people of the same adoption, except that this prophecy has been fulfilled? Therefore, the calling of the Gentiles, and consequently our salvation, is included in this prophecy.

But the Prophet says, And it shall be in the extremity of days, that the mount of the house of Jehovah shall be set in order on the top of mountains. By “the extremity of days,” the Prophet no doubt means the coming of Christ, for then it was that the Church of God was built anew. In short, since it was Christ who introduced the renovation of the world, His advent is rightly called a new age; and hence it is also said to be “the extremity of days.” This mode of expression very frequently occurs in Scripture. We know that the time of the gospel is expressly called “the last days” and “the last time” by John (John 2:18), as well as by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 1:2), and also by Paul (2 Timothy 3:1); and this way of speaking they borrowed from the prophets. On this subject, some remarks were made on Joel 2.

Paul gives us the reason for this mode of speaking in 1 Corinthians 10:11, stating, “Upon whom the ends of the world are come.” As Christ then brought in the completion of all things at His coming, the Prophet rightly says that it would be the last days when God would restore His Church by the hand of the Redeemer. At the same time, Micah no doubt intended to intimate that the time of God’s wrath would not be short, but designed to show that its course would be for a long time.

It shall then be in the last of days; that is, when the Lord shall have executed His vengeance by demolishing the temple, by destroying the city, and by reducing the holy place to a solitude, this dreadful devastation shall continue, not for one year, nor for two. In a word, it will not remain only for forty or fifty years, but the Lord will let loose the reins of His wrath, so that their minds may long languish, and that no restoration may be evident. We now therefore understand the Prophet’s design as to “the last days.”

He calls the mount, the mount of the house of Jehovah, in a sense different from what he did before; for then it was, as we have stated, by way of concession. And now he sets forth the reason why God did not wish wholly to cast aside that mount: for He commanded His temple to be built there. It is the same, then, as though he said: “This ought not to be ascribed to the holiness of the mountain, as if it excelled other mountains in dignity; but because there the temple was founded, not by the authority of men, but by a celestial oracle, as is sufficiently known.”

The mount then of the house of Jehovah shall be set in order on the top of the mountains, that is, it shall surpass in height all other mountains; and it shall be raised, he says, above the highest summits, and assemble there shall all nations. It is certain that by these words of the Prophet no visible eminence of situation is to be understood, for that mount was not increased at the coming of Christ; and those who lived in the time of the Prophet entertained no gross idea of this kind.

But he speaks here of the eminence of dignity: that God would give to Mount Zion a distinction so eminent that all other mountains would yield to its honor. And how was this done? The explanation follows in the next verse. Lest, then, anyone thought that there would be some visible change in Mount Zion, that it would increase in size, the Prophet immediately explains what he meant and says, at the end of the verse, “Come shall nations to God.”

It is now easy to see what its elevation was to be: that God designed this mount to be, as it were, a royal seat. As under the monarchy of the king of Persia, the whole of the East, we know, was subject to one tower of the Persian; so also, when Mount Zion became the seat of sovereign power, God designed to reign there, and there He designed that the whole world should be subject to Him. This is the reason the Prophet said that it would be higher than all other mountains. Hence, his meaning in this expression is sufficiently evident.

There follows, however, a fuller explanation, when he says that many nations would come. He had said only before that nations would come. But as David, even in his age, made some nations tributary to himself, the Prophet here expresses something more: that many nations would come. It is as if he had said, “Though David subjugated some people to himself, yet the borders of his kingdom were narrow and confined compared with the largeness of that kingdom which the Lord will establish at the coming of His Messiah: for not a few nations but many shall assemble to serve Him, and shall say,” and so on. The Prophet now shows that it would be a spiritual kingdom.

When David subdued the Moabites and the Amorites, and others, he imposed a certain tribute to be paid annually, but he was not able to establish among them the pure and legitimate worship of God, nor was he able to unite them in one faith. Then the Moabites and other nations, though they paid a tribute to David, did not yet worship the true God but continued ever alienated from the Church. But our Prophet shows that the kingdom which God would set up at the coming of the Messiah would be spiritual.

For they shall say, Let us go and ascend to the mount of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for, go forth shall a law from Zion, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. Throughout this passage, the Prophet teaches us that people are not to be constrained by an armed force, or by the power of the sword, to submit to David’s posterity, but that they are to be really and thoroughly reformed, so that they submit themselves to God, unite with the body of the Church, and become one people with the children of Abraham. For they will yield a voluntary service, and embracing the teaching of the Law, they will renounce their own superstitions. This, then, is the Prophet’s meaning. But the remainder we shall defer until tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as You have been pleased to erect the throne of Your Son among us, we may rely on His protection and learn to resign ourselves wholly to You, and never turn aside here and there, but with full obedience so submit ourselves to the King who has been appointed by You, that He may own us as His legitimate people, and so glorify Your name, that we may not at the same time profane it by an ungodly and wicked life, but testify by our works that we are really Your subjects, and that You attain full authority over us, so that Your name may be sanctified and Your Spirit may really guide us, until at length Your Son, who has gathered us when we were awfully gone astray, gathers us again to that kingdom, which He has purchased for us by His own blood. Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We began yesterday to explain the prophecy in which Micah promises the restoration of the Church. We have said that this promise cannot be understood except of Christ’s kingdom, for it refers to “the last days.” And it was also added, that the superiority and eminence of Mount Zion, of which he speaks, cannot be otherwise understood than of God’s spiritual kingdom, for the explanation follows when he says that many nations would come to be taught in the ways of the Lord. We therefore see that an earthly empire is not what is here predicted, but what exists through the word and celestial doctrine.

But each particular ought to be considered by us. We said yesterday that in the distinct mention made of many nations, a contrast is to be understood, for until that time God was only known by one people. Since God then had chosen the race of Abraham alone, a future change is pointed out here, when He shall gather His Church from various nations, so as to do away with the difference between the Gentiles and the Jews.

It now follows, They shall say, Come, and let us ascend to the mount of Jehovah. The Prophet shows in these words that not only would each one be obedient to God when called, but that they would also encourage one another. And this ardor is what is justly required in the faithful; they ought to animate and stir up one another, for it is not enough for each of us himself to obey God, but this zeal ought to be added, by which we may strive to produce a mutual benefit.

This concern then is what the Prophet now refers to when he says, “Come, that we may ascend to the mountain of the Lord.” He might have said that people would come, and there close his sentence; but he wished to join the two clauses: that those who had before despised the God of Israel would come from all parts, and also that they would become exhorters to one another.

“Come then that we may ascend.” But the manner of the exhortation deserves to be noticed, for each one offers himself as a companion in the journey. We indeed see that many are prompt enough when others are to be stimulated in their duty, but they at the same time lie still; their whole fervor is consumed in sending others, and they themselves do not move, no, not a finger, so far are they from running with alacrity in company with others.

The Prophet shows here that the faithful will be so solicitous about the salvation of their brethren that they will strenuously run themselves, and that they will prescribe nothing to others but what they themselves perform. “Come then that we may ascend”; they do not say, “Go, ascend to the mount of Jehovah,” but, “Let us go together.” It is, then, the right way of encouraging when we really show that we require nothing from our brethren but what we desire to do ourselves.

The circumstance of time must now be noticed. For what the Prophet says respecting the nations coming to Mount Zion, since it was to be reduced to a wasteland, might have appeared a fable. For what had he shortly before predicted? That Zion would be plowed as a field, and that trees would grow there, that it would become a wild forest. How then could it be that many nations would flow to it as to a most renowned place, since it was to be reduced to a dreadful desolation? But the Prophet here extols the wonderful power of God: that in this wild and desert place there would at length be raised a noble and celebrated temple, where God would show mercy to His own people. Hence he promises what this mount of Jehovah would be, which was for a time to be forsaken, and that there would be, as formerly, a noble temple in the place where desolation had for a season existed.

It afterwards follows, And He will teach us of His ways. Here the Prophet in a few words defines the legitimate worship of God, for it would not be sufficient for the nations to come together into one place to profess the one true God unless true obedience followed, which rests on faith, as faith does on the word.

It ought then to be especially noticed that the Prophet here sets the word of God before us, in order to show that true religion is founded on the obedience of faith, and that God cannot be truly worshipped except when He Himself teaches His people and prescribes to them what is necessary to be done. Hence, when the will of God is revealed to us, we then can truly worship Him. When the word is again taken away, there will indeed be some form of divine worship, but there will be no genuine religion, such as is pleasing to God.

And hence we also learn that there is no other way of raising up the Church of God than by the light of the word, in which God Himself, by His own voice, points out the way of salvation. Until then the truth shines, men cannot be united together so as to form a true Church.

Since it is so, it follows that where the truth is either corrupted or despised, there is no religion, at least such as is approved by God. Men may indeed boast of the name with their lips, but there is no true religion before God unless it is formed according to the rule of His word.

It therefore also follows that there is no Church unless it is obedient to the word of God and is guided by it, for the prophet defines here what true religion is, and also how God collects a Church for Himself. He will then teach us of His ways. And a third particular may be added: that God is robbed of His right and His honor when mortals assume to themselves the authority to teach, for it is to God alone that this office of teaching His people can strictly be ascribed (proprie tribuitur.).

There were then priests and prophets, yet Micah here brings them down to their proper state and shows that the right and the office of teaching would be in the power of the only true God. We therefore see that God claims this office for Himself, that we may not be tossed to and fro and led astray by various teachers, but continue in simple obedience to His word, so that He alone may be the Supreme. In short, God is not the God and Head of the Church unless He is the chief and the only Teacher.

What he now says, “He will teach us of His ways,” ought to be understood thus: He will teach us what His ways are. It is as though the Prophet had said that the perfect wisdom of men is to understand what pleases God and what is His will, for there is nothing further to be learned.

It follows, And we will walk in His paths. By this clause we are reminded that the truth of God is not, as they say, speculative, but full of energizing power. God then not only speaks to the end that everyone may acknowledge that to be true which proceeds from Him, but at the same time He demands obedience.

Hence we shall then only be the disciples of God when we walk in His ways. For if we only nod with our ears, as asses are accustomed to do, and assent to what God says with our mouth and lips, it is extremely vain and absurd. It is therefore then only that men really profit under the teaching of God when they form their life according to His doctrine and are prepared with their feet to walk and to follow wherever He may call them. We will then walk in His paths.

Micah had until now related only what the faithful would do; he now himself confirms the same truth: For from Zion shall go forth a law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. Here a reason is given why many nations would come to the temple of the Lord, and that is because a doctrine would then be promulgated which had been before heard only in one place.

We indeed know that the Jews came to the temple, not only to worship, but also to be instructed in the Law of God. The Law then had at that time, as it were, its habitation in Zion: there was the sanctuary of celestial wisdom. But what does our Prophet say? A law shall go forth from Zion, that is, it shall be proclaimed far and wide: the Lord will show, not only in one corner, what true religion is, and how He seeks to be worshipped, but He will send forth His voice to the extreme limits of the earth. A law then shall go forth from Zion, according to what is said in Psalm 110:

‘The scepter of thy power the Lord will send forth from Zion.’

In that passage the doctrine of Christ is metaphorically called a scepter, or is compared to a royal scepter, for Christ does not otherwise rule among us than by the doctrine of His Gospel. And there David declares that this scepter would be sent far abroad by God the Father, so that Christ might have under His rule all those nations which had been previously aliens.

Such is the meaning in this place, A law from Zion shall go forth. Then it follows, The word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. This is a repetition of the same sentiment, which is often the case. Then by תורה, ture, the Prophet means no other thing than doctrine; but, by another term, he confirms the same thing, that is, that God would be heard not only at Jerusalem and in Judea, but that He would make His word to be proclaimed everywhere.