Matthew Henry Commentary Micah 7
Matthew Henry Commentary
Micah 7
Matthew Henry Commentary
Micah 7
"Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-ripe fig. The godly man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge [is ready] for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul: thus they weave it together. The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is [worse] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, is come; now shall be their perplexity. Trust ye not in a neighbor; put ye not confidence in a friend; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man`s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." — Micah 7:1-7 (ASV)
The prophet laments that he lived among a people swiftly ripening for ruin, a situation in which many good people would suffer. People found no comfort or satisfaction in their own families or with their closest relatives. Contempt for and violation of family responsibilities are a sad symptom of widespread corruption. Those who are undutiful to their parents are never likely to fare well.
The prophet saw no safety or comfort except in looking to the Lord and waiting for the God of his salvation. When facing trials, we should continually look to our Divine Redeemer, so that we may have strength and grace to trust in him and to be examples to those around us.
"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness. Then mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her who said unto me, Where is Jehovah thy God? Mine eyes shall see [my desire] upon her; now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. A day for building thy walls! in that day shall the decree be far removed. In that day shall they come unto thee from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and [from] mountain to mountain. Yet shall the land be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings." — Micah 7:8-13 (ASV)
Those truly penitent for sin will see great reason to be patient under affliction. When we complain to the Lord about the badness of the times, we ought to complain against ourselves for the badness of our hearts. We must depend on God to work deliverance for us in due time.
We must not only look to him, but also look for him. In our greatest distresses, we will see no reason to despair of salvation if, by faith, we look to the Lord as the God of our salvation. Though enemies triumph and insult, they will be silenced and put to shame.
Though Zion's walls may long lie in ruins, there will come a day when they will be repaired. Israel will come from all the remote parts, not turning back because of discouragements. Though our enemies may seem to prevail against us and to rejoice over us, we should not despond.
Though cast down, we are not destroyed; we may join hope in God's mercy with submission to his correction. No hindrances can prevent the favors the Lord intends for his church.
"Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thy heritage, which dwell solitarily, in the forest in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt will I show unto them marvellous things. The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; they shall come with fear unto Jehovah our God, and shall be afraid because of thee. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in lovingkindness. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the lovingkindness to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." — Micah 7:14-20 (ASV)
When God is about to deliver His people, He stirs up their friends to pray for them. Spiritually apply the prophet's prayer to Christ: that He take care of His church, as the great Shepherd of the sheep, and go before them while they are here in this world as in a wood, in this world, but not of it. God promises, in answer to this prayer, that He will do for them what will be a repetition of the miracles of former ages.
Just as their sin brought them into bondage, so God's pardoning their sin brought them out. All who find pardoning mercy cannot help but wonder at that mercy; we have reason to stand amazed if we know what it is. When the Lord takes away the guilt of sin, so that it may not condemn us, He will break the power of sin, so that it may not have dominion over us. If left to ourselves, our sins will be too hard for us; but God's grace will be sufficient to subdue them, so that they will not rule us, and then they will not ruin us.
When God forgives sin, He ensures that it will never be remembered anymore against the sinner. He casts their sins into the sea; not near the shore-side, where they might appear again, but into the depths of the sea, never to rise again. All their sins will be cast there, for when God forgives sin, He forgives all.
He will perfect what concerns us, and with this good work, He will do all for us that our condition requires and that He has promised. These commitments relate to Christ, the success of the gospel to the end of time, the future restoration of Israel, and the final prevailing of true religion in all lands. The Lord will perform His truth and mercy; not one jot or tittle of it will fall to the ground: Faithful is He that has promised, who also will do it.
Let us remember that the Lord has given the security of His covenant, for strong consolation to all who flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them in Christ Jesus.
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