In adversity among many antagonists, God had highly skilled as to be chosen to serve officially unfailingly provided for him: at the court of King Saul, in order to assuage “You prepare a table before me in the the malign humours that assailed the king after presence of my enemies; his rejection by Samuel in favour of ‘a man after You anoint my head with oil [as Samuel God’s own heart.’ had done]; How ironic that David, already chosen and My cup runs over. anointed as that very man, should serve in this Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me way! His musical proficiency whilst so young, all the days of my life; normally the result of much practice and training, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD supports the idea that, besides learning melody forever” (vv. 5,6, NKJV). with the aid of his shepherd’s pipe, David, in- Could the blessings and hopes of God’s flock have spired by the Holy Spirit, practised harmony been more beautifully and movingly expressed? and composition at Samuel’s school for prophets But what else did David learn as he looked at Ramah. Thus was he taught to “Sing unto the after his father’s sheep? The Scriptures show LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice that around this time he became a musician so of a psalm” (Ps. 98:5, AV).

(To be continued)

Exposition The prophecy of Micah 7. I will assemble her that halteth

Mark Allfree of the times, it was not a fulfilment In the previous study we saw that Micah looked forward of prophecies such as this concerning to the time of future glory when Jerusalem will be Israel’s restoration. This is evident established as the capital city of the Kingdom of God and from what Micah says here, for three there will be peace in the earth. In that day all nations reasons at least: will learn of God’s ways and walk in His paths, and there 1. The “day” referred to will be a hierarchy of nations with Israel at the head, in represents the Kingdom age fulfilment of the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:13: “And the Micah begins this section of his LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou prophecy with the phrase “In that shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.” The day . . .” This clearly relates back to establishment of the Kingdom of God is thus interlinked the day spoken of in the previous verses, which prophesy the coming with the restoration of Israel, and it is of Israel’s future of the Kingdom of God: “But in the restoration that Micah continues to speak. last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD N THAT DAY, saith the LORD, will I assemble shall be established in the top of the mountains, her that halteth, and I will gather her that and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people “Iis driven out, and her that I have afflicted; shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and I will make her that halted a remnant, and and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from and He will teach us of His ways, and we will henceforth, even for ever” (Mic. 4:6,7). The point walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of bears repetition that, although the regathering of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” the Jews to their land in 1948 was a notable sign (vv. 1,2). Micah’s prophecies of Israel’s restoration The Testimony, November 2010 325 will thus meet their fulfilment in the Kingdom hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank” of God. (Gen. 32:31,32). Quite apart from the physical disability that Jacob suffered at the hands of the 2. The Lord must first return angel of the Lord, at this time in his life Jacob was It is clear from Micah 4:7 that the return of the in great peril. He was in fear of his life because Lord Jesus Christ is a prerequisite for Israel’s Esau his brother, who had vowed to kill him, was restoration: “And I will make her that halted a in hot pursuit: “And the messengers returned to remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred Zion from henceforth, even for ever.” Before the men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and sheep can be assembled as a flock in the midst of distressed: and he divided the people that was with their fold, the Shepherd King must be in the earth. him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; and said, If Esau come to the one 3. Micah is concerned with the restoration company, and smite it, then the other company of the whole house of Israel which is left shall escape” (vv. 6-8). We have seen in previous articles that Micah As a result of Jacob’s fear, his family was di- looked forward to the restoration of all twelve vided up and scattered from him. Jacob himself tribes: “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of was left alone, and in his distress he called upon thee” (2:12). The same emphasis is present here his God and asked Him to deliver him from his in chapter 4, where he refers once again to the strong enemy: “Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the patriarch Jacob: “In that day, saith the LORD, will hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I assemble her that halteth [Heb. tsala, to limp], and I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I the mother with the children” (v. 11). have afflicted” (v. 6). The allusion is, of course, to Jacob’s prayer was heard. The angel of God Genesis 32, when Jacob wrestled with the angel, met him and he received a blessing. When Esau and halted upon his thigh. finally met him there was reconciliation, his fam- ily was gathered together once again and his life Her that halteth was preserved. In the context of Israel’s restoration, we may well ask why Micah makes a specific reference to “her Jacob’s trouble that halteth.” What is the special significance of this It is clear from Micah’s allusion to this particular particular event in the life of the patriarch Jacob? time in Jacob’s life in the context of the restoration It would appear to be that Micah, by speaking of of Israel that these are representative events. The Israel as “her that halteth . . . is driven out . . . circumstances that were played out in the life of afflicted,” is making the point that at the time Jacob will also be the experience of the house of Israel’s restoration they will be saved from of Jacob, the people of Israel, in the latter days. great adversity. The emphasis is thus on Israel’s Jeremiah saw this when he said, concerning the afflictions. Just as God afflicted Jacob when the future downtreading of the house of Israel at the angel touched his thigh, so God would afflict His hands of Gog, “Alas! for that day is great, so that people—but He would ultimately save them from none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; such affliction. In fact, the Hebrew is translated but he shall be saved out of it” (30:7). on one occasion by the word ‘adversity,’ which Jacob is going to be in distress once again, helps to confirm this point: “But inmine adversity when the armies of Gog come down and tread they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: in the Land. Just as Jacob was pursued by his yea, the abjects gathered themselves together strong enemy, with the result that his family against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, were scattered from him, so in the latter days and ceased not” (Ps. 35:15). the very existence of the house of Jacob will be The particular time in Jacob’s life when he threatened by the Gentile oppressor. But, just as halted upon his thigh was indeed a time of great God was with Jacob, so He is going to save His adversity: “And as he passed over Penuel the sun people from trouble. rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Jeremiah speaks of this again, in 31:10,11: Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the “Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, 326 The Testimony, November 2010 and Rachel travailed, and she had Jacob The people of Israel hard labour. And it came to pass, In trouble: Esau seeks his life “It is even the time of Jacob’s when she was in hard labour, that the trouble” (Jer. 30:7) midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came His family are scattered from Driven out . . . scattered . . . to pass, as her soul was in depart- him afflicted ing, (for she died) that she called his Seeks deliverance from God Israel repents and turns to God name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and Redeemed from the hand of “The LORD hath redeemed was buried in the way to Ephrath, his enemy Jacob, and ransomed him which is Beth-lehem. And Jacob set from the hand of him that was a pillar upon her grave: that is the stronger than he” (Jer. 31:11) pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day. And Israel journeyed, and spread his as a shepherd doth his flock. For the ORDL hath tent beyond the tower of Edar.” This was where Jacob redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the grew great and expanded. hand of him that was stronger than he.” Here It has already been established that Micah in his clearly the prophet has Jacob’s encounter with prophecy sees Jacob as a representative man. As Esau in mind. Just as God delivered Jacob from the father of the twelve tribes, some of the things the hand of Esau, so He will save His people from that took place in Jacob’s life are to be reflected the Gentiles in the latter days. In remembrance of in the experiences of the nation that came from the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and him. This is the case here. Jacob spreading his Jacob, He will gather them “as a shepherd doth his tent beyond the tower of Edar represents Israel flock.” in the Kingdom Age, when they will become a How significant, therefore, that the prophet great and mighty nation, and the Kingdom will Micah continues to speak of the salvation of the come to the tower of the flock, the stronghold of house of Jacob, the flock of God, as the fulfilment the daughter of Zion. of the covenants of promise: “and I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast The son of my sorrow far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign As the narrative in Genesis 35 reveals, before Jacob over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even grew great and spread his tent beyond the tower for ever” (4:7)! God had promised to Abraham, of Edar another very significant event took place: “I will make of thee a great nation” (Gen. 12:2), Rachel his wife went into hard labour. and this will begin to see its fulfilment when the She died in childbirth on the way to Ephrath, people of Israel that have been driven out and which is Bethlehem, calling the son who was afflicted will become a strong and mighty nation brought forth, ‘the son of my sorrow.’ But Jacob in the midst of the Land. called him ‘the son of the right hand,’ Benjamin. It was only after this tragic event in the life of The tower of the flock Jacob that he was able to spread his tent beyond The focus of the restored kingdom of Israel will be the tower of Edar. the city of Jerusalem, from whence the righteous Rachel was Jacob’s wife. By marriage she rulership of the Shepherd King will be established. had become one flesh with him. But she was an Thus Micah continues, “And thou, O tower of the idolater, and she never altogether relinquished flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, the gods of her father’s house. Just as Jacob is unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; a representative man, so Rachel can be seen as the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jeru- representative of faithless, idolatrous Israel. Jeremiah salem” (4:8). In keeping with the theme of the uses Rachel to represent Israel in chapter 31, where shepherd and the sheep, Jerusalem is described he speaks about “Rahel weeping for her children” as the “tower of the flock [Heb. edar],” a most (v. 15; Mt. 2:18). On the way to Ephrath, which is interesting phrase that directs us to consider once Bethlehem, she brought forth a man child, whom again the life of the patriarch Jacob. she called ‘the son of my sorrow.’ She did not We come across the same phrase in Genesis acknowledge Benjamin as ‘the son of the right 35:16-21: “And they journeyed from Beth-el; and hand.’ Similarly, when Jesus Christ was born in there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: Bethlehem of Judea, “He came unto his own, and The Testimony, November 2010 327 of Jerusalem, and Jesus Christ will Rachel The people of Israel “restore again the kingdom to Israel” Brings forth a son on the way Jesus Christ born in (Acts 1:6). to Ephrath Bethlehem of Judea Be in pain and labour to bring Calls him ‘the son of my Jesus Christ rejected of his forth sorrow’ own generation Having spoken of the coming of Hard labour Israel’s affliction by the the kingdom to the daughter of Gentiles Jerusalem, Micah continues to de- clare that Israel’s travail must come Dies Faithless Israel to die before first: “Now why dost thou cry out she becomes a great nation aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy Jacob calls his son ‘the son Israel accepts Jesus as counsellor perished? for pangs have of the right hand’ Messiah taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O Jacob spreads his tent Israel becomes a great daughter of Zion, like a woman in beyond the tower of Edar nation. The kingdom comes travail: for now shalt thou go forth to the tower of the flock out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to his own received him not” (Jno. 1:11). That faith- Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the less generation failed to recognise that Jesus was LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine indeed the Son of God’s right hand. enemies” (4:9,10). But then Rachel died while in travail. It was Here was the beginning of the process of Is- only after this that Jacob was able to spread his rael’s travail. They were going to be taken captive tent beyond the tower of Edar. The significance into Babylon—a remarkable prediction for Micah of this is that, before the children of Israel can to make at a time when Babylon had not yet become the great and mighty nation promised reached its ascendancy. This was to be the begin- to Abraham, they themselves must suffer travail ning of a refining and purifying process that will and their faithlessness has effectively to be put to be completed only in the latter days when faithless death. Only when, in the extremity of their suffer- Israel dies in the furnace of affliction and God’s ing, they learn to turn to God in faith and accept people finally turn to him in faith and obedience. Jesus as their Messiah, the Son of the right hand, In that day they will look upon him whom they will the former dominion come to the daughter have pierced, and will mourn for him. (To be continued)

328 The Testimony, November 2010