Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Plowshare Swords and Pruninghook Spears Micah 4:3


As Micah wrote of “the last days” which refers to the millenial age, he included prophecies concerning “many nations” coming to “the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob”. There the LORD “will teach” the people of those nations “his ways”, and they will “walk in his paths”. “The word of the LORD” will come from Jerusalem and “the law” will “go forth of Zion”. In chapter four and verse three, Micah the prophet shares how the nations will “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks” where we read:

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

The verse begins, “And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; As the LORD sits in the place of ruling authority in “the last days”, Micah wrote, “And he shall judge” or “govern, vindicate and decide controversy” “among many people” which refers to “much, numerous and a great number of nations”. He will also, “rebuke” or “to prove, decide, judge, reprove, correct, and be right over” “strong nations” which refers to “mighty vast and numerous people” “afar off” or “remote, far, distant, distant lands, and distant ones”. In other words, the LORD will have rule over the entire earth, and people from nations near and far will be judged and rebuked by Him.

The verse continues, “and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:” The result of the LORD's rule will be, “and they” speaking of these nations near and far, “shall beat” or “crush by beating, crush to pieces, and crush fine” “their swords” which refers to actual “swords or knives” “into plowshares” which are “hoes, mattoxes or other digging instruments”. Micah said they will also beat “their spears” or “javelins or spearheads” “into pruninghooks” which were “pruning knives” such as knives for pruning plants.

Finally the verse says, “nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” In addition to beating “their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:”, Micah wrote, “nation shall not lift up” which means “bear up, carry, or take” “a sword” or “knife or actual swords” “against nation” or “groups of people”. In addition Micah declared, “neither shall they learn” which means “teach in, exercise or be trained in” “war any more” which refers to “battle”. Can we even begin to imagine such a wonderful time as this?

As we take time to meditate upon Micah's words, we can use our imaginations to picture a time when men from nations near and far will no longer take up arms against one another. These “last days” written of by Micah will be a time when the LORD Jesus reigns and rules upon the earth, and there will be no injustice, warring, and great controversy allowed. The “peace on Earth” will be so abundant that weapons of warfare will be turned into agricultural tools, and there will be no need for military training or academies. It seems almost too good to be true, but the prophet Micah declared the words of the LORD concerning this time, and this period of peace indeed shall be. In light of this prophesy, perhaps we should offer up this prayer, “May the LORD Jesus return to the Earth very soon that we may live in peace upon the Earth in reality, and not simply declare it as an ideal”. “Even so come quickly LORD Jesus”. Amen.

Next time Micah shares how “none shall be afraid”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.




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