Arise and Thresh Micah 4:13

Because of their rebellion and sin against the LORD, the people of Samaria and Jerusalem were told by the prophet Micah they were destined to be overcome by enemies and taken into Babylon. Other nations would look upon them and rejoice in their demise, however, these nations overlooked the idea that the LORD was watching over Israel and would gather these nations “as sheaves into the floor” for Jerusalem where He would allow the people of Israel to rule over them. In chapter four and verse thirteen, Micah instructed Jerusalem to “Arise and Thresh” where we read:

Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass: and you shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

The verse begins, “Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass:” While we keep in mind that the LORD was to assemble the nations who were against Israel to Jerusalem like wheat that is gather to a “threshing-floor”, we begin to understand what Micah meant when he instructed, “Arise and thresh” which means “stand, raise and build up and tread or trample upon” “O daughter of Zion” which refers to the children of the “parched place” or “Jerusalem”. Micah continued, “for I will make” or “place, appoint or set” “your horn iron” which refers to “their power and strength as strong as iron”. Micah adds, “and I will make your hoofs brass” which refers to the “claw or foot portion” of Jerusalem like “bronze or copper”. The idea is that Jerusalem will be so strong against these other nations that they will be dominated and controlled by their power and might.

The verse continues, “and you shall beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.” In addition to threshing the enemy nations against Israel, Micah adds, “and you shall beat in pieces” which means “to crush, pulverize and thresh” “many people” or “many nations” “and I will consecrate” which means “to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction and exterminate” “their gain” or “profit, unjust gain or gain (profit) acquired by violence” “unto the LORD” or to “Yehovah or Jehovah”. Micah continued, “and their substance” which refers to their “strength, might, wealth, army, ability and efficiency” “unto the Lord” or “master” “of the whole earth” which refers to all the “land, territory and countries” on the earth. The people of Israel and Jerusalem were to overcome “many people” and gather their “substance” unto the LORD as He rules the entire Earth and all the people within it.

As we think about these statements which were actually from the LORD as dictated by Micah the prophet, we may begin to understand how the LORD has everything within His control. Though these surrounding evil nations were rejoicing in Jerusalem's demise, the LORD was watching over their degradation and would retaliate in His own good timing. Sometimes it may appear that wicked people are getting away with their pilferage and evil, but the LORD is watching, and His timing for retribution or threshing may be different than ours. We may know this, the LORD loves His own, and when others are delighting in His people's judgment, He doesn't watch them in disregard. May we be encouraged in two areas as we ponder God's love for us: First, He sees when others rejoice over our plights, and secondly, He will take vengeance into His own hands when He pleases.

Next time we will begin a new chapter as Micah tells how the judge of Israel shall be smitten upon his cheek, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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