According to Micah the
prophet, though the nation of Judah was to be captured and removed
from their homeland to Babylon, they would return because the LORD
declared it to be so. Though their enemy would taunt them when they
were captured, their foes would be covered with shame and trampled in
the street for their insolence. The walls of Jerusalem were going to
be rebuilt, and in chapter seven and verse twelve of his prophesy,
Micah continued to share about the return of the people of Israel to
their country. We read:
In that day also he shall come even to you from
Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the
fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from
mountain to mountain.
The verse begins, “In that day also
he shall come even to you from Assyria, and from the
fortified cities,” Once again Micah employed the phrase, “In
that day” which means “time, period or division of time”
“also he shall come” which refers to “a person in
general coming in, bringing in or entering” “even to you from
Assyria” which refers to the nation of Assyria defined as “a
step”. Though the northern tribes of Israel were taken away to
“Assyria” they were going to return to their country, “and
from the fortified cities” which is the Hebrew word “matsowr”
and was a name for “Egypt” that means “siege and entrenchment”.
The verse continues, “and from the fortress even to the river,
and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.”
Not only would the people return from “Assyria” and
“fortified cities”, Micah declared, “and from the
fortress” which also refers to “Egypt” or the “siege and
entrenchment” “even to the river” which more than likely
refers to “the Euphrates river” “and from sea to sea”
which in Hebrew is “yam, yam” and demonstrates the widespread
return of the people, “and from mountain to mountain”
which in Hebrew is “har, har” and refers to the mountains and
hills surrounding the country. In other words, the people of Israel
will return to their homeland from far and wide even from “seas
to sea” and from “mountain to mountain”.
While
we think on Micah's words, we would benefit from realizing the
fulfillment of Micah's prophesy both after the captivity of Israel in
Babylon and in our modern day. In 1948, Israel became a nation again,
and Jewish people from around the world have been regathering to
their country. As was prophesied by Micah, the children of Israel
returned to their homeland after their captivity, and through them
the messiah Jesus was born. The LORD God Almighty does not inspire
prophesies in vain, and when He declares through His prophets that
people will gather from “Assyria”
to “Egypt” and
from “sea to sea”
and “mountain to mountain”
thus it shall be. The fulfillment of His declarations are examples of
“what God has said, He shall surely do”. If this be so with
prophesies concerning the people of Israel, how much more should it
be when Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth and the
life, and no man comes to the Father but by me”? Even
as the people of Israel regathered in their country, so must ever
person gather before the LORD God one day, and as the apostle Peter
asked in his first letter in chapter four and verse seventeen:
Next
time Micah writes about the desolate land, 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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