MICAH 7 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 457] MICAH 7 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC Last week we saw how Jehovah reminded His backsliding people of His ways of grace with them and that He looked for fruit, for them to take up this doing justly and loving goodness and walking humbly with their God. If grace does not bring forth this fruit, His chastening rod comes into action and the people have to suffer under His government for their grievous departure. In chapter 7 the prophet becomes the representative of the remnant that Jehovah would secure for Himself and whose sin and iniquity He would pardon and on whose behalf He would carry out His promises. In this chapter we get the exercises of the godly remnant and the deliverance in which they result.
Ques Is that why “there is no cluster to eat” in verse 1? The collective thought has broken down?
CAC Yes, the prophet has to feel the terrible state of the people of God (amongst whom he served) and that is a great exercise for those who have faith and fear God, to see so much evil among God’s people. It is an exercise that has a very large place in Scripture; the Psalms are full of it. The great subject of the Psalms is the exercise of God’s saints as being in the midst of terrible evil amongst God’s people — not the world generally speaking. Well, that exercise is always present with us — if all is evil — that is, with those that fear God. Quite as terrible things are said of Christians in the New Testament as were ever said in the Old. Paul has to say of Christians, “All seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2: 21), and he says many Christians walk, “of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3: 4) — that is Christians.
Ques Why of the cross of [p. 458] Christ?
CAC Because that is what they hated.
Rem It is a more or less individual path.
CAC That is the key to the portion — the terrible things among God’s people have the effect of isolating those who fear Him. If we do not know much about what it is to be isolated we shall not know much about what it is to be gathered. This exercise that isolates the prophet is what qualifies him to be a gathering centre. So it is in Timothy; we are to take note of all the terrible things marking Christians, not the heathen world. “Having a form of piety but denying the power of it”. It isolated Moses; this individual exercise is most important. If we fear God we shall feel wrong among His people; we shall be isolated and completely shut up to God; that is what we began with — verse 7. The prophet has got to a point that he cannot trust anybody. I think it was a right exercise with Elijah, and God comforted him, “I have left myself seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal”. It says here he cannot trust the one that lies in his bosom. At that point God says, ‘Can you trust Me?’ I can.
Rem “I commit you to God, and to the word of his grace”, Paul said to the elders in Acts 20.
CAC I think Paul did it in the confession that there was nothing to trust but God and the word of His grace. Well, that will carry us through. There will be people patterned after the prophet. He was sanctified through his very distress. It is intended to sanctify us, and that is how others are sanctified; it may be a few only; and the walls being built is an assembly thought. According to that verse it is an individual exercise and he feels there is nothing for it but Jehovah, He is the only One to be trusted.
Rem On the day the walls are built it says the established limit will recede.
CAC Of course it will. It means enlargement; if the limits recede there is more room.
There is something very much worse than the conduct of the people of God — this female enemy. (See note in Darby Translation to verses 8, 10.) It transpires in [p. 459] our day.
Ques Is it a false system?
CAC I thought so, worse than bad conduct. To have a system opposed to what is of God is far worse than bad conduct. There is a false woman, a system called the great harlot and in deadly opposition to what is of God. The enemy referred to here specifically is the apostate Jews that will seek the favour of antichrist, the fierce enemy of those who fear God. Coming to the king with ointments and rings she makes herself as attractive as possible to the antichrist. The remnant of Jews will be permeated by this system — something like the synagogue of Satan — a system that is really satanic, marked by what is traditional and ceremonial, so in Revelation we find she is drunk with the blood of the saints and will not have what is of God. We are surrounded in christendom by a system that is built up on a refusal of grace and truth where the natural man is given place and there is persecution of those who are godly. But this wickedness is only building up what is of God in the prophet, it only sanctifies the people. And he is brought to see himself in the true light. It is like passing from Isaiah 5 to Isaiah 6. In chapter 5, “Woe unto them”, but in chapter 6, “Woe is me”. It has an effect like that on the prophet (verses 8, 9); that is, he is going through the exercise himself, for he is a poor failing thing himself. And Daniel had to find that all his comeliness turned into ashes. So here without God Himself Micah would never have arisen. He has nothing to plead in verse 9. That is going down to the bottom — then he comes into the light. He is conscious of being under the indignation of Jehovah for his own sin. Faith always counts upon God taking up our cause. “I will bear the indignation of Jehovah — for I have sinned against him — until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light; I shall behold his righteousness”. It is perfectly delightful. Every man convicted of sin counts on God taking up his cause. He goes home and gets on his knees; that is, he counts on God helping him. It ought to encourage us to be very ready to go down, for we can count on God. It is a very blessed thing that [p. 460] attraction to God always goes along with conviction of sin — like it did with Peter. And then we learn God’s righteousness. Seeing God’s righteousness is far better than having one of my own. Properly speaking, a Christian is never sitting in darkness; this is the way the soul comes to the realised blessedness that we had in the previous chapter — God’s way of righteousness made known in grace to an utterly unworthy people. Those who have to do with God will see the destruction of Babylon, and it is as seeing the destruction of Babylon that we really come to the city of God; it is after her overthrow that we come to new Jerusalem. We must see it as a destroyed thing before we can get any right apprehension of God’s things. It is very striking to see the setting of all this, the judgment of the opposing system and the walls set up of a system for God, and there is a gathering point and they come from all quarters.
Ques Has it a present application — Babylon fallen?
CAC Yes, I think the one precedes the other. We see that all of man marked by human glory is coming down, and then we turn to contemplate the divine thought and that the building of the walls has begun. Those in the remnant position are spoken of as “dwelling alone in the forest”; they are not in Jerusalem yet, but they rally to the exercises of the prophet and are there to be fed.
There is a centre of gathering that comes into evidence in that way, and Jehovah takes them on and feeds them and undertakes to do everything for them as in the days of their coming forth out of Egypt. He had to do it all Himself, and He is doing it all Himself now. We have little idea of the pleasure God has in feeding those cast upon Himself and who confess they have no righteousness but Himself, and He does wonders for them. It is to be noted what is presented here; it is not about the house or the city or the millennium, but the blessedness of knowing Him as a God of forgiveness; that is, to be brought to God — that is the greatest of all, God known in forgiveness. There is only one place where you can find forgiveness, I am certain of it — and I repeat it with [p. 461] emphasis. Where must forgiveness be? It could only be in one place, it must be in the heart of the One offended against. In natural things only the one who has been wronged can forgive, and forgiveness is in the heart, not in the head. Forgiveness can only be found in the heart of God. The only footing sinful creatures can be on with God is forgiveness. What we think to be humility is often unbelief and, at the bottom, pride. It is a climax here, and I do not think that till today I understood the blessedness of it. You would think the kingdom would be spoken of, but no, Micah speaks of what it is to be brought to God known in forgiveness, of a people morally brought near to a forgiving God who delights in loving-kindness. So the assembly is really the home of forgiveness because God is known in the character of forgiveness, and nobody can take from me the privilege of forgiving.
Rem Forgiveness is really the basis of love.
CAC I am sure of that. We find it much easier to believe that God would forgive us before conversion than after. The administration of it depends on our confessing, but the forgiveness was there from the first. It is our privilege to forgive before the person says one word of regret. It may have to wait, you may not be able to say it. It is the state of my own heart I have to think of. If my heart is not corresponding with God’s heart I am far from Him. It is my privilege to take on God’s character; it is the highest of all ground, it has impressed me very much today. Nobody can approach God, having anything in his heart against anybody. We all need to be imbued with this spirit. I am the person that suffers if I hold a feeling against anybody, and the thing is to eliminate all suffering from my heart. It is like the year of release, it is a privilege for the creditor. Otherwise we do not uphold the spirit of the dispensation. Christians are often in darkness because they cannot forgive. If they cannot forgive they are not like God.
The climax of it all is that we come to God known in forgiveness, and there is only one thing necessary to add; if we are brought to God in forgiveness the ground is cleared for [p. 462] God to fulfil all His promises and all His purposes. It is fine! It is the comfort of those suffering under the enemy’s power and God having dealt with it could act in grace to Assyria. So Assyria is going to be blessed with Egypt in the world to come along with Israel. There is a popular prophecy that Nineveh will be rebuilt and that the Lord will not come till after that — it is all putting off the Lord’s coming. But it is very striking that when the thing is judged in its head and centre, He can then act in grace and bring blessing to the country.
God is going to make an end of Babylon and Assyria. After that He will produce a new Assyria, as He will produce a new Israel and a new Egypt, and will do it on the basis of the death of Christ and of the redemption that is in His own mind. There are two great powers acting in Europe today. My own impression is the devil is trying to hurry up things in Europe before the time (he is trying for imperialism); therefore he will be checked. Perhaps in a short time they will succeed.