MICAH 2 - DIVINE PRINCIPLES OF GATHERING
MICAH 2 - DIVINE PRINCIPLES OF GATHERING
“Arise ye, and depart; for this is not the resting-place, because of defilement that bringeth destruction, even a grievous destruction”, verse 10. We have often been reminded that separation from evil is God’s principle of unity. There can be no resting-place for persons with holy desires, and a holy constitution, where there is defilement, because such will be convinced that defilement must bring destruction. The only safe thing is to depart from it. One special instruction for the last days is, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity”, 2 Timothy 2:19. This principle is of universal application; all saints can act upon it, and are under obligation to do so. Indeed, all divine principles are matters of obligation; they are in no wise optional,
[p. 34] because God ever has all His people in view. So we read in verse 12, “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, the whole of thee”. There is nothing sectional in the mind of God, or in the assembling ways of God. He had “the whole of thee” ever before Him. The direct tendency of every part of the truth is to lead to assembling. The Lord’s commandment to His own to love one another implies that they would be drawn together in face of the hatred of the world. In the very nature of things they would assemble as opportunity occurred. As having one Lord, and holding one Head, and being indwelt by one Spirit, and forming one body, they have the most powerful spiritual motives for assembling together. But these great realities are evidently true for all saints; they take in “the whole of thee” from the divine point of view, however little they may have been understood from our side.
Jacob represents God’s people viewed on the responsible side, so that the assembling of Jacob suggests that God will cause the exercise of assembling in a divine way, and according to divine order, to be raised amongst His people in view of it being worked out in a practical way. All saints would admit the desirability of this, but it is regarded by many as impracticable. But why should all men’s thoughts be practicable and God’s thoughts impracticable? This is an assumption which faith could not accept.
In assembling His people God has the positive side of their blessing before Him. He would have His saints to take up together their relations with Him according to His own thoughts of grace and love. Gathering the remnant of Israel is not quite the same thought; it views them as having been scattered. “That he should also gather together into one the children of God who were scattered abroad”, John 11: 52. Gathering has reference to a previous scattering, but assembling is to the positive blessedness of our divine relations. Indeed, there are three thoughts in this verse 12 of chapter 2; assembling, gathering, and putting together. The latter term is used of God’s people in the character of a flock of sheep, “in the midst of their pastures”. It is an important feature of God’s way that He puts His people together to feed. One of His first thoughts is that we should all be satisfied by feeding on the same spiritual food. Later in this book we learn wonderful things about the Shepherd who leads and feeds His flock, but here it is seen to be God’s work to put the flock together in the midst of their pastures. The fact that there are pastures is [p. 35] in itself a power of gathering; many thousands of saints have proved this; they would never have been where they are if the food supply had not attracted them. And this is not a contracted or limited idea, for we read, “They shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men”. Why should not a multitude enjoy the pastures which are available today? Perhaps we ought to make more noise about what is available. It may be that many have not heard how rich the pastures are. Perhaps a few words, or a little book handed on, might swell the volume of noise!
Isaiah speaks of “a very small remnant”, but this contemporary Micah speaks of a “multitude of men”. We need to keep both in mind. “A very small remnant” stands in contrast with the whole corrupt profession, but “a multitude of men” shows the largeness of God’s thought for all true saints. He has in mind that they should be put together in the rich pastures which He has provided. The ministry of His word is for all whose hearts value it. But they will have to come out of associations which God cannot own if they wish to be put together in divine pasturage.
A way out has been made for them. “One that breaketh through is gone up before them”, verse 13. Jehovah will break through every barrier that hinders His remnant from following Him in a future day, and He has done so in this day. It was a breaking through of everything conventional when the Lord led many of His saints to see that they need not remain identified with national systems, or with anything sectarian. He was making a way for the true assembling and gathering and putting together of His own. It needed faith to break forth from all that had the sanction of long usage just as it needed faith to break forth from Judaism at the beginning of our period. But there were those of whom it could be said, “They have broken forth, and have passed on to the gate, and are gone out by it”. Such language reminds us of Hebrews 13: 12 - 14: “wherefore also Jesus, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without the gate: therefore let us go forth to him without the camp, bearing his reproach: for we have not here an abiding city, but we seek the coming one”.
It was Jesus Himself who put forth His sheep from the Jewish fold, and went before them. It meant going into the place of reproach in the eyes of all who wished to maintain a traditional position, but it was in reality a most dignified going forth. There could be nothing more glorious than what is written here: “Their king passeth on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them”.
[p. 36] There will be a wonderful temple in Jerusalem at the time of which this scripture speaks prophetically. It is called in Scripture “the temple of God”, for it is so responsibly, but Antichrist will sit in it! 2 Thessalonians 2: 4. Every barrier that Satan can raise in that day will be set up to keep the faithful remnant in his own system of things. But the barriers will be broken down, and their King and Jehovah, both known in one divine Person, will be their Leader out of all that has become so evil. Jerusalem as full of unrighteousness must be left: they will flee out of it when they see the abomination that makes desolate standing in a holy place. Can we suppose that God will lead His remnant out of what is evil in holy places then, and leave them in association with what is evil in His sight today? Surely not! If any remain in what is Babylonish today it is because they disregard His call and leading.
The teaching of this chapter is as important for us today as it will be for the remnant of Israel in a coming day.