Mic 4:1-4 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mic 4:1-5: 4:1-5 Micah’s prophecy moves from utter despair to an eruption of hope as he expresses the future exaltation of Mount Zion in Jerusalem. God’s plan to bless all nations (Gen 12:3 ) through Abraham’s descendants will be realized when the nations and the Lord’s people stream to the Lord ’s house ... to worship . There (1) they will learn to follow God’s law and teachings; (2) the law and teachings will flow out among the nations as they are carried forth from God’s house; (3) peace and well-being will grow among the nations as they turn their energies to peaceful purposes and abandon war; and (4) the people will live without fear, having security, prosperity, and blessing (Mic 4:4 ). The idols of the nations fail them, but Israel’s faithful God accomplishes all this; the prosperity he brings lasts for endless ages (4:5 ). Summary for Mic 4:1-2: 4:1-2 In the last days: God promised to act in history to establish his kingdom. • The mountain of the Lord ’s house was Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where Solomon’s Temple was built (see 2 Sam 24:18-25 ). It recalls Mount Sinai, the mountain of God (Exod 3:1 ; Num 10:33 ), where God appeared. The mountain of the Lord has significance as the place where God makes his identity known and his fellowship available. • teach us his ways ... his paths: The wisdom of God’s laws and the knowledge of his ways will give the nations life (Deut 4:6 ; 32:47 ).

a4:1-5►

bGen 12:3►

cMic 4:4►

d4:5►

e4:1-2►

f2 Sam 24:18-25►

gExod 3:1►

hNum 10:33►

iDeut 4:6►

j32:47►

k4:3►

l4:4►

m1 Kgs 4:25►

nIsa 36:16►

oZech 3:10►

‏ Micah 4:1-4

Summary for Mic 4:1-5: 4:1-5 ^a Micah’s prophecy moves from utter despair to an eruption of hope as he expresses the future exaltation of Mount Zion in Jerusalem. God’s plan to bless all nations (Gen 12:3 ^b) through Abraham’s descendants will be realized when the nations and the Lord’s people stream to the Lord’s house ... to worship. There (1) they will learn to follow God’s law and teachings; (2) the law and teachings will flow out among the nations as they are carried forth from God’s house; (3) peace and well-being will grow among the nations as they turn their energies to peaceful purposes and abandon war; and (4) the people will live without fear, having security, prosperity, and blessing (Mic 4:4 ^c). The idols of the nations fail them, but Israel’s faithful God accomplishes all this; the prosperity he brings lasts for endless ages (4:5 ^d).
Summary for Mic 4:1-2: 4:1-2 ^e In the last days: God promised to act in history to establish his kingdom.

• The mountain of the Lord’s house was Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where Solomon’s Temple was built (see 2 Sam 24:18-25 ^f). It recalls Mount Sinai, the mountain of God (Exod 3:1 ^g; Num 10:33 ^h), where God appeared. The mountain of the Lord has significance as the place where God makes his identity known and his fellowship available.

• teach us his ways ... his paths: The wisdom of God’s laws and the knowledge of his ways will give the nations life (Deut 4:6 ⁱ; 32:47 ^j).
4:3 ^k The shalom (“well-being, peace”) of the Lord will cover the earth, and instruments of destruction will be used for peaceful pursuits. From its earliest records, ancient history is an account of war, of one people’s subjugation of other peoples and nations. Warfare and violence reached a frenzied peak in the Assyrian and Babylonian kingdoms.

• swords into plowshares: Implements of war will become tools for production. Alternatively, some scholars believe that this phrase means reducing “swords into metal shards,” which would render them useless.
4:4 ^l Everyone will be free of enemies as in Solomon’s time (1 Kgs 4:25 ^m; cp. Isa 36:16 ⁿ; Zech 3:10 ^o).

• The prophets frequently described God as the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. This military title expresses his control of the universe and his unlimited power. The warrior kings of the ancient Near East were no match for the Lord.