Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Micah
Book: Micah
Chapter: 1
Overview:
The wrath of
God against
Israel.
(1-7) Also against
Jerusalem
and other cities, Their precautions vain.
(8-16)
1-7 The
Earth is called upon, with all that are therein, to
hear the
Prophet.
God's holy
Temple will not protect false
professors. Neither men of high degree, as the mountains, nor
men of low degree, as the valleys, can secure themselves or the
land from the
Judgments of God. If
Sin be found in
God's people
he will not spare them; and their sins are most provoking to
him, for they are most reproaching. When we feel the smart of
Sin, it behooves us to seek what is the
Sin we smart for. Persons
and places most exalted, are most exposed to spiritual diseases.
The vices of leaders and rulers shall be surely and sorely
punished. The
Punishment answers the
Sin. What they gave to
idols, never shall prosper, nor do them any good. What is got
By
one
Lust, is wasted
On another.
8-16 The
Prophet laments that
Israel's case is desperate; but
declare it not in
Gath. Gratify not those that make merry with
the sins or with the sorrows of
God's
Israel.
Roll thyself in
the
Dust, as mourners used to do; let every
House in
Jerusalem
become a
House of Aphrah, "a
House of
Dust." When
God makes the
House Dust it becomes us to humble ourselves to the
Dust under
his mighty
Hand. Many places should share this mourning. The
names have meanings which pointed out the miseries coming upon
them; thereby to awaken the people to a holy fear of Divine
wrath. All refuges but
Christ, must be refuges of lies to those
who trust in them; other heirs will succeed to every inheritance
but that of
Heaven; and all
Glory will be turned into shame,
except that honour which cometh from
God only. Sinners may now
disregard their neighbours' sufferings, yet their turn to be
punished will some come.