Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Micah
Book: Micah
Chapter: 2
Overview:
The sins and desolations of
Israel.
(1-5) Their evil
practices.
(6-11) A promise of restoration.
(12,13)
1-5 Woe to the people that devise evil during the night, and
rise early to carry it into execution! It is bad to do mischief
On a sudden thought, much worse to do it with design and
forethought. It is of great moment to improve and employ hours
of retirement and solitude in a proper manner. If
Covetousness
reigns in the
Heart, compassion is banished; and when the
Heart
is thus engaged, violence and fraud commonly occupy the hands.
The most haughty and secure in prosperity, are commonly most
ready to despair in adversity. Woe to those from whom
God turns
away! Those are the sorest calamities which cut us off from the
Congregation of the
Lord, or cut us short in the enjoyment of
its privileges.
6-11 Since they say, "Prophesy not,"
God will take them at
their
Word, and their
Sin shall be their
Punishment. Let the
Physician No longer attend the patient that will not be healed.
Those are enemies, not only to
God, but to their country, who
silence good ministers, and stop the
Means of Grace. What bonds
will
Hold those who have
No reverence for
God's
Word? Sinners
cannot expect to
Rest in a land they have polluted. You shall
not only be obliged to depart out of this land, but it shall
destroy you. Apply this to our state in this present world.
There is corruption in the world through
Lust, and we should
keep at a distance from it. It is not our
Rest: it was designed
for our
Passage, but not for our portion; our
Inn, but not our
home; here we have
No continuing
City; let us therefore arise
and depart, let us seek a continuing
City above. Since they will
be deceived, let them be deceived. Teachers who recommend
self-indulgence
By their doctrine and
Example, best suit such
sinners.
12,13 These verses may refer to the
Captivity of
Israel and
Judah. But the
Passage is also a
Prophecy of the
Conversion of
the Jews to
Christ. The
Lord would not only bring them from
Captivity, and multiply them, but the
Lord Jesus would open
their way to
God,
By taking upon him the nature of
Man, and
By
the work of his
Spirit in their hearts, breaking the fetters of
Satan. Thus he has gone before, and the people follow, breaking,
in his strength, through the enemies that would stop their way
to
Heaven.