Calvin, Commentary on Micah, Part 13
(... continued from part 12)
Lecture Ninety-third
Chapter 6
Micah 6:1,2
Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the
mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye strong
foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his
people, and he will plead with Israel.
Here the Prophet avowedly assumes that the people were
sufficiently proved guilty; and yet they resisted through a
hardiness the most obdurate, and rejected all admonitions without
shame, and without any discretion. He is therefore commanded to
direct his discourse to the mountains and to the hills; for his
labour had now for a long time been useless as to men. The meaning
then is that when the Prophet had spent much labour on the people
and derived no fruit, he is at length bidden to call the mountains
and the hills to bear their testimony to God; and thus before the
elements is made known and proved the ungodliness and the obstinacy
of the people. But before he relates what had been committed to him,
he makes a preface, in order to gain attention.
"Hear ye what Jehovah says". The Prophets are wont, on very
serious subjects, to make such a preface as is here made by Micah:
and it is indeed sufficiently evident from the passage, that he has
here no ordinary subject for his teaching, but that, on the
contrary, he rebukes their monstrous stupidity; for he had been
addressing the deaf without any advantage. As then the Prophet was
about to declare no common thing, but to be a witness of a new
judgment, - this is the reason why he bids them to be unusually
attentive. Hear, he says, what Jehovah saith. What is it? He might
have added, "Jehovah has very often spoken to you, he has tried all
means to bring you to the right way; but as ye are past recovery,
vengeance alone now remains for you: he will no more spend labour in
vain on you; for he finds in you neither shame, nor meekness, nor
docility." The Prophet might have thus spoken to them; but he says
that another thing was committed to his charge by the Lord, and that
is, to contend or to plead before the mountains. And this reproach
ought to have most acutely touched the hearts of the people: for
there is here an implied comparison between the mountains and the
Jews; as though the Prophet said, - "The mountains are void of
understanding and reason, and yet the Lord prefers to have them as
witness of his cause rather than you, who exceed in stupidity all
the mountains and rocks." We now then perceive the design of God.
Some take mountains and hills in a metaphorical sense for the
chief men who then ruled: and this manner of speaking very
frequently occurs in Scripture: but as to the present passage, I
have no doubt but that the Prophet mentions mountains and hills
without a figure; for, as I have already said, he sets the hardness
of the people in opposition to rocks, and intimates, that there
would be more attention and docility in the very mountains than what
he had hitherto found in the chosen people. And the particle "'et"
is often taken in the sense of before: it means also with; but in
this place I take it for "lamed" before or near, as many instances
might be cited. But that this is the meaning of the Prophet it is
easy to gather from the next verse, when he says -
"Hear, ye mountains, the controversy of Jehovah", how? "and ye
strong foundations of the earth", he says. He speaks here no more of
hills, but summons the whole world; as though he said, "There is not
one of the elements which is not to bear witness respecting the
obstinacy of this people; for the voice of God will penetrate to the
farthest roots of the earth, it will reach the lowest depths: these
men will at the same time continue deaf." And he says not, the Lord
threatens you, or denounces judgment on you; but Jehovah has a
contention with his people. We now then see that there is no
metaphor in these words; but that the Prophet merely shows how
monstrous was the stupor of the people, who profited nothing by the
celestial doctrine delivered to them, so that the very mountains and
the whole machinery of earth and heaven, though destitute of reason,
had more understanding than these men. And it is not unusual with
the Prophets, we know, to turn their discourse to mute elements,
when there remains no hope of success from men. But our Prophet does
not abruptly address mountains and hills as Isaiah does, (Isa. 1:
2,) and as also Moses had done, 'Hear, ye heavens, what I shall say,
let the earth hear the words of my mouth,' (Deut. 32: 1,) but he
prefaces his discourse by saying, that it had been specially
commanded to him to summon the mountains and hills to God's
judgment. By saying then, "Hear ye what Jehovah saith," he prepares
as I have said, the Jews to hear, that they might know that
something uncommon and altogether unusual was to be announced, -
that the Lord, in order more fully to convict them of extreme
impiety, intended to plead his cause before the mountains.
"Arise, then, and plead before the mountains, and let the hills
hear thy voice". What sort of voice was this? They who think that
the judges are here figuratively pointed out may be easily refuted;
for Micah in the next verse mentions the substance of this pleading,
namely that the Lord expostulated with his people. We hence see that
God had no contention with the mountains, but that, on the contrary,
the mountains were summoned, that they might understand God's
pleading, not against them, but against the people. Hear then, ye
mountains, Jehovah's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the
earth, that is, the very rocks. There is nothing so hard in the
world, he says, that shall not be inane to hear; for this pleading
shall reach the lowest depths. Jehovah then has a controversy with
his people, and he will pleads or contend, with Israel. It follows -
Micah 6:3
O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied
thee? testify against me.
Here God, in the first place, offers to give a reason, if he
was accused of any thing. It seems indeed unbecoming the character
of God, that he should be thus ready as one guilty to clear himself:
but this is said by way of concession; for the Prophet could not
otherwise express, that nothing that deserved blame could be found
in God. It is a personification, by which a character; not his own,
is ascribed to God. It ought not therefore to appear inconsistent,
that the Lord stands forth here, and is prepared to hear any
accusation the people might have, that he might give an answer, "My
people! what have I done?" By using this kind expression, my people,
he renders double their wickedness; for God here descends from his
own elevation, and not only addresses his people, in a paternal
manner, but stands as it were on the opposite side, and is prepared,
if the people had anything to say, to give answer to it, so that
they might mutually discuss the question, as it is usually done by
friends. Now the more kindly and indulgently the Lord deals with his
people, the more enhanced, as I have said, is their sin.
He says first, What have I done to thee? that is, what hast
thou to accuse me with? He adds In what have I caused trouble to
thee? or, In what have I been troublesome to thee? Testify, he says,
against me. This testifying was to be made to the mountains and
hills; as though he said, "I am ready to plead my cause before
heaven and earth; in a word, before all my creatures." Some render
the passage, "Answer me:" and "'anah" is also to answer; but the
context requires the former meaning; for God conceded so much
liberty to the Jews, that they might bring forward against him any
fault they had to allege. Testify, he says, against me; that is,
there are witnesses present; make public now thy case by stating
particulars, I am ready for the defense. We hence see the truth of
what I have before stated, - that a character, not his own is
ascribed to God: but this is done by way of concession. He
afterwards adds -
Micah 6:4
For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee
out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron,
and Miriam.
God, having testified that he had in nothing been troublesome
to the people, now states with how great and with how many benefits
he had bound them to himself. But we may prefer taking the words as
explanatory and somewhat ironical that he records his benefits in
the place of trouble or vexation; though, in my judgment, it is
better to read the two clauses apart. "I have brought thee, he says,
from the land of Egypt", from that miserable bondage; and then he
says, "I have redeemed thee." By the word, redeem, he expresses more
clearly and more fully illustrates his kindness. Then he adds, "I
have set over thee as leaders Moses, and Aaron, and Miriam", the
sister of them both. Benefits, we know, are often accompanied with
injuries; and he who obliges another destroys all his favour, when
he turns kindness as it often happens, into reproach. It is hence
frequently the case, that he who has been kind to another brings so
serious an injury, that the memory of his kindness ought not to
continue. God mentions here these two things, - that he had
conferred vast benefits on the people, - and yet that he had in
nothing been burdensome to them; as though he said "Many are those
things which I can, if necessary, on my part bring forward, by which
I have more than a hundred times made thee indebted to me; now thou
canst not in thy turn bring anything against me; thou canst not say
that I have accompanied my benefits with wrongs, or that thou hast
been despised, because thou were under obligations to me, as it is
often the case with men who proudly domineer, when they think that
they have made others bound to them. I have not then thought proper
to accompany my great favors with anything troublesome or grievous
to thee." We now understand why the Prophet expressly mentions these
two things, - that God had in nothing been vexatious to his people,
- and that he had brought them up from the land of Egypt.
That redemption was so great, that the people ought not to have
complained, had it been the will of God to lay on their shoulders
some very heavy burdens: for this answer might have been ever
readily given, - "Ye have been delivered by me; ye owe to me your
life and your safety. There is therefore no reason why any thing
should be now burdensome to you; for the bondage of Egypt must have
been bitterer to you than hundred deaths; and I redeemed you from
that bondage." But, as the Lord had treated his redeemed people so
kindly and so humanely, yea, with so much indulgence, how great and
how intolerable was their ingratitude in not responding to his great
kindness? We now more fully understand the Prophet's meaning in
these words.
I have made thee to ascend, he says, from Egypt; and then, I
have redeemed thee. He goes on, as we have said, by degrees. He
afterwards adds, I have sent before thy face Moses, Aaron, and
Miriam. God means here that it had not been a momentary kindness;
for he continued his favor towards the Jews when he set over them
Moses and Aaron, and Miriam, which was an evidence of his constant
care, until he had completed his work of delivering them. For Moses
was a minister of their deliverance in upholding civil order, and
Aaron as to the priesthood and spiritual discipline. With regard to
Miriam, she also performed her part towards the women; and as we
find in the fifteenth chapter of Exodus, she composed a song of
thanksgiving after passing through the Red Sea: and hence arose her
base envy with regard to Moses; for being highly praised, she
thought herself equal to him in dignity. It is at the same time
right to mention, that it was an extraordinary thing, when God gave
authority to a women, as was the case with Deborah that no one may
consider this singular precedent as a common rule. It now follows -
Micah 6:5
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and
what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal;
that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.
God briefly records here what happened in the desert, - that
the people had need of some extraordinary help in addition to the
many benefits which he had conferred on them. For though the people
lived safely in the desert as to the Egyptians, though they were fed
by manna and water from the rock flowed for them, though the cloud
by day protected them from the heat of the sun, and the pillar of
fire shone on them during the night, yet the stream of God's mercy
seemed to have been stopped when Balaam came forth, who was a
Prophet, and then, as one armed with celestial weapons, fought
against the people and opposed their deliverance. Now, had God
permitted Balaam to curse the people, what could have taken place,
but that they must have been deprived of all their blessings? This
is the reason why the Prophet specifically refers to this history, -
that the cursing of Balaam was miraculously turned into a blessing,
even through the secret purpose of God. Micah might indeed have
referred to all those particulars by which God could have proved the
ingratitude of the people; but he deemed it sufficient to touch on
the fact of their redemption, and also to mention by the way this
extraordinary instance of God's kindness.
"Remember, he says, what Balak devised", that is, how crafty
was his counsel: for the verb "ya'atz" is to be taken here in a bad
sense, and is very emphatical; as though the Prophet had said, that
there was more danger in this fraud than in all the violence of
enemies; for Balak could not have done so much harm, had he prepared
a great army against the Israelites, as by hiring a Prophet to curse
the people. For certain it is, that though Balaam was an impostor
and full of deceits, as it is probable that he was a man given to
profane superstitions, he was yet endued with the gift of prophecy.
This was the case no doubt; and we know that God has often so
distributed the gifts of his Spirit, that he has honored with the
prophetic office even the ungodly and unbelieving: for it was a
special gift, distinct from the grace of regeneration. Balaam then
was a Prophet. Now when Balak saw that he was unequal in power to
oppose the people, he thought of this expedient - to get some
Prophet to interpose for the purpose of exciting the wrath of God
against the people. This is the reason why it is here said, Remember
what Balak consulted against thee; that is, "Thou were then in the
greatest danger, when a Prophet came, hired for the purpose, that he
might in God's name pronounce on thee a curse."
It may be asked, Whether Balaam could really curse the people
of Israel? The answer is easy: the question here is not what might
have been the effect, without God's permission; but Micah here
regards only the office with which Balaam was honored and endued. As
then he was God's Prophet, he could have cursed the people, had not
God prevented him. And no doubt Balak was wise enough to know, that
the Israelites could not be resisted by human power, and that,
therefore, nothing remained for him but the interposition of God;
and as he could not bring down God from heaven, he sent for a
Prophet. God puts his own power in his word, - as God's word resided
in Balaam, and as he was, as it were, its depositary, it was no
wonder that Balak thought that he would become the conqueror of the
people of Israel, provided they were cursed by Balaam's mouth; for
this would have been as it were, the announcement of God's wrath.
He now subjoins, "And what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered
him". There is here shown, on the one hand, a danger, because Balaam
was craftier than all the other enemies of the people, for he could
have done more by his artifice than if he had armed against them the
whole world: here then was the danger. But, on the other hand, we
know what he answered; and it is certain that the answer of Balaam
did not proceed from himself, but, on the contrary, from the Spirit
of God. As Balaam spoke by the secret influence of the Spirit,
contrary to the wish of his own heart, God thus proved that he was
present at that very time, when the safety of the people was
endangered. Think, then, or remember, what Balaam answered; as
though he said, - "Balaam was very nigh cursing thee, for his mouth
was opened: for he had sold himself to an ungodly king, and nothing
could have pleased him more than to have poured forth many anathemas
and many curses: but he was constrained to bless your fathers. What
did this mean? Did not the wonderful favor of God shine forth in
this instance?" We now perceive the Prophet's design, and what a
large meaning there is in these words.
He afterwards adds generally, "From Shittim even to Gilgal".
This is not connected with the last clause; for Balaam did not
follow the people from Shittim to Gilgal; but a verb is to be
understood, as though he said, - "Thou knowest what things happened
to thee from Shittim to Gilgal, from the beginning to the end; at
the time when thou didst enter the wilderness, thou hadst begun to
provoke the wrath of God." And we know that even in Shittim the
Israelites fell away into idolatry; and that defection, in a manner,
alienated them from God. Hence God shows here that he, in his
goodness and mercy, had contended with the ungodly ways of the
people even to Gilgal; that is, "Thou hast never ceased to provoke
me." We indeed know that the people continually excited against
themselves the displeasure of God, and that their defections were
many and various. In short, then the Prophet shows that God had so
mercifully dealt with the people, that he had, in a most astonishing
manner, overcome their wickedness by his goodness.
He at length subjoins, "That thou mayest know the
righteousnesses of Jehovah". By righteousnesses he means acts of
kindness, as the sense of the word is in many other passages: for
the righteousness of God is often taken not only for uprightness,
but also for the faithfulness and truth which he manifests towards
his people. It betokens therefore the relation between God and his
Church, whenever the word, righteousness, is to be understood in
this sense. That thou mayest then know the righteousnesses of
Jehovah; that is, that experience itself may prove to thee how
faithful, how beneficent, how merciful has God ever been towards
your race. Since then the righteousness of God was conspicuous, the
people must surely have been mute, and had nothing for which they
could justly expostulate with God: what remained, but that their
extreme impiety, fully detected before heaven and earth and all the
elements, exposed them to his judgment? It now follows -
Micah 6:6-8
6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before
the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with
calves of a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten
thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my
transgression, the fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul?
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?
The Prophet now inquires, as in the name of the people, what
was necessary to be done: and he takes these two principles as
granted, - that the people were without any excuse, and were forced
to confess their sin, - and that God had hitherto contended with
them for no other end and with no other design, but to restore the
people to the right way; for if his purpose had only been to condemn
the people for their wickedness, there would have been no need of
these questions. But the Prophet shows what has been often stated
before, - that whenever God chides his people, he opens to them the
door of hope as to their salvation, provided those who have sinned
repent. As this then must have been well known to all the Jews, the
Prophet here asks, as with their mouth, what was to be done.
He thus introduces them as inquiring, "With what shall I
approach Jehovah, and bow down before the high God? Shall I approach
him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old?" But at the
same time there is no doubt, but that he indirectly refers to that
foolish notion, by which men for the most part deceive themselves;
for when they are proved guilty, they indeed know that there is no
remedy for them, except they reconcile themselves to God: but yet
they pretend by circuitous courses to approach God, while they
desire to be ever far away from him. This dissimulation has always
prevailed in the world, and it now prevails: they see that they whom
God convicts and their own conscience condemns, cannot rest in
safety. Hence they wish to discharge their duty towards God as a
matter of necessity; but at the same time they seek some fictitious
modes of reconciliation, as though it were enough to flatter God, as
though he could be pacified like a child with some frivolous
trifles. The Prophet therefore detects this wickedness, which had
ever been too prevalent among them; as though he said, - "I see what
ye are about to say; for there is no need of contending longer; as
ye have nothing to object to God, and he has things innumerable to
allege against you: ye are then more than condemned; but yet ye will
perhaps say what has been usually alleged by you and always by
hypocrites, even this, - 'We wish to be reconciled to God, and we
confess our faults and seek pardon; let God in the meantime show
himself ready to be reconciled to us, while we offer to him
sacrifices.'" There is then no doubt, but that the Prophet derided
this folly, which has ever prevailed in the hearts of men: they ever
think that God can be pacified by outward rites and frivolous
performances.
He afterwards adds, "He has proclaimed to thee what is good".
The Prophet reproves the hypocrisy by which the Jews willfully
deceived themselves, as though he said, - "Ye indeed pretend some
concern for religion when ye approach God in prayer; but this your
religion is nothing; it is nothing else than shamelessly to
dissemble; for ye sin not either through ignorance or misconception,
but ye treat God with mockery." - How so? "Because the Law teaches
you with sufficient clearness what God requires from you; does it
not plainly enough show you what is true reconciliation? But ye
close your eyes to the teaching of the Law, and in the meantime
pretend ignorance. This is extremely childish. God has already
proclaimed what is good, even to do judgment, to love kindness and
to walk humbly with God." We now perceive the design of the Prophet.
As then he says here, "With what shall I appear before God?" we
must bear in mind, that as soon as God condescends to enter into
trial with men, the cause is decided; for it is no doubtful
contention. When men litigate one with another, there is no cause so
good but what an opposite party can darken by sophistries. But the
Prophet intimates that men lose all their labour by evasions, when
God summons them to a trial. This is one thing. He also shows what
deep roots hypocrisy has in the hearts of all, for they ever deceive
themselves and try to deceive God. How comes it that men, proved
guilty, do not immediately and in the right way retake themselves to
God, but that they ever seek windings? How is this? It is not
because they have any doubt about what is right except they
willfully deceive themselves, but because they dissemble and
willfully seek the subterfuges of error. It hence appears that men
perversely go astray when ever they repent not as they ought, and
bring not to God a real integrity of heart. And hence it also
appears that the whole world which continues in its superstitions is
without excuse. For if we scrutinize the intentions of men, it will
at length come to this, - that men carefully and anxiously seek
various superstitions, because they are unwilling to come before God
and to devote themselves to him, without some dissembling and
hypocrisy. Since it is so, certain it is, that all who desire to
pacify God with their own ceremonies and other trifles cannot by any
pretext escape. What is said here is at the same time strictly
addressed to the Jews, who had been instructed in the teaching of
the Law: and such are the Papists of this day; though they spread
forth specious pretenses to excuse their ignorance, they may yet be
refuted by this one fact, - that God has prescribed clearly and
distinctly enough what he requires: but they wish to be ignorant of
this; hence their error is at all times wilful. We ought especially
to notice this in the words of the Prophet; but I cannot proceed
farther now.
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast made known to us thy Law, and
hast also added thy Gospel, in which thou callest us to thy service,
and also invites us with all kindness to partake of thy grace, - O
grant, that we may not be deaf, either to thy command or to the
promises of thy mercy, but render ourselves in both instances
submissive to thee and so learn to devote all our faculties to thee,
that we may in truth avow that a rule of a holy and religious life
has been delivered to us in thy law, and that we may also firmly
adhere to thy promises, lest through any of the allurements of the
world, or through the flatteries and crafts of Satan thou shouldest
suffer our minds to be drawn away from that love which thou hast
once manifested to us in thine only-begotten Son and in which thou
daily confirmest us by the teaching of the Gospel, until we at
length shall come to the full enjoyment of this love in that
celestial inheritance, which has been purchased for us by the blood
of thy only Son. Amen.
Calvin, Commentary on Micah, Part 13
(continued in part 14...)
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