BibleTools.info

He shall stand and feed - The Messiah shall remain with his followers, supporting and governing them in the strength and majesty of the Lord, with all the miraculous interferences of his power, and all the glories of his grace.

And they shall abide - After this the Jews shall no more go astray, but shall remain one people with the Gentiles, under the one Shepherd and Bishop of all souls.

Newcome translates, "They shall be converted" for instead of וישבו veyashebu, he reads וישובו veyashubu, which gives him the translation above. This is the reading of three MSS. of Kennicott's and De Rossi's, with the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate.

For now shall he be great - The Messiah shall be great, as bringing salvation to the ends of the earth. All nations shall receive his religion, and he shall be universal King.

And He shall stand - The prophet continues to speak of personal acts of this Ruler who was to be born. He was not to pass away, not to rule only by others, but by Himself. To stand is the attitude of a servant, as Jesus, although God and Lord of all, said of Himself, “He shall come forth and serve them” Luke 12:37; “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” Matthew 20:28. “He shall stand” as a Shepherd Isaiah 61:5, to watch, feed, guard them, day and night; “He shall stand,” as Stephen saw Christ “standing on the Right Hand of God” Acts 7:55, “to succor all those who suffer for Him.”: “For to sit belongs to one judging; to stand, to one fighting or helping.” “He shall stand,” as abiding, not to pass from them, as Himself saith, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” Matthew 28:20: and He shall feed His flock by His Spirit, His Word, His Wisdom and doctrine, His example and life; yea, by His own Body and Blood Psalm 23:1.

In the strength of the Lord - He, who feedeth them with divine tenderness, shall also have divine might, His Father‘s and His own, to protect them; as He saith, “My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them and they follow Me, neither shall any man pluck them out of My Hand. My Father Which gave them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father‘s Hand. I and My Father are One” John 10:27-30. With authority, it is said, “He commandeth even the unclean spirits and they come out” Luke 4:36. His feeding or teaching also was “with authority, and not as the scribes” Matthew 7:29.

In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God - As John says, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of His Father” John 1:14; and He saith, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth” Matthew 28:18; so that the divine glory should shine through the majesty of His teaching, the power of His Grace, upholding His own, and the splendor of the miracles wrought by Him and in His Name. “Of the Name of the Lord;” as He saith again, “Holy Father, keep through Thine own Name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy Name” John 17:11-12.: “Whoever then is sent to feed His flock must stand, that is, be firm and unshaken; feed, not sell, nor slay; and feed in might, that is, in Christ.” His God, as our Lord Himself, as Man, saith, “Unto My Father, and your Father, and to My God and your God”.

But that Majesty He Himself wields, as no mere man can; He Himself is invested with it.: “To ordinary kings God is strength Psalm 28:7; Psalm 140:7, or gives strength 1 Samuel 2:10; men have strength in God; this Ruler is clad in the strength of the Lord, that same strength, which the Lord hath, whose is strength. Of Him, as Israel‘s King, the same is said as of the Lord, as King of the whole earth Psalm 93:1; only that the strength of the Messiah is not His own, but the Lord‘s. He is invested with the strength of the Lord, because He is Man; as Man, He can be invested with the whole strength of the Lord, only because He is also God.”

And they shall abide - (Literally, sit, dwell) in rest and security and unbroken peace under Christ their Shepherd and their King; they shall not wander to and fro as heretofore “He, their Shepherd, shall stand; they shall sit.” “The word is the more emphatic, because it stands so absolutely. This will be a sitting or dwelling, which will indeed deserve the name. The original promise, so often forfeited by their disobedience should be perfectly fulfilled; “and ye shall dwell in your land safely, and I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid”. So Amos and Micah had before promised. And this is the result of the greatness of the promised Ruler, as the like promise of the Psalm is rested on the immutability of God; “Thou art the Same, and Thy years shall have no end. The children of Thy servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before Thee.” Psalm 102:27-28. For it follows,”

For now - (In the time which Micah saw as did Abraham with the eye of faith,) “now,” in contrast to that former time of lowliness. His life shall be divided between a life of obscurity, and a life of never-ending greatness.

Shall He be great unto the (very) ends of the earth - embracing them in His rule, (as David and Solomon had foretold,) and so none shall harm those whom He, the King of all the earth, shall protect. The universality of protection is derived from an universality of power. To David God says, “I have made thee a great name, like the name of the great that are in the earth” 2 Samuel 7:9. Of Uzziah it is said, “His name went forth far; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong” (2 Chronicles 26:15, add 2 Chronicles 26:8); but of the Messiah alone it is said, that His power should reach to the ends of the earth; as God prophesies of Himself, that His “Name should be great among the pagan” Malachi 1:11, Malachi 1:14. So Gabriel said to His Mother, “This,” whom she should bear, “shall be great”.

Having showed how low the house of David would be brought, a prediction of the Messiah and his kingdom is added to encourage the faith of God's people. His existence from eternity as God, and his office as Mediator, are noticed. Here is foretold that Bethlehem should be his birthplace. Hence it was universally known among the Jews, Mt 2:5. Christ's government shall be very happy for his subjects; they shall be safe and easy. Under the shadow of protection from the Assyrians, is a promise of protection to the gospel church and all believers, from the designs and attempts of the powers of darkness. Christ is our Peace as a Priest, making atonement for sin, and reconciling us to God; and he is our Peace as a King, conquering our enemies: hence our souls may dwell at ease in him. Christ will find instruments to protect and deliver. Those that threaten ruin to the church of God, soon bring ruin on themselves. This may include the past powerful effects of the preached gospel, its future spread, and the ruin of all antichristian powers. This is, perhaps, the most important single prophecy in the Old Testament: it respects the personal character of the Messiah, and the discoveries of himself to the world. It distinguishes his human birth from his existing from eternity; it foretells the rejection of the Israelites and Jews for a season, their final restoration, and the universal peace to prevail through the whole earth in the latter days. In the mean time let us trust our Shepherd's care and power. If he permits the assault of our enemies, he will supply helpers and assistance for us.

The Lord loves you, my dear brother. He loves you. “The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed” (Isaiah 54:10). “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). Could your eyes be opened, you would see your heavenly Father bending over you in love and could you hear His voice, it would be in tones of compassion to you who are prostrate with suffering and affliction. Stand fast in His strength; there is rest for you, the weary.—Letter 71, December 5, 1878, to J. N. Andrews. TDG 348.4

Read in context »