◄ Micah 4:5 ►
Though each of the peoples may walk in the name of his god, yet we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
Study Bible
Though each of the peoples
This phrase acknowledges the diversity of nations and their respective deities during the time of Micah. The Hebrew word for "peoples" is "עַמִּים" (amim), which often refers to various ethnic groups or nations. Historically, the ancient Near East was a melting pot of cultures and religions, each with its own pantheon of gods. This phrase sets the stage for a contrast between the practices of these nations and the commitment of Israel to their God.

may walk in the name of his god
The concept of "walking" in the name of a god implies living according to the principles, values, and commands associated with that deity. The Hebrew word "יֵלְכוּ" (yelchu) suggests a habitual lifestyle or conduct. In ancient times, a god's name represented its power and authority, and to walk in that name was to align oneself with that power. This highlights the prevalent idolatry and polytheism of the era, where each nation followed its own religious customs.

yet we will walk
The word "yet" introduces a contrast and a declaration of faithfulness. The Hebrew "וַאֲנַחְנוּ" (va'anachnu) emphasizes a collective commitment. This is a resolute statement of identity and purpose, distinguishing the people of Israel from other nations. It reflects a conscious choice to adhere to the covenant relationship with the LORD, despite the surrounding influences.

in the name of the LORD our God
The "name of the LORD" refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. The Hebrew "בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה" (b'shem Yahweh) signifies not just a title but the very essence and character of God. This phrase underscores the unique relationship between Israel and Yahweh, who is not just any god, but "our God," indicating a personal and communal bond. It is a declaration of allegiance to the one true God, in contrast to the false gods of other nations.

forever and ever
The Hebrew "לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד" (le'olam va'ed) conveys a sense of eternal commitment. This phrase emphasizes the perpetual nature of Israel's dedication to God, transcending time and circumstances. It reflects the eternal covenant between God and His people, a promise that is unchanging and everlasting. This eternal perspective inspires believers to remain steadfast in their faith, looking beyond the temporal to the eternal promises of God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Micah
A prophet in the 8th century BC, Micah delivered messages of judgment and hope to the people of Judah and Israel. His prophecies often contrasted the current state of the nations with the future glory under God's reign.

2. Judah and Israel
The divided kingdoms of God's chosen people during Micah's time. They were often led astray by idolatry and injustice, which Micah addressed in his prophecies.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. In contrast to the false gods of the nations, Yahweh is the true God who remains faithful to His people.

4. The Nations
Refers to the surrounding peoples and their gods, highlighting the contrast between their temporary and false worship and the eternal worship of Yahweh.

5. Future Kingdom
Micah's prophecy points to a future time when God's kingdom will be established, and His people will walk in His ways forever.
Teaching Points
Commitment to God
Walking in the name of the LORD requires a conscious and daily commitment to follow His ways, regardless of societal pressures or the allure of other 'gods' or idols.

Identity in Christ
As believers, our identity is rooted in the name of the LORD. This identity shapes our actions, decisions, and interactions with the world.

Contrast with the World
The world may follow various 'gods'—whether materialism, power, or self—but believers are called to stand apart by walking in the name of the LORD.

Eternal Perspective
Walking in the name of the LORD is not just for this life but has eternal implications. Our faithfulness now is a reflection of our hope in God's eternal kingdom.

Witness to Others
Our commitment to walking in the name of the LORD serves as a testimony to others, inviting them to see the difference that faith in the true God makes.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to "walk in the name of the LORD" in your daily life, and how can you practically apply this in your current circumstances?

2. How does the choice to follow the LORD contrast with the choices of those around you who may follow other 'gods' or priorities?

3. In what ways can you strengthen your identity in Christ to resist the pressures of conforming to worldly values?

4. How does understanding the eternal nature of God's kingdom influence your decisions and priorities today?

5. Reflect on a time when your commitment to walking in the name of the LORD served as a witness to others. How can you continue to be a light in your community?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
This passage emphasizes the Shema, the call to love and serve the LORD alone, which aligns with the commitment to walk in His name as stated in Micah 4:5.

Joshua 24:15
Joshua's declaration to serve the LORD alone parallels the choice presented in Micah 4:5, where the people of God choose to walk in His name despite others following false gods.

Psalm 115:4-8
This Psalm contrasts the lifeless idols of the nations with the living God, reinforcing the futility of walking in the name of other gods.

Philippians 2:9-11
The exaltation of Jesus' name above all names connects to the eternal significance of walking in the name of the LORD.
Sermons
As God, So WorshipperAlexander MaclarenMicah 4:5
Every Nation its GodJ. Goodman, D. D.Micah 4:5
Heathen Zeal and Christian LukewarmnessHenry Mevill, B. D.Micah 4:5
Man's Religious NatureHomilistMicah 4:5
Man's Religious NatureD. Thomas Micah 4:5
The Great ResolveJ. R. Macduff, D. D.Micah 4:5
A Missionary DiscourseSketches of Four Hundred SermonsMicah 4:1-5
A Vision of the Latter-Day GloriesMicah 4:1-5
An Emblem of PeaceMicah 4:1-5
Christianity -- its Nature, Diffusion, and EffectsBishop H. B. Bascom, D. D.Micah 4:1-5
Gaining Knowledge of GodE. B. Pusey, D. D.Micah 4:1-5
International ChristianityJ. Llewelyn Davies, M. A.Micah 4:1-5
Mountain Top ReligionA. Maclaren, D. D.Micah 4:1-5
The Established ChurchJohn Cumming, A. M.Micah 4:1-5
The Golden AgeJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Micah 4:1-5
The Gospel AgeHomilistMicah 4:1-5
The Law of the SpiritWilliam R. Clark, M. A.Micah 4:1-5
The Moral Grandeur of the Christian ChurchJ. L. Adamson.Micah 4:1-5
The Promise of God Regarding. His ChurchJoseph Parker, D. D.Micah 4:1-5
The Saviour's KingdomMonday Club SermonsMicah 4:1-5
People
Eder, Jacob, Micah
Places
Babylon, Jerusalem, Mount Zion, Zion
Topics
Age, Forever, Gods, Indeed, Nations, Peoples, Though, Walk, Walking
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Micah 4:5

     4020   life, of faith
     5042   name of God, significance
     5197   walking
     8251   faithfulness, to God

Micah 4:1-5

     4440   fig-tree

Library
As God, So Worshipper
'... All the peoples will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.'--MICAH iv. 5 (R.V.). This is a statement of a general truth which holds good of all sorts of religion. 'To walk' is equivalent to carrying on a course of practical activity. 'The name' of a god is his manifested character. So the expression 'Walk in the name' means, to live and act according to, and with reference to, and in reliance on, the character of the worshipper's …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"And we Will --"
The prophet Micah was struck with the energy and devotion of the heathen to their gods. He saw the grip these idols had of their votaries, how no expense was spared, no sacrifice withheld, for the sake of a filthy lie embodied in a stone or golden image. While he listened to the songs of the heathen, his heart warmed as he thought of the greatness of Jehovah, and so he cried out--"All people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

The Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon! What extravagant speculations have been indulged concerning it! What unscriptural theories have been entertained respecting it! To begin with; this appears from the term employed. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of "The Battle of Armageddon." The Scriptural expression is "The Battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14). This Battle of the great day of God Almighty will bring the Tribulation period to a close and will witness the return of Christ to the earth to …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

"Is the Spirit of the Lord Straitened?"
THERE MAY BE SOME who think they can convert the world by philosophy; that they can renew the heart by eloquence; or that, by some witchcraft of ceremonies, they can regenerate the soul; but we depend wholly and simply and alone on the Spirit of God. He alone worketh all our works in us; and in going forth to our holy service we take with us no strength, and we rely upon no power, except that of the Spirit of the Most High. When Asher's foot was dipped in oil, no wonder he left a foot-mark wherever …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

A vision of the Latter-Day Glories
We shall not, to-day, look through all the dim vista of Zion's tribulations. We will leave the avenue of troubles and of trials through which the church has passed and is to pass, and we will come, by faith, to the last days; and may God help us while we indulge in a glorious vision of that which is to be ere long, when "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." The prophet saw two …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Place of Jesus in the History of the World.
The great event of the History of the world is the revolution by which the noblest portions of humanity have passed from the ancient religions, comprised under the vague name of Paganism, to a religion founded on the Divine Unity, the Trinity, and the Incarnation of the Son of God. It has taken nearly a thousand years to accomplish this conversion. The new religion had itself taken at least three hundred years in its formation. But the origin of the revolution in question with which we have to do …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Declarations of Old Testament Prophecy.
It is very apparent to any one who has read thoughtfully through the Old Testament that the First Advent of our Lord did not exhaust the burden and scope of the numerous predictions which had been made concerning Him. Many of the things foretold of Israel's Messiah were not accomplished during the days when He tabernacled among men. Many of the promises found in God's Word connected with the Person of Christ, still await their ratification. While it is true that the First Advent of the Lord Jesus …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Cæsar and under the Pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas - a Voice in the Wilderness
THERE is something grand, even awful, in the almost absolute silence which lies upon the thirty years between the Birth and the first Messianic Manifestation of Jesus. In a narrative like that of the Gospels, this must have been designed; and, if so, affords presumptive evidence of the authenticity of what follows, and is intended to teach, that what had preceded concerned only the inner History of Jesus, and the preparation of the Christ. At last that solemn silence was broken by an appearance, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

John Bunyan on the Terms of Communion and Fellowship of Christians at the Table of the Lord;
COMPRISING I. HIS CONFESSION OF FAITH, AND REASON OF HIS PRACTICE; II. DIFFERENCES ABOUT WATER BAPTISM NO BAR TO COMMUNION; AND III. PEACEABLE PRINCIPLES AND TRUE[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Reader, these are extraordinary productions that will well repay an attentive perusal. It is the confession of faith of a Christian who had suffered nearly twelve years' imprisonment, under persecution for conscience sake. Shut up with his Bible, you have here the result of a prayerful study of those holy …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

A Clearing-Up Storm in the Realm
(Revelation, Chapters vi.-viii.) "God Almighty! King of nations! earth Thy footstool, heaven Thy throne! Thine the greatness, power, and glory, Thine the kingdom, Lord, alone! Life and death are in Thy keeping, and Thy will ordaineth all: From the armies of Thy heavens to an unseen insect's fall. "Reigning, guiding, all-commanding, ruling myriad worlds of light; Now exalting, now abasing, none can stay Thy hand of might! Working all things by Thy power, by the counsel of Thy will. Thou art God! …
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Conclusion
"Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev. 19:6). In our Foreword to the Second Edition we acknowledge the need for preserving the balance of Truth. Two things are beyond dispute: God is Sovereign, man is responsible. In this book we have sought to expound the former; in our other works we have frequently pressed the latter. That there is real danger of over-emphasising the one and ignoring the other, we readily admit; yea, history furnishes numerous examples of cases of each. To emphasise …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

The Plan for the Coming of Jesus.
God's Darling, Psalms 8:5-8.--the plan for the new man--the Hebrew picture by itself--difference between God's plan and actual events--one purpose through breaking plans--the original plan--a starting point--getting inside. Fastening a Tether inside: the longest way around--the pedigree--the start. First Touches on the Canvas: the first touch, Genesis 3:15.--three groups of prediction--first group: to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3; to Isaac, Genesis 26:1-5; to Jacob, Genesis 28:10-15; through Jacob, …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Interpretation of Prophecy.
1. The scriptural idea of prophecy is widely removed from that of human foresight and presentiment. It is that of a revelation made by the Holy Spirit respecting the future, always in the interest of God's kingdom. It is no part of the plan of prophecy to gratify vain curiosity respecting "the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"--this is its key-note. In its form it is carefully adapted to this great end. …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 26-38. ^c 26 Now in the sixth month [this is the passage from which we learn that John was six months older than Jesus] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth [Luke alone tells us where Mary lived before the birth of Jesus. That Nazareth was an unimportant town is shown by the fact that it is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in the Talmud, nor in Josephus, who mentions two hundred four towns and cities of Galilee. The …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Micah
Micah must have been a very striking personality. Like Amos, he was a native of the country--somewhere in the neighbourhood of Gath; and he denounces with fiery earnestness the sins of the capital cities, Samaria in the northern kingdom, and Jerusalem in the southern. To him these cities seem to incarnate the sins of their respective kingdoms, i. 5; and for both ruin and desolation are predicted, i. 6, iii. 12. Micah expresses with peculiar distinctness the sense of his inspiration and the object …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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