Homilist Micah 5:5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces… I. A TERRIBLE INVASION. The Assyrian, who may be regarded as the representative of all the enemies of Israel, enters the Holy Land, takes Jerusalem, and treads the "palaces" of the chosen people. A faint picture is the Assyrian of the hellish invader of human souls. He breaks his way through all bulwarks, enters the sacred territory, and treads even in the palaces of the intellect and heart. II. A TRIUMPHANT DEFENDER. There are "seven shepherds and eight principal men" who now hurled back the Assyrian invader, entered his own territory, and carried war into the midst. Who is the deliverer? "This Man shall be the peace." 1. He did it successfully. "Thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian." Christ will one day ruin this moral Assyrian, as lightning falleth from heaven he shall fall. He will hurl him from the habitation of men. 2. Christ, in doing this, uses human instrumentality. "Seven shepherds and eight principal men." Christ destroys the works of the devil by the instrumentality of men. (1) The instrumentality that He employs may seem to us very feeble. "Seven shepherds and eight principal men," against unnumbered hosts of enemies. "He chooseth the foolish things of the world to confound the wise," etc. (2) Though the instrumentality may seem feeble, it was sufficient. The work was done. "Not by might and not by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord." (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. |
    |