Micah 4:9
Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?
Why do you now cry aloud?
This phrase captures a moment of intense emotional outcry from the people of Israel. The Hebrew root for "cry aloud" is "za'aq," which often denotes a cry for help or a loud lamentation. Historically, this reflects a period of distress for the Israelites, likely during the Babylonian siege. The rhetorical question implies a sense of surprise or rebuke, suggesting that the people should have anticipated such distress due to their disobedience to God. From a conservative Christian perspective, this serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's guidance and the importance of seeking Him in times of trouble.

Is there no king among you?
This question challenges the Israelites to consider their leadership and governance. The term "king" in Hebrew is "melek," which not only refers to a political leader but also symbolizes stability and divine order. In the historical context, the absence or ineffectiveness of a king would have been a source of national crisis. For Christians, this can be seen as a metaphor for the absence of Christ's rule in one's life, urging believers to recognize Jesus as the ultimate King who provides guidance and protection.

Has your counselor perished
The word "counselor" comes from the Hebrew "yo'etz," meaning one who gives advice or guidance. This could refer to a trusted advisor or prophet who provides wisdom. The rhetorical question implies a loss of wise leadership, which would lead to confusion and despair. In a broader spiritual sense, this can be interpreted as a call to seek divine wisdom through prayer and scripture, emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit as the ultimate Counselor for believers.

so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?
The imagery of "anguish" and "a woman in labor" is powerful, evoking a sense of intense pain and inevitable change. The Hebrew word for "anguish" is "chiyl," which can mean to writhe or tremble. Labor pains are often used in scripture to symbolize both suffering and the birth of something new. This suggests that the current suffering of the Israelites is both a consequence of their actions and a precursor to a new beginning. For Christians, this can be seen as a metaphor for the trials that precede spiritual growth and renewal, encouraging believers to endure hardships with the hope of God's redemptive plan.

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.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, often the focus of Micah's prophecies, facing impending judgment and exile.

3. King
Refers to the leadership of Judah, which was failing to provide guidance and protection to the people.

4. Counselor
Symbolizes the wise guidance and leadership that was absent, leading to the people's distress.

5. Woman in Labor
A metaphor for intense pain and distress, illustrating the people's suffering and turmoil.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Godly Leadership
Earthly leaders can fail, but God remains the ultimate source of guidance and wisdom.

Recognizing Spiritual Anguish
Just as physical pain signals a problem, spiritual anguish can indicate a need for repentance and turning back to God.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets like Micah serve as God's messengers, calling people to awareness and action in times of moral and spiritual crisis.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Even when human leaders fail, God’s plan remains intact, and His sovereignty is our ultimate assurance.

Hope Amidst Judgment
While Micah speaks of judgment, he also points to future restoration and hope, reminding us of God's redemptive plan.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the absence of a king or counselor in Micah 4:9 reflect the spiritual state of Judah, and what can this teach us about the importance of godly leadership today?

2. In what ways can we experience spiritual anguish similar to the metaphor of a woman in labor, and how should we respond to such feelings?

3. How do the themes in Micah 4:9 connect with the messages of other prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah regarding leadership and judgment?

4. What steps can we take to ensure that we are not overly reliant on human leaders but are instead seeking guidance from God?

5. How can we find hope and assurance in God's sovereignty when we face personal or communal crises, as illustrated in Micah's prophecy?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 8:19
This verse echoes the theme of a lack of leadership and guidance, as the people cry out in distress due to the absence of a king or counselor.

Isaiah 13:8
Similar imagery of labor pains is used to describe the fear and anguish that will come upon the people during times of judgment.

Hosea 13:10
Questions the reliance on earthly kings and leaders, pointing to the need for divine leadership and guidance.
Discipline and DeliveranceE.S. Prout Micah 4:9, 10
The Moral Regeneration of the WorldHomilistMicah 4:9-13
The Moral Regeneration of the WorldD. Thomas Micah 4:9-13
People
Eder, Jacob, Micah
Places
Babylon, Jerusalem, Mount Zion, Zion
Topics
Agony, Aloud, Childbirth, Counsellor, Counselor, Cry, Crying, Destruction, Gripped, Helper, Hold, Labor, Loudly, None, Pain, Pains, Pangs, Perished, Seized, Seizes, Shout, Travail, Travailing, Wise
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Micah 4:8

     5611   watchman
     5674   daughters
     6730   reinstatement

Micah 4:6-8

     7271   Zion, as symbol

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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