The Mountain of the Lord

When the books of the Bible were originally written, they did not contain chapter or verse references. The Bible was divided into chapters and verses to help us find Scriptures more quickly and easily. The chapter divisions commonly used today were developed by Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury. Langton put the modern chapter divisions into place in around 1227. The Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 was the first Bible to use this chapter pattern. Since the Wycliffe Bible, nearly all Bible translations have followed Langton’s chapter divisions.

I start with that because the verses that we are going to look at this morning, fit better with the ending of chapter three. We have already seen that the first two chapters of the book of Micah form a long section in which the first part deals with justice and the latter part with hope. Micah didn’t want to end this section on a negative note. Justice must be done. Judgment must come. But God is still the God of hope.

Micah’s warnings crescendo with the reality of God’s judgment. The people’s sins—idolatry, injustice, and oppression—had consequences (3:12). This wasn’t an empty threat but a vivid picture of what awaited if they didn’t repent. Jerusalem, the city of God’s presence, would fall. The temple, the heart of their worship, would be overgrown and forgotten. The image of Zion “plowed like a field” was especially stark—a fertile land turned to waste; a harvest replaced by ruin. The judgment wasn’t just about punishment; it was a wake-up call. God’s patience had limits, and the people’s rebellion had pushed them to the brink. Micah’s world stood at a crossroads—turn back to God or face the consequences of their choices. Put all this together, and you see a society gasping for air. From the outside, empires threatened to crush them. From within, corruption and idolatry eroded their foundations. The poor were crushed underfoot, the leaders were untrustworthy, and the spiritual well had run dry. Fear and despair hung heavy—would the next season bring rain or ruin? Would their children inherit fields or exile? Micah’s world was a dry, cracked field, desperate for a drop of hope.

Yet Micah doesn’t leave us—or his people—in despair. Amid the warnings, he offers a vision that pierces the gloom. In Micah 4:1-5, he paints a picture of a future where God’s kingdom rises above all others, where nations stream to worship Him, and where peace replaces conflict.

Micah 4:1–5 is almost identical to Isaiah 2:2–5. Scholars debate whether Micah borrowed from Isaiah, Isaiah from Micah, or both from a shared tradition. Regardless, Micah 4:1 opens a prophetic oracle of hope. This hope isn’t just for “someday”—it’s a call to live differently now. In Micah’s day, it meant trusting God’s justice over human corruption, clinging to His truth amid lies, and looking forward to His reign even as empires loomed. For us, it’s a reminder that God sees our dry fields and offers a hope that endures.

The PROMINENCE of God's Kingdom. Verse 1; What does the phrase “in the latter days” mean? The phrase can refer to a general or undetermined future, but in contexts like this one it usually appears to have in view the Messianic age. The writer of Hebrews in one sentence encompasses the first and second comings of Christ, which in effect define "the last days" (Hebrews 1:2; 9:28). What is going to come to pass? “The mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains”. The mountain of the Lord’s temple, Zion, the place of God’s presence, will rise above all other mountains and hills. In the ancient world, mountains were seen as homes of the gods, and the highest mountain represented the greatest power. By declaring God’s mountain as the highest, Micah proclaims God’s ultimate victory and sovereignty over all. The chief attraction will not so much be the house of the LORD, but the LORD of the house Who will dwell among men in His long promised, long awaited and longed for Kingdom on earth (Zechariah 8:3). What is the result of this mountain rising up? “and peoples shall flow to it”. In contrast to the corruption of Micah’s day, the temple will become raised to the highest height at the end of history. It will become visible all around and will be a magnet to the nations, as they will literally “flow” up the mountain from which they hear the law (torah) proclaimed. The Hebrew word for flow is nāhar, it describes the movement of something like the flow of a river. This metaphor congers up a picture of a great host of Gentiles coming from the nations and forming a mighty river of people being swept upwards to the King of kings and Lord of lords. What we have here in verse 1 is the promise that God’s kingdom will one day be exalted over all the earth.

The PURSUIT of God's Teaching. Verse 2; This is a radical shift. In Micah’s day, Israel was surrounded by nations worshiping false gods. Yet here, people from every corner of the earth are drawn to the true God, eager to learn His ways and walk in His paths. This is a spiritual awakening on a massive scale. "Come, let us go... that he may teach... that we may walk." There’s movement, there’s openness, and there’s application. This is not passive faith. It's discipleship (Psalm 25:4-5), that personal hunger will become collective reality. Deuteronomy 32:2, in the latter days, the Word of God will nourish the nations like gentle rain on dry soil. This is a complete reversal from Genesis 11, where nations tried to ascend their own man-made tower at Babel. There, God confused their speech. But in Micah 4, God becomes the unifying center as nations rise—not to exalt themselves, but to be taught.In today’s world, people spend thousands of dollars to attend leadership summits, motivational seminars, and spiritual retreats. In the age Micah speaks of, the most sought-after teacher will be God Himself. There won’t be conference tickets or exclusive access—just an open invitation: "Come, let us go up." And this isn't just about learning for the sake of knowledge. The end of verse 2 says, "that we may walk in his paths." The teaching results in obedience. The information leads to transformation. We are reminded in James 1:22, This future vision includes a world where people actually walk in the truth they receive.

The PEACE of God's Rule. Verse 3; Notice what initiates peace in this verse: “He shall judge”. Peace isn’t created by negotiation. It doesn’t flow from tolerance, compromise, or disarmament. Peace flows from the righteous judgment of God. In Hebrew thought, to “judge” didn’t just mean to resolve disputes—it meant to establish order, to set things right. God is not a passive observer but an active King-Judge who governs nations, corrects injustice, and eliminates causes of violence. Kevin DeYoung writes: “In Scripture, peace is never the absence of conflict; it is the presence of righteousness.” Micah describes a peace so profound it transforms entire cultures. Weapons become tools of cultivation. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares.” A sword is a symbol of threat. A plowshare is a symbol of productivity. That’s not just peace. That’s transformation. Warfare becomes obsolete. “Neither shall they learn war anymore.” War isn’t just something we do—it’s something we teach. But under God’s rule, war becomes an extinct language.While we await this perfect peace, we are called to be peacemakers now (Matthew 5:9).

The SECURITY of God's Provision. Verse 4; This is one of the most tender, vivid, and personal images in all of Scripture. Micah moves from grand, global visions—nations streaming to Zion, weapons becoming farming tools—to something intensely local and human: a man sitting under his own vine and fig tree. This is the Bible’s way of describing shalom—not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of security, provision, fruitfulness, and contentment. The vine and fig tree were signs of prosperity and rest in Israelite life. You didn’t sit under them in a war zone. You sat under them when things were right—when harvests were good, when enemies were gone, when hearts were at ease (Zechariah 3:10). This part is just as important: “no one shall make them afraid.” The implication is clear: people had lived in fear. Micah preached in a time of international tension—Assyrian threats, political instability, and internal corruption. Many Israelites had no land, no security, and no hope. But Micah sees a day when fear itself will be banished (Psalm 4:8). Today, we live in one of the most anxious generations in history. Fear is a constant: fear of the future, fear of lack, fear of enemies, fear of irrelevance, fear of failure. But Micah’s vision reminds us that God’s provision doesn’t just meet our needs—it secures our hearts. Why will this happen? “For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.” That changes everything. This isn’t just wishful thinking or prophetic poetry. It is guaranteed by the character of God Himself (Isaiah 55:11).God’s word is the foundation of our security. In a world full of broken promises and fragile economies, the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. That’s the most secure investment on earth.

The COMMITMENT of God’s People. Verse 5; Micah ends this prophecy with a contrast: “All the peoples walk each in the name of its god…” In other words, the world is full of competing allegiances. Every people group, every culture, every person is walking in the name of something or someone. And this isn’t just about ancient idolatry—it’s about modern identity, loyalty, and worship.

Some walk in the name of self (autonomy). Some walk in the name of success (ambition). Some walk in the name of tribe or nation (political idolatry). Some walk in the name of pleasure or security. Everyone walks somewhere. Everyone follows something.  The question is not whether you worship, but what you worship. Whatever you live for—that is your god. Micah acknowledges this pluralism. But then he draws a line in the sand: “But we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.”This is a declaration of loyalty. It’s a covenantal vow—a confession of loyalty and direction. “We will walk…” – not just believe, not just profess. We live it.

“...in the name of the Lord…” – we live under His authority, bearing His reputation. “...forever and ever.” – this isn’t seasonal or cultural. It’s eternal. To walk in His name is to live as a representative of His character, under His rule, and for His glory. This mirrors the New Testament call to live in Christ and by the Spirit (Colossians 3:17; Galatians 5:25). Micah is saying: Though the world around us worships differently, lives differently, believes differently—we walk differently. This is not a call to isolation, but to holy distinctiveness (1 Peter 2:9). Walking in the name of the Lord means: We love differently. We spend money differently. We raise children differently. We define success differently. We handle suffering differently.

This is what Jesus meant in when He said, “You are the light of the world.” Charles Spurgeon said, “If you follow the crowd, you will go wrong. Follow Christ, and though you stand alone, you are in the right.” When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow, they stood out. But their loyalty led to deliverance. That’s what walking with God looks like—faithful now, rewarded later.

Micah paints a picture of what will be. But here’s the key: the future shapes our present. We don’t wait for peace—we work toward it. We don’t just hope for justice—we live it. We don’t wait for the mountain to rise—we lift Jesus high now (Philippians 3:20). So while others walk their own way, we say: “We will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.” This is our hope. This is our heritage. This is our future.