Where Is Your King?

Introduction

The Lonely Tower

Text begins with the one addressed being the “Tower of the flock.” This is a picture of Jerusalem, perched above the land of Israel like a watchtower from which shepherds may watch their flock.

The shepherds have been corrupted and failed.

As a result, the Kingdom of Israel is cut down to be built up as the Kingdom of the Lame.

The promise in verses 1-5 is that this tower, which includes the mountain of the Lord, this dwelling place of God, will be raised up into a place of worship for all the nations from which God will be King.

With all this in mind, Micah addresses the city of failed leaders, the tower of the flock that is soon to be evacuated and torn down by those who will scatter the already abused sheep. Those sheep that survive and cling to God in faith will become the Kingdom of the Lame, along with all those who humble themselves and are drawn to the mountain of God for instruction.

Despite the fact that the physical mountain of God shall become a desolate waste, a promise remains for the toward of the flock, the throne of the shepherd of God’s people. To it the “former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.”

The “former” dominion assumes the sealed fate of the current leadership of Jeruselam. The fact that they are Davidic kings will not stop God from removing them from their throne for a time. They, along with corrupt religious leaders like the priests and prophets mentioned by Micah and the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, are the unfaithful tenants that Jesus’ parable spoke of.

But the thone of David is not forever desecrated. This promise assures us that God’s promises to David are not nullified, for God is faithful though we are faithless.

This dominion will be characterized by a true kingship with true shepherding qualities.

Verse 9 pulls us back into the imminant disastor for Jerusalem. The tone is somewhat mocking, and a paraphrase can help us understand that.

“Awe, why are you crying? Did you lose your king? Does that make you sad? Well you should be, because it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”

God communicates to them in this way to point out their misplaced trust and security in a King other than their God. They’ve learned to trust in their outward religious practices rather than heartfelt obedience, trust a human king rather than their true divine king, trust in land and genealogy rather than promises.

Redemption Waits in Babylon

And so this text ends with a seemingly impossible message: redemption awaits in Babylon.

“writhe and groan” the days ahead are not pleasent, but the image of a woman in labour gives some hope to this suffering.

The final blow: they will all be taken to Babylon. However, this is not primarily punishment-motivated. God is being loving, not vindictive, in their exile.

The Hope: “there you shall be rescued.” The place of their salvation is not home, but in exile.

There they will be humbled.

There they will have nothing but God to trust in.

They will be ride of their abusive shepherds.

God will display his saving hand to them in a way that they could not otherwise see.

They are blinded to their slavery to sin, so a literal slavery is necessary for their redemption to be realized.

John 8:31–34 ESV

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Those who would be part of the Kingdom of the Lame must be ready to be lead into exile before you are being led out by the hand of a great Saviour King. That is, you must be willing to be humbled, to be made lame. If you are of the people of God, God will humble you at any time you begin to rely on anything but him for your own good.