Above: Swords into Plowshares Statue
Image in the Public Domain
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READING MICAH, PART V
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Micah 4:1-5:1 (Anglican and Protestant)
Micah 4:1-14 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
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The fourth and fifth chapters of the Book of Micah constitute a distinct section of that book. They apparently contain a mix of material from the prophet Micah and from a later period. The references to Assyria (5:4-5) are contemporary to the prophet, but the mention of Babylon (4:10) is not, for example. Also, Micah 4:1-5 bears a striking resemblance to to Isaiah 2:1-5/2:2-6 (depending on versification). This makes much sense, for scholars tell us that Micah and First Isaiah were contemporaries. Also, Biblical authors quoting and paraphrasing each other is a practice one encounters as one studies the Bible seriously. Alternatively, one may plausibly posit that the Book of Micah and the First Isaiah portion of the Book of Isaiah paraphrased the same source.
After all the doom and gloom of the first three chapters, the tonal shift in Micah 4 is impossible to miss. That which R. B. Y. Scott wrote in relation to the Book of Hosea applies to the Book of Micah, too:
The final word remains with mercy.
—The Relevance of the Prophets, 2nd. ed (1968), 80
Looking ahead, judgment will return in Chapters 6 and 7, but the Book of Micah concludes on a note of divine mercy.
The hopes of an ideal future remain attractive. I pray for a future in which nations will beat their swords into plowshares. I am a realist; I want to be a pacifist yet understand that some violence, sadly, is necessary. I also affirm that most violence is unnecessary. I yearn for the day when all people will be at shalom with themselves, each other, and God. I pray for the time when the reality of the world will be the fully-realized Kingdom of God.
A careful reader may notice certain details in the designated portion of the Book of Micah. 4:2 tells us that “many nations” will seek divine instruction at Mount Zion. It does not read, “all nations.” 4:11 tells us that “many nations” still oppose God’s covenant people. Reading this chapter, in its final form, can be confusing, given the mix of material from different eras. Micah 4:11f, in the context of 4:10 (“To Babylon you shall go….”) dates to a period later than the prophet Micah. Micah 4:11f, acknowledging a challenging geopolitical situation for Judah, comforts Judah with the promise of divine deliverance. Divine mercy on Judah will be divine judgment on Judah’s enemies. The vision of 4:1-8 remains unfulfilled in the rest of the chapter. In 4:14/5:1 (depending on versification), Jerusalem is under siege.
Dare we hope for the vision of Micah 4:1-8 to become reality, finally? Dare we have enough faith to accept this ancient prophecy as not being naive? Bringing the fully-realized Kingdom of God into existence is God’s work. Transforming the world from what it is into a state less unlike that high standard is the work of the people of God, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 26, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY, ARCHBISHOP
THE FEAST OF HARDWICKE DRUMMOND RAWNSLEY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT LAMBERT PÉLOGUIN OF VENCE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT PHILIP NERI, THE APOSTLE OF ROME AND THE FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE ORATORY
THE FEAST OF SAINT QUADRATUS THE APOLOGIST, EARLY CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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