119 - Assyria's Fall

The Assyrian

The victory over Assyria will be accomplished through subordinate shepherds of the Messiah.

Baker Bailey Commentary.- Many interpreters agree that Assyrian here and Assyria are symbolic of all potential enemies of God’s people in the present and future. The principle point is that whenever God’s people are threatened with extermination, God will enable them to raise up a superabundance of capable leaders against their enemies.

Micah 5:4 “And this one (the Messiah who shepherds the son’s of Israel in the strength of Jehovah his God) shall be peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land (to transfer and install “key man” positions); and when he shall tread in our palaces (massacring the soldiers of Israel through mass deportations of the rulers, nobles, functionaries, craftsmen, so that the remaining people and the “forsakers of the covenant” obeyed the Assyrians through humiliation), then we shall raise up against him seven shepherds and eight anointed ones of man. And they (the god fearing remnant) shall depasture the land of Assyria with the sword (through the de-installation of “key men”), and the land of Nimrod (the realm of Mesopotamia connected with the towns of Babylon) at her entrances (gates, cutting off heads over much land). And He shall deliver (us) from Assyria, when he shall come into our land and when he shall tread within our border.”

(Treading in Our Borders) A Principle Issue – Consider:
(Hezekiah king of Judah prayer) “You (Jehovah) (are) He, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth; You have make the heaven and the earth O Jehovah, incline Your ear and hear; O Jehovah, open Your eyes and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib (the Assyrian King) with which he has sent him (his commander) to reproach the living God. Truly, O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations, and their lands; and have put their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of the hands of man, wood and stone, and have destroyed them. And now, O Jehovah our God, we pray to You, save us out of his hand, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall know that You (are) Jehovah God, You (are) alone.” (2 Kings 19:15-19)

Barker Bailey Commentary.- “Seven … eight” is a conventional Hebrew way of indicating “many” or more than enough.”

Allen Commentary.- The theme of victory over foreign foes has a constant place in royal psalms. It is implied here that the generals would be subordinate to God’s man (the Messiah): their “shepherding,” corresponds to his own in as merely the outworking of royal policy.

(“…when he (the Assyrian) shall tread in our palaces, then we shall raise up against him seven shepherds and eight anointed ones of man.” Micah 5:4)

Henry Commentary.- The Assyrian, a potent enemy, comes into their land, making a descent upon Judah, took all the defended cities, and laid siege to Jerusalem. This represented the gates of hell fighting against the kingdom of Christ, encompassing the camp of the saints and of the holy city, and threatening to bear down all before them. When the Assyrian comes with such a force into a land, can there be any other peace than a tame submission and an unresisted desolation? Yes, even then the church’s King will be the conservator of the church’s peace. Then shall we raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men, that is, a competent number of persons, proper to oppose the enemy, and make progress against him… Note, when God has work to do He will not want fitting instruments to do it with; and when he pleases He can do it by a few; he needs not raise thousands, but seven or eight principal men may serve the turn if God be with them. Magistrates and ministers are shepherds and principal men, raised in defense of religion’s righteous cause against the powers of sin and “evil” in the world. Thusly, the opposition given to the church shall be got over, and the opposers brought down. This is represented by the laying of Assyria and Chaldea waste, which two nations were the most formidable enemies to the Israel of God of any. They shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof; they shall make inroads upon the land, and put to the sword all that they find in arms. Note, those that threaten ruin to the church of God hasten ruin to themselves; and their destruction is the churches’ salvation: Thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian.

Consider:(“… seven shepherds and eight anointed ones of man.”)
PSALM 76:8-10 “You (Jehovah) have caused judgment to be heard from Heaven (when You came to overthrow and destroy the enemies of Your people); the earth feared and was stilled, when God arose to judgment, to save all the humble of the earth (the afflicted, the crushed, the oppressed; those forbearing under the affliction). For the wraths of man (taking forceful means to reestablish the boundaries of the Law) thank You (for the display of just principles and the stability and power of just government); You encircle Yourself (as with a sword- to make use of it as a weapon for the execution of Your own purpose, girding Yourself) with the wraths left over (the retributions that have been held in check through the lawful restraints by the godly, God fearing man).”

The Remnant among the Nations
Jesus Taught:
“Blessed are those who hunger
And thirst for
Righteousness,
For they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they will be called sons of
God.
Blessed are those who are
Persecuted because of
Righteousness,
For theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven.
Matthew 5:6-10

Micah 5:6-8 “And shall be the (god fearing -Law Abiding Righteous) remnant of Jacob in the midst of many people’s as dew from Jehovah, as showers (on) a blade of grass, which does not wait for man and does not delay for the sons of man. And shall be the remnant of Jacob among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, if he passes through both tramples and tears- and there is none delivering. Your hand shall be high above your foes and all your enemies shall be cut off.”

Barker Bailey Commentary (Paraphrased).- The theme of Israel’s (Judah’s) faithful remnant triumphing over their enemies … is an oracle of salvation or deliverance. Positively, God’s people will be a blessing, bringing life and renewal to the nations (both Northern & Southern of Israel). Negatively, the remnant will be a source of death and divine judgment to their oppressor, as the tables are turned and the victims become the victors. God’s kingdom will be victorious. Here its negative effect is stressed” Israel will also be a source of death. Just as a lion mauls and mangles sheep and other animals, so Israel will overcome all her foes. Her covenant Lord will enable her to be invincible, so that her ultimate victory is inevitable. No one will be able to withstand her. The Messiah’s kingdom must triumph over all opposition.

When the Messiah’s kingdom comes in its fullness, he will enable his people to be victorious over all foes. Clark illustrates: “So it has been down the centuries. The spiritual blessings given uniquely to Israel enable her to outlast all the persecutions of her enemies from Nebuchadnezzar to Hitler and to survive after they have been destroyed.
The survivors of persecution are called the “remnant of Jacob” because they will represent all twelve sons (tribes) of Jacob. The similes (“like dew … like showers”) speak of life, renewal, refreshment, and fertility. Thus Israel will be a blessing to the other nations and people groups of the world, as her covenant Lord intended originally. Just as dew and showers do not depend on humankind to perform their refreshing influence, so Israel will trust in her Lord. The Lord Himself will make His people just such a blessing.

Nelson Commentary.- The Lord condemns the leaders who write laws that perpetuate evil in the community. The needy are regularly seen in Scripture as those to whom the righteous should show true piety. When godly people reach out to help those who cannot help themselves, they display pure, biblical religion.
The purpose of the arrogant Assyrians was to continue their path of uninterrupted conquest. But God had different plans for them. The Assyrians had conquered the nations who had false gods; surely, they believed, they would also have an easy time against Jerusalem.

Barnes Commentary.- “…then shall we raise against him (the Assyrian) seven shepherd, and eight principal men.” The shepherds are manifestly inferior, spiritual, shepherds, acting under the One Shepherd, by his authority, and he in them. The princes of men are most naturally a civil power, according to its usage elsewhere. The seven is throughout the Old Testament a symbol of a sacred whole, probably of the union of God with the world, reconciled with it; eight, when united with it, is something beyond it. Since then seven denotes a great, complete, and sacred multitude, by the eight he would designate “an incredible and almost countless multitude.” “So in defense of the Church, there shall be raised up very many shepherds and teachers (for at no time will it be forsaken by Christ;) yea by more and more, countless, so that, however persecutions may increase, there shall never be wanting ...”

They who were shepherds of their own people, should consume their enemies.
“And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof…” Hence … Babylon is called the land of Nimrod, as indeed he founded it, but therewith was the author of the tower of Babel also, which was built in rebellion against God. Assyria then, and the world-empire which should succeed it, stand as representing the God-opposed world.
The shepherds of Israel shall not act on the defensive only, but shall have victory over the world and “evil”, carrying back the battle into his (the Assyrians) own dominions, and overthrowing him there. Wherein the king of Assyria hoped to waste it, he shall be wasted; wherein he seemed to triumph, he shall be foiled.
“And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest …” Micah, as well as Isaiah, had prophesied, that a remnant only should return unto the Mighty God.
“And the remnant of Jacob (the sons of Israel) shall be in the midst of many people as dew from the Lord…” The dew comes down from heaven, is of heavenly not of earthly birth, transparent, glistening with light, reflecting the hues of heaven, gentle, slight, weak in itself, refreshing, cooling the strong heat of the day, consumed itself,, yet thereby preserving life, falling on the dry and withered grass wherein all nature droops, and recalling it to freshness of life. Showers are so called from the “multitude” of drops, slight and of no account in themselves, descending noiselessly yet penetrating the more deeply.

“And the remnant of Jacob shall be as a young lion.” What more unlike than the sweetness of the dew and the fierceness of the lion? What so different as the gentle shower distilling on the herb, and the savageness of vehemence of a lion roaring among the flocks of sheep? Yet both are ascribed to the remnant of Jacob. Why? Because the Apostles of Christ are both tender and severe, tender in teaching and exhorting, severe in rebuking and avenging.

Clarke Commentary.- The remnant of Israel will also be like a lion. Like a ferocious lion, domineering over other animals, Israel will be dominant and powerful over other nations of the world. God said He will lift up Israel’s hand … over her enemies, and that all her foes will be destroyed.

Zondervan Commentary.- “…when he (the Assyrian) shall tread in our palaces, then we shall raise up against him seven shepherds and eight anointed ones of man.” The prophet here looks into the dark tunnel of the exile to see what awaits the nation there. There seems to be no special significance to the numbers seven and eight. Probably they are used … simply to indicate a number of leaders adequate to meet the exigencies of the situation when the Assyrians invade out land. Not only will they deliver us from the Assyrian invader, but they will rule the land of Assyria itself. The land of Nimrod is a parallelistic synonym for Assyria; Nimrod was the founder of its capital Nineveh. These verses are rather difficult and admit of more than on interpretation. If referred to the background of Sennacherib’s (the Assyrian kings) siege, they portray not merely deliverance but even military conquest of Assyria itself – they will rule the land of Assyria a with sword.

Calvin Commentary.- Hence the prophet Micah says, that though Assyria should come to out land, and break through with such force and violence that we could not drive him out, we shall yet set up for ourselves shepherds and princes against him. It must at the same time be observed, that this prophecy is not to be confined to that short time; for the Prophets speaks generally of the preservation of the Church.
Micah, says, that when the Assyrians shall pass through the land and tread down all the palaces, God would then become the deliverer of His people. It might have been objected, and said, “Why not sooner? Would it have been better to prevent this? Why! God now looks as it were- indifferently on the force of the enemies, and loosens the reins to them, that they plunder the whole land, and break through to the very middle of it. Why then does not God give earlier relief?” But we see the manner in which God intends to preserve His Church: for as the faithful often need some chastisement, God humbles them when it is expedient, and then delivers them. This is the reason why God allowed such liberty to the Assyrians before He supplied assistance. The Assyrians shall come …this must be endured by God’s children, and ought in time to prepare their minds to bear troubles; but, on the other hand, a consolation follows; for when the Assyrians shall thus penetrate into our land, and nothing shall be concealed or hidden from them, then the Lord will cause new shepherds to arise. God will then arm these shepherds with warlike courage; for they must fight boldly and courageously against their enemies: he says, They shall feed on the land of Nimrod with their swords. Nimrod, we know, reigned in Chaldea (ancient region of Babylonia). Now the import of the words is, that these shepherds would be sufficiently strong to oppose all the enemies of the Church, whether they were the Babylonians or the Assyrians. And he names the Assyrians and Babylonians, because they had then a contest with the people of God.
But this shall not be until the Chaldeans and the Assyrians shall penetrate into our land, and tread in our borders. The Prophet again reminds the faithful, that they stood in need of patience, and that they were to know that God had not made a vain promise. The import (significance) is that no deliverance was to be expected from God’s hand until the faithful yielded their necks to his (the Assyrian) yoke, and patiently sustained the evils which were then approaching. In the meantime, let the faithful provide themselves with courage, and, with a meek heart, patiently to submit to God, the righteous Judge: but, at the same time, let them expect a sure deliverance, when they shall have gone through all their evils; for when the ripened time shall come, the Lord will look on His Church.
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary.- As the Assyrians invade our borders, so shall their own borders or “entrances” be invaded. Thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian, when he comes into out land. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as dew.
The remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion. Judah will be “as a lion,” not in respect to its cruelty, but in its power of striking terror into all opponents. Israel’s foes are Jehovah’s foes. When Israel’s had is said to be lifted up, it is Jehovah’s hand that strikes the foe by her.

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