We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing
discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the
mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the
fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and
earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the
most venerable parts of creation; "contend _with_ the mountains" by
taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet
reminds the people of the benefits which they have repaid with
ingratitude, vers. 3-5. (In ver. 5 those facts also which served as a
proof of its truth, are considered as part of Balaam's answer.) He
then, in vers. 6-8, shows the fallacy of the imagination that they
could satisfy the Lord by the observance of the mere outward forms of
worship, though such should be increased to the utmost, and performed
in a manner totally different from that in which it was in the present,
and points out the spiritual demands already made even by the law, and
especially by Deut. x. 12, a compliance with which could alone be
pleasing to the Lord. From vi. 9-vii. 6, he shows to how limited an
extent these demands are complied with by the people,--how true and
cordial piety and justice have disappeared from the midst of them,--and
how, therefore, the threatenings of the law must, and shall be
fulfilled upon them. The reproof and threatening are then followed by
the announcement of salvation, which refers indeed to the Messianic
times, but without any mention in it of the person of the Messiah, the
brightness of which meets us only in the main body of the prophecy. The
main thought here also is the entirely altered position of Israel in
their relation to the heathen world. "A day is coming"--so it is said
in ver. 11--"to build thy walls; in that day shall the law be far
removed." גדר is used especially of the walls and fences of vineyards;
and under the image of a vineyard, Israel appears as early as in the
Song of Solomon. The wall around the vineyard of Israel is the
protection against the heathen world; Is. v. 5. The "law" is, according
to the context, in which the heathen oppressors are spoken of, that
which is imposed by them upon the people of God; Ps. xciv. 20. Ver. 12.
"_A day it is when they shall come to thee from Asshur, and from the
cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the river, and to sea from sea, and
to mountain from mountain._" It is not enough that the people of God
are freed from the servitude of the world. They shall become the
objects of the longing of the nations, even the most powerful and
hostile. They become the magnet which attracts them; compare iv. 1, 2.
From among the heathen nations Asshur and Egypt are first specially
mentioned, as the two principal representatives of hostility against
the kingdom of God in the present and past, and, at the same time, as
the two most powerful empires at the time of the prophet [Pg 523]--the
latter quality being indicated by the circumstance of Egypt's appearing
under the name מצור, "fortress." But then, by the expressions "from sea
to sea," "from mountain to mountain," which are equivalent to "from
every sea to every sea," etc., all barriers in general are completely
removed; compare in v. 3 (4) the words: "He shall be great unto the
ends of the earth." (The subject in יבוא can only be the inhabitants of
these countries themselves, not the Jews living there. If the latter
had been intended, a more distinct indication of it would have been
required. The Masculine Suffix עָדֶיךָ "to thee," _i.e._, not to Zion but
to Israel, is opposed to such a reference. This shows clearly that they
who come are different from Israel. In entire harmony with this
prophecy is Is. xix. 18-25.) But, before such glory can be bestowed
upon the people of God, the irrevocable judgment must first have done
its fearful work, ver. 13; compare the fundamental passage Lev. xxvi.
33, and Is. i. 7. In ver. 14 the announcement of salvation takes a new
start. Vers. 18-20 form the sublime close, not only of the last
discourse, but also of the whole book, as is clearly indicated by the
coincidence of the words, "Who is, O God, like unto Thee?" ver. 18,
with the mention of Micah's name in the inscription. The name of the
prophet, by which he is dedicated to the incomparable God, has been
confirmed by the contents of his prophecy. The New Testament parallel
passage is Rom. xi. 33-36: "_Who is, O God, like unto Thee; pardoning
iniquity, and remitting transgression to the remnant of His heritage?
He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy._"
"Who is, O God, like unto Thee?" so the people once already sang after
the redemption from Egypt. Thus it resounds still more loudly in the
view of the antitypal redemption, by which the fundamental definition
of the divine nature in Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7, and David's praise of divine
mercy in Ps. ciii., are fully realized. "He will return and have
compassion upon us (according to the promise in Deut. xxx. 3), will
overcome our iniquities (which, like a cruel tyrant, like Pharaoh of
old, subjected us to their power, Ps. xix. 14), and cast all their sins
into the depth of the sea," as once He cast the proud Egyptians, Exod.
xv. 5-10. "Thou wilt give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as Thou
hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old."
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Works Published by T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh.