Micah 5

Micah 5:1

After the Trial Period

That the overseer wants to try it for ten days is the result of God’s work in him. After the ten-day test, the effect of the food that Daniel and his friends have eaten is apparent. They looked better and fatter or healthier than any other of young men. Sincere trust in God will always be rewarded by Him. God gives the four friends knowledge, intelligence and wisdom – and to Daniel also insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.

It will become clear to the world with what we feed ourselves. That cannot remain hidden. That is already the case now. It is also true when the time comes, that men of the world will have to acknowledge that what has occupied the believers has real value, while what has occupied them will turn out to be worthless.

Because the test is positive, the young men receive vegetables instead of the food from the king’s table. God takes care of the men because they have remained faithful to Him. He blesses the teaching they follow at the ‘university’ in Babylon. In reality they are not taught by the scholars of Babylon, but by God, for He gives them insight.

If anyone follow learning and submits to the Lord in it, he may trust that the Lord will make clear to him what he needs to know. If the heart is focused on the Lord, he remains with Him. Much of what he must learn is not true because it goes against the Scriptures, but the Lord will make sure that he does not become entangled in it.

Micah 5:2

Before Nebuchadnezzar

After three years the young men come to Nebuchadnezzar. They can answer him to all his questions because they are taught by God. Not only are they better than the other magicians in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, but they rise head and shoulders above them. They are “ten times better” than all the magicians of Babylon. This is because they have kept God’s Word (Psalms 119:98-100). They have experienced that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7a; Proverbs 9:10a), while the wisdom of the world is folly.

Their wisdom, knowledge and insight do not make them proud, but subservient. There is no need for intelligent young people, but for servant-minded young people, as there is for the elderly. God controls everything in such a way that the men come into service for the king. Solomon said: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29). The friends have experienced that. We also see here the fulfilment of what the LORD says to Eli: “Those who honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).

They get this high position because they have resolved in their hearts to obey the Word. In that position they have shown that they trust the LORD and have not polluted themselves with the destruction that prevails around them. This has given the LORD the space to fill them with the knowledge of His thoughts and to use them as His witnesses in the very environment where He is not taken into account.

Micah 5:3

Before Nebuchadnezzar

After three years the young men come to Nebuchadnezzar. They can answer him to all his questions because they are taught by God. Not only are they better than the other magicians in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, but they rise head and shoulders above them. They are “ten times better” than all the magicians of Babylon. This is because they have kept God’s Word (Psalms 119:98-100). They have experienced that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7a; Proverbs 9:10a), while the wisdom of the world is folly.

Their wisdom, knowledge and insight do not make them proud, but subservient. There is no need for intelligent young people, but for servant-minded young people, as there is for the elderly. God controls everything in such a way that the men come into service for the king. Solomon said: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29). The friends have experienced that. We also see here the fulfilment of what the LORD says to Eli: “Those who honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).

They get this high position because they have resolved in their hearts to obey the Word. In that position they have shown that they trust the LORD and have not polluted themselves with the destruction that prevails around them. This has given the LORD the space to fill them with the knowledge of His thoughts and to use them as His witnesses in the very environment where He is not taken into account.

Micah 5:4

Before Nebuchadnezzar

After three years the young men come to Nebuchadnezzar. They can answer him to all his questions because they are taught by God. Not only are they better than the other magicians in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, but they rise head and shoulders above them. They are “ten times better” than all the magicians of Babylon. This is because they have kept God’s Word (Psalms 119:98-100). They have experienced that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7a; Proverbs 9:10a), while the wisdom of the world is folly.

Their wisdom, knowledge and insight do not make them proud, but subservient. There is no need for intelligent young people, but for servant-minded young people, as there is for the elderly. God controls everything in such a way that the men come into service for the king. Solomon said: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29). The friends have experienced that. We also see here the fulfilment of what the LORD says to Eli: “Those who honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).

They get this high position because they have resolved in their hearts to obey the Word. In that position they have shown that they trust the LORD and have not polluted themselves with the destruction that prevails around them. This has given the LORD the space to fill them with the knowledge of His thoughts and to use them as His witnesses in the very environment where He is not taken into account.

Micah 5:5

Duration of the Stay in Babylon

Daniel has experienced the entire history of the New Babylonian Empire. In the “first year the of Cyrus the king” he is about ninety years old. He has then been more than seventy years in Babylon. This mention at the end of this chapter indicates that Daniel has shown the same faithfulness to God that we see in this chapter, through all the time he spent in Babylon. He is an example of the word: “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

Also “the first year of Cyrus the king” refers to the end of the exile in Babylon and the liberation of the people of God from it (Ezra 1:1; 2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 6:3).

Micah 5:7

Introduction

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue reveals the history of the world’s empires. Daniel 7 gives that history too, but there it is revealed in a dream to Daniel and presented in beasts. Beasts are creatures without insight and without conscious connection with God. The statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is in accordance with his imagination of power and rule, how man sees those realms. The beasts in Daniel’s dream show how God thinks about these realms, how He sees them.

Daniel 2 is fundamental to the understanding of prophecy. It contains a key to many other prophecies. The dream of Nebuchadnezzar is very telling, because here in brief the whole history of the world is presented, with the final piece – and this is what it is all about – the creation of the realm of the Lord Jesus.

Nebuchadnezzar Dreams

In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, God shows him the history of the world. The way in which it is made known makes it clear that the most powerful man on earth depends on the prophet of God for its interpretation. This chapter shows three characteristics related to Nebuchadnezzar:

1. He has received his authority from above. 2. He has been given his authority for a specified period. 3. For insight he depends on faithful people.

Micah 5:8

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.

Micah 5:9

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.

Micah 5:10

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.

Micah 5:11

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.

Micah 5:12

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.

Micah 5:13

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.

Micah 5:14

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.

Micah 5:15

Nebuchadnezzar and His Advisers

In these verses a scene unfolds that shows the tragedy of searching for explanations about future things without asking God. We see the human wisdom of the advisors of Nebuchadnezzar and his own power expressed in a disillusioned way. That’s how it always goes. When the wisdom and power of the world are put to the test, wisdom turns out to be moderate, and power turns out to be completely inadequate to obtain the answers. First, man will try to solve the riddles of life and the future by all means at his disposal. Only when it has become apparent that there is no satisfactory answer in this way, is one inclined to listen to God. Man’s failure paves the way for the revelation of the wisdom and power of God.

Nebuchadnezzar wants to know the meaning of his dream. He orders his entire staff of advisers to come before him, all specialists in the field of dream explanations, everyone from his own perspective. Let the king tell his dream and they will give him the explanation. It is not clear from the text whether the king has indeed forgotten the dream or whether he simply does not want to tell it. This is not important either. It is about Nebuchadnezzar, that if he would only tell them the dream they will have a meaning ready for it.

It is not inconceivable that he knows their twists and turns of explanations and that he knows how they will manipulate the explanation of his dream. As long as this has been favorable to himself, he has endured their twists and turns. But because God is at work, this time he is not content with a plausible explanation. He wants to know the right meaning. Those who can tell the dream can also be trusted with the explanation.

God uses the king’s demand to expose the foolishness and inability of his counselors. They answer that they are not able to tell the king his dream. In Daniel 2:10-11 they unconsciously give the right answer: no creature can meet the king’s demand. In so doing, they acknowledge their failure. Only the gods can tell the dream, but they fail. This time the scholars cannot live up to their pretensions that they are in contact with the higher world. Only the true God can make known this dream because the dream comes from Him. By unmasking these people, He clears the way for this Himself.

Not only the scholars of Nebuchadnezzar are disillusioned, but also Nebuchadnezzar himself is disillusioned in his power. His worst threats are powerless as a means of exerting pressure to find out what he absolutely wants to know. In powerless anger, he lets his threats be carried out. He orders the killing of all the wise men in Babylon.