Micah 4:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I will retrieve those whom I had cast aside, to whom I granted a bill of divorce, and who have suffered through various captivities, or were given over to the adversary and his angels.

However, lest a diligent reader might question, ‘How can you claim that the lame are gathered and the exiled returned when Judah persists in disbelief?’ let them recognize that the focus here is on the original Church of Christ, which emerged from the Jewish people, including the Apostles. Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles that on one occasion three thousand accepted the faith, and later five thousand (Acts 2:11; Acts 4:4). James reminds Paul: ‘Brother Paul, thou seest how many thousands there are of believing Jews, and they are all zealous doers of the law’ (Acts 21:20).

Additionally, it is pertinent to note the prophet's wording: he does not claim, ‘I will save all the lame,’ but states, ‘I will unite the lame with the remnant,’ so that the chosen and faithful may be saved, and the one who has endured suffering will join a robust nation, a Christian nation that remains steadfast against sword, fire, or extreme tribulations. Consider the faith and trials endured by the martyrs, which testify to the strength of this people. The Lord will reign over them, meaning over numerous nations, and over the feeble remnant of Israel on Mount Zion, symbolizing the Church, where they will gaze upon virtues from the present into eternity.

If anyone interprets the phrases ‘I will gather the broken and embrace the rejected’ in relation to the human soul, acknowledging its prior bondage to various passions and vices—like a weak sheep torn asunder by ravenous wolves—they will not err. When referencing the broken and afflicted due to tribulations, envision the soul that, under the Lord's dominion, will dwell in Zion and be restored to its former glory within the embrace of the Good Shepherd (Luke 15:5).

However, it must be noted that the Jews and their followers misinterpret this passage, along with a similar verse in Isaiah, as pertaining to the millennial reign of Christ and the saints. They interpret the section that states, ‘All nations shall walk every one in the name of the Lord their God’ as a promise of torment for each nation at the hands of its idols, leading to eternal fire. Yet, this faulty interpretation is disproven by the context of the passage, which speaks not of the end times but rather of Christ's first coming, when the remnant of the lame will be gathered, and even before that, the Gentiles will come to salvation.

The prophet Isaiah elucidates this with the declaration: ‘The word that came to Isaiah the son of Amos concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the last days the mountain of the Lord and the house of the Lord will be established at the top of the mountains and exalted above the hills; all nations will stream to it, and many peoples will say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of our God. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore’ (Is. 2:1-5).

Notably, these words indicate that the word of God regarding Jerusalem will judge among many nations but will only admonish the people of Judah. As sinners, He will evaluate us by our deeds; however, the wicked and rejected will not be judged in the same manner but will only receive admonishment as the condemned.

The Prophet, having called out to souls devoted to righteousness—as those for whom the only-begotten Son of God became incarnate and dwelled among humankind (Bar. 3:38)—has affirmed this. The Lord Himself attests to this, stating, “They do not need a physician who is well, but those who are sick” (Matt. 9:19), and “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). By gathering the tax collector, the sinner, the thief, and transforming their lives, the Lord unveiled to the world the holy Church, reigning everlasting over them. Thus, the Prophet, having prophesied about the Church among the nations, returns to express His condemnation of Jerusalem.

Yet, the Lord will eventually show compassion, liberate her from the oppression of strangers, and gather her children from exile to restore them to their homeland for a flourishing life. The Lord's wrath will initially cast aside the daughter of Zion and her descendants because of their disloyalty; however, when they repent and humble themselves before Him, He will gladly receive back those who were once cast off. The phrases regarding placing the broken among the remnant and establishing the rejected as a mighty people signify the Lord's assurance to preserve His chosen ones amidst trials, granting them a remnant and raising them up as a powerful nation. This prophecy will find its literal fulfillment in the distant future but has already been spiritually realized and continues to unfold. The Israelites, who were fleshly descendants and rejected Christ, faced divine disfavor and became like branches severed from the root. In contrast, the Gentiles, as noted by the Apostle, have been grafted in, akin to a wild olive tree, and now share in the nutrients and blessings of the original olive tree (Romans 11:17). By placing their faith in Christ, these Gentiles gained access to the rights of the chosen people, transforming into the new Israel and securing the inheritance promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The universal church established by Christ in the New Testament is also an apostolic body, built upon the foundation laid by the apostles, all of whom were Hebrews by lineage. Through the faith received from them, the Gentiles, sharing a spiritual bond with the apostles, comprise the remnant and the mighty nation referred to in the scripture. Indeed, the apostolic church is a formidable nation, for according to Christ's promise, it stands unyielding against the gates of hell. Regardless of the number of adversaries unleashed from hell, and regardless of their boldness and strength, the church will not be overcome and will endure until the end of the age under the divine protection of Christ, the King. He will rule from Mount Zion (His Church) from now until the conclusion of time. This prophecy of Christ's eternal kingship in His Church echoes the words of the Archangel Gabriel concerning Jesus, who was born of the Virgin Mary: "and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:33).