And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots.
Micah 5 has just promised a Ruler born in Bethlehem and rescue from the Assyrian invader. Now God strips His own people of their horses and chariots. Why would He disarm the people He has just saved — and when is "that day"?
Commentators place this stripping not in Micah's own century but in a still-future day, when God gathers Israel as a nation under Christ. One writer describes who that promise is for:
In Micah we have a beautiful description of what Israel will be in the world in that day under Christ. They will not be added to the church one by one and merged into it as the blessed; they will be gathered as Israel. Then Christ will be their strength against the Assyrian, their enemy, when He is acknowledged in the land.
Horses and chariots were the weapons a nation leaned on. One commentator names what God is removing:
All these things were symbols of human strength. They were human grounds of confidence in battle. And so the psalmist says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." The LORD also says through the prophet Hosea, "I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen." For in that day His people will have to learn that God alone is their refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble — a lesson which even Christians are slow to grasp.
Verse 9 promised that Israel's enemies would be cut off. Verse 10 aims the same words at Israel's own horses. One commentator holds the two together:
The prophet declares that all the enemies of Israel shall be cut off and perish. But at the same time the LORD will destroy from among Israel all their false human strength — their chariots and their strong cities. All of it feeds the pride of man and leads him to trust in himself. He will destroy all their idols. Israel will no longer worship the works of their own hands. He will wipe out every trace of idolatry.
When Israel first entered the land, God had them destroy captured horses and chariots instead of using them:
Israel entered Canaan, and the land was full of horses and chariots. The LORD said, "You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." He said this because Israel's God objected to the nations' methods in HIS work. His people's confidence must be in Himself alone.
Read on to the end of the chapter and the cutting off continues — through fortresses, sorceries, carved images and sacred pillars. One writer sums up the whole sweep:
All the instruments of war will be done away with, as well as witchcrafts and the soothsayers. Idolatry, the graven images, and the standing images will be abolished. While all this refers to Israel it also includes the rest of the world. All offences will be gathered out of His kingdom.
One writer ties the removal of the chariot to the character of the King's reign:
The two marks of His kingship will be righteousness and peace. He will "cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem," and "He shall speak peace to the nations."
This principle is not only for a future kingdom. God still removes what competes with Himself in the hearts of His own:
We are all so quick to lean on some human support, to trust in human strength, to cling to what we can see. So our ever-faithful Lord sees it right and good to sweep these supports away. He does it so that we will lean on Himself, the eternal Rock of our salvation. He is jealous of our love and confidence, and He will clear the scene of everything that might divide our hearts with Himself.
- Cut off, twice — The same phrase that destroys Israel's enemies in verse 9 destroys Israel's own horses in verse 10. God removes the threat outside and the false confidence inside.
- Symbols, not just animals — Horses and chariots stood for human strength and human confidence. Taking them away teaches that God alone is refuge and strength.
- A return to the beginning — At the conquest God told Israel to hamstring horses and burn chariots. He objected to the nations' methods in His work.
- The clearance widens — Weapons go first, then fortresses, sorceries and idols. God gathers every offence out of His kingdom.
- Safe because of the King — A disarmed people is not a defenceless people. Righteousness and peace are the marks of His reign, and He still sweeps away our supports so we lean on Him.
And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and overthrow all thy strongholds.
God speaks here in the first person. The cities and fortresses He promises to pull down are not the enemy's but His own people's. Why would He strip Israel of her defences at the very moment He is saving her?
The surrounding verses promise that Israel's foes will be cut off. Then the same hand turns inward. It removes everything Israel might have leaned on instead of God.
The prophet declares that all the enemies of Israel will be cut off and perish. But at the same time Jehovah will destroy from among Israel all their false human strength, their chariots, their strong cities. He will destroy all that feeds the pride of man and leads him to trust in himself.
Walls, horses and chariots were symbols of military strength. Taking them away strikes at what the heart trusts in.
First, the Messiah will remove all the false confidences of His people. He says, "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off" (v. 10). All these things were symbols of human strength, grounds of human confidence in battle. So the psalmist says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7)… And again in Micah: "I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots" (Micah 5:10). In that day His people will have to learn that God alone is their refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Even Christians are slow to learn that lesson.
The fortresses are not the only thing removed. The list keeps going, and the next items are religious, not military.
All the instruments of war will be done away with, and so will witchcraft and the fortune-tellers… Idolatry, the carved images, and the standing images will be abolished. Before the Lord comes, the evil spirit of idolatry will seize hold on Israel once more — that is, among those who have turned away from God… All this refers to Israel, but it includes the rest of the world too. All offences will be gathered out of His kingdom.
The same chapter that pulls down Israel's fortifications also pours out judgment on the nations.
God Himself will purge the land and the people. He will cleanse them within from their idolatry. Outwardly He will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations that come up against Zion.
Commentators read the end of Micah 5 as still future. What takes the place of Israel's lost defences is Christ Himself.
Then Christ will be their strength against the Assyrian their foe, when owned in the land. …all evil is purged out from them and the heathen judged, as we have never seen (v. 9-15).
Stripping a nation of its weapons sounds like a loss. Zechariah makes the same promise, and there it describes the King who makes weapons unnecessary.
His kingship will have two marks: righteousness and peace. He will "cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem" (v. 10; compare Micah 5:10-11), and "He shall speak peace to the nations."
Israel will need no walls, because the Lord Himself takes the wall's place. One writer turns that toward the church today.
Walls will be unnecessary. The Lord Himself will be a wall of fire around the city, and also "the glory in her midst."… Their walls, gates and bars will go (Ezekiel 38:10-11): the Lord alone will defend them. This should be a clear, ringing testimony to the Church of God today. We have too often turned to the help of people and of organisations to protect us and to help us bear witness for Christ before the world.
- Aimed inward. The fortresses torn down are God's own people's, not their enemies'. He removes "all that feeds the pride of man."
- False confidence. Chariots, horses and walls stood for human strength. Taking them away teaches that "God alone is their refuge and strength."
- Full sweep. The clearing does not stop at weapons. Witchcraft, fortune-tellers and carved images go too, until "all offences will be gathered out of His kingdom."
- Both sides. God cleanses His people within from idolatry. He judges the nations that come against Zion.
- The point of it all. The King Himself replaces the strongholds: righteousness, peace, and the Lord as "a wall of fire." Commentators press the same lesson on believers who lean on human help today.