Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• Effects on the serpent 3:14-15
  God's judgment on each trespasser (the snake, the woman, and the man) involved both a life function and a relationship.197In each case the punishment corresponded to the nature of the crime."Curses are uttered against the ser...
• The woe against Ephraim and Judah ch. 28
  "The section begins (1-6) and ends (23-29) with double illustrations drawn from nature and agriculture. Between lies a meditation in eight broadly equal parts on how Jerusalem's leaders refused the word of invitation and inhe...
• The witness to redemption 43:8-44:20
  Isaiah continued to show that Yahweh was both willing and able to deliver His people, a theme begun in 42:10. He confronted the gods, again (cf. 41:21-29), but this time he challenged them to bring forth witnesses to their de...
• Yahweh's warning to His complacent people 5:20-31
  There were three aspects to Judah's failure: the people's perversity (vv. 20-25), their injustice (vv. 26-29), and their leaders (vv. 30-31).143"Jeremiah rebukes the Judeans as a whole for their utter stupidity and lack of mo...
• Promises about the future of the Davidic line and the people 23:1-8
  "After the oracles against wicked kings, there is a promise of a righteous one, the Shoot of David."313Jeremiah just announced that none of Coniah's descendants would ever rule as kings. Now he went on to clarify that a David...
• Economic exploitation 4:1-3
  4:1 Amos opened this second message as he did the first (ch. 3), with the cry, "Hear this word."He addressed the wealthy women of Samaria, calling them "cows of Bashan."Bashan was a very luxuriant region of Transjordan east a...
• Unity
  Critics of the book have tried to prove that it is the product of several writers or editors (redactors). The reason for this view is its lack of apparent coherence. Chapters 4-7 have become the target of most critical attack...
• Structure and Emphases
  The Book of Micah consists of three messages. In each one the theme of judgment is prominent, but there is also mention of restoration and a remnant (2:12; 4:7; 5:7-8; 7:18). Eventually God would restore the Israelites to a p...
• Distinctive characteristics
  The main aspects of God that Micah emphasized were His sovereignty, self-consistency, and His leadership of all events and His people toward His ultimate plans and purposes for them.Like the other eighth-century prophets, Mic...
• Outline
  I. Heading 1:1II. The first oracle: Israel's impending judgment and future restoration 1:2-2:13A. The judgment coming on Israel 1:2-7B. Lamentation over the coming judgment 1:8-161. Micah's personal response 1:8-92. Micah's c...
• II. The first oracle: Israel's impending judgment and future restoration 1:2--2:13
  This is the first of three messages that compose the Book of Micah (cf. chs. 3-5; 6-7). In each one, promises of restoration follow predictions of ruin....
• A. The judgment coming on Israel 1:2-7
  This opening pericope sets the tone and forms the backdrop for the rest of the book. All people were to hear God's indictment against His people (v. 2). Punishment was coming (vv. 3-4) that would be both reasonable (v. 5) and...
• D. A prediction of future regathering and leadership 2:12-13
  The message of the false prophets was not completely wrong; it just presented the positive aspects of God's promises to Israel but omitted the negative. Micah's message had been mainly negative; the people needed to repent or...
• 2. The might of Zion 4:9-5:1
  One of the events that would occur before the realization of these great promises of blessing was Israel's exile, but the burden of this pericope is also future restoration.4:9 Micah, speaking for the Lord, addressed the Jews...
• 3. The King of Zion 5:2-5a
  This section introduces another ruler of Israel who, in contrast to Zedekiah, his foil, would effectively lead God's people."This royal oracle is obviously intended to be the central peak of the range of oracles in chs. 4 and...
• 4. The peace of Zion 5:5b-6
  This pericope continues the emphasis on future peace.5:5b Assyria was the main threat to the Israelites in Micah's day, but this prophecy predicts their victory over the Assyrians. This did not happen in the history of Israel...
• 5. The vindication of Zion 5:7-9
  5:7 In that day the remnant of Jacob will live all over the world scattered among the other nations. "The remnant of Jacob"is one of Micah's favorite terms for the believing Jews living in the "last days"(cf. 2:12; 4:7; 5:8; ...
• IV. The third oracle: God's case against Israel and the ultimate triumph of His kingdom chs. 6--7
  The writer recorded a third round of messages that first announce judgment on the Israelites for their sins (ch. 6) and then promise future restoration (ch. 7)....
• D. Micah's lament over his decadent society 7:1-7
  This section is an individual lament similar to many of the psalms (cf. 1:8-16).7:1 Micah bewailed his own disappointment with Israel's situation. He compared himself to Israel's fruit pickers and grape gatherers who felt gre...
• E. Micah's confidence in the Lord 7:8-20
  This final section of the book is also in the form of a lament (cf. vv. 1-7). While Micah spoke as an individual, he spoke for the faithful remnant of Israelites in his day. His sentiments would have been theirs. Thus the lam...
• 1. Advice to the ungodly 7:8-13
  7:8 When Micah's enemies saw him experience some discouraging situation, they rejoiced. He told them not to rejoice, because though he fell God would raise him up. Though he appeared to be groping in the darkness (cf. Lam. 3:...
• 2. Prayer for deliverance 7:14-17
  7:14 Micah prayed that the Lord would again take an active role as the shepherd of His people Israel. Shepherding with His rod (Heb. shebet) implies kingly leadership. This is a request for the promised descendant of David to...
• 3. Praise for forgiveness 7:18-20
  Micah had prayed, he received the Lord's answer, and this answer moved him to worship (cf. Exod. 34:6-7).447:18 The prophet praised Yahweh as a God who is unique in that He pardons the rebellious sins of the surviving remnant...
• VIII. A concluding promise and warning 4:4-6
  The final three verses of the book, which are also the final message in the Old Testament, are sufficiently different from what immediately precedes to indicate another message from Malachi. Essentially Malachi said, Be prepa...
• The attitudes of the disciples 10:26-39 (cf. Luke 12:1-12)
  Even though Jesus' disciples would encounter hostile opposition, they should fear God more than their antagonists.10:26-27 The basis for confidence in the face of persecution is an understanding that whatever is presently hid...
• 1. The sign of Jesus' rejection of Israel 21:18-22 (cf. Mark 11:12-14, 19-25; Luke 21:37-38)
  The Triumphal Entry happened on Monday. The cursing of the fig tree took place on Tuesday, and the disciples' mention of its withering followed on Wednesday (cf. Mark 11:1-14).78021:18-19 Jesus passed the lone fig tree somewh...
• 1. The healing and forgiveness of a paralytic 2:1-12 (cf. Matt. 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26)
  2:1-2 These two verses are an introduction to what follows. Mark frequently used summaries such as this one (cf. 1:14-15, 39; 2:13; 3:7-12, 23; 4:1, 33-34; 8:21-26, 31; 9:31; 10:1; 12:1). They are a mark of his literary style...
• The cursing of the fig tree 11:12-14 (cf. Matt. 21:18-19)
  Mark gave more precise time intervals than Matthew did. Matthew related the cursing of the fig tree (Matt. 21:12-17) and Jesus' lesson to the disciples the following day (Matt. 21:18-22) back to back.11:12-13 The next day was...
• 3. Warnings about personal danger during persecution 13:9-13 (cf. Matt. 24:9-13; Luke 21:12-19)
  These warnings also occur in other contexts of Jesus' ministry (cf. Matt. 10:17-22; Luke 12:11-12). Jesus evidently voiced them more than once.Mark stressed the idea of persecution by recording the Greek word paradidomithree ...
• 3. Mary's visit to Elizabeth 1:39-56
  This section brings the parallel stories of John's birth and Jesus' birth together. The two sons had their own identities and individual greatness, but Jesus was superior. John began his ministry of exalting Jesus in his moth...
• Division over Jesus 12:49-53 (cf. Matt. 10:34-36)
  Jesus addressed these words to His disciples primarily (cf. vv. 41-42).12:49-50 In view of the context Jesus' reference to fire must be as a symbol of judgment primarily rather than purification, its other common significatio...
• The parable of the fruitless fig tree 13:6-9
  This parable illustrated the need for repentance, but it also drew attention to God's grace in allowing time for repentance.13:6-7 The parable as a whole is very similar to Isaiah 5:1-7, though there the plant in view was a g...
• The first trumpet 8:7
  The scene shifts again, this time from heaven to earth. This first trumpet blast signaled the beginning of a judgment that involved hail, fire (lightning?), and blood (bloodshed? cf. Exod. 9:23-26; Ezek. 38:22). This judgment...
• Characteristics of the beast 13:1-4
  13:1 The dragon stood on the seashore watching a beast come out of the sea, in John's vision (cf. Dan. 7:2, 3, 7, 8, 19-27).415The implication is that the dragon summoned the beast out of the sea.416Evidently this was part of...