None Shall Make Them Afraid (An article by Christian Henry)

APRIL 11, 2023 

 “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.” (Micah 4:4)

Our text opens with but they, referring to the Lord’s Redeemed. This is a reference to those redeemed from Babylonian captivity upon writing, but the text also applies to all who call on the name of the Lord.

As a kid, I often played outside with my neighbors, as I’m sure many remember doing. We would run around for hours doing whatever popped into our adolescent heads. Anyway, we had a few big trees around the edge of our cul-de-sac, and after fooling around in the hot sun for a few hours, nothing was better than taking a break and relaxing in the comforting shade of one of the trees. This verse is not talking about sitting in the shade in a literal sense, but rather speaks metaphorically of our peace in Christ, likening it to sitting in the shade during a hot day. This will be made good in the peace under the Messiah.

Those that were once enemies will be made friends. This verse assures us that the redeemed of Babylon should enjoy their own estate with excellent safety and security, which will be provided to the returned, resettled captives, and spiritually is made good among those redeemed by Christ; those who embrace the gospel.

We hear that this will come true because the Lord has spoken it. The merciful, wise, faithful, and almighty God has spoken it. He has promised it, and since He promised, it will be. This gives us the most significant confirmation and assurance of the future accomplishment of the prediction and promise.

Every summer, a large chunk of the extended Henry family goes camping at Table Rock Lake. At nighttime, all the kids gather around the campfire and exchange stories, but the main event was always when Uncle Mark would tell one of his famous scary stories. I remember the night after one of his more frightening tales vividly. Most of his stories took place around our campsite, oddly enough, and I was sure that the monster would come and get me at any second. I was young, and I remember lying on the air mattress staring at the tent’s roof, and just being paralyzed with fear. We all know this fear, but we should note that when we bow to the lord, we will have no more fear. With God, we can peacefully sit in the shade of our fig tree and be completely safe no matter what’s happening around us.