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"The best of them is like a brier"

Text: Micah 7:4

A SARCASTIC COMMENT

Were there not good men left in the nation of Judah? Micah offered a biting sarcastic comment.

“The best of them is like a brier;
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;
The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;
Now shall be their perplexity.”
Micah 7:4

1. “The best of them is like a brier”

a) “The best of them”

This would be a reference to “Princes, judges, and great men”.

b) Compared to a brier

They would be thorny and painful to the touch.

2. “The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge”

a) The phrases are like parallel statements.

i) The best

ii) The most upright

b) There is heavy sarcasm.

c) There was really nothing upright to be found among the evil men.

d) “Sharper than a thorn hedge”

i) A thorn hedge is to be avoided.

ii) These evil people were worse than the thorn hedge.

iii) They bring much hurt to the poor and needy.

3. “The day of your watchman and your punishment comes”

a) The watchmen were the sentinels appointed to watch out for enemies.

b) Prophets were sometimes called “watchmen” (Ezekiel 3:17).

c) The faithful watchmen will also cry out words of warning.

d) They cannot but cry out that punishment was coming.

e) The usual cry “The day of the LORD”.

4. “Now shall be their perplexity”

a) The wicked had always caused perplexity for others.

b) In the coming judgment, they would face perplexity themselves.

c) It would be a perplexity that would cost them their very lives if they were unrepentant.