Micah – By Waymon D. Miller

Outline

Introduction
Learning about Micah – his times, his personality, his denunciations

Discussion
I. God’s Judgments for Disobedience
__A. God is to severely punish Israel for her rebellion against Him (1:2-4).
____1. Samaria, the capital of Israel is to be destroyed for the sins of the nation (1:5-7).
____2. Micah mourns because Judah will also receive God’s judgments (1:8-9).
____3, Destruction of the cities of Judah is typical of the fate of the kingdom (1:10-16).
__B. Moral and civil crimes of the people are condemned.
____1. The sins of men of power are enumerated (2:1-5).
____2. The false prophets, who taught the people to love lies, are severely condemned (2:6-11).
____3. Deliverance is promised to the remnant of Israel remaining faithful to God (2:12-13).
II. Unfolding Messianic Hopes
__A. The crimes and punishments of wicked and powerful men are discussed (3:1-4).
____1, The false prophets, who deluded the people, will also receive just punishment (3:5-8).
____2. The rulers, priests, and prophets are again identified as the leaders in these crimes (3:9-11).
____3. As a result of these sins, Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed (3:12).
__B. Amid these ruins shines the hope of the coming Messiah, and His glorious kingdom.
____1. In the “last days” the glorious kingdom of God would be established (4:1-2).
____2. From the kingdom peace would flow to the nations (4:3).
____3. Deliverance from Babylon is prophesied (4:8-10).
____4. Zion would be triumphant over her enemies (4:11-13).
____5. The birth of the Savior in Bethlehem is prophesied (5:2).
__C. Exhortation to Repentance
____1. Micah fervently exhorts the people to repent under the chastening hand of God, and in view of His great mercies.
_______a. God engages in controversy with His people (6:1-5).
_______b. The people feign ignorance in how to satisfy God, and they are told the things God requires (6:6-8).
_______c. God enumerates the sins of His people (6:9-12).
_______d. Israel is threatened with punishment (6:13-16).
_______e. Sins of Israel are confessed to God, together with an affirmation of their faith in Him (7:7-17).
____2. God’s mercies are great.
_______a. The people pray for a restoration of God’s favor, and they are assured His mercies will not fail them (7:14-17).
_______b. God is praised for His faithfulness and mercy (7:18-20).

Conclusion — Israel was not responsive . . .

Introduction – His Times, Personality, and Denunciations

Micah lived and labored in one of the darkest days of Israel’s history. Both Israel and Judah had yielded to the soul-destroying influences of idolatry, and their faith in the true God was shaken. Before God they stood condemned for their spiritual fornication, and His hand of retribution and judgment was about to be laid upon them. Both nations stood upon the brink of civil and spiritual destruction. Shalmaneser and the Assyrians were about to seize Israel and cast her into eternal oblivion, and Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians were poised to strike Judah and cast her into captivity for seven decades. The severity of these judgments against God’s people was surpassed only by the enormity of their crimes against Him.

Micah is one of the most interesting of the prophets, and his writings present some of the most significant of prophecies. Somewhat younger than the distinguished Isaiah, and a contemporary with him, Micah prophesied in Judah and perhaps in Jerusalem around 740-700 B.C. In personality, manner, and standing, Micah was not an Isaiah. He did not move in the high diplomatic circles of political influence as Isaiah, nor did he possess the polish and suavity of that prophet. In contrast, Micah appears as a champion of the lower class. Obscure as to his origin and position, Micah likely was what might be styled a farmer-preacher. Though his language does not reflect the sophistication and finesse of Isaiah, it is nevertheless clear, powerful, and possessed a certain natural elegance.

The writings of Micah abound in abrupt transitions of persons, subjects, genders, and numbers, which may suggest the impulsiveness of the author. Micah pays no slavish tribute to the rigid rules of composition, and the smooth-flowing style of the refined writer is absent in Micah. But Micah’s clarion voice is heard crying out in the wilderness of the spiritual destitution of God’s people. His pungent denunciations of their lewdness and lawlessness were flung into the hearts of God’s people as fiery darts. With unflinching boldness, he condemned evil in high places, among princes, prophets, priests, and the people. Their flagrant disloyalty to God was driven into their conscience, the deepness of their depravity and spiritual destitution was painted in vivid hues, and the certainty of their destruction was described with terrifying realism. In his impassioned message to God’s unfaithful ones of his day, Micah is uncompromising, severe, bold, and devastating, yet also loving, tender, sympathetic, and sorrowful. Above his fierce denunciations and predictions of doom, the burden of his soul was for the repentance and restoration of the people of God. While issuing his clear warnings that “the way of the transgressor is hard,” (Prov. 13:15) Micah wanted also to make Israel realize there was mercy and forgiveness abundant at the hand of God.

Discussion

God’s Judgments and Micah’s Denunciation of Existing Evils

Micah was not disposed to pass over lightly the prevalent sins of his time. He possessed the relentless conviction that God never ignores sin, that sin incurs just and painful punishment, and that the way of the transgressor is hard. To condemn sin so widely condoned is never a popular course, but imminently more concerned was Micah with pleasing God than in being a popular preacher. It is scarcely possible for one to be faithful to God and popular with the masses, and pleasing Almighty God, not the people, must be the supreme aim of every true preacher (Galatians 1:10).

Sin was as rampant among God’s people in the days of Micah as a raging epidemic. Almost all the people lay victims of its infectious and fatal rigors, and their souls were emaciated, distorted, and riddled with the ravages of infidelity and idolatry. Micah ministered with compassion to them, begging their repentance, and pointing them to the healing hand of God.

How repulsive, arrogant, abhorrent, and heinous were their sins! In what lower depths of degradation into depravity could their souls be plunged? How more estranged could they become from their God? With what more contempt could they regard His divine code? How much greater injustice, deception, sensuousness, and worldliness could envelope their senseless souls?

The people were guilty of the most abominable crimes, of both a spiritual and civil nature. Of greatest concern to Micah was the spiritual impoverishment of the Lord’s own. They had fed their souls upon the swill and filth of idolatry, and had gone far astray from the pure will of Jehovah. The conscienceless priests and prophets were steeped with hypocrisy, and as mere mercenary hirelings they pandered to the wishes of the depraved people. The religion of Jehovah was profaned and held in empty, meaningless formality. The princes of the people lavished luxury upon themselves and were filled with pride, rapacity, cruelty, and dishonesty. The poor class was heartlessly oppressed and deprived of their legal rights. The first two chapters of Micah’s message are devoted to the condemnation of God upon such social and spiritual perversions.

Now the day of reaping was at hand, for men reap what they sow. If they sow evil seed, they must eat its bitter fruit. The day of retribution and righteous judgment was at hand, and sorely were the Jews to be distressed for their depravity. The justice of God demanded satisfaction, and their recurrency would reap for them bitter penalties. Among the fearful judgments to fall upon them were these: 1) Israel, typified by its capital of Samaria, would be destroyed by Shalmaneser and his successor Sargon, and would perish in Syrian captivity (1:6-7). 2) Judah would be invaded by Sennacherib (1:9-16), 3) Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed (3: 12; 7:13); 4) the Jews would be carried away captive into Babylon (4:10), and 5) after a while a theocratic government would be restored to God’s people, after their return from Babylonian bondage (4:1-8, 13; 7:11, 14-17).

Unfolding of Messianic Hopes

The spiritual poverty of Israel and Judah at this time pointed to the need of a Messiah, a means of salvation, a way of escape, and an avenue of hope. Sin is the occasion for a Savior. The spiritual slavery of the human race made necessary a Deliverer. The lost condition of humanity created the need for salvation. Man’s being destined to everlasting death and ruin inspired God’s grace to provide everlasting life and security. Thus, the cross was erected upon the hopeless ruin of the human race. The tragic necessity of Calvary was born out of the fact that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). While divine justice demanded our death because of sin (Ezekiel 18:20), divine mercy must find a way to rescue us from this ruin (Ephesians 2:4-5). Thus, both the human and divine imperative was that our sins be vicariously borne by the Lord upon the cross, that He who was sinless be made sin in our stead, that He bear our griefs and carry our sorrows, that He be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, that there be laid upon Him the iniquities of us all, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (Isaiah 53:4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Out of the sentence of death in the body of our Lord, there would flow to us healing from His wounds and precious cleansing from His blood.

The hope of the coming Messiah has been the vibrant desire of men of all ages, and of this did the prophet speak with fervent excitement. And from Micah comes two of the clearest and most resonant of all Messianic prophecies. He spoke first of the kingdom of the Messiah and its nature, and then of the coming of the Messiah Himself (4:1-2; 5:2).

In the Identical language of Isaiah (2:2-3), Micah presents prophecy of the coming kingdom of the Lord in this manner: “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:1-2). In this tremendously significant prophecy, Micah describes several important details about the establishment of the kingdom of the Lord:

• 1) The kingdom would be established in “the last days,” that is, during the last spiritual dispensation. This would be the government of the Lord during the gospel age. Peter interpreted Pentecost as the beginning of “the last days” (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2).
• 2) Since the term “mountain” figuratively symbolized governments, the government of the Lord’s House would arise amid powerful civil governments. The “Lord’s House” is His church or kingdom (1 Timothy 3:15). On Pentecost the church of the Lord was erected when the Roman government was the greatest political power the world had ever known (Acts 2:37-47).
• 3) It would be “exalted above the hills” that is, the kingdom of the Lord would surpass all human governments, and its Ruler is “King of kings, Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). Possessing “all authority in heaven and on earth,” the Lord is exalted “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion” (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:21).
• 4) Many nations would enter into the kingdom, or as Isaiah expressed it, “All nations shall flow to it” (Isaiah 2:2). Unlike Judaism, the gospel would not be addressed to one nation, but to all nations (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Galatians 3:28; Acts 10:35).
• 5) “He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in His paths”. One cannot enter the kingdom without having been properly taught of the Lord (Matthew 28:19; John 6:44-45), and one cannot serve the Lord acceptably without continuing in obedience (Luke 6:46; John 14:23; 15:10-14).
• 6) The law of the Lord would issue from Zion, and the “word of the Lord” from Jerusalem. The temple erected on Mount Zion served as a type of the church, spiritual Zion. From Jerusalem went forth “the word of the Lord” which created the church (Matthew 16:18-19; Mark 9:1; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4, 47).

The effect produced by the reign of the kingdom of Christ is also very beautifully described by Micah: “And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4:3). The kingdom of Christ is not carnal in nature, and neither is it defended or promoted with the sword of carnal warfare (Matthew 26:51-52; John 18:36). The kingdom does not exist to destroy the bodies of men, but to save their souls. The weapons of the Christian conflict are not carnal, and while spiritual, they are “mighty unto God” to the achievement of their aims (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). In this conflict, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood” but against “spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Under the rule of the Prince of Peace, nations cease their hostilities and convert their arms into instruments of peace, learning war no more. Citizens of the kingdom of Christ learn the ways of peace, to resist not evil, to love their enemies, to do good to those that mistreat them, to go the second mile, to forgive men in their trespasses, and to accord others the treatment we would wish to receive, all of which Our King taught in His immortal Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

The second great Messianic prophecy of Micah was concerning the birth of Christ. More specifically, he foretold to the world the exact place of the birth of the Savior. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

Bethlehem was not an insignificant city in biblical history, and for this reason the expression “though you be little among the thousands of Judah” has confounded interpreters. Throughout the inspired history of the city, it is never represented as unimportant. It has for centuries been reasonably populous, and even now contains over 10,000 inhabitants. Bethlehem was the place of the death and burial of Rachel (Genesis 35:19), the residence of Ruth (Ruth 1:19), and the city of David (Luke 2:4, 11). Here Samuel came to anoint David as Saul’s successor (1 Samuel 16:4), and under Rehoboam, because of its strategic military situation, it was made a fortified defense city (2 Chronicles 11:6). After this, however, Bethlehem was overshadowed by the greatness of Jerusalem. The highest glory to adorn Bethlehem is here foretold by Micah: she was favored by God as the city of the nativity of His Son.

Numerous details are provided by the prophets about the birth of the Savior. We learn from them that He was to be the seed of woman (Genesis 3:15), the seed of Abraham (Genesis 17:7), the seed of Isaac (Genesis 21:12), and the seed of David (Psalms 132:11). The time of His birth was disclosed by Daniel (Daniel 9: 24-25), the names by which He should be called are listed by Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6), the miracle of His birth of a virgin was also foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14), the adoration of the Magi related by David (Psalms 72:10), Herod’s slaughter of the innocents by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15), and His return from Egypt by Hosea (Hosea 11:1). But Micah located the place of His birth, and to this prophecy the chief priest, scribes, and the people appeal to inform King Herod of the birthplace of the Christ-child (Matthew 2:3-6).

Exhortation to Repentance

Sin had hardened the heart of God’s people, and their encrusted souls had lost their feeling for God. Micah vividly portrays God’s urgent entreaty with His people in one of the strangest scenes in the Bible (Micah 6:1-8). Generation upon generation of them have been filled with rebellion, pride, idolatry, arrogance, and anarchy. To them God had been provincial, merciful, patient, but they ignored every token of His goodness and continued in sin. In this scene He descends from His vaulted throne in heaven, resigns for the moment His position as their King and Judge, and assembles them in the plains to reason and plead with them. He invokes the mountains of earth to serve as a jury, and witness the justice of His complaints against Israel and their lack of excuse.

Conclusion

Israel was not responsive to God’s merciful overtures. They were irritated and annoyed by His questions. They felt God was too demanding, and asked if they could buy His favors with a thousand rams, ten thousand rivers of oil, and even the sacrifice of their firstborn. They were more than willing to do anything to placate the wrath of God – except what He really required of them! God did not want their rams, rivers of oil, or their firstborn. He wanted them. Obedience to Him surpasses sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). The offerings of an insincere heart are an abomination to God (Isaiah 1:11-17). He wanted to find in them the practical evidence of sincere dedication to Him: justice, mercy, and humility (Micah 6:8). He desired that there be found in them a desire for restoration to Him, and a humble walk with Him. Unfortunately, they did not find the way back home to God, as penitent prodigals, but their obstinate hearts led them in the broad way that resulted in their humiliation, captivity, and punishment as the fruit of their lawlessness.

Questions for Class Discussion

1. Why was the time of Micah a crucial one for both Israel and Judah?
2. What great prophet was contemporary with Micah? Compare their personalities and work.
3. What were some of the evils of which the people were guilty?
4. What were the serious fates to be suffered by Israel and Judah for their sins?
5. What made necessary the coming of the Messiah into the world?
6. Name the six features of the kingdom of Christ prophesied by Micah.
7. What wonderful effect would the kingdom have upon the world?
8. Of what thing did Micah specifically prophesy about the birth of Christ?
9. Name some of the other details prophets foretold about the birth of Christ.
10. What unusual scene does Micah describe in which God is seen begging the repentance of His people?
11. What great offer did the people make God in an attempt to appease His wrath?
12. What three traits did God most wish to find in His people?