Day #196

Sermon - Audio
Micah - Audio
Micah - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

The book of Micah as a chapter in the master story of the Bible:

The master story of the Bible is the story of how God deals with the sinfulness of the human race. The book of Micah shows God acting in judgment against sin but also as having a plan to save those who believe in his promised Messiah.

Theological Themes:

(1) Sin and judgment: the book shows that God takes sin very seriously and teaches that people must reflect his priorities by dealing justly with one another and the oppressed.

(2) God’s sovereignty: God has the power to judge sinners and also to save them through his promised Messiah.

(3) Eschatology (last things): the book contains apocalyptic visions of a future golden age.

1

1 - Moresheth is located in the country. Micah, was probably a lot like Amos. A country-boy sent in to the city. Micah will speak to both the northern kingdom (Israel) and southern kingdom (Judah).

2-5 - Micah sees God descended on His people with judgment.

6-7 - Samaria was the capital of Israel.

7 - Micah combines the ideas of idolatry and spiritual adultery in saying "her wages, or pay, shall be burned with fire."

8-9 - We see some of Micah's heart in this matter. It wasn't as if these prophets didn't have hearts for these people, or as if some of them weren't even their own family. However, the mission was larger than their desires. God's message had to be delivered.

9 - "incurable wounds" = They become this way because we choose to harbor them from God.

10 - Micah seeks to prevent either sympathy or rejoicing from outside observers over the coming destruction. -ESVSB-

11-16 (Names)

Beth-le-aphrah - Hebrew - (roll yourself in dust)

Shaphir - Hebrew - (beautiful contrasted with nakedness and shame)

Zaanan - Hebrew - (come out, fear of trembling)

Beth-ezel - Hebrew - (House of Taking Away, lamentation that the village will be destroyed)

Maroth - Hebrew - (bitter, they long for good, but will get disaster)

Moresheth-gath - Hebrew - (One who is betrothed, Assyria will receive a dowry and not in a good way)

Achzib - Hebrew - (deceptive, deceitful)

Mareshah - Hebrew (conqueror or dispossessor, Israel's dispossession of Canaan will now turn into their own)

16 = For they have been banished from you may be translated also as “for they have gone from you into exile.” The readers of the book who were aware of the exile to Babylonia (see 4:10, and intro.) identified such exile with the Babylonian exile. -JSB-

*The people hearing this couldn't think of anything worse than what Micah is saying here.

2

2.1: “Woe” is a term that carries with it the threat of God’s punishment

2.1: “iniquity” Planning and carrying out a deception that leads to a painful aftermath for the person who has been deceived.

2.1: “on their beds” i.e. these people plan evil constantly instead of meditating on God’s Torah.
2.2: The inheritance is what was given to each family by God through Joshua. It was never supposed to be lost. Even when it was “sold” it was to be returned in the year of Jubilee. Apparently the rich found a way around this command of God and so robbed the poor of their land, their future, and their place in the community.

2.1-2: These words reflect what Ahab did to Naboth some 100 years earlier when Naboth was killed so King Ahab could have his vineyard (1 Kings 21)

2.4: the rich who have done such great injustice are punished by God in a fitting way—they lose everything they have stolen and sent into exile. Meanwhile the poor they have ripped off are left in the land and sing mocking songs about the rich who have lost all.
2.6: The false prophets call on Micah not to speak such harsh and terrible truths.

2.8-9: More pictures of the rich abusing people. This time by taking their clothing and by turning out the widows onto the streets.

2.11: the rich want to talk about the best beers and wines, but they don’t want to hear the words of Micah.

2.12: God’s promise of a day of justice coming. For more on this you can refer to the message from Sunday morning.

3

As we mentioned, Micah is part of God’s grand story of redeeming his entire creation. Part of a redeemed world is a world where justice reigns. Micah 3 tells the story of leaders who fail completely at making this part of God’s story/plan a reality.

3.1: “Leaders of Jacob” refers especially to military leaders (which would include the king). Military leaders are not showing proper concern for the people.

3.2-3: These military leaders are spoken of as if they are cannibals, stripping and eating the flesh of the people. Such vivid imagery shows the depth of injustice being carried out by military leaders in Israel.
3.4: God tells the military leaders because they did not listen to the cries of the people they were abusing, that when these leaders become desperate in battle he will not listen to their cries. Thus God does to them what they have done to others.
3.5: The prophets as well are seen as corrupt and robbing people of justice. If someone feeds these prophets they receive a positive message of hope and peace, if someone refuses to feed the prophets these prophets proclaim war against them.
3.6-7: Micah declares that the prophets will see a day coming when they will no longer receive messages from God. As they brought darkness to those who wouldn’t feed them, so God will bring darkness to the prophets.
3.8: Micah declares that he is faithful in speaking the message of God—a message of judgment calling the leaders of Israel back to justice.
3.9-12: A summary of all that has gone wrong with God’s leaders—and yet their arrogance in believing that God is still on their side. Micah makes it clear that the sin of the leaders is going to lead to the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. Finally, the only thing that delays it is Hezekiah’s repentance.

4

Chapter 4 presents a compelling vision of the future—of what will be because of God’s power.
4.1 “Chief” means that God will be the who reigns over all other powers.

4.2: The people want to get to where God is so that they can learn his ways (Torah). God insists that his Torah is so excellent that people and nations will long for it (cf. Psalm 119 and Dt. 4.5-8) This kind of longing seems to be foreign to how many nations view God’s Torah today. It leaves one wondering what will happen to make the nations desire it.

4.3: The reason nations will turn swords into ploughshares is because God will come and judge between nations and settle their disputes. This is an absolutely amazing concept. God who is able to see the truth of all situations will come and declare truth between nations and then make a judgment based on that—and the nations will accept the judgment and so there will be peace.

4.4: “Vine and fig tree” is a way of saying that everyone will be tranquil and content.

4.6 “lame and exiles (literally “outcast”): these two groups reflect the broken and desperate state of the people in exile. God is going to take those who have no hope and restore and heal them.

4.9-10: Judah will go into exile in Babylon where she will have no king. But the good news is that God will use the exile to prepare Israel for her role as the center of the nations. Out of this one has to wonder if that Babylon and the subsequent change in the way that Israel sought to be faithful to God was indeed that which prepared her for being at the center of the nations by setting Israel up to have Jesus born into her midst.

4.11-12: The nations do not understand that God is working things out according to his plan—they think they are winning, but God is merely setting things up for his eventual triumph. These words remind one of the words of Colossians where Paul tells us that Jesus defeats Satan by the cross (Col. 2.13-15). This too is an instance where the powers thought they knew what was going on, but God turns what seems to be defeat into victory.

5

More blessings envisioned [ chapter 5 ]. Chapter 5 is cut from the same cloth as the preceding chapter. The new element is a more overtly messianic emphasis (vv. 2–5). Verses 10–15 are couched in the rhetoric of predicted judgments and destruction, reminding us of oracles of judgment, but the context is that these acts of divine judgment are positive in the sense of purging the chosen nation of evil and protecting it against enemies. -ESVLB-

6

1-2 - Micah uses the imagery of a courtroom as if they are on trial.

3 - "Testify against me." As Israel steps up to the witness stand, God asks them, “What have I done to you?” He has done nothing but good to Israel, and has been repaid with rejection and rebellion. Not only did God not do evil to Israel, He also did them an enormous amount of good. He redeemed them and gave them godly leaders. God’s case against Israel looks pretty good.

6-7 - This is a question asked out of bitterness and resentment. Israel calls out to God from the witness stand, and says: “Just what do You want from me?” We can almost hear Israel shouting at God from the witness stand. “You ask too much, God. Nothing will satisfy You.

8 - THIS is a verse that people need to stop using out of context, or "proof-texting," it is not a happy occasion when this is used. God is telling His people that He has shown them the way to live, what he requires...the sum of the law:

Do Justly - “Act in a just, fair way towards others. Treat them they way you want to be treated.”

Love Mercy - “Don’t just show mercy, but love to show it. Give others the same measure of mercy you want to receive from Me.”

Walk Humbly - “Remember ME! If you keep that in mind, you will walk humbly before Me.”

“I would not advise any of you to try to be humble, but to be humble. As to acting humbly, when a man forces himself to it, that is poor stuff. When a man talks a great deal about his humility, when he is very humble to everybody, he is generally a canting hypocrite. Humility must be in the heart, and then it will come out spontaneously as the outflow of life in every act that a man performs.” True humility is thinking rightly of thyself, not meanly. When you have found out what you really are, you will be humble, for you are nothing to boast of. To be humble will make you safe. To be humble will make you happy. To be humble will make music in your heart when you go to bed. To be humble here will make you wake up in the likeness of your Master by-and-by.” - Charles Spurgeon

9-12 - God's people have lied to one another, cheated one another, and have neglected Justice & Mercy. God made it clear and simple what He desired, but His people have not chosen His story/His path/His created order.

13-16 - Because of this rejection of God's ways....

7

1 - Micah will begin by confessing the sins of the nation. I can't imagine coming to the knowledge of all of this and the future to come without going crazy.

5-7 - Relationships have been hindered due to disobedience to God. We rarely seem to realize that choosing our own story causes collateral damage to the world around us...all of it.

8-10 - Micah understands that the people are totally in God's hands at this point. It isn't that they weren't all along, but now they realize it right when judgment is coming.

11-20 - Micah looks forward to a coming time when God will raise up His people once again.

The redeeming truth in Micah: "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old."

*If we really understood what we deserved by continually choosing to be our own saviors, or by outright disobedience, we would then begin to understand the extent of his mercy even amongst difficult times. God has been patient with me, even amongst both of these things. It is my duty and call to do justice, love mercy, & to walk in humility before a God who has passed over my sin.