A study of Micah (1 of 2)

A study of Micah (1) 1
AstudyofMicah(1)
Laindon Bible Study, 16th December 2015

Some remarkable prophecies! [refs]
A study of Micah (1) 2Note: dates assume Micah prophesied ~735-700 BC (see Slide 9)

Micah on a single slide
“Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob” (7 v 20)

Our two studies (God willing)

Who is like Yahweh?
• The meaning of Micah’s name...
The LORD God
contrasted with idols
(false gods)
A challenge to
Micah’s hearers
(self-examination)
God’s righteous
character exalted
(merciful forgiveness)
“And all the graven images
thereof shall be beaten to
pieces, and all the hires
thereof shall be burned
with the fire, and all the
idols thereof will I lay
desolate...” (1 v 7)
“Who is a God like unto
thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the
transgression of the remnant of
his heritage? he retaineth not
his anger for ever, because he
delighteth in mercy.” (7 v 18)
“He hath shewed thee,
O man, what is good;
and what doth the Lord
require of thee, but to do
justly, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with
thy God?” (6 v 8)
“Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your
Father which is in
heaven is perfect.”
(Matthew 5 v 48)

What else we know about Micah
• “Micah the Morasthite” (1 v 1)
– Came from the village Moresheth in the
rolling low hills of Judah (the Shephelah)
– Village also known as Moresheth-gath, v 14,
i.e. ‘inheritance or possession of Gath’

A prophet to Judah...
• ...but also with a message concerning Samaria (i.e. Israel)
Micah 1
1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah
the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz,
and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw
concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 26
18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the
days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake
to all the people of Judah, saying...
Ezekiel 23
2 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: 3 And they committed whoredoms
in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they
bruised the teats of their virginity. 4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her
sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is
Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
Two sisters – common characteristics

The language of harlotry
• Shows the strength of the betrayal...
Micah 1 v 6-7
“Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the
field... for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot,
and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.”
Isaiah 1 v 21
“How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was
full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but
now murderers.”
Hosea 1 v 1-2, 2 v 5
“The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The beginning of
the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and
children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord... For
their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will
go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.”
Dominates the whole prophecy
Micah
IsaiahHosea

Likely timing of the prophetic book
• Minor prophets not in chronological order...*
9A study of Micah (1)
* although the three ‘blocks’ or ‘groups’ of prophecy are chronological

A familiar timeline
• A critical period in the history of Israel and Judah...

2 Kings 15 v 32-35 2 Kings 16 v 2-4 2 Kings 18 v 1-4
Contemporary Kings (of Judah)
• Prophesied during reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah...
“In the second year of Pekah the son
of Remaliah king of Israel began
Jotham the son of Uzziah king of
Judah to reign. Five and twenty years
old was he when he began to reign,
and he reigned sixteen years in
Jerusalem. And his mother's name
was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
And he did that which was right in
the sight of the Lord: he did
according to all that his father Uzziah
had done. Howbeit the high places
were not removed: the people
sacrificed and burned incense still
“Twenty years old was Ahaz
when he began to reign, and
reigned sixteen years in
Jerusalem, and did not that
which was right in the sight of
the Lord his God, like David
his father. But he walked in the
way of the kings of Israel, yea,
and made his son to pass
through the fire, according to the
abominations of the heathen,
whom the Lord cast out from
before the children of Israel. And
he sacrificed and burnt
“Now it came to pass in the third year
of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel,
that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of
Judah began to reign. Twenty and five
years old was he when he began to
reign; and he reigned twenty and nine
years in Jerusalem. His mother's name
also was Abi, the daughter of
Zachariah. And he did that which was
right in the sight of the Lord,
according to all that David his father
did. He removed the high places,
and brake the images, and cut down
the groves, and brake in pieces the
brasen serpent that Moses had

Micah’s impact in Judah (& on Hezekiah)
• Sections of Micah must have been early in Hezekiah’s reign...
• Back to Jeremiah chapter 26:
• Micah one of the [unsung] catalysts for religious reform at this time
Samaria / Israel
still existed (1 v 1)
Judah still had high
places (1 v 5)*
Before Assyrian
invasion (5 v 6)
18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of
Judah, saying, [Micah 3 v 12] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and
Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountains of the house as the high places of a forest. 19 Did
Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord, and besought the
Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we
procure great evil against our souls.
* Removed at beginning of Hezekiah’s reign (2 Chronicles 31 v 1)

Contemporary Prophets
• Prophesied during ministries of Hosea and Isaiah...
Micah 4 v 1-4
“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.
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 pruninghooks: nation shall
not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more. 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.
Isaiah 2 v 2-5
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in
the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above
the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many
people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to
the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of
Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will
walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall
judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many
people: and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let
us walk in the light of the Lord.”

Book’s outline / three clear sections
• Repeated phrase...
1 v 2
“Hear,
all ye
people...”
Ch. 1
Ch. 2
6 v 1
“Hear
ye now
what...”
Ch. 6
Ch. 7
3 v 1
“Hear,
I pray you...”
Ch. 3
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Deliverance
for a chosen
remnant
(2 v 12-13)
Deliverance
for Zion
(vs. nations)
(4 v 1 – 5 v 15)
Deliverance
for God’s
people
(7 v 11-20)
Judgement
vs. Israel
& Judah
(1 v 2 – 2 v 11)
Reasons given
Judgement
vs. Judah’s
rulers
(3 v 1-12)
Reasons given
Judgement
vs. Judah &
Jerusalem
(6 v 1 – 7 v 10)
Reasons given
Ch. 1 v 1
Introduction
“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell,
severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Romans 11 v 22)

Key messages of the book (Section 1)
• Judgement (1 v 2 – 2 v 11)
– 1 v 2-4: God is Almighty, He will come forth to judge the earth
– 1 v 5-9: The transgressions of Samaria and Jerusalem
– 1 v 10-16: Lamenting the fate of towns/villages of Judah
– 2 v 1-2: The practising of iniquity, reason for judgement
– 2 v 3-11: The ‘time of evil’ to be let loose by God
• Deliverance (2 v 12-13)
– 2 v 12-13: The gathering of the remnant flock
10 Declare ye it not at Gath [winepress], weep ye not at all: in the
house of Aphrah [house to dust] roll thyself in the dust. 11 Pass ye
away, thou inhabitant of Saphir [fair], having thy shame naked: the
inhabitant of Zaanan [pointed] came not forth in the mourning of
Beth-ezel [house of narrowing]; he shall receive of you his standing.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth [bitterness] waited carefully for good:
but evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem. 13 O
thou inhabitant of Lachish [invincible], bind the chariot to the swift
beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the
transgressions of Israel were found in thee. 14 Therefore shalt thou
give presents to Moresheth-gath [possession of Gath]: the houses of
Achzib [deceit] shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. 15 Yet will I bring an
heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah [crest of a hill]: he shall
come unto Adullam [justice of the people] the glory of Israel.
Shepherding another repeated theme...
e.g. 4 v 6-8, 5 v 4-6, 5 v 8 & 7 v 14
[Note: sheep naturally wander/defenceless/reliant]
[definitions]

• Judgement (3 v 1-12)
– 3 v 1-4: Judgement upon the heads of Jacob and princes of Israel
– 3 v 5-8: Judgement upon the (false) prophets and seers
– 3 v 9-12: Rulers, prophets & priests each responsible for God’s fury
• Deliverance (4 v 1 – 5 v 15)
– 4 v 1-5: The LORD’s house established, peaceful reign ensues
– 4 v 6-8: The LORD’s subjects and royal dominion
– 4 v 9-10: The travail: captivity and redemption from Babylon
– 4 v 11-13: Victory over opposing nations
– 5 v 1-6: God’s chosen leader to deliver Israel (Hezekiah/Christ)
– 5 v 7-15: Cleansing God’s people, vengeance upon the heathen

• Judgement (6 v 1 – 7 v 10)
– 6 v 1-2: The appeal to the court – to hear God’s charges
– 6 v 3-5: The accusation – God’s love & deliverance
– 6 v 6-7: The defence – how can Israel respond?
– 6 v 8: The appeal to the court – to hear God’s request
– 6 v 9-12: The accusation – wickedness, violence & deceit
– 6 v 13-16: The sentence – sickness, emptiness & desolation
– 7 v 1-10: The defence – recognition of sin and lamentation
• Deliverance (7 v 11-20)
– 7 v 11-13: Jerusalem rebuilt and people regathered
– 7 v 14-15: The people liberated and nourished
– 7 v 16-20: The nations humbled and truth to Jacob performed
1 Listen to what the Lord says:
"Get up! Defend yourself before the
mountains!
Present your case before the hills!"
2 Hear the Lord's accusation, you
mountains,
you enduring foundations of the earth!
For the Lord has a case against his
people;
he has a dispute with Israel!

Micah – minor prophet, major messages
Waiting for
God’s
salvation
God’s
pardoning of
transgression
Covetousness
which is
idolatry
The
responsibility
of shepherds
What service
to God actually
requires
God’s
sovereignty
Misplaced
trust in God
The sacred
oath of
spiritual
marriage
Only divine
rule can
bring peace
A chosen
remnant to
be saved
The certain
cutting off of
wickedness
God’s
accusation,
man’s
inadequate
defence

Our next week’s study (God willing)

A study of Micah (1 of 2)

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