Micah

Author and Date

Shortened form of Micaiah, “Who is like Yahweh?”

A contemporary of Isaiah, 8th century BC; active during reigns of Jotham, Ahaz & Hezekiah

Prophecy directed against both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom

1:5 mentions both

He was quoted by elders in the days of captivity, Jer. 26 18

Jeremiah 26:18 ESV

“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “ ‘Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’

…quoting Micah 3 12

Of course, some try to take authorship away from Micah, except for chapter 1; no valid reason to reach any such conclusion

Message

Three specific pronouncements, each opening with “HEAR”

1:2; 3:1; 6:1

In each segment, there is a pattern of doom versus hope

Glimpses of the Millennial Kingdom

Many bright spots

4:1-5 ; 5:2

A wonderful promise: 7:18-end

Takeaways

God is concerned about His law Dt. 28 1-14

Deuteronomy 28:1–14 (ESV)

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

There are curses for disobedience a few verses later

English Standard Version Chapter 28

But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.