Micah 2

Chapter 1 Recap/Review:

The Context: Our Author and the Timeline: (v. 1)

Micah 1:1 (NASB)

1 The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

“…Micah of Moresheth…”

Moresheth was a small village in Judah that bordered Philistia. It was about 25 miles slightly south, mostly west of Jerusalem. Micah, in (v. 14) identifies Moresheth with Gath, by calling it Moresheth-gath. The prophet Jeremiah does the same thing in Jeremiah 26. Moresheth is a Hebrew word that means “possession”. So Moresheth-gath means “Possession of Gath”. It was a village that had historically been inhabited and controlled by the Philistines and most likely ruled by the Giants of Gath (1 Chronicles 20).

“…in the days of Jotham…”

2 Chronicles 27:1–9 (NASB)

Jotham became king of Judah around 750 B.C. and he reigned 16 years.

“…in the days of…Ahaz…”

2 Kings 16:1–20

Ahaz became king of Judah around 734 B.C., and he reigned 16 years.

“…in the days of…Hezekiah…”

2 Kings 18:1–6 (NASB)

Hezekiah became king around 718 B.C, just a few years before Israel fell to Assyria. He reigned 29 years, putting the end of his time on the throne around 689 B.C.

Micah’s timeline is a 61 year window somewhere between 750-689 B.C.

Micah was preaching and prophesying to Israel about their doom and destruction years before it happened. He witnessed Israel’s fall to Assyria in 715 B.C. He also warned Judah of their downfall a full 100 years before it happened (Jerusalem fell to Babylon in 587 B.C.)

Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, Hosea and Amos.

Some of Micah’s message found elsewhere…

Jeremiah 26:18–19 (NASB)

18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus the Lord of hosts has said, “Zion will be plowed as a field, And Jerusalem will become ruins, And the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.” ’ 19 “Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and the Lord changed His mind about the misfortune which He had pronounced against them?

Micah 1:2-16:

The rest of chapter 1 is Micah telling the people what God is going to do. He explains how they are going to see their city destroyed, how ones they love with die, and how their children will going away into captivity and slavery.

What is really interesting about it is that we also see God express how much it grieves Him that He has to discipline them in this way.

Example:

Micah 1:8 (NASB)

8 Because of this I must lament and wail, I must go barefoot and naked; I must make a lament like the jackals and a mourning like the ostriches.

After God talks about His own grief and sorrow, and Micah expresses the same, God then tells the people that they should also respond in the same way. If they would humble themselves as they grief over their sin, it would lead them to repentance and then God would relent and show them mercy and grace.

Chapter 2: “Responsibility and Accountability”

Here we have the sins the people are responsible for and also the way God plans to hold them accountable.

Hebrews 10:30 (NASB)

30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

1 Peter 4:17 (NASB)

17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Micah 2:1–13 (NASB)

1 Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the power of their hands. 2 They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. 3 Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time. 4 “On that day they will take up against you a taunt And utter a bitter lamentation and say, ‘We are completely destroyed! He exchanges the portion of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He apportions our fields.’ 5 “Therefore you will have no one stretching a measuring line For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord. 6 ‘Do not speak out,’ so they speak out. But if they do not speak out concerning these things, Reproaches will not be turned back. 7 “Is it being said, O house of Jacob: ‘Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these His doings?’ Do not My words do good To the one walking uprightly? 8 “Recently My people have arisen as an enemy— You strip the robe off the garment From unsuspecting passers-by, From those returned from war. 9 “The women of My people you evict, Each one from her pleasant house. From her children you take My splendor forever. 10 “Arise and go, For this is no place of rest Because of the uncleanness that brings on destruction, A painful destruction. 11 “If a man walking after wind and falsehood Had told lies and said, ‘I will speak out to you concerning wine and liquor,’ He would be spokesman to this people. 12 “I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold; Like a flock in the midst of its pasture They will be noisy with men. 13 “The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, And the Lord at their head.”

The Specific Sins:

Following their Fallen Hearts: Covetousness (v. 1-5)

1 Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the power of their hands. 2 They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. 3 Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time. 4 “On that day they will take up against you a taunt And utter a bitter lamentation and say, ‘We are completely destroyed! He exchanges the portion of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He apportions our fields.’ 5 “Therefore you will have no one stretching a measuring line For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

1 Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the power of their hands.

James 3:16 (NASB)

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

1 Timothy 6:10 (NASB)

10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Ephesians 5:5 (NASB)

5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Matthew 6:24 (NASB)

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

2 They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.

Leviticus 25:23 (NASB)

23 ‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.

1 Kings 21:1–22 (NASB)

1 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like, I will give you the price of it in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4 So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?” 6 So he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ” 7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. 9 Now she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; 10 and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” 11 So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13 Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.” 15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. 17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 “You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.” ’ ” 20 Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 “Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; 22 and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have made Israel sin.

The accountability:

3 Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time. 4 “On that day they will take up against you a taunt And utter a bitter lamentation and say, ‘We are completely destroyed! He exchanges the portion of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He apportions our fields.’ 5 “Therefore you will have no one stretching a measuring line for you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

They will reap what they sowed. They took away the land of others, now God will take away their land. This is referring to them being expelled from the land and the children going away into captivity.

(v. 5) is point to the book of Joshua where God portions out the land as an inheritance for the people.

Following False Teachers: (v. 6-10)

6 ‘Do not speak out,’ so they speak out. But if they do not speak out concerning these things, Reproaches will not be turned back. 7 “Is it being said, O house of Jacob: ‘Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these His doings?’ Do not My words do good To the one walking uprightly? 8 “Recently My people have arisen as an enemy— You strip the robe off the garment From unsuspecting passers-by, From those returned from war. 9 “The women of My people you evict, Each one from her pleasant house. From her children you take My splendor forever. 10 “Arise and go, For this is no place of rest Because of the uncleanness that brings on destruction, A painful destruction.

Matthew 18:6–7 (NASB)

6 …whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

Amos 7:10–17 (NASB)

10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11 “For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’ ” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! 13 “But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence.” 14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. 15 “But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 “Now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.’ 17 “Therefore, thus says the Lord, ‘Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’ ”

How are they responsible for following false teachers?

Isaiah 6:5 (NASB)

5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

Colossians 2:8 (NASB)

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Ephesians 5:6 (NASB)

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

I referenced Ephesians 5:5 earlier, regarding the sin of coveting. The next verse had to do with false teaching… TWO THOUGHTS:

God’s people in Paul’s day dealt with the same sin struggles as God’s people in Micah’s day AND we have these same issues in our day.

There is no doubt in my mind that Paul was mindful of Israel historical sins, specifically what we are talking about here, when he penned this passage in Ephesians 5.

1 John 4:1 (NASB)

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Following false teachers was also a sign they they never truly followed God.

John 8:47 (NASB)

47 “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

Following their Fascination with Pleasure: (v. 11)

11 “If a man walking after wind and falsehood Had told lies and said, ‘I will speak out to you concerning wine and liquor,’ He would be spokesman to this people

Micah 2:11 (NLT)

11 Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!

Micah 2:11 (NIV)

11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!

Micah 2:11 (Tanakh)

11 If a man were to go about uttering windy, baseless falsehoods: “I’ll preach to you in favor of wine and liquor”— He would be a preacher acceptable to that people.

Isaiah 28:7–8 (NASB)

7 And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment. 8 For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.

Hosea 4:11 (NASB)

11 Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding.

Proverbs 20:1 (NASB)

1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

Judgement and Wrath Mixed with Mercy and Grace: (v. 12-13)

12 “I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold; Like a flock in the midst of its pasture They will be noisy with men. 13 “The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, and the Lord at their head.”

Isaiah 10:20–22 (NASB)

20 Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return…

Hosea 2:23 (NASB)

23 “I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’ ”

Romans 9:22–27 (NASB)

22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. 25 As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ ” 26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” 27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved…

13 “The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, and the Lord at their head.”

Exodus 13:21–22 (NASB)

21 The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

Nehemiah 9:12 (NASB)

12 “And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, And with a pillar of fire by night To light for them the way In which they were to go.

Psalm 119:105 (NASB)

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

John 16:13 (NASB)

13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.