Sermon Tone Analysis

Micah, the prophet

I want to start out by giving a little background on the prophet Micah this morning.

Micah was from the town of Moresheth Gath, in southern Judah, and he prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah.

These 3 kings ruled from about 750 BC to 687 BC, and Micah probably saw his prophecy against Israel be fulfilled since Assyria defeated Israel in 722 BC.

He prophesied around the same time as the prophet Isaiah.

Where Isaiah prophesied to the royal court in Jerusalem, Micah prophesied to the common people of Judah, to the rural, farming communities.

But the many of their messages were the same.Even though the people were experiencing relative peace and prosperity, their sin before God was mounting up to grievous heights.

Most of their sins were hidden behind a veil of religious activities.

Oh they were a religious people to be sure, they were filling all the squares.

They worshipped at the temple; they made all the required sacrifices; they knew and did all the rituals.

They were very religious, but their hearts were far from God.

They were sick and didn’t know it.

It was like a patient telling their doctor to fix up their x-rays and test results so they appear to be healthy, and with the self-deceit, their condition only gets worst.

These were turbulent times for the people.

Rulers and prophets turning away from God, and leading the people of the southern kingdom into false hopes and more errors.

Micah did not mince words and spoke out against these prophets when he wrote in chapter 3 verse 6 and 7,

and darkness to you, without divination.

6 Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination.

The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; 7 the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God.

and darkness to you, without divination.

The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; 7 the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame;

The sun shall go down on the prophets,

and the day shall be black over them;

and the day shall be black over them;

7  the seers shall be disgraced,

7  the seers shall be disgraced,

and the diviners put to shame;

they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God.

they shall all cover their lips,

and the diviners put to shame;

for there is no answer from God.

they shall all cover their lips,

for there is no answer from God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

(2016).

().

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Jesus quoted Isaiah about these people in .

7 You hypocrites!

Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

with the Spirit of the LORD,

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

and with justice and might,

to declare to Jacob ahis transgression

Micah was very forthcoming as to where his authority came from in verse 8,

and to Israel his sin.

God had given Micah authority to speak on His behalf, and Micah was not holding back.

God’s indictment -

Micah sets the stage for chapter 6 in a courtroom setting.

Micah moves back and forth between God pleading his case, the people responding under conviction, and Micah as the lawyer for the plaintiff.

states:

6 qHear what the LORD says:

Arise, plead your case before the mountains,

and let the hills hear your voice.

2  rHear, you mountains, sthe indictment of the LORD,

and you enduring foundations of the earth,

for the LORD has an indictment against his people,

and he will contend with Israel.

3  “O my people, twhat have I done to you?

uHow have I wearied you?

Answer me!

4  For vI brought you up from the land of Egypt

and wredeemed you from the house of slavery,

and I sent before you Moses,

Aaron, and xMiriam.

5  O my people, remember ywhat Balak king of Moab devised,

and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,

and what happened from zShittim to Gilgal,

that you may know athe righteous acts of the LORD.”

6 qHear what the LORD says:

Arise, plead your case before the mountains,

and let the hills hear your voice.

2  rHear, you mountains, sthe indictment of the LORD,

and you enduring foundations of the earth,

for the LORD has an indictment against his people,

and he will contend with Israel.

3  “O my people, twhat have I done to you?

uHow have I wearied you?

Answer me!

4  For vI brought you up from the land of Egypt

and wredeemed you from the house of slavery,

and I sent before you Moses,

Aaron, and xMiriam.

5  O my people, remember ywhat Balak king of Moab devised,

and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,

and what happened from zShittim to Gilgal,

that you may know athe righteous acts of the LORD.”

God commanded Micah as his advocate to plead his case to the mountains and the hills as witnesses since they were present at Sinai when God made his covenant with Israel and when the commandments were written and placed in the ark of the covenant.

God was calling for outside witnesses to confirm that He had been just and righteous with His people and that Israel had been wrong in its attitudes and actions before God.

Let the rocks that have no ears hear, since Israel, that has ears, will not hear.

God is pleading his case, asking what he had done to make the people turn their back on him after all that He did.

God had every right to ask this question: “what have I done to you?” God is innocent.

God is also righteous.

He is asking the people to remember all the great things He has done for them.

Through-out the Old Testament, there are many commands for the people to teach their children all the things God has done.

The Word “remember” is mentioned 14 times in the book of Deuteronomy.

Remember what God has done.

Teach them to your children.

Now God is asking them to remember.