Micah Simplified

Title

The Title is Named After the Prophet Whose Prophetic Words We Read in This Book

Instead of Being Identified By His Father or Family (Joel Son of Pethuel or Jonah Son of Amittai)…

Micah is Identified By Where He is From (Micah of Moresheth)

Moresheth was About 22 Miles Southwest of Jerusalem

So He is From the Southern Kingdom of Judah

Micah = Who is Like Yahweh?

Something Neat About that is:

This Question is One of the Last Things We Read in Micah

Micah 7:18 (NASB)

Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.

Date

Micah 1:1 (NASB)

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.

He Prophesied During the Reign’s of Judean Kings:

Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah

This Would Make Him Contemporary With the Prophets Hosea and Isaiah

There is Even a Passage in Both Isaiah and Micah that are Almost Identical

And it is a Very Famous Passage

Micah 4:1–3 (NASB)

And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it.

Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war.

Isaiah 2:2–4 (NASB)

Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.

And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.

Scholars Believe By the Limited Information that We are Given…

That Micah’s Prophetic Ministry Might Have Lasted Around 20 to 25 Years

He Prophesied Before the Assyrian Invasion of Northern Israel

Micah in Jeremiah

Micah’s Prophesying to King Hezekiah is Mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah

And This Mention of Micah and Hezekiah was Used to Defend Jeremiah From Being Put to Death

Jeremiah 26:7–19 (NASB)

(7-8)The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die!

(9)“Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

(10-11)When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing.”

(12-13)Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will change His mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you.

(14-15)But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

(16)Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, “No death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

(17-18)Then some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, “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? But we are committing a great evil against ourselves.”

Purpose

The Purpose of the Prophetic Work of Micah was to Accuse Israel and Judah of Sin

Micah 3:8 (NASB)

On the other hand I am filled with power— With the Spirit of the Lord— And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.

God Will Use Both Assyria and Babylon as His Instruments of Divine Punishment

During This Time in Israel and Judah’s History, They Were Experiencing Some Peace and Great Prosperity

There was a Wealthy Upper Class and Great Corruption

Several Weeks Ago, We Saw How Amos Prophesied Against the Injustice of Rich and Wicked Northern Israel

Now Micah is Going to Address Specific Sins of Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms

Key Themes

The Overall Theme of Micah is:

The Judgement and Forgiveness of God

He is the Judge Who Punishes His People for Their Sins

But He is Also the Shepherd-King Who Protects and Forgives His People

God is More Concerned With Our Showing of Justice, Mercy, and Humble Obedience Than Sacrifice

God’s Saving Acts of the Past are Shadows of His Saving Acts in the Future

Outline

Announcement of Judgement On Israel and Judah (1-2)

The Present Injustice and Future Reign of Justice in Jerusalem (3-5)

God’s Accusation and Restoration of His People (6-7)

Micah in the New Testament

Micah 5:2 (NASB)

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

The Future Shepherd-King Will Come From Bethlehem

Matthew 2:2–6 (NASB)

(2-4)“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

(5-6)They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

The Jewish People Believed This Prophecy in Micah was About the Messiah

Micah 7:6 (NASB)

For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

Micah Lived in a Time of Evil

Evil Even Within Your Own Household

Matthew 10:34–36 (NASB)

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

When Christ Brought the Message of the Kingdom, He Warned His Disciples that it Would Be Divisive

Even Their Own Families Would Come to Hate Them Because of Their Allegiance to Jesus

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