Sermon Tone Analysis

Background

The book of Micah and Micah’s message was declared to come from the word of the LORD.

Now there are about 18 Micah’s in the scripture, but the Micah was the Moreshite.

From humble background most likely agricultural much like Amos’s.

He was not a trained prophet but he was a called prophet equipped with the word of the Lord.

Micah’s prophecies and ministry time is during 2 Kings and specifically the kings of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

These are the kings of Judah and Micah spoke prophecies both to Northern Israel and to Judah.

Micah is a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah.

Micah’s name means “who is like Yahweh”.

His book neatly falls into three messages all delineated by the words Listen - 1:2, 3:1, 6:1 and so that is how we will go through this book.

Micah’s prophecies calls for God’s people to confess their sin, repent and receive whatever punishment may come from the hands of our gracious God.

For who is like our God

His discipline last only a moment but His forgiveness and peace are forever.

No one is like our God who can take on situation and bring an entirely other situation to pass from it.

Who is Like Our God - to take us from Retribution to Redemption

From Retribution To Redemption

Introduction

How can you know what someone cares about?

Truly cares about?

Find out what gets them angry is a good way start.

Our anger reveals what matters to us.

Last week we saw that Jonah’s anger revealed Jonah mattered to Jonah.

We get angry when our kids do things that are dangerous - crossing the road without looking, not coming back on time or checking in (we still do that).

Micah’s prophecy starts with God being really angry.

Micah is sent to proclaim the coming judgment not as a warning anymore but now as preparation for what is coming.

There is no stopping it from coming now, and this opening may provide a backdrop for the rest of the book, but all hope is not lost for there is no one like our God who comes in retribution but finishes in promise of redemption.

Retribution Is Coming

Through the Lord

Micah starts each of his three messages we are going to be looking at with the word “Listen”.

He says listen all you peoples and pay attention earth (or land) and everyone in it.

This message is important and must be proclaimed and so Micah is gathering everyone together and telling them all they need to listen up - this isn’t a message to be ignored or something that is only for everyone else but it is for everyone no exclusions.

Micah declares that the Lord will be a witness against them.

We know the attitude of the majority of the people is that the Lord is with them, but Micah is proclaiming - understand that the Lord will be a witness AGAINST you!

Then Micah says look, the LORD is leaving His place and coming down to trample the heights of the earth.

LORD God leaving the heavenly throne and coming down to walk upon the heights of the earth.

His majesty strolling from one mountain peak to another.

Because of Rebellion

Micah next gives a description of how nature receives the coming of the LORD.

It is cataclysmic in events.

The mountains themselves melt beneath Him.

He is coming with the fire of judgment burning so hot the mountains melt beneath Him like wax it describes.

The valleys are split apart like water cascading down a mountainside.

His coming will be unstoppable and it will be quick and it will fierce.

This description is meant to be awful and terrifying to behold.

Why is all this happening?

Is the Lord just coming for no reason?

No the Lord is coming for one reason for retribution for the sins of the nations - Israel.

Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the house of Israel.

What is the rebellion of Jacob?

Samaria - the capital of the Northern Kingdom and the place of idol worship.

The true place of worship was the high place of Judah - Jerusalem, but Samaria was the rebellion of the people against the command and word of the Lord to worship in Jerusalem at the temple.

Judah as we will see is not excluded for though she was to be the place of worship of God often times it became a place of idolatry and pagan worship as well - just another high place among high places.

The dramatic and powerful descent of the Lord is because of the sins of His people.

Perhaps the people of Judah and Israel may thought it was unfair the Lord coming to them after such a short amount of pagan worship and idolatry.

Considering the surrounding nations were more pagan and corrupt.

If the mountains and valleys fell under the coming of the Lord how terrible it is to be a sinful rebellious man in the presence of the coming Lord.

Resulting in Destruction

The sins of the nations and their capitals brought about the destruction from the Lord.

Samaria will become a heap of ruins in the country side, a planting area for a vineyard.

Her stones will be rolled into the valley and her foundations will be exposed.

All her carved images will be smashed to pieces and all her wages be burned in the fire.

All her idols will be destroyed personally by God.

She collected the wages of a prostitute and will be used again for a prostitute

When the Lord judges sin - the destruction is complete and devastating.

Wailing and Lamentation

The Wound Is Incurable

Micah speaks of wailing and lamenting.

The heart of one proclaiming the word of the LORD is understanding two things, what God says comes to pass and that what comes to pass is good and just.

Micah is weeping over what will happen - he is broken over the whats coming.

Notice here He isnt happy, and isn’t saying they are getting exactly what they deserve.

Instead we find Micah mourning as one would mourn at a funeral.

He is mourning because the wound is incurable, the judgment is certain and it will come to pass.

Judgment has even reached Judah’s gate as far as Jerusalem.

Judgment would reach the very gate of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. when Sennacherib and his army blow through 46 towns in Judah and surround Jerusalem.

Poetic Justice

Micah’s message then goes into what is sort of referred to by most a taunt.

Micah as we will see continually uses a play on words to make poignant point concerning these various cities from verse 10-15.

Though Micah is using puns and word play, this goes beyond clever word games.

I connect this back to the ancient idea that a name isn’t just what people call you - but what people know YOU by.

Describes prophetically sometimes one’s character and one’s destiny.

Understand that our character becomes our future.

What we will read next is lost in translation but I will do my best to bring it up to the light so we can appreciate what Micah is saying and how the people would have heard it.

Don’t announce it in Gath and in fact don’t weep at all - dont let the enemy know of the destruction that they might rejoice instead you should:

Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah (Beth-leaphrah means house of dust)

Depart in shameful nakedness you residents of Shaphir (beautiful) - it wont be beautiful

The residents of Zaanan (exit or going out) will not come out

Beth-ezel is lamenting its support (God) is taken from you (house, house of God)

Though the residents of Maroth (bitter) anxiously await something good disaster has come from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem

Harness the horses to the chariot you residents of Lachish this was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion because Israel’s acts of rebellion can be traced to you.

(team of horses - I wouldnt hitch my horse to it) The channel through which idolatry crept into Jerusalem.

Therefore send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath (Micah’s hometown) - give parting gifts to the place of possession

The houses of Achzib (to deceive) are a deception to the kings of Israel

I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah (an inheritance)

The nobility of Israel will come to Adullam - Adullam is the place of refuge when David fled Saul and it will be where the nobility of Israel flees to.

These are word plays on the name of the city or the location of the city.

It would be like saying no love in Philadelphia or

Headed To Exile

The prophet then gets serious and says they may as well shave their heads in sorrow and mourning.

Bald eagle is sometimes looked at as a reference to USA but that word could easily be translated to vulture as well.

Their children will be taken from them into exile - it is sure, and it is a sad day, but it is deserved also.