Mic 1:1
Introduction
This is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to1 Micah
of Moresheth. He delivered this message2 during the reigns
of3
Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The prophecies
pertain to4 Samaria5 and Jerusalem.6
(Guzik)
Mic 1:1-16
MICAH 1 – COMING JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL AND JUDAH
A. Coming judgment on Israel.
1. (Mic_1:1) Introduction to the prophecy of Micah.
The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in
the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah,
which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
a. Micah of Moresheth: The city of Moresheth (also
called Moresheth Gath in Mic_1:14) was about 25 miles
southwest of Jerusalem on the border lands between Judah
and the Philistines. This means that the prophet Micah was
like the prophet Amos, a man from the country sent to the
city to bring the word of the LORD.
i. We really don’t know anything about Micah’s background
or call, but we do know that he had a strong sense of his own
calling as a prophet, and he says so in Mic_3:8.
b. In the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah: This
means that Micah ministered as a prophet some time
between the years 739 B.C. (the start of the reign of
Jotham) and 686 B.C. (the end of the reign of Hezekiah).
Since Hezekiah was a noted reformer, we can surmise that
the sin Micah confronted mainly concerns the time before
the important reforms of Hezekiah 2 Kings 18-20).
c. Concerning Samaria and Jerusalem: The city of
Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel,
and Jerusalem was the capital of the southern kingdom of
Judah. Micah looks to both the northern and southern
kingdoms in his prophecy.
i. In Judah during this time, King Ahaz was a particularly evil
ruler. In Israel, there were a succession of evil kings.
2. (Mic_1:2-5) The LORD comes to judge Israel and Judah.
Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let
the Lord GOD be a witness against you, the Lord from His
holy temple. For behold, the LORD is coming out of His
place; He will come down and tread on the high places of
the earth. The mountains will melt under Him, and the
valleys will split like wax before the fire, like waters poured
down a steep place. All this is for the transgression of Jacob
and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the
transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the
high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?
a. The LORD is coming out of His place: With vivid
images, Micah sees the LORD descending from heaven to
earth, and coming with judgment. If the mountains and
valleys cannot stand before Him, what hope does sinful,
rebellious man have?
b. All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for
the sins of the house of Israel: This dramatic, powerful
descent of the LORD is only because of the sins of His
people.
i. It is easy to imagine that the people of Judah and Israel
thought this was unfair. They looked around at the pagan
nations surrounding them and saw that they were even more
corrupt than themselves. Nevertheless, the principle stands:
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of
God (1Pe_4:17). However, we also do well to remember the
second part of that verse: And if it begins with us first, what
will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
3. (Mic_1:6-7) Samaria left desolate in judgment.
“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field,
places for planting a vineyard; I will pour down her stones
into the valley, and I will uncover her foundations. All her
carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her pay as a
harlot shall be burned with the fire; all her idols I will lay
desolate, for she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, and
they shall return to the pay of a harlot.”
a. I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field:
Micah prophesies the coming judgment on Samaria, the
capital city of Israel. This was fulfilled in 722 B.C. when
Samaria fell to the Assyrians and was completely destroyed.
b. All her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the
fire: Micah combines the ideas of idolatry and spiritual
adultery.
Money spent on idols and their worship will be brought to
nothing when the mighty army of the Assyrians destroys
Samaria.
i. “Golden images, of such monetary value yet so spiritually
and politically worthless, were constructed from the wages
of cult prostitutes. The conquerors will break them up and
use the money to repeat the same cycle. Only the heart of
depraved man could worship gods like that!” (Waltke)
B. Coming judgment on Judah.
1. (Mic_1:8-9) The agony of announcing judgment on the
nation of Judah.
Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I
will make a wailing like the jackals and a mourning like the
ostriches, for her wounds are incurable. For it has come to
Judah; it has come to the gate of my people; to Jerusalem.
a. I will wail and howl: Micah can’t prophesy in a
dispassionate, detached way. When he sees judgment
coming upon his people, it makes him wail and howl like
the jackals.
i. Micah didn’t just announce judgment and then yawn. He
cared so deeply that he wept with God’s people. The
preacher’s duty is more than to just announce judgment and
to walk away. He has to care. “Many who have rejected a
Christian’s logic have been won by his tears.” (Boice)
b. For her wounds are incurable: Our only incurable
wounds are the ones we refuse to bring to God. With Him, all
things are possible (Luk_18:27), but when we refuse to bring
our sin to Him, then our wounds are incurable.
2. (Mic_1:10-16) The shame of Judah’s judgment is evident
among the nations.
Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all; in Beth Aphrah roll
yourself in the dust. Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant
of Shaphir; the inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out. Beth
Ezel mourns; its place to stand is taken away from you. For
the inhabitant of Maroth pined for good, but disaster came
down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem. O inhabitant
of Lachish, harness the chariot to the swift steeds (she was
the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), for the
transgressions of Israel were found in you.
Therefore you shall give presents to Moresheth Gath; the
houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. I will yet
bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; the glory of
Israel shall come to Adullam. Make yourself bald and cut off
your hair, because of your precious children; enlarge your
baldness like an eagle, for they shall go from you into
captivity.
a. Tell it not in Gath: The city of Gath belonged to the
Philistines, and it hurts Micah to think that the Philistines
will rejoice at the pain of God’s people.
b. In Beth Aphrah roll yourself in the dust: Following to
the end of the chapter, Micah uses puns and plays on words
to talk about the judgment coming upon the cities of Judah.
These towns are clustered in the Shephelah – the lowlands
between the coastal region and the mountains of Judah.
i. Though Micah uses puns, this isn’t about clever word
games – it goes back to the ancient idea that a name isn’t
just your “handle” but describes – sometimes prophetically –
your character and your destiny. In showing how the name
of these cities is in some way a prophecy of their destiny,
Micah shows how our character becomes our future.
c. Beth Aphrah: To Micah, Aphrah sounds like the Hebrew
word for dust, so he told the citizens of Beth Aphrah to roll
in the dust in anticipation of coming judgment.
d. Shaphir: The name of this town sounds like the word for
beautiful. It won’t be beautiful for long, and Micah warns the
citizens of Shaphir to prepare for judgment.
e. Zaanan: The name of this town sounds like the Hebrew
word for exit or go out. When the siege armies come, they
won’t exit at all – they will be shut up in the city until it falls.
f. Beth Ezel: The name of this town means the nearby city.
When the army of judgment comes, it won’t be near and
helpful to any other city.
g. Maroth: The name of this town means bitterness, and
when the army of judgment comes the citizens of Maroth
will know plenty of bitterness.
h. Lachish: The name of this town sounds like the Hebrew
word for to the horses. Lachish was an important fortress
city, and they should go to the horses to fight, but ironically
they will go to the horses to flee the army of judgment.
i. Moresheth: The name of this – Micah’s hometown –
sounds like the Hebrew word for betrothed. Here he speaks
of giving the city wedding gifts as she passes from the rule
of one “husband” (Judah) to another (the invading army).
j. Aczib: The name of this town sounds like the Hebrew word
for deceitful or disappointing. This city will fall so quickly it
will be a deception and a disappointment for Israel.
k. Mareshah: The name of this town is related to the
Hebrew word for possessor or heir. The invading army will
soon possess this city.
l. Adullam: The was the place of refuge for David when he
fled from King Saul. It will again be a place of refuge for the
high and mighty among Israel, when they are forced to hide
out in Adullam.
Mic 1:2 The Judge is Coming
Listen, all you nations!7
Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth!8
The sovereign LORD will testify9 against you;
the LORD will accuse you10 from his majestic palace.11
Mic 1:3 Look,12 the LORD is coming out of his dwelling
place!
He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops!13
Mic 1:4 The mountains will disintegrate14 beneath him,
and the valleys will be split in two.15
The mountains will melt16 like wax in a fire,
the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep
slope.17
Mic 1:5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion
and18 the sins of the nation19 of Israel.
How has Jacob rebelled, you ask?20
Samaria epitomizes their rebellion!21
Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask?22
They are right in Jerusalem!23
Mic 1:6 “I will turn Samaria24 into a heap of ruins in an
open field —
vineyards will be planted there!25
I will tumble26 the rubble of her stone walls27 down into the
valley,
and tear down her fortifications to their foundations.28
Mic 1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;
all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire.29
I will make a waste heap30 of all her images.
Since31 she gathered the metal32 as a prostitute collects
her wages,
the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.”33
Mic 1:8 For this reason I34 will mourn and wail;
I will walk around barefoot35 and without my outer
garments.36
I will howl37 like a wild dog,38
and screech39 like an owl.40
Mic 1:9 For Samaria’s41 disease42 is incurable.
It has infected43 Judah;
it has spread to44 the leadership45 of my people
and has even contaminated Jerusalem!46
Mic 1:10 Don’t spread the news in Gath!47
Don’t shed even a single tear!48
In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust!49
Mic 1:11 Residents50 of Shaphir,51 pass by in nakedness
and humiliation!52
The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city.53
Beth Ezel54 mourns,55
“He takes from you what he desires.”56
Mic 1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth57 hope for
something good to happen,58
though the LORD has sent disaster against the city of
Jerusalem.59
Mic 1:13 Residents of Lachish,60 hitch the horses to the
chariots!
You61 influenced Daughter Zion62 to sin,63
for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back64 to you!
Mic 1:14 Therefore you65 will have to say farewell66 to
Moresheth Gath.
The residents67 of Achzib68 will be as disappointing
as a dried up well69 to the kings of Israel.70
Mic 1:15 Residents of Mareshah,71 a conqueror will attack
you,72
the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam.73
Mic 1:16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the
children you love;74
shave your foreheads as bald75 as an eagle,76
for they are taken from you into exile.
Mic 2:1 Land Robbers Will Lose their Land
Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead,1
those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed.2
As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans,3
because they have the power to do so.
(Guzik)
Mic 2:1-13
MICAH 2 – GOD’S SINFUL PEOPLE
A. The sins of covetousness and pride.
1. (Mic_2:1-2) Covetousness among God’s people.
Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their
beds! At morning light they practice it, because it is in the
power of their hand. They covet fields and take them by
violence, also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a
man and his house, a man and his inheritance.
a. Woe to those who devise iniquity: All sin is bad
before God, but premeditated sin is worse. Here Micah
speaks plainly to those who devise iniquity – in this case –
those who oppress others through their greed and
covetousness.
b. At morning light is ironic. Typically thieves practice
their work at night, under the cover of darkness. In the
ancient world, law courts opened for business at morning
light because the rising sun demonstrated light dispelling
darkness.
Micah sees the corruption of Israel’s law courts and shows
that they practice their theft and evil at morning light,
when the courts open.
c. Because it is in the power of their hand: There are
some sins we never commit because we are never put in a
place where we can commit them. The real test comes when
it is in the power of our hand to sin and we keep faithful
to the LORD.
2. (Mic_2:3-5) God’s proud people brought low.
Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, against this family I
am devising disaster, from which you cannot remove your
necks; nor shall you walk haughtily, for this is an evil time.
In that day one shall take up a proverb against you, and
lament with a bitter lamentation, saying: ‘We are utterly
destroyed! He has changed the heritage of my people; how
He has removed it from me! To a turncoat He has divided our
fields.’“ Therefore you will have no one to determine
boundaries by lot in the assembly of the LORD.
a. Against this family I am devising disaster: The
people devised iniquity; God devised disaster upon them. In
His justice, He gave them what they gave others.
b. Nor shall you walk haughtily, for this is an evil
time: Micah rebukes the pride among God’s people and
announces that in the evil time to come – the time of
judgment coming on God’s people – they will be brought low
and will no longer walk haughtily.
c. To a turncoat He has divided our fields: In the
coming judgment – in particular, the judgment coming on
Israel by the conquering Assyrian Empire – will leave their
land in the possession of strangers.
B. Though they sin against His Word, God promises
restoration to His people.
1. (Mic_2:6-9) God’s people reject the word of His prophets.
“Do not prattle,” you say to those who prophesy. So they
shall not prophesy to you; they shall not return insult for
insult. You who are named the house of Jacob: “Is the Spirit
of the LORD restricted? Are these His doings? Do not My
words do good to him who walks uprightly? Lately My people
have risen up as an enemy; you pull off the robe with the
garment from those who trust you, as they pass by, like men
returned from war. The women of My people you cast out
from their pleasant houses; from their children you have
taken away My glory forever.”
a. Do not prattle: When God’s prophets came to His
people, they didn’t receive it. They disregarded God’s Word
as mere prattle. As a result, God stopped sending prophets
(so they shall not prophesy to you). Fortunately, God’s
people responded to Micah’s warning before God stopped
sending him – but it took a while.
i. Micah began his ministry in the reign of Jotham – but
nobody listened. Then he prophesied during the reign of
Ahaz – but nobody listened. Finally he prophesied during the
reign of Hezekiah – and the leaders and the people repented.
Micah didn’t give up, even though results were slow in
coming. Micah preached for anywhere between 16
and 25 years before there was any response.
b. Is the Spirit of the LORD restricted? In their
foolishness, the people of Israel thought that God was the
problem.
They needed to understand that there was no restriction on
the Spirit of the LORD; instead they provided all the
restriction.
i. “Do you not think, again, that we very much act as if the
Spirit of the Lord were straitened when we only look for little
blessing s? I am very glad to see three hundred or four
hundred persons in a year converted and added to this
church, and this has long been the case; but if I ever
imbibed the idea that this was all that might be done, I
should be straitening the Spirit of God.” (Spurgeon)
c. Do not My words do good to him who walks
uprightly? The key to their preservation in the midst of
judgment was to stick tightly to God’s words. When they
reject God’s words, they are left poor and destitute – both
materially and spiritually.
2. (Mic_2:10-11) God’s people embrace false prophets.
“Arise and depart, for this is not your rest; because it is
defiled, it shall destroy, yes, with utter destruction. If a man
should walk in a false spirit and speak a lie, saying, ‘I will
prophesy to you of wine and drink,’ even he would be the
prattler of this people.”
a. This is not your rest: Micah exposes the lies of false
prophets showing that they can never really give rest. The
words of false prophets are defiled, and bring utter
destruction instead of the peace, rest, and restoration of
God’s Word.
b. If a man should walk in a false spirit and speak a
lie: With judgment looming on the horizon – especially for
the northern kingdom of Israel – there were false prophets
who spoke of days of wine and drink, giving false comfort
and hope to a deceived people. These were the real
“prattlers,” not the true prophets of God, as they were
falsely called by the ungodly in Micah’s day (Mic_2:6). The
only prophet they wanted was one to tell them there would
be plenty of alcohol.
3. (Mic_2:12-13) A promise of restoration.
“I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather
the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of
the fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall
make a loud noise because of so many people. The one who
breaks open will come up before them; they will break out,
pass through the gate, and go out by it; their king will pass
before them, with the LORD
at their head.”
a. I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob: Though
judgment was promised because of the great sin of God’s
people, they could not “out-sin” the grace and goodness of
God. He still promises restoration to the remnant of
Israel.
b. They shall make a loud noise because of so many
people: The remnant will not be few; there will be many
people brought back to the LORD and His ways – with the
LORD at their head.
c. The one who breaks open can be translated as a title –
the King James Version has it as the Breaker. We can see this
as a more obscure, but no less precious messianic title of
Jesus – The Breaker. In this office, he is the captain and
leader of His people, advancing in front of His flock. How we
need a Breaker, a trailblazer in our life!
Mic 2:2 They confiscate the fields they desire,
and seize the houses they want.4
They defraud people of their homes,5
and deprive people of the land they have inherited.6
Mic 2:3 Therefore the LORD says this: “Look, I am devising
disaster for this nation!7
It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck.8
You will no longer9 walk proudly,
for it will be a time of catastrophe.
Mic 2:4 In that day people will sing this taunt song to you
—
they will mock you with this lament:10
‘We are completely destroyed;
they sell off11 the property of my people.
How they remove it from me!12
They assign our fields to the conqueror.’13
Mic 2:5 Therefore no one will assign you land in the LORD’s
community.14
Mic 2:6 ‘Don’t preach with such impassioned rhetoric,’ they
say excitedly.15
‘These prophets should not preach of such things;
we will not be overtaken by humiliation.’16
Mic 2:7 Does the family17 of Jacob say,18
‘The LORD’s patience19 can’t be exhausted —
he would never do such things’?20
To be sure, my commands bring a reward
for those who obey them,21
Mic 2:8 but you rise up as an enemy against my people.22
You steal a robe from a friend,23
from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a
war.24
Mic 2:9 You wrongly evict widows25 among my people
from their cherished homes.
You defraud their children26 of their prized inheritance.27
Mic 2:10 But you are the ones who will be forced to
leave!28
For this land is not secure!29
Sin will thoroughly destroy it!30
Mic 2:11 If a lying windbag should come and say,31
‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’32
he would be just the right preacher for these people!33
Mic 2:12 The Lord Will Restore His People
I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob,
I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain.34
I will bring them together like sheep in a fold,35
like a flock in the middle of a pasture;36
they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of
noise.37
Mic 2:13 The one who can break through barriers will lead
them out38
they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave.39
Their king will advance40 before them,
The LORD himself will lead them.41
Mic 3:1 God Will Judge Judah’s Sinful Leaders
I said,
“Listen, you leaders1 of Jacob,
you rulers of the nation2 of Israel!
You ought to know what is just,3
(Guzik)
Mic 3:1-12
MICAH 3 – AGAINST PRINCES AND PROPHETS
A. God against the princes of His people.
1. (Mic_3:1-3) The violence of leaders against God’s people.
And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, and you rulers of
the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice? You who
hate good and love evil; who strip the skin from My people,
and the flesh from their bones; who also eat the flesh of My
people, flay their skin from them, break their bones, and
chop them in pieces like meat for the pot, like flesh in the
caldron.”
a. Hear now, O heads of Jacob: Previously, Micah
addressed his comments to God’s people in general. Now he
specifically speaks to their leaders, because they have both
a special responsibility and accountability before God.
b. You who hate good and love evil: If this description
isn’t bad enough, Micah goes on to illustrate how terribly the
leaders of Israel and Judah “use” the people – as if they were
cannibals feasting on the people of God.
i. “Since the grinding poverty of the poor was leading them
into an early grave, the prophet, in a sustained metaphor,
depicts the magistrates responsible for creating these
conditions as acting like cannibals. This grotesque figure
aims to awaken the conscience of the reprobates.” (Waltke)
ii. This reminds us the people never exist for the sake of the
leaders, but leaders are there for the sake of the people.
A leader should never serve God’s people dominated by the
question, “What is in it for me?” When they do, they are like
the cannibalistic leaders described by Micah.
2. (Mic_3:4) God’s judgment of silence against corrupt
leaders.
Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not hear them;
He will even hide His face from them at that time, because
they have been evil in their deeds.
a. Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not
hear them: This is one example of God’s judgment against
the corrupt leaders. When they cry out for God’s help, He
will remain silent.
b. He will even hide His face from them at that time:
One aspect of the blessing pronounced by the priests of
Israel was asked the LORD to make His face shine upon you
(Num_6:25). Here, Micah promises the opposite of this
blessing –
that God would even hide His face from them at that
time.
B. God against the false prophets to His people.
1. (Mic_3:5-7) The sin and promised judgment of false
prophets.
Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who make my
people stray; who chant “Peace” while they chew with their
teeth, but who prepare war against him who puts nothing
into their mouths: “Therefore you shall have night without
vision, and you shall have darkness without divination; the
sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be
dark for them. So the seers shall be ashamed, and the
diviners abashed; indeed they shall all cover their lips; for
there is no answer from God.”
a. The prophets who make my people stray: Micah
returns to a previous theme first mentioned in Mic_2:11 – the
false prophets who bring hollow comfort and pretend peace
to God’s people.
b. The sun shall go down on the prophets: Through
Micah, God announces that He will bring the false prophets
into complete confusion and disrepute. They will have no
answer from God and therefore they shall be ashamed.
2. (Mic_3:8) Micah’s confidence as a true prophet of God.
But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of
justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and
to Israel his sin.
a. I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD: In
contrast to the coming shame of the false prophets, Micah
has a justified confidence in the LORD who called Him as a
prophet. Because he knows God and is close to God and His
word, Micah knows that he is full of power by the Spirit
of the LORD.
i. Micah also knew that the power came by the Spirit of
the LORD, not by anything in Micah. The power also came
from justice and might, because Micah knew he was on
the side of God’s word and God’s strength.
ii. “We must have the Holy Spirit, and if we have him not, all
our machinery will stand still; or if it goes on, it will produce
no effect whatever. I heard of a Christian man whose millwheel
was noticed to be in motion on a certain Sunday. The
people going to worship greatly wondered there at; but one
who went by set their minds at rest by pointing out that the
wheel was only turning idly round, because the water, by
accident, was allowed to flow over it.
But the man said, ‘It is very like our minister and his
sermons. There is no work being done, but the wheel goes
round, clickety click, clickety click, though it is not grinding
anything.’ Therein it also greatly resembles many an
organization for spiritual service: the water is passing over
it, glittering as it flows; but the outside motion does not join
on to any human need, nor produce any practical result, and
nothing comes of the click and hum.” (Spurgeon) b. To
declare to Jacob his transgression: Like most prophets
in the Old Testament, Micah’s job was to expose the sin of
God’s people.
i. We might say that under the New Covenant, prophets
have a somewhat different calling. Under the Old
Covenant, the law was not written on the heart of the
believer and the Holy Spirit did not indwell each believer in
the same way as under the New Covenant.
ii. Therefore, there was a greater need for the convicting
work of the Spirit of God coming from the “outside,” from
prophets such as Micah. In the New Testament, the Apostle
Paul described the ministry of the prophet like this: But he
who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and
comfort to men (1Co_14:3). This certainly doesn’t mean that
under the New Covenant prophecy will never be used to
expose sin, but it certainly isn’t its central purpose.
3. (Mic_3:9-12) Unrepentant Jerusalem will share Samaria’s
fate of destruction.
Now hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of
the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity,
who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with
iniquity: her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for
pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the
LORD, and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No harm can
come upon us.” Therefore because of you Zion shall be
plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the
forest.
a. Now hear this . . . who build up Zion with
bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity: In this chapter,
Micah first spoke to the judges, then to the prophets – now
he speaks to the princes, you heads of the house of
Jacob. The rulers of Jerusalem were not much better than
the rulers of Israel, and could expect similar judgment
unless the repented.
b. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, “Is not the
LORD among us? No harm can come upon us” : The
leaders of Jerusalem had a false confidence in religious ritual
and form. All the while, judgment was appointed for
Jerusalem unless they repented.
i. The great thing about the Prophet Micah was that he was
listened to. Hosea was ignored, and so was Amos. They
threw Jeremiah in jail for his prophetic message of coming
judgment. In contrast, King Hezekiah and the leadership of
Judah listened to the Prophet Micah.
ii. Jer_26:17-19 describes how even a hundred years later
the impact of Micah was remembered: Then certain 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 spoke to all the people
of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Zion shall
be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of
ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of
the forest.”‘ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever
put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and seek the
Lord’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom
which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing
great evil against ourselves.”
iii. “He was heard in the days of Hezekiah. A revival followed.
Then, one hundred years later, his words were still
remembered, and the memory of what happened earlier was
used of God to spare the life of Jeremiah.” (Boice) Mic 3:2
yet you4 hate what is good,5
and love what is evil.6
You flay my people’s skin7
and rip the flesh from their bones.8
Mic 3:3 You9 devour my people’s flesh,
strip off their skin,
and crush their bones.
You chop them up like flesh in a pot10 —
like meat in a kettle.
Mic 3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the LORD for
help,11
but he will not answer them.
He will hide his face from them at that time,
because they have done such wicked deeds.”
Mic 3:5 This is what the LORD says: “The prophets who
mislead my people
are as good as dead.12
If someone gives them enough to eat,
they offer an oracle of peace.13
But if someone does not give them food,
they are ready to declare war on him.14
Mic 3:6 Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no
visions;15
it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the
omens.16
The sun will set on these prophets,
and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads.17
Mic 3:7 The prophets18 will be ashamed;
the omen readers will be humiliated.
All of them will cover their mouths,19
for they will receive no divine oracles.”20
Mic 3:8 But I21 am full of the courage that the LORD’s
Spirit gives,
and have a strong commitment to justice.22
This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,
and Israel with its sin.23
Mic 3:9 Listen to this, you leaders of the family24 of Jacob,
you rulers of the nation25 of Israel!
You26 hate justice
and pervert all that is right.
Mic 3:10 You27 build Zion through bloody crimes,28
Jerusalem29 through unjust violence.
Mic 3:11 Her30 leaders take bribes when they decide legal
cases,31
her priests proclaim rulings for profit,
and her prophets read omens for pay.
Yet they claim to trust32 the LORD and say,
“The LORD is among us.33
Disaster will not overtake34 us!”
Mic 3:12 Therefore, because of you,35 Zion will be plowed
up like36 a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
and the Temple Mount37 will become a hill overgrown with
brush!38
Mic 4:1 Better Days Ahead for Jerusalem
In the future1 the LORD’s Temple Mount will be the most
important mountain of all;2
it will be more prominent than other hills.3
People will stream to it.
(Guzik)
Mic 4:1-13
MICAH 4 – THE LORD REIGNS OVER RESTORED ZION
A. The character of restored Zion.
1. (Mic_4:1-3) Zion is the center of a renewed earth.
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the
mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top
of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and
peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the
house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we
shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion the law shall go
forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall
judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations
afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
a. The mountain of the Lord’s house . . . shall be
exalted above the hills: This speaks of the ultimate
exaltation of Jerusalem, the City of Zion, in the LORD’s
ultimate restoration. This will be fulfilled completely in the
Millennium, when the peoples shall flow to a restored
and redeemed Jerusalem as the capital of the millennial
earth (out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word
of the LORD from Jerusalem).
i. Mic_4:1-3 is repeated in Isa_2:1-3. Since Isaiah and Micah
were contemporary prophets, it isn’t surprising that the
same Spirit of the LORD could give these two prophets the
same word, to establish and emphasize His word.
ii. The glorious transformation of the mountain of the Lord is
especially wonderful in light of what the sinning people of
God did to it: Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed
like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the
mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.
(Mic_3:12) b. He will teach us His ways: With the
prophet’s eye Micah sees the world streaming into Jerusalem
to meet with the Lord GOD, and to know Him better.
c. He shall judge between many peoples: During the
reign of the Messiah, there will be no more war. There will
still be conflicts between nations and individuals, but they
will be justly and decisively resolved by the Messiah and
those who reign with Him (He shall judge between the
nations, and shall rebuke many people).
i. It isn’t the reign of the Messiah itself that will change the
heart of man. Citizens of earth will still need to trust in Jesus
and His work on their behalf for their personal salvation
during the millennium. But war and armed conflict will not
be tolerated.
d. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore: It is important to
see that this is not the peace of capitulation. This is the
peace of enforced righteousness. There is no more war, and
no more need for swords – so why not make them into
plowshares? There is no more war because there is a new
ruler on earth, Jesus Christ. Psa_2:9 tells us what the Messiah
will do to the disobedient in that day: You shall break them
with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a
potter’s vessel.
i. We long for the day when there is no more need for a
military budget, when the money that goes for weapons and
armies can go to schools and parks. But we are only safe
doing that when the Messiah reigns among us!
e. In 1941 Franklin Roosevelt gave a famous speech about
four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion,
freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Mic_4:1-5
describes four freedoms: · Freedom from ignorance (He will
teach us His ways)
· Freedom from war (Neither shall they learn war
anymore) · Freedom from want (everyone shall sit under
his vine and under his fig tree) · Freedom from fear (no
one shall make them afraid)
2. (Mic_4:4-5) The blessed people of restored Zion.
But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,
and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the
LORD of hosts has spoken. For all people walk each in the
name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD
our God forever and ever.
a. Everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig
tree: This is a proverbial expression that means prosperity
and peace (1Ki_4:25, 2Ki_18:31).
b. We will walk in the name of the LORD our God
forever and ever: In the Millennial reign, the inhabitants
of earth will not be compelled to follow the LORD. Some will
walk each in the name of his god; yet those who do
walk in the name of the LORD will enjoy great blessing
and peace.
3. (Mic_4:6-8) The gathering of restored Zion.
“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will assemble the lame, I will
gather the outcast and those whom I have afflicted; I will
make the lame a remnant, and the outcast a strong nation;
so the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on,
even forever. And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of
the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former
dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of
Jerusalem.”
a. I will make the lame a remnant, and the outcast a
strong nation: God’s restoration isn’t just for the strong,
but the weak and disadvantaged will especially know the
blessing of His restoration.
b. To you shall it come: These promises are so glorious
that it would be easy for Israel to think they are too good to
be true. Therefore, God gives them a special promise,
vowing to you it shall come.
B. The birth of restored Zion.
1. (Mic_4:9-10) The pain before Zion’s restoration.
Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst?
Has your counselor perished? For pangs have seized you like
a woman in labor. Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O
daughter of Zion, like a woman in birth pangs. For now you
shall go forth from the city, you shall dwell in the field, and
to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; there
the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
a. Pangs have seized you like a woman in labor: After
spelling out the glory of restored Zion, now Micah tells them
of some of the pain they will experience before it comes. Part
of the pain will be a lack of leadership (no king in your
midst . . . counselor perished).
b. To Babylon you shall go. There you shall be
delivered: As is common in the prophets, Micah intertwines
ages –
having just spoken of the Millennial Earth, now he speaks of
Israel’s deliverance from Babylonian captivity.
2. (Mic_4:11-13) The strength of restored Zion among the
nations.
Now also many nations have gathered against you, who say,
“Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.” But
they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, nor do they
understand His counsel; for He will gather them like sheaves
to the threshing floor.
“Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make your
horn iron, and I will make your hooves bronze; you shall beat
in pieces many peoples; I will consecrate their gain to the
LORD, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.”
a. Many nations have gathered against you: Though
the nations were set against Israel, the LORD was for them
(they do not understand the thoughts of the LORD).
The LORD will deal with Israel’s enemies as easily as a
farmer deals with the sheaves of grain on the threshing
floor.
b. I will make your horn iron: When the Lord restores
Zion, He will restore them in strength – a strong as an ox with
an iron horn. This has its ultimate fulfillment in the
Millennium when Israel will be lifted up as a “superpower”
among the nations.
i. “The ox pulling the threshing-sledge represents the people
of God. She is supernaturally equipped with horns of iron,
symbolizing her invincibility, and with hoofs of bronze, with
which she treads the pride and pretensions of the enemy
exceedingly fine.” (Waltke) Mic 4:2 Many nations will
come, saying,
“Come on! Let’s go up to the LORD’s mountain,
to the temple4 of Jacob’s God,
so he can teach us his commands5
and we can live by his laws.”6
For Zion will be the source of instruction;
the LORD’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem.7
Mic 4:3 He will arbitrate8 between many peoples
and settle disputes between many9 distant nations.10
They will beat their swords into plowshares,11
and their spears into pruning hooks.12
Nations will not use weapons13 against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
Mic 4:4 Each will sit under his own grapevine
or under his own fig tree without any fear.14
The LORD who commands armies has decreed it.15
Mic 4:5 Though all the nations follow their respective
gods,16
we will follow17 the LORD our God forever.
Mic 4:6 Restoration Will Follow Crisis
“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will gather the lame,
and assemble the outcasts whom I injured.18
Mic 4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new
nation,19
and those far off20 into a mighty nation.
The LORD will reign over them on Mount Zion,
from that day forward and forevermore.”21
Mic 4:8 As for you, watchtower for the flock,22
fortress of Daughter Zion23 —
your former dominion will be restored,24
the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.
Mic 4:9 Jerusalem, why are you25 now shouting so loudly?
26
Has your king disappeared?27
Has your wise leader28 been destroyed?
Is this why29 pain grips30 you as if you were a woman in
labor?
Mic 4:10 Twist and strain,31 Daughter Zion, as if you were
in labor!
For you will leave the city
and live in the open field.
You will go to Babylon,
but there you will be rescued.
There the LORD will deliver32 you
from the power33 of your enemies.
Mic 4:11 Many nations have now assembled against you.
They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated,34
so we can gloat over Zion!”35
Mic 4:12 But they do not know what the LORD is planning;
they do not understand his strategy.
He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed36
at the threshing floor.
Mic 4:13 “Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion!
For I will give you iron horns;37
I will give you bronze hooves,
and you will crush many nations.”38
You will devote to the LORD the spoils you take from them,
and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler39 of the
whole earth.40
Mic 5:1 (4:14)1 But now slash yourself,2 daughter
surrounded by soldiers!3
We are besieged!
With a scepter4 they strike Israel’s ruler5
on the side of his face.
(Guzik)
Mic 5:1-15
MICAH 5 – A RULER FROM BETHLEHEM
A. The birth and the work of the Ruler from Bethlehem.
1. (Mic_5:1-2) From the lowly and humble in Israel comes a
Ruler.
Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; he has
laid siege against us; they will strike the judge of Israel with
a rod on the cheek. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though
you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you
shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose
goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”
a. He has laid siege against us: Israel will be humbled by
foreign powers, and even her judges will bear insults.
b. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah . . . out of you shall
come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel: In this
time of humiliation under foreign powers, God will raise up a
great Ruler from a humble place – Bethlehem.
i. Bethlehem was well known as the hometown of David,
Israel’s greatest king; yet it was never a great or influential
city. It was truly little among the thousands of Israel.
Yet God chose it as the birthplace of the Messiah, the Ruler
in Israel.
ii. This passage from Micah 5 was quoted by the chief priests
and teachers of the law when Herod asked about the birth of
the Messiah (Mat_2:5-6).
iii. Bethlehem means House of Bread, and Jesus is the
Bread of Life (Joh_6:35). “And now for that word Ephrata h.
That was the old name of the place which the Jews retained
and loved. The meaning of it is, ‘fruitfulness,’ or
‘abundance.’ Ah! well was Jesus born in the house of
fruitfulness; for whence cometh my fruitfulness and thy
fruitfulness, my brother, but from Bethlehem? Our poor
barren hearts never produced one fruit or flower, till they
were watered with the Savior’s blood.” (Spurgeon)
c. Whose goings forth are from of old, from
everlasting: This glorious promise was fulfilled in Jesus
Christ, and Micah’s prophetic voice declares that though
Jesus came from Bethlehem, He did not begin there. His
goings forth are from eternity past.
i. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End. (Rev_22:13) This means from
the very beginning, Jesus was there. There was never a time
when the Jesus did not exist.
ii. Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He existed as the
Second Person of the Trinity (Joh_17:5; Joh_17:24).
These passages tell us that there was a relationship of love,
fellowship, and shared glory that the Father and the Son
shared in eternity past. The name “Jesus” was not known as
a name for the Second Person of the Trinity until the angel
Gabriel announced it to Mary (Luk_1:31). But the eternal
Son existed before He revealed Himself as “Jesus.”
iii. Before Bethlehem, Jesus was the creator of all things
(Col_1:16-17, Joh_1:1-3). “He was before all things. As he is
the Creator of all things, so he is the Eternal, and no part of
what was created. All being but God has been created.
Whatever has not been created is God. But Jesus is the
Creator of all things; therefore he is God; for he cannot be a
part of his own work.” (Clarke) iv. In the Old Testament, Jesus
appeared as God made visible or “The Angel of the LORD.”
There are many instances in the Old Testament where
individuals are shown to have had a face to face encounter
with the LORD.
(Gen_16:7-13, Genesis 18, Gen_32:24-32, Jos_5:13-15,
Jdg_6:11-24, Jdg_13:8-24, Daniel 3. In each situation, the
Person is given different titles, but in all cases the person is
plainly referred to as the LORD Himself, but appearing in a
human form.
v. From eternity past, God’s plan of the ages included Jesus
(1Pe_1:20, Eph_1:4).
vi. Knowing that Jesus’ goings forth are from of old,
from everlasting shows us some important things: • It
shows us the glory of Jesus, that He is far more than a man
• It shows us the love of Jesus, that He would leave the glory
of heaven for us
• It shows us the nature of Jesus, that He would add
humanity to His deity
• It shows us the sympathy of Jesus, that He remains fully
man and fully God
2. (Mic_5:3-5 a) The Ruler serves His flock.
Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who
is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren
shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and
feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of
the name of the LORD His God; and they shall abide, for now
He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall
be peace.
a. He shall give them up, until the time: Micah
anticipates a future time – partially fulfilled in the
Babylonian exile and return, ultimately fulfilled in the Great
Tribulation and restoration of Israel – when the LORD will
seem distant from Israel until the time for restoration is
ready.
b. Then the remnant of His brethren shall return . . .
He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of
the Lord: After the time of Israel’s trial the LORD will restore
gloriously. The Ruler born in Bethlehem will tenderly care for
His flock in the strength of the LORD.
c. They shall abide, for now He shall be great to the
ends of the earth: The greatness of the Ruler from
Bethlehem becomes the standing of His people. They abide
because of His greatness.
d. This One shall be peace: It isn’t just that the Ruler from
Bethlehem brings peace; He is peace. As Paul wrote of
Jesus in Eph_2:14, He is our peace.
3. (Mic_5:5-6) The Ruler delivers Jacob from Assyria.
When the Assyrian comes into our land, and when he treads
in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven
shepherds and eight princely men. They shall waste with the
sword the land of Assyria, and the land of Nimrod at its
entrances; thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when
he comes into our land and when he treads within our
borders.
a. When the Assyrian comes into our land: After the
pattern of the prophets, Micah blends near and distant ages
in his prophecy. The threat of the Assyrian would come
against both kingdoms shortly, but Micah also uses the idea
of the Assyrian for any pagan nation or empire set against
God’s people.
b. We will raise against him seven shepherds and
eight princely men: Though the enemies of God’s people
come against them, under God’s blessing leaders will raise
against them. God often works this way to deliver us from
our enemies.
B. The triumph of the remnant of Jacob.
1. (Mic_5:7-9) The remnant is large and triumphant.
Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many
peoples, like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass,
that tarry for no man nor wait for the sons of men. And the
remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst
of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes
through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can
deliver. Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.
a. The remnant of Jacob shall be . . . like dew from
the Lord: When God delivers Zion it won’t be a “small”
deliverance. It will spread as wide as the dew and showers
on the grass.
b. Like a young lion among flocks of sheep: When God
delivers Zion, it won’t be a “weak” deliverance. It will
strengthen Israel so that she will triumph over her enemies
like a lion against sheep. This has its ultimate fulfillment in
the Millennial Earth, when it is said that the lion will lie down
with the lamb – but still, it’s better to be the lion!
2. (Mic_5:10-15) The LORD is exalted among the remnant.
“And it shall be in that day,” says the LORD, “That I will cut
off your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots. I
will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your
strongholds. I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you
shall have no soothsayers. Your carved images I will also cut
off, and your sacred pillars from your midst; You shall no
more worship the work of your hands; I will pluck your
wooden images from your midst; thus I will destroy your
cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the
nations that have not heard.”
a. I will cut off your horses . . . the cities of your land
. . . your strongholds . . . your sorceries . . . your
carved images . . . your sacred pillars: In restored Zion,
the LORD will not allow any of the idolatries Israel once
indulged in. Instead, He will cut off all of those things,
whether they are basically good (horses or cities) or
intrinsically evil (sorceries . . . sacred pillars).
b. I will execute vengeance . . . on the nations that
have not heard: God will not only look after Israel’s purity;
in the Millennial Earth the nations will also need to walk in
purity before Him.
Mic 5:2 A King Will Come and a Remnant Will Prosper
(5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,6
seemingly insignificant7 among the clans of Judah —
from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my
behalf,8
one whose origins9 are in the distant past.10
Mic 5:3 So the LORD11 will hand the people of Israel12
over to their enemies13
until the time when the woman in labor14 gives birth.15
Then the rest of the king’s16 countrymen will return
to be reunited with the people of Israel.17
Mic 5:4 He will assume his post18 and shepherd the
people19 by the LORD’s strength,
by the sovereign authority of the LORD his God.20
They will live securely,21 for at that time he will be
honored22
even in the distant regions of23 the earth.
Mic 5:5 He will give us peace.24
Should the Assyrians try to invade our land
and attempt to set foot in our fortresses,25
we will send26 against them seven27 shepherd-rulers,28
make that eight commanders.29
Mic 5:6 They will rule30 the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod31 with a drawn sword.32
Our king33 will rescue us from the Assyrians
should they attempt to invade our land
and try to set foot in our territory.
Mic 5:7 Those survivors from34 Jacob will live35
in the midst of many nations.36
They will be like the dew the LORD sends,
like the rain on the grass,
that does not hope for men to come
or wait around for humans to arrive.37
Mic 5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the
nations,
in the midst of many peoples.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which attacks when it passes through;
it rips its prey38 and there is no one to stop it.39
Mic 5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your
adversaries;40
may all your enemies be destroyed!41
Mic 5:10 The Lord Will Purify His People
“In that day,” says the LORD,
“I will destroy42 your horses from your midst,
and smash your chariots.
Mic 5:11 I will destroy the cities of your land,
and tear down all your fortresses.
Mic 5:12 I will remove the sorcery43 that you practice,44
and you will no longer have omen readers living among
you.45
Mic 5:13 I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from
your midst;
you will no longer worship what your own hands made.
Mic 5:14 I will uproot your images of Asherah46 from your
midst,
and destroy your idols.47
Mic 5:15 I will angrily seek vengeance
on the nations that do not obey me.”48
Mic 6:1 The Lord Demands Justice, not Ritual
Listen to what the LORD says:
“Get up! Defend yourself1 before the mountains!2
Present your case before the hills!”3
(Guzik)
Mic 6:1-16
MICAH 6 – IN THE COURT OF THE LORD
A. The LORD’s complaint against His people.
1. (Mic_6:1-2) In court with the LORD.
Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before
the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, O you
mountains, the Lord’s complaint, and you strong foundations
of the earth; for the LORD has a complaint against His
people, and He will contend with Israel.
a. Arise, plead your case: Micah pictures a court of law,
with Israel “on trial” before the Lord. In the presence of
unshakable witnesses (the mountains and the hills and
the strong foundations of the earth), the court comes to
order.
b. The LORD has a complaint against His people, and
He will contend with Israel: In His court, God will bring
His case – His complaint against Israel.
2. (Mic_6:3-5) The LORD’s complaint against His people.
“O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I
wearied you? Testify against Me. For I brought you up from
the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of
bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O
My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab
counseled, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, that you may know the
righteousness of the LORD.”
a. Testify against Me: As Israel steps up to the witness
stand, God asks them, “What have I done to you? ” He
has done nothing but good to Israel, and has been repaid
with rejection and rebellion.
b. I redeemed you from the house of bondage: Not
only did God not do evil to Israel, He also did them an
enormous amount of good. He redeemed them and gave
them godly leaders. God’s case against Israel looks pretty
good.
c. Remember now what Balak king of Moab
counseled: After meeting with King Balak of Moab, Balaam
prophesied over Israel four times. As he spoke forth God’s
word, he did not curse Israel – but he blessed them each
time.
When he was unsuccessful in cursing Israel, Balaam
answered Balak on how to bring Israel under a curse.
Instead of trying to have a prophet curse them, the Moabites
lead them into fornication and idolatry, and God will curse
them. Balak did just that, sending his young women into the
camp of Israel to lead Israel into sexual immorality and
idolatry. Because of their sin, God did curse Israel – He
brought a plague of judgment upon Israel that killed 24,000.
i. In light of this, Israel must remember that God could
never be persuaded to curse Israel, except if they brought
curses on themselves through their own disobedience and
rebellion. Like a great lawyer in court, God shows Israel that
if they feel cursed in any way, it is entirely their
responsibility.
3. (Mic_6:6-7) The answer of His people: “What can I do?”
With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself
before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt
offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased
with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I
give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body
for the sin of my soul?
a. With what shall I come before the LORD: This is a
question asked out of bitterness and resentment. Israel calls
out to God from the witness stand, and says: “Just what do
You want from me?”
b. Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
ten thousand rivers of oil? We can almost hear Israel
shouting at God from the witness stand. “You ask too much,
God. Nothing will satisfy You. If we brought thousands of
rams or rivers of oil or even my own firstborn it would
not be enough. You are unreasonable.”
i. “Blinded to God’s goodness and character, he reasons
within his own depraved frame of reference. He need not
change; God must change . . . His willingness to raise the
price does not reflect his generosity but veils a complaint
that God demands too much.” (Waltke)
4. (Mic_6:8) The reply of the LORD: “He has shown you.”
He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the
LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to
walk humbly with your God?
a. He has shown you: God stops the shouting of the angry
defendant from the witness box. “You act as if it is some
mystery what I require of you. In point of fact it is no
mystery at all. I have shown you clearly what is good and
what I require of you.”
b. To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with your God: The LORD answers the contentious witness
in open court. “What I require of you isn’t complicated.
Simply do three things.”
c. Do justly: “Act in a just, fair way towards others. Treat
them they way you want to be treated.”
d. Love mercy: “Don’t just show mercy, but love to show it.
Give others the same measure of mercy you want to receive
from the Me.”
e. Walk humbly with your God: “Remember who I am –
your God. If you keep that in mind, you will walk humbly
before Me.”
i. “I would not advise any of you to try to be humble, but to
be humble. As to acting humbly, when a man forces himself
to it, that is poor stuff. When a man talks a great deal about
his humility, when he is very humble to everybody, he is
generally a canting hypocrite. Humility must be in the heart,
and then it will come out spontaneously as the outflow of life
in every act that a man performs.” (Spurgeon)
ii. Spurgeon’s sermon Micah’s Message for Today applied the
idea of how to walk humbly with your God: · Walk humbly
when you are spiritually strong
· Walk humbly when you have much work to do
· Walk humbly in all your motives
· Walk humbly studying God’s word
· Walk humbly when under trials
· Walk humbly in your devotions
· Walk humbly between you and your brothers in Christ
· Walk humbly when dealing with sinners
iii. “True humility is thinking rightly of thyself, not meanly.
When you have found out what you really are, you will be
humble, for you are nothing to boast of. To be humble will
make you safe. To be humble will make you happy.
To be humble will make music in your heart when you go to
bed. To be humble here will make you wake up in the
likeness of your Master by-and-by.” (Spurgeon)
f. God has proven His case before the court. Israel is afflicted,
but it is not because of the neglect or disregard of God. Their
own sin brought their affliction upon them. In addition, what
God required of them was not mysterious or too difficult –
they simply did not do it.
B. The voice of the LORD cries out in the city.
1. (Mic_6:9-12) God sees the injustice and deceit of Israel.
The Lord’s voice cries to the city; wisdom shall see Your
name: “Hear the Rod! Who has appointed it? Are there yet
the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and
the short measure that is an abomination? Shall I count pure
those with the wicked scales, and with the bag of deceitful
weights? For her rich men are full of violence, her
inhabitants have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in
their mouth.”
a. Hear the Rod! Who has appointed it? Israel felt the
rod of God, but did not hear it. God tells them to Hear the
Rod, both in the sense of the rod as a picture of the
corrective discipline of God, and in the sense that the Rod
can be personified as the voice of God Himself.
i. “We can rest contentedly in our sins and in our stupidities;
and anyone who has watched gluttons shoveling down the
most exquisite foods as if they did not know what they were
eating, will admit that we can ignore even pleasure.
But pain insists on being attended to. God whispers to us in
our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in
our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” (C.S.
Lewis, The Problem of Pain) b. The short measure that is
an abomination . . . wicked scales . . . deceitful
weights: God was angry with Israel for plain old cheating in
money matters. They lied and stole and cheated one
another, all for the sake of making some money off each
other.
c. Her rich men are full of violence: The sin of Israel
went further than just cheating others in business and
commerce; they also made themselves rich through plain
violence. They could expect the judgment of God for such
sin.
i. “No society is ever entirely upright or godly; there are
always evil people in it. But in a well-functioning society the
evil are suppressed and those of good character are
prominent and rule the land. In times of moral breakdown
this is inverted.” (Boice)
2. (Mic_6:13-16) God’s judgment on greedy and wicked
Israel.
“Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, by
making you desolate because of your sins. You shall eat, but
not be satisfied; hunger shall be in your midst. You may
carry some away, but shall not save them; and what you do
rescue I will give over to the sword. You shall sow, but not
reap; you shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves
with oil; and make sweet wine, but not drink wine. For the
statutes of Omri are kept; all the works of Ahab’s house are
done; and you walk in their counsels, that I may make you a
desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you
shall bear the reproach of My people.”
a. You shall eat, but not be satisfied . . . what you do
rescue I will give over to the sword: God promises a
tragic end for their ill-gotten gains. He will allow them no
satisfaction or blessing in what they possess.
b. All the works of Ahab’s house are done; and you
walk in their counsels: Instead of walking in the ways of
the LORD, they walked in the sinful example of wicked kings
before them, and in the counsels of the ungodly.
i. “Omri, king of Israel, the father of Ahab, was one of the
worst kings the Israelites ever had; and Ahab followed in his
wicked father’s steps. The statutes of those kings were the
very grossest idolatry.” (Clarke) Mic 6:2 Hear the LORD’s
accusation, you mountains,
you enduring foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a case against his people;
he has a dispute with Israel!4
Mic 6:3 “My people, how have I wronged you?5
How have I wearied you? Answer me!
Mic 6:4 In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I delivered you from that place of slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you.6
Mic 6:5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned
to harm you,7
how Balaam son of Beor responded to him.
Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal,
so you might acknowledge that the LORD has treated you
fairly.”8
Mic 6:6 With what should I9 enter the LORD’s presence?
With what10 should I bow before the sovereign God?11
Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,
with year-old calves?
Mic 6:7 Will the LORD accept a thousand rams,
or ten thousand streams of olive oil?
Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my
rebellion,
my offspring — my own flesh and blood — for my sin?12
Mic 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD really wants from you:13
He wants you to14 promote15 justice, to be faithful,16
and to live obediently before17 your God.
Mic 6:9 Listen! The LORD is calling18 to the city!
It is wise to respect your authority, O LORD!19
Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city!20
Mic 6:10 “I will not overlook,21 O sinful house, the
dishonest gain you have hoarded away,22
or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much.23
Mic 6:11 I do not condone the use of rigged scales,
or a bag of deceptive weights.24
Mic 6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to
violence;25
her inhabitants lie,26
their tongues speak deceptive words.27
Mic 6:13 I will strike you brutally28
and destroy you because of your sin.
Mic 6:14 You will eat, but not be satisfied.
Even if you have the strength29 to overtake some prey,30
you will not be able to carry it away;31
if you do happen to carry away something,
I will deliver it over to the sword.
Mic 6:15 You will plant crops, but will not harvest them;
you will squeeze oil from the olives,32 but you will have no
oil to rub on your bodies;33
you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no
wine to drink.34
Mic 6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,
and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty;35
you follow their policies.36
Therefore I will make you an appalling sight,37
the city’s38 inhabitants will be taunted derisively,39
and nations will mock all of you.”40
Mic 7:1 Micah Laments Judah’s Sin
I am depressed!1
Indeed,2 it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered,
and the grapes have been harvested.3
There is no grape cluster to eat,
no fresh figs that I crave so much.4
(Guzik)
Mic 7:1-20
MICAH 7 – ISRAEL’S CONFESSION AND COMFORT
A. God’s people humbly confess their sin.
1. (Mic_7:1-4) An honest confession of their sinful state.
Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, like
those who glean vintage grapes; there is no cluster to eat of
the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. The faithful man
has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright
among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts
his brother with a net. That they may successfully do evil
with both hands; the prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a
bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire; so they
scheme together. The best of them is like a brier; the most
upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; the day of your
watchman and your punishment comes; now shall be their
perplexity.
a. Woe is me! On behalf of the sinful nation, the Prophet
Micah now confesses the sin of God’s people. First, he
recognizes that their sin has left them impoverished (there
is no cluster to eat of the first-ripe fruit which my
soul desires). Then he describes some of their specific sins
and their general character, revealing their deeply ingrained
sin against others.
b. The day of your watchman and your punishment
comes; now shall be their perplexity: When the sinner
is immersed in sin and feeling successful, they feel like there
is no price to pay for their sin. Nevertheless, there will come
the day of your watchman and your punishment. The
confident self-confidence of the sinner will be turned to
perplexity.
2. (Mic_7:5-7) Crumbling relationships among God’s people.
Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a
companion; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies
in your bosom. For son dishonors father, daughter rises
against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-inlaw;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my
salvation; my God will hear me.
a. Do not trust in a friend: Because of their rampant sin
and selfishness, personal relationships have crumbled
among God’s people. One cannot trust in a friend or put
confidence in a companion, and even blood relatives are
at war with each other.
b. Therefore I will look to the LORD . . . my God will
hear me: In this sin-immersed culture, there are few people
to give confidence or compassion – so one can only look to
the LORD.
i. This is a bad thing, because people should be honorable
and trustworthy enough so that we can find confidence and
compassion from them. Nevertheless, God can use this as a
good thing, because it forces people to put their trust in the
only One who can never let them down – the God of my
salvation.
3. (Mic_7:8-10) The humble state of God’s people.
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise;
when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. I will
bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned
against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice
for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His
righteousness. Then she who is my enemy will see, and
shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the LORD
your God?” My eyes will see her; now she will be trampled
down like mud in the streets.
a. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy: Micah speaks for
those brought low by personal sin and the sin of the
community. In their humble place, he warns their enemies to
not rejoice over their condition because when I fall, I will
arise and when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a
light to me. “You see me brought low now, but you should
know that it isn’t for long. God will lift me up.”
b. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I
have sinned against Him: Speaking for the sinful people,
Micah “manfully” takes responsibility for their sin. The idea
is, “I know that I have sinned, and so I will accept my
correction.” Micah knows that God’s people will stay in their
low place until He pleads my case and executes
justice for me. They are totally abandoned unto God’s
care.
i. “Herein is discovered the difference between remorse and
penitence. In remorse a man is sorry for himself; he mourns
over his sin because it has brought suffering to him. In
penitence he is grieved by the wrong sin has done to God;
he yields his personal suffering in the confidence that by it
God is setting him free from his sin.” (Morgan) c. He will
bring me forth to the light; I will see His
righteousness: At the same time, there is complete
confidence in the salvation of God and their vindication
before their enemies. This shows that God’s people know
their sinful state, but they also know the greatness of God’s
redemption.
B. God’s comfort and pardon to His people.
1. (Mic_7:11-13) The restored city of the people of God.
In the day when your walls are to be built, in that day the
decree shall go far and wide. In that day they shall come to
you from Assyria and the fortified cities, from the fortress to
the River, from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain. Yet
the land shall be desolate because of those who dwell in it,
and for the fruit of their deeds.
a. In the day when your walls are to be built, in that
day the decree shall go far and wide: When the time
comes for Israel’s restoration, God will send a call out far
and wide to gather and restore His people.
b. Yet the land shall be desolate because of those
who dwell in it: When God gathers Israel for restoration,
they will come to a desolate land, ruined because of the
judgment of God on the sin of His people.
2. (Mic_7:14-15) God cares for His people as in days of old.
Shepherd Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your
heritage, who dwell solitarily in a woodland, in the midst of
Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in days of
old. “As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them wonders.”
a. Shepherd Your people with Your staff: After God’s
people are brought back to the place they belong, they are
lovingly cared for by the LORD Himself. The LORD shepherds
them, and feeds them.
b. As in the days of old: There was a time when God’s
people enjoyed this kind of close relationship with Him. Now,
that previous relationship will be restored, and He will show
them wonders. The wonders come out of the close
relationship with the Shepherd.
3. (Mic_7:16-17) The nations are brought low before restored
Israel.
The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
they shall put their hand over their mouth; their ears shall
be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent; they shall
crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be
afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of You.
a. The nations shall see and be ashamed: When Israel
is restored to the land and enjoys a restored relationship
with the LORD, then those who opposed God’s people will
see how wrong they were to fight against them.
b. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall
fear because of You: Seeing the greatness of God’s
restoration will make the nations respect the LORD in a way
they didn’t before. They will see the power and love of God
in action.
4. (Mic_7:18-20) The glorious mercy and pardon of God.
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over
the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does
not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our
iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which
You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.
a. Who is a God like You: In light of the glorious
restoration of the Lord, Israel Micah glorifies the God of such
great forgiveness (pardoning iniquity and passing over
the transgression of the remnant of His heritage).
Micah sees that God’s forgiveness is so great, that it can’t
even be compared to what often passes for forgiveness
among men.
i. Boice on Who is a God like You: “It is a theme verse and
appropriately ends the book. For it is a play on Micah’s
name. Micah means ‘Who is like Yahweh?’“
b. Because He delights in mercy: Why does God have
such great mercy and forgiveness to His people? The
reasons are in Him, not in His people. It is simply because
He delights in mercy.
i. If God delights in mercy, then why are some men lost?
Because God doesn’t delight in mercy so as to shame His
justice. God opens His hand of mercy to all who will receive
it, but those who will not receive His mercy can blame only
themselves.
ii. If God delights in mercy, then why is He not always
merciful? Because there comes time when the guilty must
be punished. God’s judgments are in themselves
expressions of mercy, because they are like the cutting away
of cancer. The surgery hurts, but must take place or the
whole body will die.
iii. If God delights in mercy, then why is there an
unpardonable sin? We should be grateful that there is only
one unpardonable sin – the sin of rejecting His mercy.
iv. If God delights in mercy, then why do I feel that He
can’t have mercy on me? In such cases, we should trust God
and not our feelings. “Whatever despair may whisper or
doubt may suggest, one text of Scripture is worth fifty fears
and doubts, or fifty thousand either . . . All objections to the
delight of God in mercy are but illusions of your brain, or
delusions of your heart.” (Spurgeon) v. If God is this merciful
to those who sin against Him, do we have any justification
for not showing mercy to those who sin against us? “To all of
you I would say – take care, as you expect the mercy of God,
to deal it out to others.
Never say, ‘I won’t forgive,’ for you seal your own
condemnation when you do, and if you forgive not your
brother his trespasses neither will your heavenly Father
forgive you. You have chosen your own destruction when
you shut the door against your child, or against your
neighbor, and say, ‘I will treasure up that enmity as long as I
live.’ I tell you, sirs, your offerings at God’s altar are an
abomination to him until you have forgiven every one of
your fellows his trespasses.” (Spurgeon)
c. He will again have compassion on us: God’s people
once knew His compassion, but they resisted and rejected it.
Now they can know it again, confident that He will again
have compassion on us.
i. His compassion is shown in that the LORD will subdue
our iniquities. He loves us as sinners, but loves us too
much to leave us there. His compassion saves us from our
sin.
ii. His compassion is shown in that the LORD will cast all
our sins in to the depths of the sea. God will not “hold
on” to our sin, but forgive us instead. This means there is no
“probation” with God’s forgiveness. He doesn’t forgive our
sins just to leave them around to hang over our head. In His
compassion, He does away with our sins, casting them to
the depths of the sea – and then He puts a “No Fishing”
sign there!
iii. His compassion is shown in that the LORD will give
truth to Jacob. God’s people not only need the His mercy,
they need His truth and He is compassionate enough to
give His truth as He gives mercy and pardon.
d. Which you have sworn to our fathers from days of
old: In concluding His prophecy, Micah sees God’s future
work as a continuation of His past work to the fathers of
Israel. Micah knew that the same love, compassion, and
mercy He showed to their fathers was available to them – if
they received it in faith.
Mic 7:2 Faithful men have disappeared5 from the land;
there are no godly men left.6
They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood;7
they hunt their own brother with a net.8
Mic 7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil;9
government officials and judges take bribes,10
prominent men make demands,
and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them.11
Mic 7:4 The best of them is like a thorn;
the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row
of thorn bushes.12
The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen —
your appointed time of punishment — is on the way,13
and then you will experience confusion.14
Mic 7:5 Do not rely on a friend;
do not trust a companion!
Don’t even share secrets with the one who lies in your
arms!15
Mic 7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool,
a daughter challenges16 her mother,
and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are his own servants.17
Mic 7:7 But I will keep watching for the LORD;
I will wait for the God who delivers me.
My God will hear my lament.18
Mic 7:8 Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated
My enemies,19 do not gloat20 over me!
Though I have fallen, I will get up.
Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.21
Mic 7:9 I must endure22 the LORD’s anger,
for I have sinned against him.
But then23 he will defend my cause,24
and accomplish justice on my behalf.
He will lead me out into the light;
I will experience firsthand25 his deliverance.26
Mic 7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered
with shame.
They say27 to me, “Where is the LORD your God?”
I will gloat over them.28
Then they will be trampled down29
like mud in the streets.
Mic 7:11 It will be a day for rebuilding your walls;
in that day your boundary will be extended.30
Mic 7:12 A Closing Prayer
In that day people31 will come to you32
from Assyria as far as33 Egypt,
from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River,34
from the seacoasts35 and the mountains.36
Mic 7:13 The earth will become desolate37
because of what its inhabitants have done.38
Mic 7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s
rod,39
the flock that belongs to you,40
the one that lives alone in a thicket,
in the midst of a pastureland.41
Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead,42
as they did in the old days.43
Mic 7:15 “As in the days when you departed from the land
of Egypt,
I will show you44 miraculous deeds.”45
Mic 7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by46 all
their strength,
they will put their hands over their mouths,
and act as if they were deaf.47
Mic 7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake,
like serpents crawling on the ground.48
They will come trembling from their strongholds
to the LORD our God;49
they will be terrified50 of you.51
Mic 7:18 There is no other God like you!52
You53 forgive sin
and pardon54 the rebellion
of those who remain among your people.55
You do not remain angry forever,56
but delight in showing loyal love.
Mic 7:19 You will once again57 have mercy on us;
you will conquer58 our evil deeds;
you will hurl our59 sins into the depths of the sea.60
Mic 7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob
and extend your loyal love to Abraham,61
which you promised on oath to our ancestors62
in ancient times.63