a study of micah (1 of 2)

A study of Micah (1) 1A s

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Laindon Bible Study, 16th December 2015

Some remarkable prophecies! [refs]

A study of Micah (1) 2Note: dates assume Micah prophesied ~735-700 BC (see Slide 9)

Micah on a single slide

A study of Micah (1) 3

“Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob” (7 v 20)

Our two studies (God willing)


Who is like Yahweh?• The meaning of Micah’s name...


The LORD God contrasted with idols

(false gods)

A challenge to Micah’s hearers

(self-examination)

God’s righteous character exalted

(merciful forgiveness)

“And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to

pieces, and all the hires

thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the

idols thereof will I lay desolate...” (1 v 7)

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,

and passeth by the

transgression of the remnant of

his heritage? he retaineth nothis anger for ever, because he

delighteth in mercy.” (7 v 18)

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;

and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with thy God?” (6 v 8)

“Be ye thereforeperfect, even as yourFather which is inheaven is perfect.”

(Matthew 5 v 48)

What else we know about Micah• “Micah the Morasthite” (1 v 1)

– Came from the village Moresheth in therolling low hills of Judah (the Shephelah)

– Village also known as Moresheth-gath, v 14,i.e. ‘inheritance or possession of Gath’


A prophet to Judah...• ...but also with a message concerning Samaria (i.e. Israel)


Micah 1

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micahthe Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz,and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he sawconcerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 26

18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in thedays of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spaketo all the people of Judah, saying...

Ezekiel 23

2 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: 3 And they committed whoredomsin Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there theybruised the teats of their virginity. 4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah hersister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria isAholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.

Two sisters – common characteristics

The language of harlotry• Shows the strength of the betrayal...


Micah 1 v 6-7

“Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of thefield... for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot,and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.”

Isaiah 1 v 21

“How is the faithful city become an harlot! it wasfull of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; butnow murderers.”

Hosea 1 v 1-2, 2 v 5

“The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, andHezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The beginning ofthe word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms andchildren of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord... Fortheir mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I willgo after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.”

Dominates the whole prophecy

Micah

IsaiahHosea

Likely timing of the prophetic book• Minor prophets not in chronological order...*

9A study of Micah (1)

* although the three ‘blocks’ or ‘groups’ of prophecy are chronological

A familiar timeline• A critical period in the history of Israel and Judah...


2 Kings 15 v 32-35 2 Kings 16 v 2-4 2 Kings 18 v 1-4

Contemporary Kings (of Judah)• Prophesied during reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah...


“In the second year of Pekah the son

of Remaliah king of Israel began

Jotham the son of Uzziah king of

Judah to reign. Five and twenty years

old was he when he began to reign,

and he reigned sixteen years in

Jerusalem. And his mother's name

was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

And he did that which was right in

the sight of the Lord: he did

according to all that his father Uzziah

had done. Howbeit the high places

were not removed: the people

sacrificed and burned incense still

in the high places. He built the

“Twenty years old was Ahaz

when he began to reign, and

reigned sixteen years in

Jerusalem, and did not that

which was right in the sight of

the Lord his God, like David

his father. But he walked in the

way of the kings of Israel, yea,

and made his son to pass

through the fire, according to the

abominations of the heathen,

whom the Lord cast out from

before the children of Israel. And

he sacrificed and burnt

incense in the high places, and

“Now it came to pass in the third year

of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel,

that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of

Judah began to reign. Twenty and five

years old was he when he began to

reign; and he reigned twenty and nine

years in Jerusalem. His mother's name

also was Abi, the daughter of

Zachariah. And he did that which was

right in the sight of the Lord,

according to all that David his father

did. He removed the high places,

and brake the images, and cut down

the groves, and brake in pieces the

brasen serpent that Moses had

made: for unto those days the children

Micah’s impact in Judah (& on Hezekiah)• Sections of Micah must have been early in Hezekiah’s reign...

• Back to Jeremiah chapter 26:

• Micah one of the [unsung] catalysts for religious reform at this time


Samaria / Israel still existed (1 v 1)

Judah still had high places (1 v 5)*

Before Assyrian invasion (5 v 6)

18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people ofJudah, saying, [Micah 3 v 12] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, andJerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountains of the house as the high places of a forest. 19 DidHezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord, and besought theLord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might weprocure great evil against our souls.

* Removed at beginning of Hezekiah’s reign (2 Chronicles 31 v 1)

Contemporary Prophets • Prophesied during ministries of Hosea and Isaiah...


Micah 4 v 1-4

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountainof the house of the Lord shall be established in the top ofthe mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; andpeople shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, andsay, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach usof his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shallgo forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strongnations afar off; and they shall beat their swords intoplowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shallnot lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learnwar any more. But they shall sit every man under his vineand under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: forthe mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

Isaiah 2 v 2-5

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that themountain of the Lord's house shall be established inthe top of the mountains, and shall be exalted abovethe hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And manypeople shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up tothe mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God ofJacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we willwalk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law,and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shalljudge among the nations, and shall rebuke manypeople: and they shall beat their swords intoplowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nationshall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall theylearn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and letus walk in the light of the Lord.”

Book’s outline / three clear sections• Repeated phrase...


1 v 2“Hear,

all ye people...”

Ch. 1

Ch. 2

6 v 1“Hearye now what...”

Ch. 6

Ch. 7

3 v 1“Hear,

I pray you...”

Ch. 3

Ch. 4

Ch. 5

Deliverance for a chosen

remnant(2 v 12-13)

Deliverancefor Zion

(vs. nations)(4 v 1 – 5 v 15)

Deliverancefor God’s people

(7 v 11-20)

Judgement vs. Israel & Judah

(1 v 2 – 2 v 11)

Reasons given

Judgementvs. Judah’s

rulers(3 v 1-12)

Reasons given

Judgementvs. Judah & Jerusalem

(6 v 1 – 7 v 10)

Reasons given

Ch. 1 v 1 Introduction

“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell,severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness:

otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Romans 11 v 22)

Key messages of the book (Section 1)• Judgement (1 v 2 – 2 v 11)

– 1 v 2-4: God is Almighty, He will come forth to judge the earth

– 1 v 5-9: The transgressions of Samaria and Jerusalem

– 1 v 10-16: Lamenting the fate of towns/villages of Judah

– 2 v 1-2: The practising of iniquity, reason for judgement

– 2 v 3-11: The ‘time of evil’ to be let loose by God

• Deliverance (2 v 12-13)– 2 v 12-13: The gathering of the remnant flock


10 Declare ye it not at Gath [winepress], weep ye not at all: in thehouse of Aphrah [house to dust] roll thyself in the dust. 11 Pass yeaway, thou inhabitant of Saphir [fair], having thy shame naked: theinhabitant of Zaanan [pointed] came not forth in the mourning ofBeth-ezel [house of narrowing]; he shall receive of you his standing.12 For the inhabitant of Maroth [bitterness] waited carefully for good:but evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem. 13 Othou inhabitant of Lachish [invincible], bind the chariot to the swiftbeast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for thetransgressions of Israel were found in thee. 14 Therefore shalt thougive presents to Moresheth-gath [possession of Gath]: the houses ofAchzib [deceit] shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. 15 Yet will I bring anheir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah [crest of a hill]: he shallcome unto Adullam [justice of the people] the glory of Israel.

Shepherding another repeated theme...e.g. 4 v 6-8, 5 v 4-6, 5 v 8 & 7 v 14

[Note: sheep naturally wander/defenceless/reliant]

[definitions]

Key messages of the book (Section 2)• Judgement (3 v 1-12)

– 3 v 1-4: Judgement upon the heads of Jacob and princes of Israel

– 3 v 5-8: Judgement upon the (false) prophets and seers

– 3 v 9-12: Rulers, prophets & priests each responsible for God’s fury

• Deliverance (4 v 1 – 5 v 15)– 4 v 1-5: The LORD’s house established, peaceful reign ensues

– 4 v 6-8: The LORD’s subjects and royal dominion

– 4 v 9-10: The travail: captivity and redemption from Babylon

– 4 v 11-13: Victory over opposing nations

– 5 v 1-6: God’s chosen leader to deliver Israel (Hezekiah/Christ)

– 5 v 7-15: Cleansing God’s people, vengeance upon the heathen


Key messages of the book (Section 3)• Judgement (6 v 1 – 7 v 10)

– 6 v 1-2: The appeal to the court – to hear God’s charges

– 6 v 3-5: The accusation – God’s love & deliverance

– 6 v 6-7: The defence – how can Israel respond?

– 6 v 8: The appeal to the court – to hear God’s request

– 6 v 9-12: The accusation – wickedness, violence & deceit

– 6 v 13-16: The sentence – sickness, emptiness & desolation

– 7 v 1-10: The defence – recognition of sin and lamentation

• Deliverance (7 v 11-20)– 7 v 11-13: Jerusalem rebuilt and people regathered

– 7 v 14-15: The people liberated and nourished

– 7 v 16-20: The nations humbled and truth to Jacob performed


1 Listen to what the Lord says:

"Get up! Defend yourself before the

mountains!

Present your case before the hills!" 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!

Micah – minor prophet, major messages


Waiting for God’s

salvation

God’s pardoning of transgression

Covetousness which is idolatry

The responsibility of shepherds

What service to God actually

requires

God’s sovereignty

Misplaced trust in God

The sacred oath of spiritual marriage

Only divine rule can

bring peace

A chosen remnant to

be saved

The certain cutting off of wickedness

God’s accusation,

man’s inadequate

defence

Our next week’s study (God willing)


a study of micah (1 of 2)

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