a study of micah (2 of 2)

A s

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Laindon Bible Study, 23rd December 2015

A ‘quick’ recap of last week• Sedimentary layers of prophecy (ten in total?)

• Who is like Yahweh? (Contrast idols / Divine character / Challenge)

• A prophet to Judah from the village Moresheth-gath

• Timed 735-700 BC, momentous mid-Assyrian period

• C: Jotham (mixed), Ahaz (bad) and Hezekiah (good)

• C: Hosea and Isaiah, parallels (e.g. symbol of harlot)

• “Hear” sections: Chs 1&2, Chs 3-5 and Chs 6&7

A study of Micah (2) 2

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

Our two studies


Seven chapters, seven exhortations

Micah

Man has no

defenceDangers of

covetousness

Symmetry of divine justice

Affliction before

gathering

Littleness before

greatness

What doth the

LORD require?

God and

mercy


“Let the Lord GOD be witness against you”

• Lesson: Man has no legitimate defence before the Almighty God


1 v 2

“Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God bewitness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out ofhis place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And themountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire,and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.” (v. 2-4)

Romans 2 v 1-4

“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: forwherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou thatjudgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God isaccording to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thouthis, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same,that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches ofhis goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that thegoodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

Judgement (6 v 1 – 7 v 10)

Part played Message Quotation(s)

6 v 1-2The appeal to the court

To hear God’s charges

“... the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will pleadwith Israel.” (v. 2)

6 v 3-5The accusation

God’s love & deliverance

“For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemedthee out of the house of servants...” (v. 4)

6 v 6-7 The defence How can Israel respond?

“Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself beforethe high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings...” (v. 6)

6 v 8The appeal to the court

To hear God’s request

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth theLord require of thee...” (v. 8)

6 v 9-12The accusation

Wickedness, violence & deceit

“Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of thewicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?” (v. 10)

6 v 13-16 The sentence Sickness, emptiness & desolation

“Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in makingthee desolate because of thy sins.” (v. 13)

7 v 1-10 The defence Recognition of sin and lamentation

“I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinnedagainst him, until he plead my cause...” (v. 9)

The court scene of ‘Section 3’


“Covet fields... and houses, and take them”

• Lesson: The dangers of covetousness and seeking for gain (power)


2 v 2

“Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light,they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and take themby violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even aman and his heritage.” (v. 1-2)

Colossians 3 v 5-7

“Mortify therefore your members which are uponthe earth... and covetousness, which is idolatry: Forwhich things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on thechildren of disobedience: In the which ye alsowalked some time, when ye lived in them.”

“Who pluck off their skin from off them”

• Lesson: Divine judgement is certain and symmetrical for recipient


3 v 2

“And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it notfor you to know judgment? Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skinfrom off them, and their flesh from off their bones; Who also eat the flesh of my people, andflay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for thepot, and as flesh within the caldron. Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hearthem: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves illin their doings.” (v. 1-4)

Galatians 6 v 7

“Be not deceived; God is notmocked: for whatsoever aman soweth, that shall healso reap.”

James 2 v 13

“For he shall havejudgment without mercy,that hath shewed nomercy...”

“I will gather her... that I have afflicted”

• Lesson: A remnant, by definition, requires a reduction process


4 v 6

“In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that isdriven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and herthat was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion fromhenceforth, even for ever.” (v. 6-7)

“Whose fan is in hishand, and he willthroughly purge hisfloor, and gather hiswheat into thegarner; but he willburn up the chaffwith unquenchablefire.” Matthew 3 v 12

“And I will purge out fromamong you the rebels, andthem that transgress againstme: I will bring them forth outof the country where theysojourn, and they shall notenter into the land of Israel:and ye shall know that I am theLord.” Ezekiel 20 v 38

“Though... little among... thousands of Judah”

• Lesson: God’s wisdom is not the same as man’s wisdom

A study of Micah (2)10

5 v 2

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (v. 2)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For asthe heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and mythoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55 v 8-9

2 Corinthians 12 v 9 (see also 1 Corinthians 1 v 26-31)

“And he [the Lord, about thorn in flesh] said unto me, My grace issufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that thepower of Christ may rest upon me.”

“Do justly... love mercy... walk humbly”

• Lesson: The ‘simplicity’ of God’s requirements


6 v 8

“Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shallI give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hathshewed 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?” (v. 7-8)

Deuteronomy 10 v 12-13

“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fearthe Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve theLord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep thecommandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee thisday for thy good?”

Ahaz offers firstborn

Also, cp. with Jesus’ criticism of religious leaders and their focus on ritualvs. fundamental matters (Matthew 23 v 23 “judgment, mercy, and faith”)

“He delighteth in mercy”

• Lesson: Mercy rejoices/triumphs over judgment*


7 v 18

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of theremnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wiltcast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and themercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” (v. 18-20)

Psalm 103 v 8-14

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. Hewill not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealtwith us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as theheaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressionsfrom us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fearhim. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

* see James 2 v 13 and original Greek katakauchaomai

Depths of sea

Our two studies completed


Who is like Yahweh?

a study of micah (2 of 2)

Spiritual