Micah
Book Type
The sixth book of the Minor Prophets; the thirty-third book of the Old Testament; the thirty-third book of the Bible.Introduction to the Book of Micah
Micah has been called a “miniature Isaiah” because of its similarities to that book. Both prophets spoke to the same audience from the same city during roughly the same historical period: Jerusalem in the eighth century BC. During Micah’s ministry, the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire (722 BC), and the southern kingdom of Judah came close to the same fate in 701 BC (see 2 Kgs 17–20). According to Micah, who prophesied to both kingdoms, the reason for these attacks was the abuse of prosperity by God’s people. He gives both warnings and oracles of hope—looking forward to a day of judgment leading to peace (Mic 4:2–5).Micah announced devastation for both Jerusalem and Samaria. God’s judgment was coming against false prophets, against Israel’s wayward leaders, and against the rich who oppressed the poor. God’s indictment against his people resulted in their ruin, but after ruin would come restoration. Through Micah, God’s Spirit provided a strong word of hope for Israel’s future. The Lord promised to rescue the remnant of Israel—they would return to their land as God’s renewed people. God promised to subdue their enemies and send his ruler from Bethlehem. Micah exclaims simply but powerfully that there is no God like the Lord.Micah’s name, “Who is like Yahweh?”, found at the beginning of the book (1:1, an abbreviation of Micaiah, cp. Jr 26:18) and the question Micah asked at the book’s end, “Who is a God like you?” (Mc 7:18), sum up the book’s overall message: People should ponder the person, acts, and character of the incomparable “Lord of the whole earth” (4:13). He is incomparable in his holiness, power, and love. All people answer to this sovereign God for their worship and the kind of lives they lead. The rebellious and sinful will meet his judgment (1:5), but those who earnestly watch and wait for him will find his listening ear (7:7).Theme & Overview
Micah's message alternates between prophecies of doom and prophecies of hope; the theme is divine judgment and deliverance. Where does faith fit in with media reports of violence, corruption, war, and terrorism occurring around the world? The prophet Micah reminds us that even when God seems distant and uninvolved, he still cares and offers hope to those who choose to remain faithful to him. The NIV Quest Study Bible says Micah wrote to the people of Judah to warn them that God’s judgment was approaching because they had rejected God and his law. Micah also encouraged the godly few, assuring them that judgment would not permanently destroy Israel. The nation would eventually be restored. The book balances God’s divine attributes of justice and mercy. As you read, notice Micah’s use of poetry. Many figures of speech make his messages especially vivid and create a profound emotional impact. The two main themes of Micah are God’s judgment against idolatry and injustice, and hope that God’s people will return to Him and be restored. Micah warns the people of Judah that if they behave as the northern kingdom of Israel did, they will face the same kind of divine judgment that befell Israel (Mic 1:5; 3:1; 6:16). But Micah 4–5 speaks of forgiveness and hope. Micah proclaims that this salvation will emerge through a ruler from Bethlehem; Micah boldly claims this ruler will shepherd the people of Israel and judge between people and nations (Mic 5:1–6). This prophecy ultimately points to Jesus (Matt 2:1–12; compare Luke 2:1–20).The book of Micah is a call to repent and authentically worship Yahweh. Worship is not an activity that can be tacked on a life of self-absorption; it is a total reorienting of our lives around God. Instead of acting like Israel’s selfish leaders (Mic 3:1–12), we should model what He truly desires: justice, mercy, and humility (Mic 6:8). Although people continue to walk in the name of their own gods, Micah tells us that we should live differently: We must walk in the name of our God, Yahweh (Mic 4:5).The theme of Micah is judgment and forgiveness. The Lord, the Judge who scatters his people for their transgressions and sins, is also the Shepherd-King who in covenant faithfulness gathers, protects, and forgives them.Author
Micah, noted in Micah 1:1.Recipients
Micah wrote to Jewish people in Judea during the reigns of three kings: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The prosperity that existed under Judah's previous kings was declining, with idol worship on the rise. Many Samaritans had migrated to Judah following the destruction of Samaria, bringing their system of false worship with them. Micah warned against worship of other gods, predicting distant Babylon would one day defeat Judah as part of God's judgment.Date
Between approximately 735 and 700 BC.Background
Micah was from Judah and prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Mic 1:1; ca. 740–700 BC). Jeremiah 26:18 also mentions the prophet Micah: About 100 years after Micah, Jeremiah records that Micah of Moresheth prophesied during Hezekiah’s time. It seems that Micah’s hometown, also called Moresheth-Gath, was located about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem—an area through which Assyrian forces often traveled (Mic 1:1, 14). Therefore, Micah may have been an eyewitness to Assyria’s invasion of Judah.The biblical account of Assyria’s siege of Jerusalem states that Yahweh killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers while they slept just outside the city (2 Kgs 19:35–36; 2 Chr 32:21–31). Consequently, the Assyrian king Sennacherib and his army were forced to retreat. An inscription found in Sennacherib’s palace admits the defeat, saying that Hezekiah “did not submit to my yoke.” By the end of Hezekiah’s reign, Assyria’s successor—the Babylonian Empire—was gaining power (Mic 4:10; 2 Kgs 20:12–21). Micah views Assyria and Babylon as instruments of divine judgment for the unfaithfulness of God’s people. He focuses his prophecies on his own people, condemning their idolatry, oppression of the poor, and greed (Mic 1:7; 2:1–2; 3:11).Micah delivered his prophecies during the reigns of the southern kings Jotham (750–732 BC), Ahaz (743–715 BC), and Hezekiah (728–686 BC), all of whom had relatively long reigns. At that time, both Israel and Judah were characterized by moral and religious corruption, social oppression, political intrigue, economic injustice, personal vice, deception, and treachery.Jotham was a moderately good king, but he did not remove the high places where illicit worship of idols competed with proper worship of God at the Temple in Jerusalem. Since the Lord was not entirely pleased with Jotham’s reign, he raised up King Rezin of Aram (whose capital was Damascus) and King Pekah of Israel to oppress Judah (2 Kgs 15:32–38).Ahaz, Jotham’s son, followed the evil ways of the northern kings of Israel. He engaged in forbidden practices, including child sacrifice, pagan incense burning, and fertility worship (2 Kgs 16:1–4). When the Edomites moved into the areas of southwest Palestine conquered by Rezin and Pekah (2 Kgs 16:5–6), Ahaz made an alliance with Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (744–727 BC) by paying gold from the Temple and the royal treasuries as tribute money to the Assyrians (2 Kgs 16:7–9). Ahaz corrupted Judah’s worship by bringing pagan altars into Jerusalem (2 Kgs 16:10–13), and he inhibited worship of the Lord (2 Kgs 16:14–20).The Near East in the Time of Micah, about 735~725 BC. Micah warned that SAMARIA and the kingdom of ISRAEL would be destroyed (1:2–7), and so it happened in 722 BC at the hands of the Assyrians. Micah also prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah (1:9, 12; 3:10–12; 4:10–5:1); it finally happened at the hands of the Babylonians much later, in 605–586 BC.
In contrast to his father Ahaz, Hezekiah was an outstanding king. Hezekiah witnessed the fall of Samaria (722 BC) to the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V (726–722 BC) and Sargon II (721–705 BC). During his reign, in 701 BC, God delivered Jerusalem from destruction at the hands of King Sennacherib of Assyria (704–681 BC), but Sennacherib still devastated some forty-six cities in Israel and Judah (2 Kgs 18:1–19:37). God also healed Hezekiah from a serious disease. But then Hezekiah arrogantly received envoys from the Babylonian king Merodach-baladan, who sought an alliance with Hezekiah against Assyria (2 Kgs 20:12–21).During the early years of this period, before the destruction of Samaria, the northern kings of Israel were Pekah (752–732 BC) and Hoshea (732–722 BC). Under both kings, Israel strayed further in the ways of Jereboam I, who had caused Israel to turn from God (2 Kgs 15:28). During Pekah’s reign, parts of northern Israel were taken into captivity (2 Kgs 15:29). Pekah was assassinated by Hoshea, who reigned until the fall of Samaria in 722 BC (2 Kgs 15:30–31; 17:6).As Micah had warned, the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed and its people were taken into exile. Hoshea had revolted against Assyria and had appealed to Egypt for help, but when Shalmaneser V heard of Hoshea’s treachery, he besieged Samaria, captured it, and destroyed it in 722 BC after a three-year siege. Hoshea was imprisoned, the Israelites were dispersed among Assyrian provinces and vassal kingdoms (2 Kgs 17:5–6), and people from various nations were brought into the devastated land of Israel to live (2 Kgs 17:24–41). Israel’s false worship led to its destruction and rejection by the Lord.The Purpose & Audience (Reasons for the letter)
Micah’s message is clear in 4:1–5; 5:1–4; and 7:20: God’s plans for his people will prevail, and the nations will come to know God through his people Israel and his chosen ruler (5:2). The Lord’s faithful promises to Abraham and Jacob would be realized.Much like Isaiah, Micah insisted that Israel’s hope would not be in escaping judgment, but it would be mediated to them through judgment. The people had become so corrupt that their only hope for an extended future was through the fires of judgment. That was a very hard concept for the people of Israel to grasp.God’s goal is to have a special people (7:14) of unparalleled moral and spiritual integrity and excellence. God will accept nothing less, but only his actions on behalf of his remnant people can create righteousness in them (see 2 Pet 3:13). God’s word stands forever. His prophetic word through Micah, empowered by his Spirit (3:8), will be fulfilled, because the words of the true prophet always come to pass (cp. Deut 18; Jer 26:17–18).Micah sought “to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin” (3:8). He pronounced God’s judgment to call his people to repentance. Injustice was rampant (2:1–2; 3:1–3, 9–11; 6:10–11), thus they would suffer destruction and exile (1:10–16), silence from God (3:6–7), and frustration (6:13–16). But Micah balanced his prophecy with hope of a remnant spared through God’s judgment and a glorious future restoration (2:12–13; 4:1–5; 5:5–9; 7:8–20).CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIBLEMicah’s holy and just God demands holiness and justice from all people. This is the “good” he requires (6:8). The people had grown content with going through the religious motions while practicing very little genuine spiritual devotion. Even the religious leaders chose to speak popular messages in order to support their standard of living. Micah preached that true religion comes from a heart tuned to God, resulting in godly living. Thus religion and ethics are inseparable. People who refuse to repent will face his judgment, but the faithful will find his salvation and be led by God’s King, who will usher in his peace and prosperity.Key Verses (ESV)
Micah 1:2: "Hear, you peoples, all of you; \ pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, \ and let the LORD GOD be a witness against you, \ the Lord from his holy temple." Micah 5:2: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, \ who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, \ from you shall come forth for me \ one who is to be ruler in Israel, \ whose coming forth is from of old, \ from ancient days."Micah 6:8: "He has told you, O man, what is good; \ and what does the LORD require of you \ but to do justice, and to love kindness, \ and to walk humbly with your God?"Micah 7:18–19: "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity \ and passing over transgression \ for the remnant of his inheritance? \ He does not retain his anger forever, \ because he delights in steadfast love. \ He will again have compassion on us; \ he will tread our iniquities underfoot. \ You will cast all our sins \ into the depths of the sea."Key Passages (NLT)
Jeremiah 26:18–19 They said, “Remember when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights…Micah 1:1–7:20The Lord gave this message to Micah of Moresheth during the years when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. The visions he saw concerned both Samaria and Jerusalem. Attention! Let all the people of the world listen! Let the earth and everything in it…Structure & Outline 1
StructureAlthough Micah predicts the fall of Samaria (the capital of Israel at the time; Mic 1:6) at the beginning of the book and the Babylonian captivity near the end (Mic 7:8–9), most of the material is not arranged chronologically. Instead, the book is organized around three major prophetic oracles, each opening with a call to listen for (or hear) the word of Yahweh (Mic 1:2; 3:1; 6:1). The first oracle (1:2–2:13) announces Yahweh’s judgment on Israel and Judah—particularly on their selfish leaders. The second oracle contrasts the ungodly leaders in Jerusalem (Mic 3:1–12) and the future Messiah (Mic 4:1–5:15). Micah 4–5 offers hope that Yahweh will bring about a time of peace and prosperity. The third oracle begins with an accusation (Mic 6:1–16) and a lament (Mic 7:1–7). Judah is accused of acting in an ungodly way, like Israel, the northern kingdom. The book concludes with a promise of forgiveness and future restoration (Mic 7:8–20).Outline • Judgment is coming (Mic 1:1–2:13) • Restoration follows judgment (Mic 3:1–5:15) • Charge against Israel and promise of salvation (Mic 6:1–7:20)Outline 2
Micah consists of seven chapters that can be organized in three major sections. The first section (Micah 1—2) focuses on God's judgment on Samaria, Judah, and false prophets. He first speaks of Samaria and Judah's judgment (Micah 1:2–16), followed by additional judgment concerning those who oppressed them (Micah 2:1–5). In Micah 2:6–11 the focus shifts to condemning the false teachers of Micah's time, who were leading people astray. The final two verses of this section (Micah 2:12–13) briefly note future deliverance. The second section (Micah 3—5) judges the leaders of the people and notes God's future deliverance as the ultimate leader. The current leaders will be found guilty of various sins against the Lord. Rather than relying on them, God will personally one day come to rescue and redeem His people (Micah 4:1—5:15).The third section speaks of God's ultimate deliverance (Micah 6—7). What begins as a message of gloom and lament (Micah 6:1—7:6) transitions to a celebration of future victory. Micah notes, "But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).The final three verses end on a note of confidence. They emphasize God's forgiveness, steadfast love, compassion, and faithfulness to His people (Micah 7:18–20).