( Study No. 1)
Lets Meet Micah
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INTRODUCTION Micah of Moresheth is another of those neglected Minor Prophets. But all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16) and that includes this Book of Micah. And when the Apostle bids us study to show ourselves approved unto God, ( 2 Tim. 2:15) the Book of Micah is part of that study to which he beckons us.
Probably one of the reasons for this neglect
is the need to have an understanding of the times in which the prophet lived.
So lets examine the background to his prophecy
. (using the Living Bible
translation. )
1 The LORD gave these messages to
Micah of Moresheth during the years when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. The
messages concerned both Samaria and Jerusalem, and they came to Micah in the
form of visions.
This
opening verse sets the stage for us. It
tells us that he lived in Moresheth, a village some 25 miles SW of Jerusalem.
It
also tells us when
during the reigns of three of Judahs kings,; Jotham ,
Ahaz and Hezekiah. Which gives us a
date 750 700 B.C.
It
was a turbulent time in Judahs history.
The dreaded Assyrians were on the march. No other race in the ancient
world was so feared or so cruel to
their prisoners. In 720 B.C. they destroyed Samaria, capital of the House of
Israel. And then they turned their attention to Jerusalem , capital of the House
of Judah, in the south
. ( vs. 1)
Micah,
therefore is a contemporary with Isaiah, although he is not mentioned in that
book. Nor is he mentioned in 2 Kings
where we read of the fall of Samaria to the Assyrian horde and where their
invasion of Judah is recorded. There
are, however, sixteen points of comparison between Isaiahs prophecies and
those of Micah. (Know
your Bible by G. Scroggie
. p. 175)
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The
opening chapter can be divided into five sections
(1)
THE COMING JUDGE ( 1: 2-4)
The
language is poetic.
God
is likened to a Judge coming forth from His Temple to pronounce sentence upon
his erring people
Samaria in the north and Judah in the south.
.
2 Attention! Let all the people of the
world listen! The Sovereign LORD has made accusations against you; the Lord
speaks from his holy Temple.
3
Look!
The LORD is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven and comes to earth, walking
on the high places. 4They melt beneath his feet and flow
into the valleys like wax in a fire, like water pouring down a hill.
..
(2)
JUDGMENT ON THE NORTHERN KINGDOM. ( 1:5-7)
5 And why is this happening? Because of
the sins and rebellion of Israel and Judah.
Who is to blame for Israel's rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! Where
is the centre of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem, its capital!
6 "So
I, the LORD, will make the city of Samaria a heap of rubble. Her streets will
be ploughed up for planting vineyards. I will roll the stones of her walls down
into the valley below, exposing all her foundations.
7 All her
carved images will be smashed to pieces. All her sacred treasures will be
burned up. These things were bought with the money earned by her prostitution,
and they will now be carried away to pay prostitutes elsewhere."
Samaria
will be destroyed. Although a seemingly impregnable walled city she will be
razed to the ground.(6)
Her stones will become rubble in the valley
below.
Why
? Because of her sin. (5)
In
the chapters that follow we will read of the various sins of Gods people (both
north and south !)
Idolatry (1:7) Immorality connected with Temple worship !
(1:8) Covetousness ( 2:2) Drunkenness (2:11) Cruelty ( 3:1-3) Divination (3:7)
and so it goes
(3)
THE WEEPING PROPHET (8-9)
8
Because
of all this, I will mourn and lament. I will walk around naked and barefoot in
sorrow and shame. I will howl like a
jackal and wail like an ostrich. 9 For my people's wound is far too deep to heal. It has reached
into Judah, even to the gates of Jerusalem.
There
is no gloating over the fact that these rebellious Israelites are about to be
destroyed. This was a people God had loved and cared for
and they had spurned
His love and broken his laws ... and Micah weeps that their sins are about to
bring Gods wrath upon their own heads.
..
(4)
JUDGMENT ON THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM (1:10-15)
10 Don't tell our enemies in the city of
Gath; don't weep at all. You people in Beth-leaphrah, roll in the dust to show
your anguish and despair. 11
You people of Shaphir, go as captives into exile--naked and
ashamed. The people of Zaanan dare not come outside their walls. The people of
Beth-ezel mourn because the very foundations of their city have been swept
away. 12 The
people of Maroth anxiously wait for relief, but only bitterness awaits them as
the LORD's judgment reaches even to the gates of Jerusalem.
13
Quick!
Use your swiftest chariots and flee, you people of Lachish] You were
the first city in Judah to follow Israel in the sin of idol worship, and so you
led Jerusalem into sin. 14
Send a farewell gift to Moresheth-gath; there is no hope of
saving it. The town of Aczib has deceived the kings of Israel, for it promised
help it could not give. 15 You people of Mareshah, I
will bring a conqueror to capture your town. And the leade of Israel will go to
Adullam.
In
720 B.C. Samaria had fallen and the Assyrian advanced south toward Jerusalem.
Micah lists a dozen towns and villages in Judah, warning them that the day of
Gods wrath upon sin had arrived.
There
is an irony here that escapes the reader of the King James Version and even the
Living Bible Translation. (above) . The original
Hebrew reveals a series of puns
a play on the names of the various places
mentioned!
The
Message, a recent paraphrase, captures this style
10 Don't gossip about this in Telltown.
Don't waste your tears.
In Dustville, roll in the dust.
11 In Alarmtown, the alarm is sounded.
The citizens of Exitburgh will never get out alive.
Lament, Last-Stand City: There's nothing in you left standing.
12 The villagers of Bittertown wait in
vain for sweet peace.
Harsh judgment has come from GOD and entered Peace City.
13 All you who live in Chariotville, get
in your chariots for flight.
You led the daughter of Zion into trusting not God but chariots.
Similar sins in Israel also got their start in you.
14 Go ahead and give your good-bye gifts
to Good-byeville.
Miragetown beckoned but disappointed Israel's kings.
15 Inheritance City has lost its
inheritance.
Glorytown has seen its last of glory.
Micah
even includes his own village in the list (1:14) Judgment is fast approaching.
But there is one last chance
if only Judah will repent and turn back to their
God.
(5)
A PLEA FOR REPENTANCE (1:16)
16 Weep, you people of Judah! Shave your
heads in sorrow, for
the children you love will be snatched away,
and you will never see them
again. Make yourselves as bald as an eagle,
for your little ones will be exiled to distant lands.
And
they did repent ! For once Gods people actually heeded a prophets warning
!
2
Kings 19 tells the story of the Assyrian siege, the prayers of good King
Hezekiah and Isaiah and Gods deliverance of His people.
2 Kings 19:32 "And this is what the LORD says
about the king of Assyria: His armies will not enter Jerusalem to shoot their
arrows. They will not march outside its gates with their shields and build
banks of earth against its walls. 33 The king will
return to his own country by the road on which he came. He will not enter this
city, says the LORD. 34
For my own honour and for the sake of my servant David, I will
defend it."
35 That night the angel of the LORD went
out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian troops. When the surviving
Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. 36 Then King
Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to
his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.
CONCLUSION
The
deliverance experienced by Judah on that day is a reminder that another Day of
Judgment approaches
but salvation is available for all who turn from their
sinful ways and turn to the Saviour.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And God will provide rest for you who
are being persecuted and also for us when
the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels,
8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who
don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9They
will be punished with everlasting destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power
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STUDY No. 2
Micah
and the Coming Judgment !!
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INTRODUCTION
Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow, in an exciting poem, wrote
A hurry of hoofs in the village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
and beneath from the pebbles is passing a
spark
struck out by a steed that is fearless and fleet:
That was all ! And yet, through the gloom and the
light
the fate of a nation was riding that night;
and the spark struck out by the steed in his flight
kindled the land into flame with its heat .
As
Paul Revere galloped through the American countryside on April 18th
1775 to warn his fellow countrymen of the imminent arrival of the British
soldiers, the Redcoats,
so the prophet Micah warned the Jews in the
neighbouring villages and towns of the Assyrian invader.
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(1)
THE THREE SERMONS
There
are three messages given in this Book of Micah , (1:1-2:13) (3:1-5:15)
(6:1-7:20) each commencing with a similar phrase .. and each containing two
similar themes.
Message No. 1 begins
1:2 Attention! Let all the people of
the
world listen! .
Message No. 2 begins
3:1 Listen, you leaders of Israel!
Message No. 3 begins
6:1 Listen to what the LORD is saying:
(2)
THE THREAT OF IMMINENT JUDGMENT
Message No. 1
1: 6 "So I, the LORD, will make the city of Samaria a heap
of rubble. Her streets will be ploughed up for planting vineyards. I will roll
the stones of her walls down into the valley below, exposing all her
foundations. 7 All her carved images will be smashed to
pieces. All her sacred treasures will be burned up. These things were bought
with the money earned by her prostitution, and they will now be carried away to
pay prostitutes elsewhere."
.. 9 For
my people's wound is far too deep to heal. It has reached into Judah, even to
the gates of Jerusalem.
..
Message No. 2
3:12 So
because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be
reduced to rubble! A great forest will
grow on the hilltop, where the Temple now stands.
Message No. 3
6: 9 Listen!
Fear the LORD if you are wise! His voice is calling out to everyone in
Jerusalem: "The armies of destruction are coming; the LORD is sending them
. 16 "The only laws you ( Judah ) keep are those of evil King Omri; the only
example you follow is that of wicked King Ahab!( evil Kings from the
northern House of Israel )
Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin.
You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you."
..
(3) THE THOUGHT OF A FUTURE BLESSING
Although both Judah and the
ten-tribed House of Israel will find themselves conquered by enemies, yet a remnant will one day return and
rebuild their nation.
Message No. 1
2: 12 "Someday,
O Israel, I will gather the few of you who are left. I will bring you together
again like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture. Yes, your land will
again be filled with noisy crowds! 13 Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile. He
will bring you through the gates of your cities of captivity, back to your own
land. Your king will lead you; the LORD himself will guide you."
.
Message No. 2
4: 6"In
that coming day," says the LORD, "I will gather together my people
who are lame, who have been exiles, filled with grief. 7 They
are weak and far from home, but I will make them strong again, a mighty nation.
Then I, the LORD, will rule from Jerusalem as their king forever."
Message No. 3
7:19 Once
again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths
of the ocean!
20 You will show us your faithfulness and
unfailing love as you promised with an oath to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob
long ago.
God will keep
His promise to the patriarchs that one day the Messiah would come. He would be
a descendant of Abraham
and a deliverer from far greater bondage than that
ever experienced by literal Israel. These, then, are the twin themes of Micahs
prophecy. And not only Micah but the other pre-exilic prophets also foretold
the coming judgment and the coming deliverance. Nor was it just deliverance from earthly foes, but deliverance
from the bondage and consequences of sin that the prophets saw. The former
pre-figured the latter.
..
(2) THE SINFUL
NATION Micah describes
politicians, priests and prophets all grasping for money
3:11 You rulers govern for the bribes you can get; you priests teach
God's laws only for a price; you prophets won't prophesy unless you are paid.
Yet all of you claim you are depending on the LORD. "No harm can come to
us," you say, "for the LORD is here among us."
12 So because of you, Mount Zion will
be ploughed
Dishonest
merchants, and even the general population, are likewise condemned
6:10 Will there be no end of your getting rich by cheating? The homes
of the wicked are filled with treasures gained by dishonestly measuring out
grain in short measures. 11 And how can I tolerate all your merchants who use dishonest
scales and weights? 12 The
rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your
citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.
(3) THE
IMMINENT JUDGMENT
It is 2 Kings
19 that provides the historical background for the events that follow. Maybe
not immediately but a in a year or so after the prophecy of Micah had ended
down came the Assyrians like a wolf upon the fold to attack Jerusalem. But
repentance averts the seemingly inevitable doom of Gods people. God smites Sennacheribs army with a plague
( 2 Kings 19:35) and the Jews are saved.
Hezekiah, the good and godly King of Judah leads his people in putting
away their false gods and in restoring the feast days. ( 2 Chronicles 31)
And Micah
played an important part in that deliverance and revival ! But how do we know
that if he is not even mentioned in Kings or Chronicles ? Because
. (4)
THE REMEMBERED PROPHET
It is 100
years later and Judah has returned to her idolatrous ways. Again God raised up
a nation to punish them. Not the Assyrians this time but the Babylonians. The
prophet Jeremiah warns Judah of the coming judgment. He receives the usual reaction
Jeremiah 26:11 The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the
officials and the people. "This man should die!" they said. "You
have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied
against this city."
But some of the saner thinking Jews defended Jeremiah and referred
to the writing of Micah a century previous and how obedience to his message
wrought deliverance in that day.
Jeremiah 26: 17 Then some of the wise old men stood
and spoke to the people there. 18 They said, "Think
back to the days when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King
Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah,`This is what the LORD Almighty
says: Mount Zion will be ploughed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced
to rubble! A great forest will grow on the hilltop, where the Temple now
stands.' 19 But
did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from
their sins and worshiped the LORD. They begged him to have mercy on them. Then
the LORD held back the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. If we
kill Jeremiah, who knows what will happen to us?"
CONCLUSION
Nor should we forget the truth
of the message proclaimed by Micah. Sin brings judgment. Repentance and faith
will bring Gods salvation.
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Study No. 3
Micahs Message of
the Messiah !!
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INTRODUCTION
We now come to the best known verse in
Micah ( and the only verse in Micah that most Christians know )( ?)
for it often gets quoted at Christmas time !
Matthew 2:4 He ( King Herod the Great ) called a meeting of the leading
priests and teachers of religious law. "Where did the prophets say the
Messiah would be born?" he asked them.
5"In Bethlehem,"
they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 `O Bethlehem of Judah,
you are not just a lowly village in Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people
Israel.' "
And the prophet
who the priests and scribes quoted was Micah
( in Micah 5:2)
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(1) THE PROBLEM OF THE CONTEXT
Verse 1 belongs to the end of Chapter 4. The chapter
division is in the wrong place !
Micah 5:1 Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The
enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. With a rod they will strike the leader of
Israel in the face.
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Now
a whole new prophecy concerning
the coming Messiah !
5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are
only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one
whose origins are from the distant past. 3 The people
of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time when the woman in
labour gives birth to her son. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return
from exile to their own land. 4 And he will stand to
lead his flock with the LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD
his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly
honoured all around the world.
5 And he will be the source of our peace.
How did this prophecy fit in with
Micahs thinking ? What relevance does it have with its surrounding verses
? As far as the King James Version
goes , this passage is certainly difficult to unravel. But modern translations
often clarify the problem. * And that is the first lesson we need
to learn from the verses before us.
* Lesson Number
2 is that we need to understand the historical background against which this
prophecy is spoken.
The Northern House of Israel ( see map ) has already fallen to the Assyrians and now
that fearful enemy is advancing toward Judah. Micah has been condemning the
sins of the Jews and calling them to repentance. There will be deliverance from the Assyrians
..
5:5 When the Assyrians
invade our land and break through our defences, we will appoint seven rulers to
watch over us, eight princes to lead us. 6 They will
rule Assyria with drawn swords and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod. They
will rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our
land.
( 5:5b-6), yet, at a future time, the Jews will
experience exile in Babylon ( 4:10) and
then oppression by the Syrians and the
Romans
..
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the time when the woman in labour gives birth to her son.
the Day is coming when the Messiah will be
born
in Bethlehem. ( 5:2)
The remainder of
the chapter describes what the Messiah will do
using Old Testament
language to describe New Testament blessings. And also using Hebrew
poetry for such is the manner in which this is written.
Notice Matthew
Henrys introduction to this chapter
In this
chapter we have
. A promise of the Messiah, and of his kingdom, to support
the people of God in the day of these troubles. 1. Of the birth of the Messiah
(v. 2, 3). 2. Of his advancement (v. 4). 3. Of his protection of his people,
and his victory over his and their enemies (v. 5, 6). 4. Of the great world by
it (v. 7). 5. Of the destruction of the enemies of the church, both those without,
that attack it, and those within, that expose it (v. 815).
The Messiah is
Jesus of Nazareth. He claimed to be the Messiah. (John 4:25-26) He told Pontius
Pilate that He was King of the Jews, albeit His Kingdom was not an earthly one
but spiritual. He reigns over the hearts of those who crown Him Lord. His
throne was not to be in earthly Jerusalem but in the hearts of His disciples
and at the right hand of God the Father. Even the twelve apostles had
difficulty grasping this. At the time of His Ascension they were still looking
for an earthly kingdom. (Acts
1:6) But after the Holy Spirit came
and led them into all truth they saw that the Kingdom of God was not meat and
drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
( Romans 14:17)
Not material things , but spiritual !
.
(2)
THE PLACE OF HIS BIRTH
Bethlehem
! ( 5:2) In spite of some modern-day
Liberal theologians (like Bishop Spong) who assure us that Jesus was born in
Nazareth !! Its better to believe the testimony of folk who were there
Matthew
says our Lord was born in Bethlehem. ( Matt.2:1) So does Luke ( Luke 2:4-5); so
too the religious leaders and scribes
(Matthew 2:5) and Herod the Great ( Matt. 2:16) and the wise men ( Matt.
2:11) and the angels ( Luke 2:11) and people 30 years later ( John 7:40-42) and
the inspired prophet, Micah ! ( Micah 5:2)
Not
only that but Micah pinpointed which Bethlehem for there was another
village of the same name in the territory of Zebulun. (Joshua 19:15) It was to be in Bethlehem
of Judah. And thus it came to pass, about 5-6 miles
south of Jerusalem.
(3)
THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF THE MESSIAH
Certainly
the Lord Jesus existed from all Eternity. He was not a created being. He was
with God the Father in the beginning (John 1:1-2). Some commentators see a
reference to His pre-existence in Micah 5:2 where the King James version has
that he has been from old to everlasting.
But not every modern translation so puts it. That is not to deny His pre-existence but to suggest Micah 5:2
may not be a good text to use to prove it.
(3)
THE PURPOSE OF HIS ADVENT
Bear
in mind that what follows is a description of Messiahs Kingdom expressed
in Old Testament language
and in Hebrew poetry. There also
seems to be a law of double reference
i.e. some application can be made to the return from Babylonian exile
but a greater application made to deliverance from the bondage from Satans
kingdom. The New Bible Commentary ( IVF ) says This remarkable prophecy has
both a literal as well as a spiritual fulfilment
( p. 724)
5:2
But
you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the
distant past.3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to
their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth to her son.
Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land.
(a) The time came when Zerubbabel was born and led Israel out of captivity and back to Jerusalem.
But (b) the time was coming when the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem ( 5:2)
to lead people to the Heavenly Jerusalem !
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the
LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his
people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored all around the
world.
5 And he
will be the source of our peace.
(a) Zerubbabel
led them back but they certainly didnt dwell undisturbed ! Only temporarily
!!
But (b) the Messiah, who also acts like a shepherd,
(vs. 4) gives a peace that passeth all understanding within the midst of troubles
.
When the Assyrians invade
our land and break through our defences, we will appoint seven rulers to watch
over us, eight princes to lead us. 6 They will rule
Assyria with drawn swords and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod. They will
rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our
land.
(a) Maybe
we
are not told
7 rulers and 8 princes were appointed in the day of Assyrias
invasion. But (b) God sends His angels
to encamp round about His people today.
.
7 Then
the few left in Israel will go out
among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the LORD or like rain falling
on the grass, which no one can hold back. 8 The remnant
of Israel will go out among the nations and be as strong as a lion. And the
other nations will be like helpless sheep, with no one to rescue them. 9 The people of Israel will stand up to their foes, and all
their enemies will be wiped out.
(a) Certainly a
remnant of Israel returned from Babylon.
But they hardly fulfilled verse 8.
(b) Rather is it a picture of Gods people today, delivered by the One
born in Bethlehem , telling others the
good news of the gospel. And the
gates of Hell will not prevail against them ! ( vs. 9)
10 At that same time, says the LORD,
I will destroy all your weaponsyour horses and chariots. 11 I
will tear down your walls and demolish the defences of your cities. 12 I will put an end to all witchcraft; there will be no more
fortune-tellers to consult. 13 I will destroy all your
idols and sacred pillars, so you will never again worship the work of your own
hands. 14 I will abolish your pagan shrines with their
Asherah poles and destroy the cities where your idol temples stand. 15 I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse
to obey me.
(a) It did come
to pass that the Babylonian exile cured the Jews of idolatry. (vs. 14) But (b) it is also true that God cleanses
the heart of those who trust Him today.
Their trust is in Him , not worldly weapons. ( 10) ( 2 Corinth.
10:4) They avoid superstition and
idolatry. (12-14) Those who practice such will eventually face His wrath. (15)
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Study 4.
Micahs Court Case !!
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INTRODUCTION
This is Micahs third sermon. (6:1-7:20)
Judah
is on trial. The charges are manifold.
Violence, greed, bribery, lying , murder
maybe the word ungodliness sums it
all up.
God is both Judge and Prosecutor.
Heaven
and Earth are invited into the jury box to watch and listen
Micah 6:1 Listen
to what the LORD is saying: "Stand up and state your case against me. Let
the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.
2 "And
now, O mountains, listen
to the LORD's complaint! He has a case against his people Israel! He will
prosecute them to the full extent of the law
Knock Knock the court is in session !!
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(1)
THE PROSECUTOR PRESENTS HIS CASE
Micah 6:3. O my people, what have I done
to make you turn from me? Tell me why your patience is exhausted! Answer me! 4 For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from your
slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
5"Don't you remember, my people,
how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor
blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia to Gilgal, when I,
the LORD, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness."
What
have I done to you, asks the Lord, that you should forsake me ? I rescued
from Egypts bondage, I gave you leaders like Moses and I delivered you from
your enemies like the Moabites
(vs. 3-4)
The
following verses are probably what the Moabite king said to Balaam, He even
suggested a child sacrifice ! (7b) but vs. 8 is Balaams good reply. The story of Balaam
is found in Numbers 22-24.
6 What can we bring to the LORD to make
up for what we've done? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling
calves? 7 Should we offer him thousands of rams and tens
of thousands of rivers of olive oil? Would that please the LORD? Should we
sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for the sins of our souls? Would that
make him glad?
8 No, O people, the LORD has already
told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to
love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Thats
what Judah should be remembering as the Assyrian approaches ! (vs. 5a) And they should remember the lessons God
taught them during their wilderness journeying. (5b)
The Prosecutor outlines the crimes of Judah (6:9-12) ..
9 Listen! Fear the LORD if you are
wise! His voice is calling out to everyone in Jerusalem: "The armies of
destruction are coming; the LORD is sending them. 10 Will
there be no end of your getting rich by cheating? The homes of the wicked are
filled with treasures gained by dishonestly measuring out grain in short
measures.
11 And how can I tolerate all your
merchants who use dishonest scales and weights? 12 The
rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your
citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.
The sentence is about to be passed (vs. 13-15) Assyria is Gods instrument to punish Judah for their sins. (vs. 13) ( Isaiah 10:4)
Captivity awaits you, Judah, others will partake of your harvests.
13 "Therefore, I will wound you! I
will bring you to ruin for all your sins. 14 You will
eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will still remain.
And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You
will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you. 15 You will plant crops but not harvest them. You will press
your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves. You will trample the
grapes but get no juice to make your wine.
Why ? Because you committed the same evil
practices as those perpetrated by the Kings of the ten-tribed House of Israel .
(vs. 16)
16 "The only laws you keep are
those of evil King Omri; the only example you follow is that of wicked King
Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin.
You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you."
How does the Prisoner plead ??
..
(2)
THE ACCUSED SPEAKS
(a)
A Confession of Guilt
( 7:1-6)
The charges, he admits, are true. The punishment is deserved. (4b.) No
human can be trusted. (5-6)
.
7:1 What
misery is mine! I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest who can find
nothing to eat. Not a cluster of grapes or a single fig can be found to satisfy
my hunger. 2 The
godly people have all disappeared; not one fair-minded person is left on the
earth. They are all murderers, even setting traps for their own brothers. 3
They go about their evil deeds with both hands. How skilled they
are at using them! Officials and judges alike demand bribes. The people with
money and influence pay them off, and together they scheme to twist
justice. 4 Even the best of them is like a brier;
the straightest is more crooked than a hedge of thorns. But your judgment day
is coming swiftly now. Your time of punishment is here. 5 Don't trust anyone--not
your best friend or even your wife! 6
For the son despises his father. The daughter defies her mother.
The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in
your own household.
..
(b)
A Cry to God.
(7:7-8) But when there is no other place to go
Ah ! Deliverance from the wrath of God is
found in the mercy of God. By
repentance and faith there is salvation
.
7:7 As for me, I look to the LORD for his
help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.
8 Do not gloat
over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in
darkness, the LORD himself will be my light
Judah
cries for pardon. (7: 9)
He believes that God can deliver from their enemies ! (7:10)
..
7:9 I will be patient as the LORD
punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my
case and punish my enemies for all the evil they have done to me.
The LORD will bring me
out of my darkness into the light, and I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemies will see that the
LORD is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying,
"Where is the LORD--that God of yours?" With my own eyes I will see
them trampled down like mud in the streets.
And
2 Kings 19 tells of Gods deliverance from the dreaded Assyrian.
.
(c
)A Confidence for the Future. (7:11-13)
7:11
In
that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt, and your borders will be
extended. 12 People
from many lands will come and honour you--from Assyria all the way to the towns
of Egypt, and from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River and from many
distant seas and mountains. 13
But the land will become empty and desolate because of the
wickedness of those who live there.
The
day will come when Jerusalems outlying cities are rebuilt and re-populated and
Gentiles will come to know Israels God.
Verse 13 seems to suggest ( in poetic language ) that so many will come
and join with Gods people because want to leave the wickedness of heathen
nations where once they dwelt.
.
(3)
THE PROPHET PRAYS
( 7:14-20)
Micah
closes with a hymn of praise to God
calling upon Him to act as a Shepherd to
His people, to give them choicest pasture,( vs. 14) to silence their enemies ( vs. 16) and to humble those who dared to fight against Him ! (vs. 17)
7:14 O LORD, come and rule your
people; lead your flock in green pastures. Help them to live in peace and prosperity.
Let them enjoy the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as they did long ago.
15 "Yes," says the
LORD, "I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued
you from slavery in Egypt."
16
All
the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the LORD will do for you.
They will be embarrassed that their power is so insignificant. They will stand
in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. 17 They
will come to realize what lowly creatures they really are. Like snakes crawling
from their holes, they will come out to meet the LORD our God. They will fear
him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence. 18 Where is another
God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You
cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing
mercy. 19 Once
again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean! 20 You will show us your faithfulness
and unfailing love as you promised with an oath to our ancestors Abraham and
Jacob long ago.
.
CONCLUSION
So
Micah closes with this glorious tribute to his God
and Israels God
and our
God !
To
Him none can compare. He it is who forgives the repentant sinner ( 7:18) and
displays His mercy and compassion.
( 7:19)
And He buries our sins in the depths of the
deepest sea !
The vilest offender who truly believes
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
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