Micah

By Mary Jane Chaignot

Unlike several other prophets who gave no clue regarding the time period of their ministry, Micah opens his book with an inscription saying he prophesied through the reigns of three kings – Jotham (ca. 742-735), Ahaz (735-715), and Hezekiah (715-687). Most scholars think the majority of his work occurred during the time of Ahaz and Hezekiah. That would have made him a contemporary of Isaiah and Amos (in the north). He was identified as Micah of Moresheth, which was a small town roughly 25 miles west of Jerusalem near Gath, relatively close to the border of the Philistines. Since the name "Micah" (or Micaiah) was relatively common, it was a way of identifying him from others of the same name, and it probably meant that he was no longer living in Moresheth but rather in Jerusalem. He was a prophet of the southern kingdom, though he had a few choice words for the north as well. The meaning of his name in Hebrew is, "Who is like Yahweh"; nothing is known about him personally.

Even though he is less well known now than some of his contemporaries, in his time Micah was quite prominent. Even Jeremiah made reference to him a century after his death. Micah's writings are a collection of oracles written over a long period of time. Scholars would feel more confident about the overall message of the collection if they could locate the time period in which each oracle was spoken. Obviously, that is not possible. Some even question whether Micah was the author of certain sections, thinking later writers might have added them long after the fact. These are issues that cannot be determined with any certainty.

Nonetheless, it does not detract from the general message of Micah's book. Like his contemporary, Amos, Micah saw beneath the outer trappings of society to the flaws that simmered underneath the surface. He was very troubled by the societal disregard for the poor, the injustices of the courts, and the lack of leadership by the religious authorities. It is unlikely that he was one of the poor (the style and language of his prophecies are quite sophisticated), but he certainly identified with them. Some scholars have speculated that he might have been a priest or a Levite since he seemed to have access to the royal court and especially targeted the priests and false prophets, accusing them of complicity in the injustices of society.

Historically, the stable reigns of Jeroboam II in the north (786-746BCE) and Uzziah in the south (767-739BCE) led to unprecedented prosperity for Israel and Judah. Borders were enlarged while foreign powers remained weak. But the world began to change for their successors. The north experienced a series of kings who proved impotent in the wake of Assyria's resurgence. Finally, in the year 722, the city of Samaria fell to the Assyrian king, Sargon II, and the demise of the northern kingdom was complete.

Ahaz was king of Judah during that time, and while his pro-Assyrian policy averted a similar fate for Judah, his reign was noted for corruption and paganism. Judah became a vassal state of Assyria and was assessed a heavy tribute, which deepened the divide between the rich and the poor. Even though Hezekiah was noted for making some religious reforms, economic conditions continued to deteriorate mainly because of having to pay tribute to other nations. Peace and independence came with a huge price tag. As always, the imposition of heavy taxes struck hardest at those who could least afford to pay. Like Amos, Micah saw this as an affront to the Covenant, wherein they were covenanted to care for each other and which had been the basis of society. In Micah's day, however, the poor had lost their lands, were powerless, and had no voice. Instead of remedying the situation, the political authorities made things worse by extracting as much as they could from the peasants, while the judges and religious authorities stood by silently.

Micah gave a voice to those who could not speak for themselves. Through God's words, he considered their true worth as well as God's commitment to them. Despite his message of total doom and destruction for society as a whole, he looked forward to a time when God would make a new beginning. Those who suffered would be rewarded.

There are three main oracles in the book of Micah: Impending Judgment 1-2; Indictment of the Leaders 3-5; God's Lawsuit and the Ultimate Triumph of God's Kingdom 6-7.

Impending Judgment 1:1-2:13

Superscription
Introduction; ministry covered reigns of three kings

1:2-7

Impending judgment
Summons for all the nations to "hear"
God will come from his dwelling place to "witness" against them
God's arrival will cause violent storms and earthquakes
National upheaval will be due to sins of the nations
Samaria will be destroyed

1:8-9

Personal reflection on the coming judgment
Micah will go around weeping and wailing and mourning

1:10-16

A warning and summons for the people
A listing of various towns that should be called to mourning

2:1-5

Denunciation of authorities
Fraudulent activities of those in power
God's response will be the coming disaster
Corrupt people will be brought low
They will have no part of the covenant community

2:6-11

True vs. false prophets
True prophets were troublemakers, embarrassing the privileged classes
False prophets told them not to prophesy
People were not living according to God's standards
The poor, women, and even children were being treated cruelly
People only wanted to hear that more prosperity and affluence would come
They didn't like hearing what Micah was saying

2:12-13

A statement of hope for the remnant
A remnant will be gathered
Message of hope remains in stark contrast to message of continuing prosperity from all the false prophets
Micah was not speaking about his own generation, but a future time
Kingdom of God would burst forth; people would be restored

Indictment of the Leaders 3:1-5:15

3:1-4

Indictment of the rulers of Israel
He asked if they knew justice
Micah continued with a harsh description of their disregard for justice
He used the metaphor of treating the people like cattle for butchering
Because they had been so merciless, the Lord would not answer their cries for help

3:5-8

Indictment of the religious leaders of Israel
The false prophets told the priests what they wanted to hear
Micah, on the other hand, preached a message of doom
The day would come when events would discredit their bright prophecies
Then they will remember the words of Micah; he will be vindicated

3:9-12

Consequences of corruption
Listing of additional sins of leaders
They despised justice and distorted all that was right
All leaders had denigrated their offices for personal greed
They maintained the outward show of religion, but were empty of any ethical response
Their behavior guaranteed that Micah's words would come to pass
Prophecy included the destruction of the temple, which no one ever thought could happen

4:1-8

Future glory of the city
Prophecy changed from doom to sublime (similar to Isaiah)
Jerusalem would become the focus of God's activity to all people
People will be drawn there simply to learn more about God
"In the last days" – but no one knows when that will be
Possible messianic reference, when Messiah would effect God's will
All the people will look to the law of the Lord and there will be peace
"Swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks"
All peoples will walk in the name of the Lord
In that day, exiles will be gathered; lame will be a remnant
The Lord will rule over all
Jerusalem will be restored to its "former dominion"

4:9-13

Ruin and redemption of Jerusalem
Description of dismal situation
No king, no priests, only pain (likened to a woman in labor)
Description of exile to Babylon (May be used as general term for Mesopotamia)
Exile to Babylon wouldn't happen for another century or more
Also promise of rescue out of the hand of their enemies
Nonetheless, that promise was for future generations
Current generation remained unrepentant and will suffer for their sins
Nations that gloated over Jerusalem's misfortune should think about their place in God's overall plan – in turn, they, too, will experience judgment
They, too, will be gathered like sheaves to the threshing floor

5:1-4

Future King of Jerusalem
Description of siege of Jerusalem
Yet, out of Benjamin will come one who will be ruler over Israel
This individual has not yet been born
This indicated that God would not abandon them forever
Israel will not only have a new ruler, but also a reuniting of its brothers
Israel will be cared for by this messianic king
He will shepherd his flocks in the strength of the Lord

5:5-6

Future peace
God will gather his scattered people
They will rule over those who have ruled over them (Assyria)

5:7-9

Remnant of Jacob
Remnant will be transformed from being insignificant to having dominion
Nations will not be able to withstand the remnant

5:10-15

Purification of the Remnant
Weapons and idols would be destroyed
Nations will be expected to conform
The Lord will take vengeance on those who disobey

God's Lawsuit and the Ultimate Triumph of God's Kingdom 6:1-7:20

6:1-5

God accuses his people
A lawsuit formula wherein the mountains were called as witnesses
God pleaded with his people
Why have they ceased to obey him?
He recalled his saving act of the Exodus and the many great leaders he gave them

6:6-8

What constitutes proper worship?
Description of trappings of formal worship – is that what God wants?
What does the Lord require?
"To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"
This is what is good
God is interested in the state of one's heart
These are members of the covenantal community with covenantal responsibilities

6:9-16

Sentence of judgment
The Lord calls – disaster threatens
Emphasis on social sins
Leaders had made so many promises that were not kept
Invalidated their leadership in many ways
Result: They will lose their land
Their efforts to amass personal wealth will have been meaningless Idolatry also an issue
Because you have followed their traditions, "I will give you over to ruin,
Your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of nations"

7:1-2

Micah's lament
Micah mourned the conditions he witnessed, the sorry state of mankind
Gave voice to his deepest feelings of disappointment
Used metaphor of going to vineyard hoping to find fruit, but none was there

7:3-6

Lament over corruption of society
He claimed no honest people were left
Rulers and judges had given themselves over to greed
All were out to exploit before they became exploited
No one could trust anyone
"A man's enemies are the members of his own household"

7:7-10

A psalm of lament
A godly man can turn to God for help, he can wait in hope for the Lord
Micah knew that God would act in his own time
That brought a sense of peace, knowing that God was in control
He also knew the faithful would be vindicated
Ultimately God would act on their behalf

7:11-17

The promise of victory
One day the remnant will triumph
Their borders will be expanded and all the peoples of the world will come to Jerusalem
All peoples will partake of the promise of faith
The Good Shepherd will lead them as He had in the past
They will see all His wonders
Nations will humble themselves before God
Stark images described their trembling before the Lord

7:18-20

Who is a God like you? (A pun on his name: Micah = Who is like Yahweh?)
God's promises are sure because of His nature
When people respond, God pardons and forgives (way more than they deserve)
He delights to show mercy and will again have compassion
His promises are sure "as you pledged in oath to our fathers in days long ago"

Although much of Micah is harsh, focusing on the face of God that will not allow sin to go unpunished, the prophecy ends with a psalm of trust and a picture of God's other side. He virtually sings of God's magnificence. God will show His power in the judgment, both of Judah and of the nations. That is inevitable, but it won't be the final word. God's intent is always the elimination of sin, the forward progression towards the perfection of His plan and salvation for all mankind. Micah believed this was possible. It is our hope and challenge for today as well.

Bibliography

Achtemeier, Elizabeth. "Minor Prophets I." New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.

Alearo, Juan. "Micah, Justice and Loyalty." International Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans, 1989.

Craigie, Peter. "Twelve Prophets." Daily Study Bible Series. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1984.

Gaebelein, Frank. "Micah." Expositor's Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1985.

Mills, Watson and Richard Wilson. Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1995.

Smith, Ralph. "Micah-Malachi." Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1984.

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