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NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 The 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. 2 Attention! Let all the people of the world listen! the Lord speaks from his holy Temple. 3 Look! The LORD is coming! and tramples the heights of the earth. 4 The mountains melt beneath his feet like water pouring down a hill. 5 And why is this happening? In Jerusalem, its capital! 6 “So I, the LORD, will make the city of Samaria exposing her foundations. 7 All her carved images will be smashed. to pay prostitutes elsewhere.” 8 Therefore, I will mourn and lament. and moan like an owl. 9 For my people’s wound even to the gates of Jerusalem. 10 Don’t tell our enemies in Gath; roll in the dust to show your despair. 11 You people in Shaphir, for their house has no support. 12 The people of Maroth anxiously wait for relief, even to the gates of Jerusalem. 13 Harness your chariot horses and flee, and you led Jerusalem into sin. 14 Send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; has deceived the kings of Israel. 15 O people of Mareshah, will go to Adullam. 16 Oh, people of Judah, shave your heads in sorrow, for your little ones will be exiled to distant lands.

Introduction to Micah

Background of Micah

What Is the Book of Micah About?

Time: 4 Minutes

It was time God showed up and called Judah’s actions to account.

Theft (Micah 2:2), syncretism (Micah 2:6-7), injustice among the spiritual leaders (Micah 3:5-6), violence, and oppression (Micah 6:12) had free reign in the southern kingdom of Israel (Micah 7:2). Their culture had forsaken God for foreign deities. Therefore, Judah became a terribly unjust society. To make matters worse, the people who were supposed to be the godliest—the religious elites—led the corruption. One man looking on was convinced that there were no godly people left (Micah 7:2).

So, God sent a man named Micah from the rural district into the city to tell God’s people to listen up. Three times in the book of Micah we encounter the call, “Hear!” (Micah 1:2; 3:1; 6:1).

What did God have to say? We find the crux of it in Micah 4:10: “You shall go to Babylon” (ESV). In other words, God’s people would be overtaken and exiled by a foreign nation. At the time Micah gives this message, Assyria hadn’t even attacked the Northern Kingdom yet (722 BC). Babylon would follow Assyria over a hundred years later, meaning this punishment for sin would be long-lived. God’s judgment against his people’s sin was on its way and it would come in waves.

Yet right after telling Judah they will go to Babylon, God says through Micah, “There you shall be rescued” (Micah 4:10 ESV).

Here we encounter a phenomenon all throughout the book of Micah that helps us interpret the book. God sent Micah to declare God’s judgment to a wicked generation. But every time he begins a speech about judgment, it morphs into a glorious outpouring of promises that God will rescue his people. Dispersed throughout Micah we see visions of God himself. These glimpses of God fill the judgment visions with unexpected light, drowning them in eternal hope.

Though the nations overtake Judah and her land, God promises that he will personally gather Israel and lead them as their King into safe pasture again (Micah 2:4-5; 2:12-13). Micah says Jerusalem, God’s mountain, will lay so desolate it will resemble a woodland—overgrown and irredeemable—in years to come (Micah 3:12). But the very next words out of his mouth are a beautiful promise that the activity on God’s mountain will one day resemble the happy ending of a fairytale. Swords will be turned to plows, every nation will draw near to the mountain of the Lord in celebration and peace, and righteousness will be the talk of the town (Micah 4).

Though Micah brought an immediate message of judgment, it seems to be his secondary concern. His first concern seems to be the message of restoration and hope that keeps drowning his fearful predictions of woe.

Micah’s first concern seems to be the message of restoration and hope that keeps drowning his fearful predictions of woe.

When we read the final verses of the book of Micah, we realize that all the hope and restoration Micah prophesies about is rooted in confidence in the merciful character of God. Micah asks, “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?” Then, we see his point: “He [God] does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love” (Micah 7:18 ESV). Micah tells us that the God of the Bible delights in steadfast love. Showing faithful, undying love to the undeserving excites God’s heart more than dealing judgment. God’s own mercy is our hope, and it’s a hope that has been held out to us throughout the whole Bible.

At the close of Micah, we hear a faint echo that fills us with hope: “He will tread our iniquities underfoot” (Micah 7:19). In the first book of the Bible, God declared that the enemy of humanity would one day be defeated by an unnamed hero. Humanity would be rescued from sin. God spoke to Satan, our enemy saying, “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15 NIV).

God swore to the fathers of Israel in the days of old that he would deliver them from the curse of sin, treading underfoot our enemy, and our own evil. All along God knew that keeping his promise meant he would come himself and be our hero, win our war, and bring us back into his unshielded presence with joy—because he delights in steadfast love.

Micah says, “you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). What a beautiful promise! But Micah’s book leaves us wondering how our just God will accomplish this.

Despite all the messages of judgment, God could not wait to tell Judah about his coming rescue mission, and so he gave them and us these hazy visions of hope. If we flip to the New Testament, we meet the King, the Lord Jesus who calls himself “The Good Shepherd” (John 10:11-18) who Micah keeps alluding to in crystal clarity.

Open Micah to meet the God who is like no other.

What Is the Background of Micah?

Time: 15 Minutes

Background of Micah

1

Author and Date

Micah prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham (750–735 BC), Ahaz (735–715), and Hezekiah (715–687). This was about the same time as Hosea and Isaiah, though Micah may have served somewhat later. The length of Micah’s public activity may have been about 20 to 25 years.

2

Theme

The theme of Micah is judgment and forgiveness. The Lord, the Judge who scatters his people for their sins, is also the Shepherd-King who in covenant faithfulness gathers, protects, and forgives them.

3

Purpose and Background

Micah writes to bring God’s “lawsuit” against his people (Micah 3:8). He indicts Samaria and Jerusalem for their sins (Micah 1:2–7). Both Assyria (Micah 5:5–6) and Babylon (Micah 4:10) stand ready to carry out God’s judgment. The reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, along with the increasing threat of Assyria, provide the broad background for Micah.

Micah lists specific sins of both the northern and southern kingdoms. These sins include idolatry (Micah 1:7; 5:12–14); the seizure of property (Micah 2:2, 9); the failure of civil leadership (Micah 3:1–3, 9–10; 7:3), religious leadership (Micah 3:11), and prophetic leadership (Micah 3:5–7, 11); offering sacrifice without truly repenting (Micah 6:6–7); and corrupt business practices and violence (Micah 6:10–12).

4

Key Themes

1. The Lord’s character and the people’s sins demand judgment (Micah 1:2–5; 2:3; 6:1–2, 9–11). God’s “sentence” upon his people comes in the form of an oppressor (Micah 1:15; 4:11; 5:1, 5–6) and by means of covenant curses (Micah 6:13–15) caused by covenant unfaithfulness (Micah 6:16).

2. A Shepherd-King will gather and deliver a faithful remnant of people (Micah 2:12–13; 4:6–8; 7:14, 18). This deliverer, functioning as a new David, will come from the very region that was then under Assyrian control (Micah 5:2–5).

3. Practicing justice and mercy shows covenant faithfulness (Micah 6:8; compare Matthew 23:23).

4. The Lord is the focus of worship. The nations will come to Zion to learn of the true Lord and to live in peace (Micah 4:1–5; 7:12; compare Isaiah 2:2–5).

5. Grace flowing from the Lord’s steadfast love (Micah 7:18–20) overcomes the penalty due to sin (Micah 7:8–9). Forgiveness is possible because of God’s faithfulness to his promises (Micah 7:20).

6. God’s saving acts in the past (Micah 6:4–5; 7:14–15) provide hope for his saving acts in the future (Micah 7:19–20).

5

Outline

I. Superscription (1:1)
II. The Announcement of Judgment on Israel and Judah (1:2–2:13)
III. The Present Injustice and the Future Prospect of Just Rule in Jerusalem (3:1–5:15)
IV. The Lord’s Indictment and Restoration of His People (6:1–7:20)

6

The Near East at the Time of Micah

Background of Micah

The Global Message of Micah

“Who is a God like you?” (Micah 7:18). This question is the note on which the prophecy of Micah ends, and it is also a rough translation of the very name Micah. The theme that resounds throughout this book is the mercy of which God’s people are assured despite their faithlessness, especially the faithlessness of their leaders. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?” God will pass over his people’s sin because of his covenant promises.

At the heart of those covenant promises is God’s sovereign purpose of mercy to the nations. “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord’” (Micah 4:1–2; compare Isaiah 2:2–3). God is on a mission to extend his steadfast love to all those who call on his name, from every people group all around the world.

God is on a mission to extend his steadfast love to all those who call on his name, from every people group all around the world.

1

Micah in Redemptive History

The story line of the Bible is one of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. God created all things good. He lived with Adam and Eve in perfect fellowship and harmony. In our father Adam, however, we all rebelled (Romans 5:12–19). Humanity fell into corruption and sin, bringing the whole cosmos with us (Romans 8:19–22). From early on, however, God has promised to be with his people and to enable them to overcome their spiritual enemy, the devil and his forces (Genesis 3:15). Redemption has begun, climaxing in Christ, in whom “all the promises of God find their Yes” (2 Corinthians 1:20). All who trust him are adopted into God’s family, united to Christ, indwelt by the Spirit, forgiven their sin, and restored to God. One day, when Christ comes again, all will be set right and God’s people will be vindicated.

God’s Indictment of Israel

Micah’s prophecy advances this story line by focusing on some of the results of the fall, recounting a series of sins among God’s people in the generations between Adam and Christ. Having been called to bless the whole world (Genesis 12:1–3), the sin problem for which Israel was meant to be an instrument of healing has instead infected them just as it has the rest of the world. God’s people are idolatrous (Micah 1:7; 5:12–14), oppressive to the vulnerable in society (Micah 2:2, 8–9), and dishonest in their business dealings (Micah 6:9–12). In particular, the leaders of Israel, both civil and religious, are corrupt (Micah 3:1–11; 7:3).

God’s Overflowing Redemption

But God has not left his people there. He has determined to save a remnant (Micah 2:12; 5:7; 7:18), in faithfulness to his covenant promises. We are a fallen people. But God is a God of redemption. And this redemption is for all peoples. At the heart of Micah is the promise that one day the nations of the world will flow to Zion—to Jerusalem—to worship the one true God. Yet with the coming of Christ, the stream of nations flowing to Jerusalem became reversed: now, God’s people flow out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), bringing God’s blessing to the nations.

2

Universal Themes in Micah

The Gracious Restoration of God’s People

Despite their sin, God will send a ruler to “shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord” (Micah 5:2–4; compare John 10:11). “And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace” (Micah 5:4–5). This ruler, from a whole-Bible perspective, is Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:5–6). And the peace he won for believers extends, Micah says, “to the ends of the earth.” The restored people of God, when we take into view all of human history, is not simply a restored ethnic Israel but a restored humanity from all the nations of the earth, as anticipated in Micah 4:1–5. This restoration is beautifully expressed in the words of worship that close Micah’s prophecy: “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” (Micah 7:18–19).

Compassion and Advocacy for the Oppressed

God is not pleased when his people perform ritual sacrifices but fail to pursue compassion and justice. “‘Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ 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 6:7–8). Performing external acts of worship while neglecting the needs of those around us is an offense to God.

3

The Global Message of Micah for Today

Three of the great themes of the Bible form the backbone of Micah: divine judgment of sin; merciful restoration due to God’s covenant faithfulness, achieved through a coming Shepherd-King; and the compassion that God’s people must accordingly demonstrate to a watching world.

All three of these themes are sources of strength to the church worldwide today. Those feeling overwhelmed by the spiritual warfare in which they are embattled can be heartened by God’s determination to set all wrongs right at the end of history. Those feeling the weight of their sin and the sharp pain of regret are given strong hope in the steadfast love of the Lord of mercy. And all God’s people are reminded that formal exercises of worship, though they are helpful means of expressing heartfelt praise to God, can never replace the crucial role of justice and compassion for our neighbors. We to whom God has shown such lavish compassion are compelled by love to extend compassion to the defenseless and disadvantaged all around us.

Micah opens with a call to all the nations to pay heed to what God is doing: “Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it” (Micah 1:2). And the book closes with a declaration that people from everywhere will come to the Lord, even from the hated nations of Assyria and Egypt (Micah 7:12), while other nationalities who have remained impenitent tremble at the sight of God’s people (Micah 7:15–17). From beginning to end, Micah resounds with a message of salvation through judgment not only for Israel but for all the nations of the world. He is a refuge to all.

1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 bc). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.

1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).

1:2-1:7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 bc, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.

1:2-2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).

1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.

1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.

1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 bc) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite center of idolatry (literally high place).

1:6-1:7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 bc in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • Prostitution pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • Elsewhere refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 bc). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).

1:8-1:16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).

1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.

1:10-1:15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 bc.

1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).

1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).

1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 bc, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.

1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.

1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 bc.

1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 bc. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).

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