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NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)

New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Mobilize! Marshal your troops! in the face with a rod. 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, will come from you on my behalf. 3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies will return from exile to their own land. 4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, for he will be highly honored around the world. 5 And he will be the source of peace. eight princes to lead us. 6 They will rule Assyria with drawn swords when they pour over the borders to invade our land. 7 Then the remnant left in Israel and no one can restrain. 8 The remnant left in Israel with no rescuer in sight. 9 The people of Israel will stand up to their foes, and all their enemies will be wiped out. 10 “In that day,” says the LORD, and destroy your chariots. 11 I will tear down your walls and demolish your defenses. 12 I will put an end to all witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune-tellers. 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 idol shrines with their Asherah poles and destroy your pagan cities. 15 I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey me.”

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.

5:1 Israel’s leader was defeated by the Assyrians (cp. 6:9). Striking a person with a rod expressed contempt (cp. 1 Kgs 22:24).

5:1-5:15 This section calls Israel to prepare for the vicious onslaught of Israel’s enemy, Assyria (5:5b-6). This siege of terror, death, and destruction will not annihilate Israel, for God will bring forth a ruler (5:2-5a) to lead his people back from exile. God’s preservation and purification of the remnant (5:7-14) will complete their restoration as God’s victorious people.

5:2 Ephrathah was the ancient name of Bethlehem (Gen 35:16; Ruth 4:11), David’s birthplace. In the future, an even more significant ruler than David would arise from there (Matt 2:5-6; John 7:42). The future king’s activities would stretch from the distant past (Hebrew qedem; cp. Deut 33:27; Prov 8:22-23; Isa 37:26) into a still future time, suggesting a divine-human being.

5:4-5:5 Following the Exile, Prince Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, was among the returned exiles and became the focus of Israel’s hopes (see Hag 2:20-23). But a greater ruler than Zerubbabel was needed. The leader from Bethlehem would be a source of peace; Isaiah called him the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). Only Jesus fits this description.

5:5 The Assyrians destroyed northern Israel in 722 bc. Sennacherib shut up King Hezekiah of Jerusalem “like a bird in a cage” (Sennacherib’s own words) in 701 bc and devastated over forty-six cities in Judah. The hoped-for deliverer-king did not appear in those days. The Assyrians represent all of Israel’s enemies. • seven rulers . . . eight princes: This literary expression indicates that an abundance of leaders will be supplied as needed to lead Israel.

5:6 the land of Nimrod: Nimrod laid the foundations of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations (Gen 10:8-11).

5:7 The remnant are those whom God’s grace preserved to be the foundation of his new people (Ezra 9:8-15; Neh 1:2). • Dew and rain are gifts from the Lord; no person can prevent his sending them.

5:7-5:15 God’s purpose was not to create another nation like all the other nations (Exod 19:4-6; Num 23:9; Jer 7:23), but to have his own people who would walk in his ways and be holy as he is holy (Lev 11:45). In that day (Mic 5:10), God will rule a redeemed and purified people, healed of violence and the ravages of war.

5:8-5:9 God’s people will have a unique place among the nations of the world (Gen 12:3; Exod 19:4-6). They will be the head and not the tail (Deut 28:13), and invincible as a lion (cp. Esth 6:13) as God gives them hegemony over the nations. • The Lord will judge their foes (see Mic 5:15) if they continue to rebel against him. The Lord’s desire, however, is ultimately to bless the nations, not to curse or destroy them (Gen 12:3; Jon 4:11; John 3:16).

5:10-5:14 The Lord’s actions for and against his people purify them. The Lord removed several abominable things imported from the pagan cultures of Mesopotamia and Canaan.

5:13-5:14 sacred pillars . . . Asherah poles: Stones were set up as places or objects of worship; they could represent pagan deities. The Asherah poles were green poles or trees that represented the goddess Asherah and her powers of fertility. Both the stones and the trees may have had sexual implications—one male, the other female. Asherah was seen as the mother of gods and El’s (or Baal’s) consort.

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