The Book of
MICAH
Author: Micah
Date: Between 704 B.C. and 696 B.C.
Theme: Incomparability of the Compassionate Lord
Key Words: Sin, Daughter of Zion, Remnant, Compassion
Author. Micah was contemporary with Isaiah in the eighth century before Christ. Both concentrated their ministry in the southern kingdom, Judah, yet included Samaria (Israel) and “the nations” within the scope of their prophecies. For a few years in his early career Micah also was contemporary with Hosea, a prophet located in the northern kingdom. Micah lived in a town about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem and prophesied mostly in that region.
Micah’s name predicates a likeness to the Lord: “He Who Is Like Yahweh.” See note at 7:18–20. Micah was so completely and sincerely committed that he was even willing to go stripped naked on occasion to get his message across (1:8). Micah’s prophecy had an impact that extended far beyond his local ministry. A century later his prophecy was remembered and quoted (Jer. 26:17–19), and events seven centuries later attest to the authenticity of Micah’s prophecy (Matt. 2:1–6; John 7:41–43).
Date. Micah prophesied according to his own statement (1:1) during the reigns of the southern kings Jotham (740–731 B.C.), Ahaz (731–716 B.C.), and Hezekiah (716–686 B.C.). Since he died during the administration of Hezekiah and before Manasseh’s partly overlapping era (696–642 B.C.), a date between 704 and 696 B.C. seems likely.
Background. In the period between the beginning of the divided Solomonic kingdom (Israel to the north, and Judah to the south) and the destruction of the temple, many “high places” had been introduced in Judah through the influence of Samaria. This placed Canaanite idolatry in competition with the true temple worship of the Lord (1:5). Micah shows how this spiritual declension will inevitably lead to judgment on the whole land. And, although King Hezekiah had won a notable victory over Sennacherib and the Assyrian army, Judah was bound to fall unless the nation turned back to God in wholehearted repentance.
Style. Micah’s introductory statement (1:1) is in prose form, but the entire compilation of prophecies after that is poetry. The advantage of poetry to his contemporaries was that the rhythmic message would be easier to remember. The disadvantage to us is that poetry is more difficult to translate into another language without loss. Micah depends on shortened units of thought (with the nonessential words implied), plentiful parallelisms and nameplays (since name meanings were important to Hebrews), and poetic prepositions. He also uses an abundance of word pictures. For instance, instead of abstractly saying the Lord will conceal or otherwise make invisible our sins, he declares: “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (7:19). He cannot avoid the abstract word “sins,” but he concretely depicts for us their burial like weights into the ocean depths, never to be recoverable again.
Content. Micah is a prophecy about the Lord, who has no rivals in pardoning sins and having compassion on sinners. His compassionate faithfulness keeps covenant with Abraham and his descendants. “The majesty of the name of the LORD” (5:4; see also 4:5; 6:9) is featured, as well as the Lord’s face (3:4), His glory (2:9), His ways (4:2), His thoughts (4:12), His strength (5:4), His righteousness (6:5; 7:9), and His consequent indignation (7:9) and anger (5:15; 7:18) against all forms of moral rebellion.
In the opening vision, the Lord comes from His holy sanctuary in heaven to witness against the people (1:2). The most remarkable factor in the Lord’s handling of His case is how far down He has come to make His complaint (6:2), even being willing to sit at the defendant’s table and let His people bring any grievances with the way God has treated them (6:3). Moreover, one who truly repents will have the Lord as his defense lawyer (7:9)!
While Babylon was not yet a world power that could stand independently of Assyria, the Babylonian captivity (over a century later) was clearly predicted as the judgment of God for rebellion against Him (1:16; 2:3, 10; 4:10; 7:13). But as with Isaiah, Micah’s colleague, hope was held out for a remnant to be restored, whether from this captivity or from a spiritually restored people (the church) in the days of the Messiah (2:12, 13; 4:6, 7; 5:3, 7, 8; 7:18). The Lord would deliver the remnant (2:12, 13; 4:3–8, 10; 5:9; 7:7).
Micah had to censure the leadership of the nation for consuming the flock with which they were entrusted. Nevertheless, God’s great compassion colors His every attitude and action toward His people, portrayed as an errant daughter (1:13; 4:8, 10, 13), for His compassion that once redeemed Israel from Egypt (6:4) will also redeem Judah from Babylon (4:10). His compassionate faithfulness to Abraham and the patriarchs (7:20) is updated with each new generation. This message is focused on the one central question for the entire prophecy: “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?” (7:18). Yahweh’s compassion (7:18, 19) is the precious attribute no false deity can match. Compassion and covenant faithfulness are unique with God. The people’s hope to live under God’s full blessing was bound up with the coming of the Messiah. God in His love, foreseeing the glories of His grace to be manifested in Jesus, kept declaring that future Day and kingdom as the event in which the faithful should place their hopes.
Christ Revealed. Prophecies of Christ make Micah’s book glow with hope and encouragement. The book opens with a magnificent display of Yahweh’s coming (1:3–5). It will be for later prophecies to assert the personal aspect of His arrival in historical time. But the disposition of God to come down and interact is established at the outset.
The first messianic prophecy occurs in a shepherding scene. After their homeland had been defiled and destroyed, a remnant of the captives would be rounded up like sheep enclosed in a fold. Then one would break open the enclosure and lead them out the gate into freedom (2:12, 13). This one is their “king” and “LORD.” The whole episode accords beautifully with Jesus’ announcement of liberty to captives (Luke 4:18), while actually setting the physical and spiritual captives free.
Micah 5:2 is one of the most famous of all Old Testament prophecies. It authenticates biblical prophecy as “the word of the LORD” (1:1; 2:7; 4:2). The term Yahweh’s “word” (4:2) is a title applicable to Christ (John 1:1; Rev. 19:13). The Micah 5:2 prophecy is explicitly messianic (“Ruler in Israel”) and specifies His birthplace as Bethlehem at a time when Bethlehem was hardly known. His words were given many centuries before the event; he had no local cues to draw on. Another feature of this prophecy is that it cannot refer to just any leader who might originate from Bethlehem. Christ is the only one to whom it could refer, because it equates the Ruler with the eternal One: “Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” This prophecy asserts both the humanity and deity of the Messiah in a sublime manner.
The prophecy of Micah 5:4, 5 asserts the Messiah’s shepherdhood (“feed His flock”), His anointing (“in the strength of the LORD”), His deity (“in the majesty of the name of the LORD”) and humanity (“His God”), His universal dominion (“He shall be great to the ends of the earth”), and His being the leader of a peaceful kingdom (“this One shall be peace”).
The climax of the prophecy (7:18, 19) plus the final verse (7:20), while not including the name of the Messiah, definitely refer to Him. In the expression of divine mercy and compassion, He is the One who “will subdue our iniquities,” dropping them into the ocean depths that God might pardon sins and replace sin with truth.
The Holy Spirit at Work. One outstanding reference to the Spirit of God occurs in Micah’s contrast of the authority behind his ministry with that of the counterfeit prophets of his day. While other men were made bold by intoxicants to fabricate tales in the format of prophecies, the true power, might, and justice behind Micah’s message came from his anointing “by the Spirit of the LORD” (3:8).
Personal Application. Micah has much to contribute to the knowledge of one’s ongoing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Relief from the foremost moral and religious sins of greed and idolatry in that ancient day can be had today by following Jesus into the kingdom of God. Micah’s prophecy should make everyone stand in awe of the incomparable Yahweh who revealed Himself in the humanity of Jesus as the compassion and truth of God personified.
Micah’s generation was overrun by mercenary activities of faithless rulers, priests, and prophets (3:11). Contrast these with that greatest of all “Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb. 13:20), whose compassion caused Him to give Himself for the sheep, even to pouring out His blood. Likewise, Micah, a true prophet of God, was willing to pay any personal price to perform his ministry, even to being stripped naked for the sake of his message.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
MICAH
Author: Micah
Date: Between 704 B.C. and 696 B.C.
Theme: Incomparability of the Compassionate Lord
Key Words: Sin, Daughter of Zion, Remnant, Compassion
Author. Micah was contemporary with Isaiah in the eighth century before Christ. Both concentrated their ministry in the southern kingdom, Judah, yet included Samaria (Israel) and “the nations” within the scope of their prophecies. For a few years in his early career Micah also was contemporary with Hosea, a prophet located in the northern kingdom. Micah lived in a town about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem and prophesied mostly in that region.
Micah’s name predicates a likeness to the Lord: “He Who Is Like Yahweh.” See note at 7:18–20. Micah was so completely and sincerely committed that he was even willing to go stripped naked on occasion to get his message across (1:8). Micah’s prophecy had an impact that extended far beyond his local ministry. A century later his prophecy was remembered and quoted (Jer. 26:17–19), and events seven centuries later attest to the authenticity of Micah’s prophecy (Matt. 2:1–6; John 7:41–43).
Date. Micah prophesied according to his own statement (1:1) during the reigns of the southern kings Jotham (740–731 B.C.), Ahaz (731–716 B.C.), and Hezekiah (716–686 B.C.). Since he died during the administration of Hezekiah and before Manasseh’s partly overlapping era (696–642 B.C.), a date between 704 and 696 B.C. seems likely.
Background. In the period between the beginning of the divided Solomonic kingdom (Israel to the north, and Judah to the south) and the destruction of the temple, many “high places” had been introduced in Judah through the influence of Samaria. This placed Canaanite idolatry in competition with the true temple worship of the Lord (1:5). Micah shows how this spiritual declension will inevitably lead to judgment on the whole land. And, although King Hezekiah had won a notable victory over Sennacherib and the Assyrian army, Judah was bound to fall unless the nation turned back to God in wholehearted repentance.
Style. Micah’s introductory statement (1:1) is in prose form, but the entire compilation of prophecies after that is poetry. The advantage of poetry to his contemporaries was that the rhythmic message would be easier to remember. The disadvantage to us is that poetry is more difficult to translate into another language without loss. Micah depends on shortened units of thought (with the nonessential words implied), plentiful parallelisms and nameplays (since name meanings were important to Hebrews), and poetic prepositions. He also uses an abundance of word pictures. For instance, instead of abstractly saying the Lord will conceal or otherwise make invisible our sins, he declares: “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (7:19). He cannot avoid the abstract word “sins,” but he concretely depicts for us their burial like weights into the ocean depths, never to be recoverable again.
Content. Micah is a prophecy about the Lord, who has no rivals in pardoning sins and having compassion on sinners. His compassionate faithfulness keeps covenant with Abraham and his descendants. “The majesty of the name of the LORD” (5:4; see also 4:5; 6:9) is featured, as well as the Lord’s face (3:4), His glory (2:9), His ways (4:2), His thoughts (4:12), His strength (5:4), His righteousness (6:5; 7:9), and His consequent indignation (7:9) and anger (5:15; 7:18) against all forms of moral rebellion.
In the opening vision, the Lord comes from His holy sanctuary in heaven to witness against the people (1:2). The most remarkable factor in the Lord’s handling of His case is how far down He has come to make His complaint (6:2), even being willing to sit at the defendant’s table and let His people bring any grievances with the way God has treated them (6:3). Moreover, one who truly repents will have the Lord as his defense lawyer (7:9)!
While Babylon was not yet a world power that could stand independently of Assyria, the Babylonian captivity (over a century later) was clearly predicted as the judgment of God for rebellion against Him (1:16; 2:3, 10; 4:10; 7:13). But as with Isaiah, Micah’s colleague, hope was held out for a remnant to be restored, whether from this captivity or from a spiritually restored people (the church) in the days of the Messiah (2:12, 13; 4:6, 7; 5:3, 7, 8; 7:18). The Lord would deliver the remnant (2:12, 13; 4:3–8, 10; 5:9; 7:7).
Micah had to censure the leadership of the nation for consuming the flock with which they were entrusted. Nevertheless, God’s great compassion colors His every attitude and action toward His people, portrayed as an errant daughter (1:13; 4:8, 10, 13), for His compassion that once redeemed Israel from Egypt (6:4) will also redeem Judah from Babylon (4:10). His compassionate faithfulness to Abraham and the patriarchs (7:20) is updated with each new generation. This message is focused on the one central question for the entire prophecy: “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?” (7:18). Yahweh’s compassion (7:18, 19) is the precious attribute no false deity can match. Compassion and covenant faithfulness are unique with God. The people’s hope to live under God’s full blessing was bound up with the coming of the Messiah. God in His love, foreseeing the glories of His grace to be manifested in Jesus, kept declaring that future Day and kingdom as the event in which the faithful should place their hopes.
Christ Revealed. Prophecies of Christ make Micah’s book glow with hope and encouragement. The book opens with a magnificent display of Yahweh’s coming (1:3–5). It will be for later prophecies to assert the personal aspect of His arrival in historical time. But the disposition of God to come down and interact is established at the outset.
The first messianic prophecy occurs in a shepherding scene. After their homeland had been defiled and destroyed, a remnant of the captives would be rounded up like sheep enclosed in a fold. Then one would break open the enclosure and lead them out the gate into freedom (2:12, 13). This one is their “king” and “LORD.” The whole episode accords beautifully with Jesus’ announcement of liberty to captives (Luke 4:18), while actually setting the physical and spiritual captives free.
Micah 5:2 is one of the most famous of all Old Testament prophecies. It authenticates biblical prophecy as “the word of the LORD” (1:1; 2:7; 4:2). The term Yahweh’s “word” (4:2) is a title applicable to Christ (John 1:1; Rev. 19:13). The Micah 5:2 prophecy is explicitly messianic (“Ruler in Israel”) and specifies His birthplace as Bethlehem at a time when Bethlehem was hardly known. His words were given many centuries before the event; he had no local cues to draw on. Another feature of this prophecy is that it cannot refer to just any leader who might originate from Bethlehem. Christ is the only one to whom it could refer, because it equates the Ruler with the eternal One: “Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” This prophecy asserts both the humanity and deity of the Messiah in a sublime manner.
The prophecy of Micah 5:4, 5 asserts the Messiah’s shepherdhood (“feed His flock”), His anointing (“in the strength of the LORD”), His deity (“in the majesty of the name of the LORD”) and humanity (“His God”), His universal dominion (“He shall be great to the ends of the earth”), and His being the leader of a peaceful kingdom (“this One shall be peace”).
The climax of the prophecy (7:18, 19) plus the final verse (7:20), while not including the name of the Messiah, definitely refer to Him. In the expression of divine mercy and compassion, He is the One who “will subdue our iniquities,” dropping them into the ocean depths that God might pardon sins and replace sin with truth.
The Holy Spirit at Work. One outstanding reference to the Spirit of God occurs in Micah’s contrast of the authority behind his ministry with that of the counterfeit prophets of his day. While other men were made bold by intoxicants to fabricate tales in the format of prophecies, the true power, might, and justice behind Micah’s message came from his anointing “by the Spirit of the LORD” (3:8).
Personal Application. Micah has much to contribute to the knowledge of one’s ongoing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Relief from the foremost moral and religious sins of greed and idolatry in that ancient day can be had today by following Jesus into the kingdom of God. Micah’s prophecy should make everyone stand in awe of the incomparable Yahweh who revealed Himself in the humanity of Jesus as the compassion and truth of God personified.
Micah’s generation was overrun by mercenary activities of faithless rulers, priests, and prophets (3:11). Contrast these with that greatest of all “Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb. 13:20), whose compassion caused Him to give Himself for the sheep, even to pouring out His blood. Likewise, Micah, a true prophet of God, was willing to pay any personal price to perform his ministry, even to being stripped naked for the sake of his message.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
