Book of Micah Chapter
One Commentary by
Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - Micah 1:1-5
Verse 1. “The word of the Lord which came to Micah of
Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw
concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.”
Micah the Prophet was from "Moresheth," which
was a village in the nation of "Judah," and it was
about 20-miles southwest of Jerusalem, near the Philistine city of Gath (Verse
14). "Jotham" reigned as king of Judah from
739 to 731 BC. "Ahaz" was king from 731 to
715 BC, and "Hezekiah" was king from 715-686 BC.
They were all leaders of the Southern Kingdom of the Jewish people, which was
called "Judah" at the time. This "word of the Lord" was given to Micah between 739 and 686,
roughly 700 years before Christ.
"Micah" was the shortened form of a name which
meant "Who is like God?" The man was a contemporary of the Prophet Isaiah,
though he did not start as soon or last as long as Isaiah did. The kings
of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) are especially mentioned in this verse because
his emphasis was to be on that kingdom, but he also prophesied against "Samaria," the capital of the nation called "Israel" to the north.
Micah was for the most part a prophet to the Southern Kingdom, but, as we shall
see in the next verse, he spoke and wrote to us all.
Verse 2. “Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth
and all it contains, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord
from His holy temple.”
Micah the Prophet's direct ministry was to the people of Judah, and it also
had reference to the people of "Samaria"
(Verse 1), which was the capital city of the nation Israel in the north.
But it is also addressed to you and me right now - it is for us all.
The salutation is, "Hear, O peoples, ALL OF YOU; listen O earth and all it
contains." That's remarkably all-inclusive, isn't it? "The Lord from His holy temple" is
a "witness" in relation to everyone who
has ever lived.
That can be said with assurance because even though there really was a
prophet by the name of Micah who wrote and/or caused the words of this Book to
be written, the real Author of the Bible is God. As the Apostle Paul would
later say to Timothy, "ALL Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness..." (2 Timothy 3:16). The Book of
Micah is not just to the nations of Judah and Israel. It was written by "the Lord from His holy temple" and it is a message to
everyone, including you and me.
Verse 3. “For behold, the Lord is coming forth from His
place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.”
By the phrase "the high places of the earth," the Lord God is referring to
places dedicated to false religious worship. Such "high places" which were
used for idolatry were common in all nations of that time, but the original
nation Israel was intended by God to be exempt from such practices. They
were meant to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"
(Exodus 19:6). God had a high purpose for that people.
But instead of becoming a nation of "priests"
that would bring others in the world to God, the opposite happened.
Israel became ingrown, self-serving and proud, and they incredibly adopted false
religious practices from the nations they were supposed to reach. We
should all consider our religious beliefs and practices in the light of this
verse: God "will come down and tread on the high
places of the earth" - false religions and the people who practice them,
WILL by Judged by our Holy Lord.
Verse 4. “The mountains will melt under Him, and the
valleys will be split, like wax before the fire, like water poured down a steep
place.”
There will indeed be a time when the universe and this earth will be
destroyed. As Peter told us, it will be a day "in
which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed
with intense heart, and the earth and its works will be burned up" (2
Peter 3:10). We are also reassured in that same context that there will
subsequently be "new heavens and a new earth, in
which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13). But there is another
way in which "mountains will melt" and "the valleys" are to be "split,"
as it says in this verse in Micah.
God uses the circumstances of our lives to bring us to repentance, to faith
in Him. John the Baptist quoted Isaiah the Prophet in relation to his own
ministry, saying, "every ravine shall be filled up and
every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall become
straight..." (Luke 3:5). This was done by preaching "repentance" (Luke 3:3). The proud (the mountains)
were "brought low" and the discouraged were lifted
("filled up"). God's people at the time of Micah
were a proud group. It was necessary for their "mountains"
of pride to "melt" so His work could be done in
them.
Verse 5. “All this is for the rebellion of Jacob and
for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not
Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?”
At the time the words of this verse were written, the original nation Israel
had split into two parts. Ten tribes had banded together in the north,
calling themselves the nation "Israel." To the south was the nation called
"Judah," the tribe named after one of Jacob's
(Israel's) sons. Benjamin was another son, another tribe that elected to
remain within the borders of the nation Judah. The tribes to the north had
become totally corrupt, preferring idolatry to the worship of the one true God.
"Samaria" was another name for the northern kingdom of Israel and it was also
the name of its capital city. "Jerusalem" had been the key city of Israel
for centuries, and after 10-tribes to the north had broken away, refusing to
acknowledge Rehoboam, son of Solomon, as their king, it became the capital of
Judah. From God's perspective, both nations had become sinful places.
"Samaria" was the very symbol of "rebellion" to Him, and "Jerusalem" was like a
"high place" in His sight, a city of idolatrous
thoughts and practices.
O God our Father, we come to You in humble repentance, knowing that our
thoughts and deeds are insufficient in Your sight. Forgive us, Father.
Heal our hearts and help our land, that we might look to You. Come into
us, Lord Jesus. Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit and help us to walk
in Your ways. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Micah 1:6-10
Verse 6. “For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in
the open country, planting places for a vineyard. I will pour her stones down
into the valley and will lay bare her foundations.”
The phrase "I will make" is in the future tense, indicating that this
prophesy was delivered before the destruction of Samaria, which was in the
fourth year of King Hezekiah of Judah, who reigned from 715 to 686 BC. The
capital city of Samaria was built on a well-fortified hill (1 Kings 16:24) and the
prophesies relating to its destruction must have seemed incredible to the people
of that time.
The prophesy was very specific. The city would not only be captured,
but it would also be utterly destroyed. The very walls of its buildings,
homes and outer walls were to be unceremoniously dumped into the valley below the
city. Ultimately, the place would become a vineyard. A monument of Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria, the country that took
Israel (Samaria), spoke of cities being made into a "rubbish heap and a field."
But it was really a holy God who would "pour her stones down into the valley
and... lay bare her foundations." And it happened, just as He said.
Verse 7. “All of her idols will be smashed, all of her
earnings will be burned with fire, and all of her images I will make desolate,
for she collected them from a harlot's earnings, and to the earnings of a harlot
they will return.”
It's important for us to prayerfully look at our religious beliefs and
practices from God's perspective. If it becomes apparent that we have adopted
some kind of man-made religion to please ourselves or those around us, we must
ask God to rescue us. All false religion is idolatry to God and "her
idols" will (ultimately) be smashed." The time to get out is now; before
destruction comes. We need to recognize that simple faith in God is what is
needed, now and forever.
The apparent gains from false religions "will be burned with fire" and the
"images" in those places will be made "desolate." From God's perspective,
the adherents of such groups are like "harlots" (prostitutes). By trusting
in the Messiah, it is like He has become our "husband" (2 Corinthians 11:2). We
belong to Him and He has every right to smash our "idols" and save His people
from sin.
Verse 8. “Because of this I must lament and wail, I
must go barefoot and naked; I must make a lament like the jackals and a mourning
like the ostriches.”
"Because of this," because Israel and Judah, God's special people, had sinned
terribly in the sight of the Lord, Micah the prophet was to "go barefoot and
naked." He was to be in "mourning," representing God who mourned because
of the sin of His people. His cry, his "lament," would be like the wild
animals of that place and time in its intensity. He was to be strange in
appearance, as many of the prophets were, which culminated in John the Baptist,
who wore rough "camel's hair" and went to
the wilderness in response to the people's sins (Matthew 3:4).
Micah's nakedness would signify something to the people that we all need to
understand: We are naked and open in the sight of God. There is no reason
to pretend, for He knows our every thought and all of our motives (Psalm 139:1 &
forward). Knowing this and understanding that destructive thoughts lead to
destroyed lives, it is reasonable to give ourselves to Him right now. So
let us do exactly that: Lord, I am naked before you and I am a sinner. Please
forgive my sins and change my life for the good. I surrender to You and
give myself to You right now. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus Name.
Amen.
Verse 9. “For her wound is incurable, for it has come
to Judah; it has reached the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.”
It is like we all have cancer of the soul, at a place too deep for medical
science to even know that it exists. Our "wound is incurable" and there
would be no hope at all, except for the gift to this earth of Jesus Christ.
Not only is humanity's "wound...
incurable," but we can see by reading the daily
newspaper that sin reaches everyone - everywhere! There is no place, no
person that is untouched by it. As the Apostle Paul would later say, "ALL
have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
The Holy Spirit, through the prophet Micah, is observing here that, not only
had the northern nation of Israel been infected by this "wound" called "sin,"
but so had Judah to the south. As Jesus Christ would see first hand in a
few centuries, it was rampant in Jerusalem, as well. And those that
entered and served in the Temple built within Jerusalem were not exempt.
There is an enemy at our gates, worse even than an invading army, and that enemy
is called "sin."
Verse 10. “Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all. At
Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust.”
In 2 Samuel 1:20 and its context, David mourned the death of King Saul and
the sons of Saul. He did not rejoice at the death of Saul, his enemy, but
instead he lamented because "the Lord's anointed"
had been killed. David's words at that moment were like God's through
Micah in this verse: "Tell it not in Gath (a
Philistine city) lest the Philistines rejoice."
God will allow destruction to come to His people as judgment on their sins, but He is not
pleased when it happens.
"Gath" was west and south of Jerusalem, toward
the Mediterranean Sea, and the Philistines of that place had acted in a hostile
manner from their first encounter with Israel. The location of "Beth-le-aphrah"
is less certain, though it may have been "Ophrah"
in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:23). Micah knew that
God intended him to not publicly mourn in places like Gath, but he was to
publicly "roll... in the dust"
when he set foot in Jewish communities.
Father, we repent of our sins and look to You.
Forgive us, heal us, and heal our lands. Watch over us and give us the
peace of God. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Micah 1:11-16
Verse 11. “Go on your way, inhabitant of Shaphir, in
shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of Zaanan does not escape. The lamentation of
Beth-ezel: 'He will take from you its support.'"
The phrase "go on your way,"
literally is "pass
away" or "leave your house." The word "inhabitant"
is actually "inhabitress," portraying a safe lady in a comfortable home who is
suddenly evicted and is unable to take anything with her." "She" would then
enter a life of "shameful nakedness." "Shaphir" was a town in Judah, and its exact location is
uncertain. "Zaanan" is likely the
place called "Zenan" in Joshua 15:37, a city in
Judah rich with flocks of sheep.
Some have thought that the words in relation to "Zaanan"
meant, "the one who is abounding in flocks of sheep will no longer go out with
them." "Beth-ezel" was a community near the
other places mentioned here, and this verse implies that disaster would come
and other communities nearby would not be any help. We must take this
imagery personally: there will be a time when all human support is gone.
We must trust in the Lord, for if we do not have Him, we have nothing at all.
Verse 12. “For the inhabitant of Maroth becomes weak
waiting for good, because a calamity has come down from the Lord to the gate of
Jerusalem.”
"Maroth," which can be translated as "bitter
fountains," was a town of uncertain location within the nation and tribe of
Judah. Some have associated it with the "Maareth"
of Joshua 15:59, which was near Jerusalem and was 6-miles north of Hebron.
The people of that community were "waiting for good,"
which could relate to an increase of material prosperity, freedom from
oppression, or spiritual revival.
But whatever the people wanted, it would not happen because the evil that had
taken root in Jerusalem was to come to them also. If we assume for a
moment that many in that place wanted spiritual revival, it would suggest that
to merely want it is not enough. If the people of Maroth had PRAYED and
openly sought the Lord and shared Him with others, would their zeal have spread
to other places, including Jerusalem? It may be - revival starts with the prayers of
ordinary people like you and me.
Verse 13. “Harness the chariot to the team of horses, O
inhabitant of Lachish - She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion -
Because in you were found the rebellious acts of Israel.”
"Lachish" was a strong and important city that
been a Canaanite citadel, located southwest of Jerusalem, and it was roughly
centered between Gaza to the west and Hebron to the east. Israel had
captured Lachish under Joshua, and it was later fortified by King Rehoboam of
Judah, after Israel was split into two countries in 930 BC (2 Chronicles 11:9).
What you read, what you watch, who you associate with -
all this is far more important than most understand. God's intention was to bring holiness and peace
to the people called "Israel." Yes they had
to fight to obtain and keep what God intended for them, just as you have to
fight for the good things of God right now, lest you be led to "rebellious acts" that would destroy you.
Prayerfully look at who and what is in your life, and avoid that which could be
the "beginning of sin" - for you.
Verse 14. “Therefore you will give parting gifts on
behalf of Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib will become a deception to the
kings of Israel.”
The word "therefore" in this verse is
important because it connects the thoughts in this verse with its context.
The events of these verses would occur BECAUSE Judah had adopted the sinful
practices of the Canaanites and Israel, and "therefore"
they would be judged. Micah is speaking to Judah at the moment and will
continue to do so until the end of this Chapter, though he describes them as the "kings of Israel."
"Gath" was one of the five great Philistine
cities and "Moresheth" was near Gath; something
like a suburb under its political and military control. The "parting gifts" here related to a certain kind of gift,
such as the dowry given to a daughter when she left to be married or property
given over as the result of a divorce. Places like "Moresheth,"
"Gath" and "Achzib"
(which means "a lie") would be lost to the nation Judah.
Verse 15. “Moreover, I will bring on you the one who
takes possession, O inhabitant of Mareshah.” The glory of Israel will enter
Adullam."
God is certainly not shy about revealing His part as to what happens in this
world. Judah was going to lose a portion of its territory, and Israel
(Samaria) to the north was going to cease to be a nation. "I will bring on you the one who takes possession," God
said, through His prophet. "When it happens, note that it's Me who did
it," God is saying. "Mareshah" in this verse
is much like "morashah," the Hebrew word for "inheritance," and so the play on
words here is that "I will bring an inheritor who will claim your
Heritage-town."
The "heir" would be the Assyrian king Sargon, into whose possession the city
would pass. "Mareshah" was a city in southern
Judah. "Adullam" was north of Mareshah.
It was a place where David hid in one of the many limestone caves near the city,
with his family and about 400 men (1 Samuel 22:1). The imagery is that
once again, the royalty of the Jewish nation would run for their lives and hide
in caves in order to survive.
Verse 16. “Make yourself bald and cut off your hair,
because of the children of your delight; extend your baldness like the eagle,
for they will go from you into exile.”
Shaving the head "bald" was a sign of mourning that had been handed down as a
traditional custom in Israel, in spite of the prohibition against it in
Deuteronomy 14:1, where it says, "You are the children of
the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head
for the dead." God here reveals that He knew every violation of the
Law committed by His people, and it is also shown that He knew the future -
Their children "WILL go from (their parents)
into exile."
The "baldness like the eagle" refers to the
griffon vulture, whose whole head and neck have no true feathers. As to
the southern nation of Judah, the "exile" in this
verse cannot refer to the coming Assyrian invasion, where only relatively few
from Judah were taken into captivity. It looks further ahead in time to
the Babylonian deportation, directly mentioned in Micah 4:10. Because of
their sin, all the Jewish people would weep for their children, who were to be taken
from them.
Father, though our sins are many and our pride has
ruined us, we know You are merciful and will save those who look to and trust in
the Lord. You have sent the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to save us from our
sins. Thank You, Father. We trust in Him now. Fill us with
Your Holy Spirit and give us the peace of God. In Jesus Name. Amen.
