Micah 1-7
First published on July 21, 2012


When I first became a Christian and began to read my Bible, I stumbled across small books of prophecy like Micah and was thoroughly confused.   I was confused because I did not understand Israel's history.  Passages like this one cannot be appreciated completely without knowing a few things:  first, they were governed by judges, and later by kings.   The 4th king (Solomon's son) wasn't very wise, and under his rule the kingdom split in two: north and south.   The larger part was the north.  It included 10 of the the 12 tribes, and the region of Samaria was within it.   The southern kingdom had only two tribes (Judah and Benjamin), but the city of Jerusalem was in their land.   Really, that's the only thing they had going for them.   The kings in the north were less godly than the south, so the prophets began prophesying their downfall a little earlier.   The southern kingdom had a few more righteous kings, but they gradually devolved into the same habits as the north.
In this passage (as well as many other places) the northern kingdom is referred to as "Israel" and the southern kingdom is referred to as "Judah".

Micah is letting the people know that God has been watching the way they have been living, and He isn't pleased.   Specifically, they are worshipping other gods, and following the ungodly practices of other nations.   They have erected shrines and built up places to worship other gods as well.   And, leaders have permitted this worship of other gods, even if they themselves didn't participate.    In addition, they have begun treating each other dishonestly.  They have false weights and measures (short epaph) which gyp the purchaser.   Instead of getting a whole pound of meat, you are paying for a pound and getting 3/4.      They are taking advantage of the poor by paying them very low wages, charging exorbitant interest and taking their few belongings to hold as collateral.

The Lord calls them to account on all of these things, and in this short prophecy He says "since you won't live by my commands, and treat each other the way I said you should, then you won't live here at all".    God lets them know he is going to allow the nations around them to overrun and conquer them.

This begins the next significant phase in Israel's history.....  the Babylonian captivity.   The people were conquered and marched away to a foreign country just like we did to the Indians on the "trail of tears".    The captivity will last for about 70 years, and then, just as Micah says, they will be restored to their land.

But not all of this book is about the Babylonian captivity.   there are passages that refer to the time when all nations will live at peace, and people from every nation will look to Israel for leadership and guidance.   That hasn't happened yet.    Micah tells of a leader that will bring peace to the whole earth, who will be born out of Benjamin in the southern kingdom.   That is Jesus, of course.   So this short book is speaking of events that would occur in several years, and then some which would occur 750 years later, and some that haven't happened yet.     That seems interesting.

This is getting a bit long, it seems....but I can't skip commenting on one of my favorite verses.  It's found in Chapter 6:8    "act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God".

Two things become apparent in Micah:  1.  God is observing everything we do, and He expects obedience.   2.God will punish disobedience.

Honestly, Israel could have avoided a great deal of trouble by simply putting God first.    So could the United States, and every other "kingdom" under heaven.