Book of Micah - Bible Survey

The prophecy of Micah is of the same date, and, up to a certain point, has the same character as that of Isaiah. That is to say, it treats especially of the introduction of the Messiah into the scene of the development of God's dealings towards Israel, and even speaks particularly of His presence in connection with the attack of the Assyrian This prophecy has nevertheless its own peculiar character; it enters, like those of Hosea and Amos, into the moral condition of the people, and connects the judgment of the world at large with the condition of the Jews, as we have had it typically brought before us in Jonah. Samaria also is in part the subject of this prophecy, so that its application extends to all Israel.

Micah ("Who is like God?") shows the Lord coming forth in judgment, not only of Israel, but of all the nations. The condition of Judah and Israel is seen to be an indication of the condition of "all the peoples" ‑ the "earth, and all that is therein." So that, if in Amos God must judge Israel when once He begins to judge the nations; in Micah He must judge the nations if Israel must be judged. For Israel is but a sample of all mankind: now that she is proven guilty, this is proof of the guilt of all the world (cf. Rom. 3:19). God can therefore alone execute judgment, and He is infinitely capable of so doing.

In Micah we have the general judgment of the people, Samaria and Jerusalem, for their transgressions, iniquities, and idolatry, and their rejection of the testimony of (God. Hence the whole land is treated as polluted, and no longer the rest of His people, who must arise and depart. He judges the princes and their prophets, brings in the power of the Spirit to judge even the chosen city of the Lord, but announces its re-establishment by Jehovah in grace in the last days; bringing in the siege of Jerusalem by the heathen, in fulfilment of God's counsels, though in consequence of the rejection of Christ, on account of which they were given up; and shews that the same Christ stands as their peace and defence, when the Assyrian comes in, in the last days. The remnant of Israel becomes the people of blessing to, and power over, others, while all evil in it is judged and destroyed, as well as the heathen who have come up against it. Having thus spoken of the restoration in the last days he returns and insists on the righteousness of God's ways, contrasts the attempt at ceremonially pleasing Him with the practising of iniquity which He hates, closing with the looking to Him to restore and feed His people as the God who passes by iniquity.

The three prophetic discourses of Micah the Morasthite give a progressive message. The book begins with the threatening judgment; it leads on towards the Messianic salvation and glory, and finally the exhortation and reproof--to return unto Him, to repent, and the assurance of His compassion and forgiveness.

The first part (Micah 1 - 2) starts with the call "Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is!" Then follows the announcement of God's judgment over Samaria capital of the northern kingdom and over Jerusalem capital of Judah. The judgment is for their transgressions and injustices as well as their idolatry as they had rejected the serious warnings of God. This is why the whole land was desolated and no longer a place of rest for the people of God. The inhabitants would be chased out of the land but will be gathered again in a day to come.

The second message (Micah 3 - 5) starts with the words "Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel". The leaders and prophets of the people are very much blamed. Then follows a description of the future glory of Israel in the reign of peace. In this section Bethlehem is announced as the birthplace of Messiah (chap. 5:2) who will be the strong helper of the people during the time of the end when Assyria will attack Israel.

At the beginning of the third message (Micah 6 - 7) we read "Hear ye now what the Lord saith." Then follows a remembrance to the love of God for His people and a remembrance to His rightful claims. The mention of God's righteous judgment, the lamentation and the hopeful prospect of the prophet build the end of this short book. The last three verses belong to the most beautiful ones of Scripture.

Micah thus announces alternately judgment (chap. 1 - 3; 6:1 - 7:6) and grace (chap. 4 - 5; 7:7-20) for Israel. The contents of Micah's message correspond in many parts with his contemporary Isaiah's message.

The book consists of three great prophetic discourses which all begin in the same way, with the command to hear. "Hear all ye people," chapter 1:2, the first discourse. The second discourse, chapter 3:1, "Hear, I pray you." The third discourse, chapter 6: 1, "Hear ye now what the LORD saith." In the first prophetic message he predicts the destruction of Samaria, the ten-tribe kingdom, and the captivity of Judah. The second message is a message of reproof of the leaders of the nation, the heads of Jacob and the princes of the house of Israel, followed by a denunciation of the false prophets. This is followed by the vision of the coming glory in the last days and the restoration of Israel. In this second discourse the coming ruler of Israel and His birthplace are announced; what He is and the kingdom He will establish in the midst of His people. Here is the message of hope and glory.

When the prophet Jeremiah was in danger of being put to death for his faithful testimony, certain of the elders rose up and said, "Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah, King of Judah; and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest" (Jer. 26:18). This is the testimony of the book of Jeremiah to Micah, who prophesied under the reign of Hezekiah, as well as Jotham and Ahaz. The first verse of the book of Micah gives us this information. While Jonah was a Galilean, Micah was a Judean. He came from Moresheth-Gath, which distinguishes him from another prophet of the same name, Micah the son of Imlah. (See 1 Kings 22:8; Micaiah is the same as Micah.) The name Micah means "who is like the LORD?"

The prophet Micah's name is probably an abbreviation of Micaiah (= who is like Jehovah?). Micah came from Moresheth Gath, around 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem near to the border to the Philistines.

Micah lived and worked under the kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah around 750 - 700 BC. He therefore was a contemporary of Isaiah, Hosea and Amos. During this time the Assyrians attacked the northern kingdom, which was defeated in 722 BC and was brought into Assyrian captivity (see Micah 1 and 5:5ff). In the land itself Micah was troubled with problems such as formal worship without true fear of God, idolatry and oppression of the people by the leadership.

Micah (who is like unto the Lord?). This prophet was contemporary with Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos: see the first verse of each of the books of these prophets. Micah is termed "the Morasthite" from Moresheth-Gath, a small town in southern Judea, not far from Jerusalem. There is not in this book such a range of subjects or comprehensiveness of treatment as in Isaiah, yet Micah in some respects resembles his great contemporary. Both specially regard Israel's political foe and external enemy in the future Jewish crisis, namely, "the Assyrian" or "king of the north;" and both predict millennial blessedness in the same eloquent terms (Isa. 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3).

Verse 1. This introduction tells us two things. In the first place, we learn that this book contains the word of the Lord that came to Micah, the Morasthite; in the second place, we are told when Micah exercised his office. As stated in the introduction, he was contemporary with Isaiah, probably for about twenty-nine years. Criticism has attacked the authorship of this book also. Since criticism began, with Ewald, to question the unity of this little book, it has raged with increasing violence, until Professor Cheyne, improving on Robertson Smith in the Encyclopedia Britannica, concludes: "In no part of chapters 4-7 can we venture to detect the hand of Micah." There is no need to answer such statements. The unity of the book of Micah is fully demonstrated by the message it contains. If chapters 4-7 were not written by Micah, will the critics give us light on who the author is?

Verses 2-5. The opening message is sublime, it is an appeal to all the nations, the whole earth and all that is in it, to listen to the witness of the Lord Jehovah against them, the witness which comes from His holy temple. The other Micah (Micaiah, the same as Micah) the son of Imlah, uttered similar words (1 Kings 22:28). He next describes the Lord coming out of His place, the place where He dwells in mercy, to come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. He is coming to judge; He is coming in wrath. The nations are to hear it, that the judgment is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. On verse 4 see Psalm 18:7-10; Psalm 68:8 and Judges 5:4. The near fulfillment was the double judgment which came upon the two kingdoms, the kingdom of the ten tribes, Samaria, and the kingdom of Judah. But the description of the coming of the Lord in judgment also relates to that great future event, the day of the Lord.

Verses 6-7. The sin of Israel was Samaria, it originated there and consisted of idol worship; the sins of Judah were the high places in Jerusalem. (See Jer. 32:35.) Complete destruction of Samaria would come with this announced judgment and all her graven images would be broken to pieces, and her whoredoms burned with fire (Joel 2:3; Hosea 2:7).