Agere Sequitur Esse

Micah

Book of Micah

Notes.. .

. ..Introduction. By Micah to warn God’s people that judgement was coming and to offer pardon to all who repent. The people include those from Samaria and Jerusalem. Places include Samaria, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.
. ..Themes. Perverting Faith, Oppression, Messiah – King of Peace, and Pleasing God.
. ..Outline. “When Micah began his ministry about c. 735 BC, both Israel and Judah were enjoying times of unaccustomed peace and prosperity. The westward advance of the Assyrians and compelled the Assyrians to withdraw from Israel’s eastern border. Freed from the threat of war, both the northern and southern kingdoms were at liberty to develop their own economy, social, and political life. But, this situation also had its dark side” (William Seay 2019, L13 37:05–37:40).
. ..Application. “The world of Micah is curiously like the modern world today. The moral perversions of ancient Canaan are being flaunted brazenly even given the status of rights in some places. The faith of the new covenant is all but submerged under secularism, humanism, and the influence of pagan oriental religions. In an age of unprecedented communication, Christians are still largely ignorant in the content of the Scripture and especially of the demands of Christ in the new covenant. Because these principles of God delivering them have not been made explicit, many believers have become conformed to the world and have begun to ignore and even deny the condition of their salvation” (Seay 2019, L14 06:08–07:05).
. ..Timeline. Written during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah from 742 to 687.

Introduction. 34:30 – The purpose was to warn God’s people that judgement was coming and to offer pardon to all who repent. The author is Micah. It was written to the people of Israel, the northern and southern kingdoms. The key people are the people of Samaria and Jerusalem. The key places are Samaria, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.

Themes. 35:05 – There are four major theological themes. (i) Perverting Faith. God will judge the false prophets, dishonest leaders, and selfish priests in Israel and Judah. While they publicly carried out religious ceremonies. They were privately seeking to gain money and influence. To mix selfish motives with an empty display of religion is to pervert faith. (ii) Oppression. Micah predicted ruin to all nations and leaders who were oppressive towards others. The upper classes oppressed and exploited the poor, yet no one was speaking against them or doing anything to stop them. God will not put up with such injustice. (iii) Messiah, King of Peace. God promised to provide a new king to provide strength and peace to His people. Hundreds of years before Christ’s birth, God promised that the eternal king would be born in Bethlehem. It was God’s great plan to restore His people through the messiah. (iv) Pleasing God. Micah preached that God’s greatest desire was not the offering of sacrifices at the temple. God delights in faith that produces fairness, love to others, and obedience to Him.

Outline. 37:00 – When Micah began his ministry about c. 735 BC, both Israel and Judah were enjoying times of unaccustomed peace and prosperity. The westward advance of the Assyrians and compelled the Assyrians to withdraw from Israel’s eastern border. Freed from the threat of war, both the northern and southern kingdoms were at liberty to develop their own economy, social, and political life. But, this situation also had its dark side. The began to emulate the lifestyle of pagan nations. When the peasant farmers found difficulty in producing the required luxury goods, the rich landowners took over their holdings and influenced court decisions by bribing the judges. The unemployed farm workers then drifted to the cities seeking shelter. For the first time in Hebrew history, city overcrowding threatened large settled areas along with the disease that accompanied poverty.

The religious condition of the nation as a whole even more serious. The Israelites had been liberated from Egypt under Moses and provided with a home in Canaan so that they might live as a kingdom of priests and holy nation as it says in Exodus. At Mt. Sinai, they covenanted with God, to serve Him alone as the one true God and promised to obey all His laws. Once they occupied Canaan however, they discovered that the inhabitants practiced on of the most depraved forms of religion that the world had ever known. The Canaanites worshiped Baal and his consort, Anat. They celebrated four festivals each year. Their celebrations included degrading wives celebrating ceremonial prostitution, drunkenness, incest, homosexuality, and violent assault. The Canaanite priests sanctioned these activities as legitimate acts of worship. The acts often occurred in groves of trees that surrounded their hill topped tribes. Under Jeroboam, the holy places of Bethel and Dan were introduced to Egyptian calf worship; thus, enabling the ten tribes to participate in pagan worship despite the fact that such activity was expressly forbidden by the Sinai covenant. When Ahaz ruled Israel, his pagan wife, Jezebel, a Canaanite high priestess, made the idolatrous religion of Canaan the norm for the Israelites. Most of the people welcomed priestly sanctioned for indulging in the lude Canaanite rites. Although only a few were troubled by the repudiation of God’s covenant law, periodically, God sent prophetic messengers to warn the Israelites of the coming consequences, attest to awaken the oath of obedience to the covenant God. But the people chose to ignore the fact that privileges entailed responsibility of living their holy life under God’s commandment. While Canaanite religion was particularly strong in the north, its influence was also felt in the south among the Judeans. Baal and the true Lord were being worshiped side-by-side in Jerusalem.

The poor were being exploited, mercilessly by the upper classes. Justice was perverted through bribery. Instead of treating the peasant as equal members of the holy community under God, the rich reduced them to levels of slaves. Amos and Isaiah had already denounced these gross iniquities. So, it fell to Micah again to expose the end injustices committed by the covenant people.

Actually, little is known about Micah except that he prophesied in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Concerning his occupation, Scripture is silent. Since he lived at the [ ], some 25 miles SW of Jerusalem in a rich agricultural area, we may suppose that he was probably a farmer. A firm supporter of the Sinai covenant, Micha prophesied that the Israelites would be punished severely if they continued to reject its provisions. He looked among the Judeans for repentance and faith but say very little for reassurance. Priests and prophets alike mislead the people, so Micah could only pronounce Judah as incurably ill, yet he still begged for justice to prevail among his countrymen before it was too late.

Fidelity to God’s covenant was fundamental. Idolatry and apostasy were great evils that had to be resisted if the nation were to survive. The covenant people had to reflect God’s own nature in terms of justice, fidelity, mercy, and holiness. Though the community had sinned, a loving God would pardon iniquity on the basis of sincere repentance and would renew the fellowship between Himself and His people. Micah’s teachings are in full accord with those of his counterparts, Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah but his specific doctrinal contributions relate to the promises of the messiah. As a teacher of righteousness, Micah saw idolatry, corruption, and injustice as having deep roots in the spiritual condition of the nation. He sought to teach them God’s requirement and warn them of God’s judgement but also to assure them of God’s promises for the faithful remnant.

(i) God’s requirements for His people: First, God demands that they act with justice towards all because that is characteristic of His dealings. Second, mercy must be a recognizable part of their mental and spiritual attitude. The Hebrew word, [ ], which means mercy, is difficult to render adequately in one word but describes the all-encompassing love of God from which every form of divine activity proceeds. Third, instead of behaving arrogantly and flaunting an improper independence, the people must repent of their rebellion against the covenant and do God’s will, concisely, continuously, in humble obedience.

(ii) God’s judgement of His people. The religious leaders of God’s people bared responsibility to helps God’s people remember what God had done to redeem them and to teach what God expects of them. Leaders should reject the responsibility of [ ] God’s covenant curse.

(iii) Political leaders have no right to exploit the people treating them as slaves instead of brothers and sisters. God saves and protects the victims of exploitation and injustice and gathers together under His leadership those who are faithful to His command. Their unjust leaders face destruction.

(iv) Dedication to social and spiritual evils means that any hope of salvation must be preceded by a period of punishment for sin. Only after the covenant curse for disobedience and infidelity can God’s people look for a just God to show His mercy.

(v) God’s promises for His people. When God’s people are unwilling to repent of their disobedience, God has no alternative except for drastic punishment. This fate is unthinkable to persons who imagine that because of the covenant relationship God will protect and deliver them no matter how disobedient, idolatrous, or perverted they have become.

Second, the coming messiah. In His words, God [ ] even the most severe aboding of disaster with hope of the future. Salvation and hope are God’s major themes. Salvation is achieved by the messiah who will institute a time of peace and prosperity when God’s people will live in obedience to God’s will. Micah is the most explicit of most all OT prophets in predicting the birthplace of the messiah and this was some seven hundred years before the actual event. Whatever the future might hold for Judah, those who were loyal to the covenant had this marvelous assurance that God was sending His own deliverer. The very promise of the messiah was a guarantee that a loving God would sustain His people though their trials and judgement. Ultimately, He would bring them to true repentance. This God said He would show His blessings on them. The faithful remnant would be governed by a messianic king who would purge His people from sin and institute peace and justice in the land then God people would become a model for all other people to imitate and would witness to the true nature of the covenant God.

Application. 6:00 – The world of Micah is curiously like the modern world today. The moral perversions of ancient Canaan are being flaunted brazenly even given the status of rights in some places. The faith of the new covenant is all but submerged under secularism, humanism, and the influence of pagan oriental religions. In an age of unprecedented communication, Christians are still largely ignorant in the content of the Scripture and especially of the demands of Christ in the new covenant. Because these principles of God delivering them have not been made explicit, many believers have become conformed to the world and have begun to ignore and even deny the condition of their salvation.

What is even worse is a rampant spirit of antagonism and opposing all religions and ethical regulations. This encourages believers to believe that because they have been saved, they are above the law. They are tempted to see the enactments such as the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on The Mount that are for other inferior people to follow. Thus, Christians are committing adultery through multiple marriages and sublime indifference to the teachings of the law and gospel while still arrogantly maintaining that their religious experience places them above such precepts.

The church must learn the following lessons: (i) Life under biblical covenant is distinctive. It compromises a relationship in which a believer accepts the over-lordship of God and agrees to submit to Him in obedience and faith. (ii) On this basis of a loving God, God guarantees provision for human needs and His blessing on the believer’s life. (iii) Life must be lived in submission to the known revealed will of God. It must be holy as God is holy. (iv) The privileges of covenant life are matched by obligations. The believer must witness to God’s holiness, mercy, and justice to society. Ministering to the oppressed and exploited and protecting against social injustice. (v) The believer must maintain a distinctive faith that rests on the inspiration and authority of God’s Word. The Christian must proclaim the centrality of Jesus as Messiah, Savior, and Lord; and look for His second coming in glory to establish God’s kingdom.

Timeline. 9:40 – The book of Micah was written during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah from about c. 742 BC to c. 687 BC.

Ref.

Seay, William. 2019. Old Testament Theology [MP3]. Andersonville Theological Seminary (ATS). Camilla, GA: ATS