Micah Series
Jack and Ronnie are preaching on Micah over four weeks in the summer. This page presents a short introduction to this Old Testament book.
An Introduction to Micah
When:
We know very little about the prophet Micah (whose name means “Who is like Yahweh?”). Chapter 1:1 associates him with the reigns of three Judean kings: Jotham (742–735 BCE), Ahaz (735–715), and Hezekiah (715–687). Perhaps he was a younger contemporary of the prophet Isaiah. Unlike Jerusalem Isaiah, however, Micah was from Moresheth, a small village lying southwest of Judah’s capital city.
The Situation:
The latter half of the eighth century BCE was a time of great transition. In the first half of that century, both Judah and Israel prospered because the great powers of the ancient Near East, preoccupied with other matters, did not torment them. That situation changed very rapidly after 746, however, when Tiglath-pileser III came to power in Assyria. A succession of short and unsuccessful kingships, foolhardy efforts at rebellion, and the resurgence of Assyrian power in the region led to the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital city, Samaria, in 722 BCE. Judah avoided a similar fate but paid a high price for its subservience to Assyria—huge tributes, loss of complete independence, and corruption of its traditions by the incorporation of religious practices of the dominant foreign power. Into this time of great change, when the fortunes of God’s people had already declined and promised to get even worse, Micah stepped forward to provide a theological interpretation of crucial events facing the nation and its people.
Themes:
The theology of Micah is largely concerned with divine judgment against sin. Yahweh commissioned Micah to bring this message of judgment against his people. Israel and Judah both departed from the way of the Lord and angered him by their sin. The sin is religious as well as social. Israel’s civil and religious leaders have rejected the way of God. They have a false security in the Lord. The Lord, accordingly, presses his case against his people, who have broken covenant with him. He reveals himself as a warrior against his people. The Lord desires that his people love him and act justly. He calls them back to himself. While judgment against sin is the dominant theme of the book, hope is not lacking. Yahweh also speaks in comforting tones of salvation after judgment. The final picture of God shows him to be unprecedented in grace and true to his covenant promise to Abraham. The promises to David are not dead, but will be fulfilled in the future.
New Testament:
While Micah directed his oracles of judgment and hope towards Israel and Judah of his day, he used words that transcended the immediate historical crisis and took his readers into the more distant future. The New Testament authors recognised this. Matthew cites Micah 4:2 in reference to Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. In its Mican context the oracle looks forward to a future Davidlike ruler. That is the significance of the Bethlehem birthplace. Micah 4:1-5 evokes the picture of the exalted mountain of God and a time when the peoples of the world will flock to the worship of God. There will be peace and no war. As the future unfolds this will be ultimately fulfilled at the time of Revelation 21.
Micah readings
The following readings from Micah allow you to get a good overview of the book, in parallel to the series of sermons.
| 28/07/2008 | Micah 1:1-7 |
| 29/07/2008 | Micah 1:8-16 |
| 30/07/2008 | Micah 2:1-5 |
| 31/07/2008 | Micah 2:6-11 |
| 01/08/2008 | Micah 2:12-13 |
| 04/08/2008 | Micah 3:1-12 |
| 05/08/2008 | Micah 4:1-5 |
| 06/08/2008 | Micah 4:6-13 |
| 07/08/2008 | Micah 5:1-5 |
| 08/08/2008 | Micah 5:6-15 |
| 11/08/2008 | Micah 6:1-8 |
| 12/08/2008 | Micah 6:9-16 |
| 13/08/2008 | Micah 7:1-7 |
| 14/08/2008 | Micah 7:8-13 |
| 15/08/2008 | Micah 7:14-20 |