Micah: Prophesy regarding exile of Israel and Judah

Also, the protection of a remnant, the coming Messiah, and establishment of Jerusalem

“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 1:1).

Original text on Day 195.

A shorter synopsis, followed by a longer one, with excerpted verses and [commentary]:

• Chapter 1: There is imagery regarding a day of the Lord at the end of days. The day of the Lord refers to God’s judgment on His enemies, so its imagery repeats throughout prophesies. Micah prophesies against both Israel and Judah for their sin of idolatry. The kingdom of Israel began idol worship under their first king Jeroboam, who put golden calves in Bethel and Dan. But King Ahaz of Judah walked in the sins of the kings of Israel, so God’s judgment will come to the kingdom of Judah as well.

• Chapter 2: God gives insight. People ask prophets not to speak, but God will punish those who are called to speak and do not. He also confirms He is sovereign over punishment, reassuring that He will do good to the righteous. God also promises protection and return for a remnant of His people.

• Chapter 3: God pronounces judgment on rulers and prophets. False prophets can expect to have no answer from God, but Micah is confident of the Spirit of the Lord within Him and his call to speak.

• Chapter 4: Prophesy regarding the establishment of Jerusalem in the last days. God says He will exile Judah to Babylon, but there they will be redeemed and rescued from their enemies. He knows many do not understand His thoughts or purpose. For example, God uses Israel’s enemies against them in order to ultimately punish those enemies.

• Chapter 5: Prophecy about the Messiah coming from Bethlehem. This promise gives peace even as Assyria invades the Promised Land. God will protect a remnant of His people spread throughout the nations. God’s enemies will be vanquished and idol worship ended at the end of days.

• Chapter 6: God asks Israel what He has not done for her, recounting what He has done. God hates ritual accompanied with rebellion. He requires His people to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him. The kingdom of Israel’s following of her kings in idol worship will result in their destruction.

• Chapter 7: Words of hope despite persecution. God is compassionate and forgiving, and remembers His promises.

Chapter 1: There is imagery regarding a day of the Lord at the end of days. But a day of the Lord also refers to God’s judgment on His enemies. Micah prophesies against both Israel and Judah for their sin of idolatry. The kingdom of Israel began idol worship under their first king Jeroboam, who put golden calves in Bethel and Dan. But King Ahaz of Judah walks in the sins of the kings of Israel, so God’s judgment will come to the kingdom of Judah as well.

“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.
For behold, the LORD is coming forth from His place.
He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
The mountains will melt under Him 
And the valleys will be split,
Like wax before the fire,
Like water poured down a steep place.

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 [kingdom of Israel]?
What is the high place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?

For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country….
For her wound is incurable,
For it has come to Judah;
It has reached the gate of my people,
Even to Jerusalem.

O inhabitant of Lachish [Amorite, Canaanite]— 
She was the beginning of sin
To the daughter of Zion— 
Because in you were found
The rebellious acts of Israel [the Israelites participated in idol worship just like the nations around them.]

…they will go from you into exile.”

Chapter 2: God gives insight. People ask prophets not to speak, but God will punish those who are called to speak and do not. He also confirms His responsibility for punishment, reassuring that He will do good to the righteous. God also promises protection and return for a remnant.

“Woe to those who scheme iniquity,
Who work out evil on their beds!

“‘“Do not speak out,” so they speak out. 
But if they do not speak out concerning these things,
Reproaches will not be turned back.

‘Is it being said, O house of Jacob:
”Is the Spirit of the LORD impatient?
Are these His doings?”
Do not My words do good
To the one walking uprightly?

‘Arise and go,
For this is no place of rest
Because of the uncleanness that brings on destruction…

‘I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob,
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel.
I will put them together like sheep in the fold;
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture

‘So their king goes on before them, 
And the LORD at their head.’”

Chapter 3: God pronounces judgment on rulers and prophets. False prophets will have no answer from God, but Micah is confident of the Spirit of the Lord within Him and his call to speak.

“And I said,
‘Hear now, heads of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel.
Is it not for you to know justice?
You who hate good and love evil?’…

Then they will cry out to the LORD,
But He will not answer them. 
Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time
Because they have practiced evil deeds.

Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray….
it will be night for you—without vision,
And darkness for you—without divination.
The sun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will become dark over them.
The seers will be ashamed
And the diviners will be embarrassed.
Indeed, they will all cover their mouths
Because there is no answer from God.

On the other hand I am filled with power— 
With the Spirit of the LORD— 
And with justice and courage
To make known to Jacob his rebellious act,
Even to Israel his sin.

Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who abhor justice….
Yet they lean on the LORD saying,
‘Is not the LORD in our midst?
Calamity will not come upon us.’
Therefore, on account of you 
Zion will be plowed as a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.”

Chapter 4: Prophesy regarding the establishment of Jerusalem in the last days. God says He will exile Judah to Babylon, but there they will be redeemed and rescued from their enemies. He knows many do not understand His thoughts or purpose. God uses Israel’s enemies against them in order to ultimately punish those enemies.

“And it will come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains.

It will be raised above the hills,
And the peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
‘Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.’

For from Zion will go forth the law,
Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And He will judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, distant nations.
Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they train for war.
Each of them will sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid,
For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

Though all the peoples walk
Each in the name of his god,
As for us, we will walk
In the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

‘In that day,’ declares the LORD,
‘I will assemble the lame
And gather the outcasts,
Even those whom I have afflicted.
I will make the lame a remnant
And the outcasts a strong nation,
And the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion
From now on and forever.

‘Writhe and labor to give birth,
Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you will go out of the city,
Dwell in the field,
And go to Babylon.
There you will be rescued;
There the LORD will redeem you 
From the hand of your enemies.

‘And now many nations have been assembled against you 
Who say, “Let her be polluted,
And let our eyes gloat over Zion.”
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD,
And they do not understand His purpose;
For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion,
For your horn I will make iron
And your hoofs I will make bronze,
That you may pulverize many peoples,
That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.’”

Chapter 5: Prophecy about the Messiah coming from Bethlehem. This promise gives peace even as Assyria invades the Promised Land. God will protect a remnant of His people throughout the nations. God’s enemies will be vanquished and idol worship ended at the end of days.

“‘But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.’
Therefore He will give them up until the time
When she who is in labor has borne a child. 
Then the remainder of His brethren
Will return to the sons of Israel.
And He will arise and shepherd His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.
And they will remain,
Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth.

This One will be our peace.
When the Assyrian invades our land….
And He will deliver us from the Assyrian
When he attacks our land
And when he tramples our territory.

Then the remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples….
The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples….

Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be cut off.
‘It will be in that day,’ declares the LORD,
‘That I will cut off your horses from among you 
And destroy your chariots.
I will also cut off the cities of your land
And tear down all your fortifications.
I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
And you will have fortune-tellers no more.
I will cut off your carved images
And your sacred pillars from among you, 
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
I will root out your Asherim from among you 
And destroy your cities.
And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.’”

Chapter 6: God asks Israel what He has not done for her, recounting what He has done. God hates ritual accompanied with rebellion. He requires His people to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him. The kingdom of Israel’s following of her kings in idol worship will result in their destruction.

“Hear now what the LORD is saying,
‘Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the LORD,
And you enduring foundations of the earth,
Because the LORD has a case against His people;
Even with Israel He will dispute.
My people, what have I done to you, 
And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt
And ransomed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.
My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab counseled
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, 
And from Shittim to Gilgal,
So that you might know the righteous acts of the LORD.’

“With what shall I come to the LORD
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you 
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

The voice of the LORD will call to the city— 
And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name….
‘The statutes of Omri
And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed;
And in their devices you walk.
Therefore I will give you up for destruction
And your inhabitants for derision,
And you will bear the reproach of My people.’”

Chapter 7: Words of hope despite persecution. God is compassionate and forgiving, and remembers His promises.

“Woe is me!…
The godly person has perished from the land….
Do not trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a friend.
From her who lies in your bosom
Guard your lips.
For son treats father contemptuously,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.

I will bear the indignation of the LORD
Because I have sinned against Him, 
Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. 
He will bring me out to the light,
And I will see His righteousness.
Then my enemy will see,
And shame will cover her who said to me, 
‘Where is the LORD your God?’

It will be a day when they will come to you 
From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
From Egypt even to the Euphrates,
Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
And the earth will become desolate because of her inhabitants,
On account of the fruit of their deeds.

Nations will see and be ashamed
Of all their might.
They will put their hand on their mouth,
Their ears will be deaf….

They will come trembling out of their fortresses;
To the LORD our God they will come in dread
And they will be afraid before You.

Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity
And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in unchanging love.
He will again have compassion on us; 
He will tread our iniquities under foot.
Yes, You will cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
You will give truth to Jacob
And unchanging love to Abraham,
Which You swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.”