A Study of The Book Ok Micah

EVANGELICAL BIBLE COLLEGE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
MICAH
A VERSE BY VERSE STUDY
by
IAN FOX
NOVEMBER 2007
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
Professor Simon Greenleaf was one of the most eminent lawyers of all time. His “Laws of Evidence” for many years were
accepted by all States in the United States as the standard methodology for evaluating cases. He was teaching law at a
university in the United States when one of his students asked Professor Greenleaf if he would apply his “Laws of
Evidence” to evaluate an historical figure. When Greenleaf agreed to the project he asked the student who was to be the
subject of the review. The student replied that the person to be examined would be Jesus Christ. Professor Greenleaf
agreed to undertake the examination of Jesus Christ and as a result, when he had finished the review, Simon Greenleaf
personally accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour.
Professor Greenleaf then sent an open letter to all jurists in the United States saying in part “I personally have investigated
one called Jesus Christ. I have found the evidence concerning him to be historically accurate. I have also discovered that
Jesus Christ is more than a human being, he is either God or nothing and having examined the evidence it is impossible to
conclude other than he is God. Having concluded that he is God I have accepted him as my personal Saviour. I urge all
members of the legal profession to use the “Laws of Evidence” to investigate the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and if you
find that he is wrong expose him as a faker but if not consider him as your Saviour and Lord”
HOW CAN I BE SAVED?
Salvation is available for all members of the human race.

Salvation is the most important undertaking in all of God's universe. The salvation of sinners is never on the basis of God's
merely passing over or closing His eyes to sin. God saves sinners on a completely righteous basis consistent with the
divine holiness of His character. This is called grace. It relies on God so man cannot work for salvation, neither can he
deserve it. We need to realise that the creation of this vast unmeasured universe was far less an undertaking than the
working out of God's plan to save sinners.
However the acceptance of God's salvation by the sinner is the most simple thing in all of life. One need not be rich, nor
wise, nor educated. Age is no barrier nor the colour of one's skin. The reception of the enormous benefits of God's
redemption is based upon the simplest of terms so that there is no one in all this wide universe who need be turned away.
How do I become a Christian?

There is but one simple step divided into three parts. First of all I have to recognise that I am a sinner (Romans 3:23; 6:23;
Ezekiel 18:4; John 5:24).
Secondly, realising that if I want a relationship with Almighty God who is perfect, and recognising that I am not perfect, I
need to look to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Saviour (I Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:6; John 3:16).
Thirdly, by the exercise of my own free will I personally receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour, believing that He died
personally for me and that He is what He claims to be in an individual, personal and living way (John 1:12; 3:36; Acts 16:31;
4:12).
The results of Salvation

The results of this are unbelievably wonderful:
My sins are taken away (John 1:29),
I possess eternal life now (I John 5:11,12),
I become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17),
The Holy Spirit takes up His residence in my life (I Corinthians 6:19),
And I will never perish (John 10:28-30).
This truthfully is life's greatest transaction. This is the goal of all people; this is the ultimate of our existence. We invite and
exhort any reader who has not become a Christian by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ to follow these simple instructions
and be born again eternally into God's family (Matthew 11:28; John 1:12; Acts 4:12; 16:31).
© Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia - PO Box I63 Armadale Western Australia 6992
Many other Christian resources are available freely from our internet web site: www.ebcwa.org.au and
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For further information contact Dr Peter Moses at PO Box 163 Armadale WA 6992 Tel 61 8 9399 1978 or email
pjmoses@bigpond.com.au
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MICAH 2
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
CHAPTER 1 6
CHAPTER 2 15
CHAPTER 3 21
CHAPTER 4 29
CHAPTER 5 38
CHAPTER 6 44
CHAPTER 7 51
DOCTRINES 59
MICAH 3
INTRODUCTION
Micah is the 6th book of the Minor Prophets in the English Bibles as well as in the ‘Book of the twelve prophets’ of the
Hebrew text, but it comes 3rd in the Septuagint, the Latin translation of the Bible. The author was the prophet Micah, who
came from Moresheth (1:1), which may be the same place as Moresheth-Gath, a dependency of Gath. It was located about
25 miles south west of Jerusalem on the border of Philistine country. Micah is perhaps the least well known of the 8 th
Century Israelite prophets, largely because we know the least about his background. However, coming from the village that
he did, it is possible that as a ‘country boy’ he might have experienced at first hand some of the oppression from the rich
that he spoke so firmly about.
Micah ministered during the reigns of Jotham (742-735 BC), Ahaz (735 – 715) and Hezekiah (715 – 687). Although
potentially his ministry could have lasted 55 years given the reigns of these kings, it is unlikely that it actually lasted the full
length of this period. As Micah 6 speaks to “Israel”, and chapter 1 refers to the downfall of Samaria, it seems that his
prophetic ministry started some time before 722 BC, when Assyria invaded Israel. Indeed, at that time, Assyria was a
mighty world power and posed a threat to Israel. Over the relevant period, Assyria was ruled by Tiglath-Pileser III (745 –
727), Shalmaneser V (727 – 722), Sargon II (722 – 705) and Sennacherib (705 – 681). Micah saw the defeat of the
northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria in 722 BC, as well as the fall of Samaria to them in 721. It is likely that Micah’s ministry
ended before the invasion of Sennacherib against Jerusalem in 701, this siege being the reason that the Siloam tunnel was
constructed.
Where Micah lived was a border between the territory of Judah and an area of ‘no man’s land’ that was argued over by the
Egyptians, Assyrians and the Philistines. Over the period of 721 – 711 the uprisings of the Philistines would have been
clearly visible to Micah. During the reign of Ahaz of Judah, an uneasy peace existed with the Assyrians, because Ahaz paid
tribute money to them, taking the treasures from the Temple to this end (2 Kings 16). During the reign of Uzziah, that ended
in 742BC, and beyond there was a period of relative prosperity in economic terms. This brought wealth and power to a
relatively small number of people, and it was the social injustices resulting from them that provoked criticism from Micah.
It is likely that the religious reforms that were introduced by King Hezekiah took place at the end of Micah’s ministry (at least
so far as his writings are concerned), as otherwise from Micah’s perspective they seem to have had little effect on the lives
of the people of Judah. By contrast Micah was a man of rare personal faith and conviction. As such he remains a challenge
to our own generation. He was concerned at the social injustice of his day, but he realised that such injustice could only be
removed by a revival in true religion and faith in God. A return to God is vital for social renewal, and outer reform of good
works does not bring about lasting social change. This situation is topical in every generation.
There is some debate about the dates of Micah’s ministry. We saw above the period of the kings during whose reign he
ministered, but within that time frame there is some doubt over the timing during which Micah ministered. The content of
chapter 6 would tend to indicate a date prior to 722 for that part of the book. Jeremiah quotes from chapter 3 (Jeremiah 26:
18, 19), which would date that section to Hezekiah’s reign.
The description of the corrupt social conditions would fit easily into the time of Ahaz (735 – 715), whilst it is likely that most
of the rest of his work was delivered between 725 – 710. Micah prophesied against both the northern and southern
kingdoms, but main focus of his message was to Judah (the southern kingdom). He was unusual in that he prophesied to
both the northern and southern kingdoms, as the other prophets of his day directed their attention to one or the other.
The main events that occurred during Micah’s ministry were the large scale territorial annexations by the Assyrians in 734 –
732 BC, the fall of Samaria in 722 – 721 BC, and the defeat of Judah’s revolt against Assyria in 701 BC. As such some of
the messages of the prophecies of Hosea and Amos had come to pass, and therefore Judah should have taken Micah’s
message seriously. History suggests, however, that Judah was largely unmoved by Micah’s message and their demise
came eventually in 586 BC, about 100 years after Micah’s death. In many ways, Micah’s message reaches to the heart of
what pleases God, and men and women down the ages do well to take note of this.
During Micah’s day, the worship of God and the sacrifices in Judah were popular, but the people’s hearts were far from
God. It is easy to go to church, but even in our day we need to ensure that we go for the right reasons, and not just because
it is a habit, or to put on a show. Humans are not good at learning from history, but God has, in His wisdom, given us
sections of history in His word so that we do not fall into the same mistakes as the generations before us did. After the fall of
Israel to Assyria, Judah almost seems to have become more arrogant rather than less, and Micah had to speak into this.
The need for such a message does not change.
Micah’s message was aimed at the need to restore the people to a vibrant relationship with their God. He came from the
poorer end of society, so he was very aware of the injustices and greed of the rich. Perhaps one of the reasons we know
little about Micah is that his name (lengthened version Micaiah) was quite a common one from the time of the Judges to the
post-exilic period of Nehemiah. His name means ‘Who is God like?’, or ‘Who is like Jehovah?’ and the meaning of his name
comes through as reflecting his heart for God in his message. The form of words had been impressed upon Israel by the
song of Moses after the deliverance at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:11).
MICAH 4
God is a righteous and faithful God, so faith in Him must be seen in personal holiness and social justice. Given the lack of
adequate holiness in the people, Micah announced the coming of God’s judgement upon the nation.
Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, and the content of their messages is quite similar, although of course Micah’s is much
more condensed than that of Isaiah. Such are the similarities that sometimes Micah has been referred to as ‘Isaiah in
miniature.’ In this respect there is a change of emphasis part way through the book, just as there is in Isaiah. Scholars differ
in their views of this change, but see it occurring either at the beginning of chapter 3 or chapter 4. Micah also prophesied
during the time of Hosea. His book was readily accepted into the canon of Scripture. His description of Jehovah (Micah
7:18-19) is not surpassed by any elsewhere in Scripture. Some have confused him with Micaiah, son of Imlah (1 Kings
22:8), who lived in the northern kingdom, under the reign of Ahab, but the timing of Micah’s ministry is such that he could
not have been the same person.
The accuracy of Micah’s prophecy can be seen in that he not only predicts, in (Micah 1:6-7), the destruction of Samaria,
which took place in the sixth year of Hezekiah; but he also mentions Asshur (Assyria), the great enemy of Israel at that time,
as the representative of the power of the world in its hostility to the kingdom of God (Micah 5:4). This is but a sample of the
way that what he foretold under God’s anointing came to pass. Other fulfilled predictions include the invasion of Judah by
Sennacherib, the fall of Jerusalem, the exile in Babylon, the return from captivity, and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
In his book entitled The Prophets, the Jewish scholar Abraham Heschel makes a summary statement about the
responsibility of the Old Testament prophets. As a witness, the prophet is more than a messenger. As a messenger, his task
is to deliver the word; as a witness, he must bear testimony that the word is divine:
“The words the prophet utters are not offered as souvenirs. His speech to the people is not reminiscence, a report, a
hearsay. The prophet not only conveys; he reveals. He almost does unto others what God does unto him. In speaking, the
prophet reveals God. This is the marvel of a prophet's work: in his words, the invisible God becomes audible. He does not
prove or argue. The thought he has to convey is more than language can contain. Divine power bursts in the words. The
authority of the prophet is in the Presence his words reveal.”
Micah catches something of the awesome responsibility of this task, and study of this book will be well rewarded.
As to content, Micah can be divided into 3 main sections:

1. The coming judgement on Israel and Judah (chapters 1-3)
2. Vision of future restoration and the coming glory (chapters 4-5)
3. God’s appeal for repentance and His controversy with His people (chapters 6-7)
The first chapter presents a picture of God moving in judgement on the nation of Judah because of their failure to be godly.
There is something of a familiar ring to this, for each generation has seen rebellion against God in greater or lesser
measure, and each one of us needs to grasp the content of the message and respond to God’s call. However, as is
common with God’s pronouncements of judgement, there are also messages of hope and restoration after repentance, for
God is both holy and merciful.
One of the better known passages in Micah pinpoints the location where Messiah was to be born, namely Bethlehem, and
this was clearly known to the chief priests and teachers of the law in Herod’s day when the magi came to worship the new
born Christ (Matthew 2:4-5).
DIVISION OF MICAH
1. The awesome prospect of God’s coming (1:1-7)

2. Judah’s incurable wound (1:8-16)
3. Woe to the evil ones (2:1-5)
4. Beware the oppression of the rich (2:6-13)
5. False Shepherds (3:1-4)
6. False Prophets (3:5-8)
7. Judgement for Jerusalem (3:9-12)
8. A future of hope (4:1-5)
9. Exile and redemption (4:6-13)
10. Bethlehem is the place (5:1-6)
11. The removal of idolatry (5:7-15)
12. God pleads His case (6:1-8)
13. The peril of deceit (6:9-16)
14. The danger of corruption (7:1-7)
15. Judgement, but deliverance to follow (7:8-10)
16. Future restoration and God’s glory (7:11-20)
MICAH 5
TOPIC
PROPHECY
1. The gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet are distinguished in Scripture. In the Old Testament there were those
who had the office of prophet, and served in an official capacity within the worship system of Israel but there were also
those who at times were given the gift of prophecy to give a special prophecy even thought they were not full time prophets.
Elijah was a man with the office and the gift, where-as David had the gift at times but not the office.
2. The roles of the person with the office of prophet were many and varied:
[a]. - Aaron was a preacher Exodus 7:1
[b] - In Nehemiah's time the prophet-preacher had a role to exegete the Word of God clearly so that the people would know
the truth. Nehemiah 6:7, Hosea 6:5,
[c] - As revivalists they were to call people to repentance. Judges 6:7-12, Zechariah 7:7-12.
[d] - They were to oppose apostasy so that those who were likely to be misled by a false teacher would have no excuse. 1
Kings 18:36-39, 40, 2 Chronicles 25:15 Ezekiel 2:5, 2 Kings 20:11.
[e] - They were encouragers of the people. Ezra 5:2.
[f] - They were sometimes song/worship leaders for the people. 1 Samuel 10:5.
[g] -They led in prayer at worship. 2 Chronicles 32:20.
[h] - They were the advisers to the kings and they were associated with coronations. 1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Kings 11:28, 29, 2
Kings 9:1-6, 2 Chronicles 12:5, 2 Chronicles 12:6, 15:2-7.
[i] - They were spiritual advisers or seers for the kings; they "saw" the immediate future and so were able to advise the kings
of the right decisions. 1 Samuel 9:9, 2 Samuel 24:11, 1 Chronicles 21:9, 24:29, 2 Chronicles 19:2, 33:18, 2 Kings 17:13,
Isaiah 29:10,
[j] - They were fore-tellers of significant future events. 2 Samuel 7:5-16, Amos 9:11, Isaiah 9:6,7, Isaiah 53, Ezekiel 34:22ff,
Micah 5:2, Daniel 9:26, Zechariah 13:8, Joel, Zechariah 14, and many more.
[k] - God intended them to be the shepherds and vine-dressers of the nation. As such they were to be the type of Christ,
who is referred to in the Old Testament as "the great prophet". Deuteronomy 18:15-19, Zechariah 13:5,6, Matthew 21:11,
Luke 7:16, 8:18-20, 24:19,23-26, John 7:40,41.
3. The Methodology of the prophets. There was no "set" formula for the prophets to follow, but certain things were
established as "tests" for the people to be sure the prophet was genuine.
[a] - The prophet had to have a spiritual life witness that was like Moses. Deuteronomy 34:10-12.
[b] - God spoke to the prophets by dreams and visions. God spoke to Moses face to face but he was an exception.
Numbers 12:6-7.
[c]. - The prophet had to be totally confident of his message, as he was judged by God if there was any falsehood in it. 1
Kings 22:13,14, 2 Kings 5:8.
[d] - There were to be no secret prophecies, everything was to be open and clear, so that all the people might be warned of
God. Jeremiah 23:25-29.
[e] - The prophet had to be specific in his message and had to be obeyed literally. 2 Kings 5:10-19, note especially verse
13.
4. There were always false prophets; in fact the great prophets of the Old Testament were always outnumbered by false
prophets in their own day. Jeremiah 2:8, Ezekiel 13:1-23.
Our Lord warned us that there will always be false prophets about. Matthew 7:15-23.
Note The Lord's Words here in that the personal walk of the prophet is to be paid attention to:-
No spiritual fruit in their life = no truth in their words.
God allows the false prophets to operate without immediate judgement upon them, so that believers are always presented
with an obedience test, to see whether we will obey the Scriptures or follow our own lusts to judgement.
False prophets will abound at times of poor Bible teaching. Weeds only grow in poorly cared for soil. Hosea 4:5,6, 9:7,8.
5. Tests that believers must apply when confronting a person claiming the gift of prophecy.
[a] - The words of the prophet will never contradict the Word of God. Jeremiah 23:33-36, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 Corinthians 14:32.
[b] - The prophet will never call people away from genuine worship of God. Deuteronomy 13:1-5.
[c] - The prophet will always be specific and the prophecy will be able to be tested. Deuteronomy 18: 20 - 22, Jeremiah 28:
9.
[d] - Any prophet who asked for money was to be treated as false. Jeremiah 8:10.
[e] - Any prophet who was a drunkard was to be treated as false. Micah 2:11.
[f] - Any unconfessed sin of envy, jealousy, strife, etc in their life, they were false! Jeremiah 23: 11.
[g] - If they were found only in groups they were probably false, as God's prophets were men alone. 1 Kings 22:5-8, 18:22.
[h] - Does the prophecy accord with Scripture (this is more than just not contradict)? 1 Corinthians 14:37,38, 2 Kings 23:2.
MICAH 6
CHAPTER 1
MICAH 1:1-7: THE AWESOME PROSPECT OF GOD’S COMING
The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of
Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein
is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold, the LORD cometh
forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be
molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, [and] as the waters [that are] poured down
a steep place. For the transgression of Jacob [is] all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What [is] the
transgression of Jacob? [is it] not Samaria? and what [are] the high places of Judah? [are they] not Jerusalem?
Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, [and] as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the
stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. And all the graven images thereof shall
be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay
desolate: for she gathered [it] of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.
KEY WORDS
Word Dabar Word, matter, thing, cause, decree

LORD Yehovah Jehovah, the Lord, self-existent
Come Hayah Exist, be, come, come to pass
Micah Miykah Micah (name of 7 men in Bible)
Day Yom Day, age, season
Jotham Yotham Jotham (Jehovah is perfect)
Ahaz Achaz Ahaz (possessor)
Hezekiah Yechizqiyah Hezekiah (strengthened of Jah)
King Melek King, royal
Judah Yehudah Judah (celebrated)
See Chazah Gaze at, perceive, see, prophesy
Samaria Shomeron Samaria, watch station
Jerusalem Yerushalaim Jerusalem, founded peaceful
Hear Shama Hear (intelligently), listen, obey
People Am People, tribe, nation
Hearken Qashab Hearken, give heed, regard, attend
Earth Erets Earth, land, field, ground
Lord Adonay Lord
Witness Ed Witness, testimony, recorder
Holy Qodesh Sacred, holy, consecrated
Temple Heykal Palace, temple
Behold Hinneh Behold, lo, see
Come forth Yatsa Go out, bring/come out, depart
Place Maqom Standing, spot, place, locality
Come down Yarad Descend, go/come down, subdue
Tread Darak Tread (down) walk, lead
High place Bamah Height, high place, elevation, wave
Mountain Har Mountain, range of hills
Melt Masas Melt, liquefy, waste, discourage
Valley Emeq Vale, valley, dale
Cleave Baqa Cleave, break, rend, rip
Wax Donag Wax
Fire Esh Fire, burning, fiery, hot
Water Mayim Water, juice, urine
Pour down Nagar Flow, pour out/down, trickle
Steep place Morad Descent, steep place, appendage
Transgression Pesha Revolt, rebellion, transgression, sin
Jacob Yaaqob Jacob (heel catcher)
Sin Chattaah Offence, sin, punishment
House Bayith House, temple, palace, family
Make Sum Put, place, make, purpose
Heap Iy Heap, ruin
Field Sadeh Field, country, ground, land
MICAH 7
Planting Matta Plant, garden, planting
Vineyard Kerem Vineyard, garden, vine
Stone Eben Stone, build
Valley Gay Valley, gorge
Discover Galah Denude, exile, reveal, discover
Foundation Yesod Foundation, bottom
Graven image Pesiyl Idol, carved or graven image
Beat to pieces Kathath Bruise, strike, beat/break to pieces
Hire Ethnan Hire, reward, gift (for harlotry/idolatry)
Burn Seraph Burn, kindle, be on fire
Fire Esh Fire, burning, flaming, hot
Idol Atsab Idol, image
Desolate Shemamah Devastation, desolate (-ion), waste
Gather Qabats Grasp, collect, gather
Harlot Zanah Harlot, commit adultery/fornication
Return Shub Turn back, return, come again
REFLECTION
Micah spends one verse introducing himself, saying who he is, where he comes from, and when he lived. Beyond what he
gives us here, we know little about Micah, but he is clearly a man who longs for God’s name to be honoured, and who is
hungry to see God’s name honoured in his day. In any generation there is a shortage of such people, and God calls out for
such people today also. It is my prayer that those who read this study will respond in a similar way to follow God’s ways,
catch something of His heart for mankind, and will look to see God’s name honoured in today’s generation.
Micah’s message was both to Judah (Jerusalem), the southern kingdom, and also Samaria, the northern kingdom. However
the thrust of most of what he had to say was to Judah. He clearly felt a burden from God that he had to deliver, and he was
faithful to that burden. How the church needs such people of God today; obviously there will be no new revelation from God
for Scripture is complete, but God still looks for faithful servants who will clearly preach and teach His holy word without
compromise.
As with many of the prophets, Micah announces his message as being the word of the Lord. As such, the message
demands the attention of its hearers, just as it requires our attention today. He also says that this is a message that he
“saw”, or perceived. The word used here in the Old Testament always refers to prophetic revelation. Micah perceived or
witnessed God's direct communication. He is not expressing his own bias, his human perspective. The word carries with it
divine authority, and comes with God’s power to back it up.
Micah starts with an open message, that all were to hear and pay attention to. Not only is God speaking to the people,
calling them to listen, but He is also calling the earth to be His witness (v2). The earth is there while people come and go
and is a symbolic way of saying that God’s word will come to pass, even if those who immediately hear it do not see the
fulfilment.
A similar occurrence of this is in Jeremiah 22:29 where God again calls on the land to be His witness, on that occasion on
the childless curse that God was placing on Jehoiachin. God of course is omniscient so He knows all that goes on, and thus
can legitimately call the earth to witness when He speaks. He speaks here from His holy temple, the place where His
holiness is centred, and thus this contrasts starkly with the idolatry that He is confronting.
When God, here described as the Lord God (Sovereign Lord in the NIV) speaks, we do well to listen and pay attention. He
speaks here from His holy temple, the place where He met with mankind in the Old Testament, but also the venue of the
temple underscores the holiness and purity of God, so we know that what He says is correct and worthy of note.
The fact that God was prepared to dwell in their midst shows that He is prepared to be involved in their lives, which is an
enormous privilege as well as a source of security for us, not to mention responsibility. From v2 it is clear that the recipients
of the message were expected to hear and take on board what God had to say, and in our day too we need to hear and
obey God’s words as found in Scripture.
The message from God starts in v3, with the announcement that God is coming from His dwelling place to tread the high
places of the earth. This is not suggesting that God is planning to walk on the mountain ranges of the earth! Rather, the high
places were locations of idolatry, where adherents of false cults and religions carried out their worship to their idols. The
people of the day thought that their gods dwelt in high places and mountains, and they therefore worshipped them there.
There could perhaps also be an allusion to literal mountains, to the extent that these seem to us to be huge and immovable.
God sometimes shakes the things that seem secure and permanent to us, in order to attract our attention to what He is
doing.
MICAH 8
Even the true God of Israel was associated on occasions with mountains, such as Mount Sinai and Zion, although He is not
involved with the cultic worship that characterised the Canaanite gods. God is a jealous God, and rightly so, for He
deserves our worship for it is due solely to Him, and He will not tolerate idolatrous worship by His people who should know
better. We are not exempt from this in our own day; we may express it differently but idolatry is alive and well in the 21 st
century, incurring God’s justified wrath.
It is not unusual to find that God takes something that His people are looking forward to, and then turns it around to be
something to be feared. In the Old Testament days, the people were looking for God to come, presumably in the form of the
promised Messiah, and they may well have been pleased at the beginning of Micah’s message that God was on the move,
presumably to come with His promised deliverance. However, it soon became clear that here God is coming to judge the
people for their idolatry. This reminds us of the time to come when Jesus will return to this earth, not as the suffering servant
this time, but as the conquering King who will judge and remove His enemies. Depending upon whether you know Jesus as
your Lord and Saviour or not, the event is something to be welcomed or feared.
The theme is continued in v4, where we read that the mountains will melt before Him, and the valleys split apart. Not only
does this effectively destroy the high places of false worship, but it also brings to mind some of the events that will occur
when Jesus returns to this earth (Zechariah 14:4-5), when God’s judgement will be poured out on an unrepentant world. In
some respects therefore, the judgement that befell Israel at the time of its exile pictures the broader judgement of God that
will occur at the end of this age. The highest and lowest (mountain and valley) will submit to God’s intervention. It is not
unusual for God to use occurrences in nature as part of his weaponry when He judges evil on the earth.
The reference to wax indicates the total devastation that will befall them at the time of God’s judgement. Perhaps there is
also a reminder of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah when they were judged, which should caution the hearer that
God can do the same again. Fire is often seen as a symbol of God’s judgement, and in Deuteronomy 4:24 God is described
as a consuming fire and a jealous God. Similar judgement is seen in Isaiah 66:15.
Micah is clear in v5 that the reason for this outpoured wrath of God is that Israel has sinned and not followed the Lord with
the devotion that is due to His name. The judgement is to affect both Israel and Judah, namely the northern and southern
kingdoms as reflected in their capitals Samaria and Jerusalem respectively. As capitals, they speak as pivotal terms for the
whole nations, but it is likely that the sin which Micah here castigates has started in those cities and spread outwards to the
rest of the nation.
These places, and especially Jerusalem, were held in high esteem by the people, but nowhere is so sacred that God will
not move in judgement if the sin of the people warrants it. Because the calf worship of the high places started in Samaria, it
would be the northern kingdom that was to be destroyed first, but that does not indicate the possibility of complacency for
Judah. Even Jerusalem would eventually be destroyed despite being the home of the temple that Solomon had built for
God. At this point, any hopes that Micah’s hearers might have had that God was about to come to deliver them from their
oppressors in the form of the coming Messiah would have evaporated.
The high places of false religion that the people were embracing involved a religion that was accompanied with sensual
experience and sexual immorality, and this heightened the rebellion against God. He requires our pure devotion to Him, but
also His word makes it clear that He also expects a pure lifestyle that rejects any form of sexual impurity. The waywardness
of the people is rampant, and the warning is pertinent in our day too, with a need for church leaders to give a clear lead in
this. One of the themes of Micah’s message is that we either worship the true God, or we end up following some form of
idol, and each we all need to address this issue in our own lives.
In v6-7, Micah predicts the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel, with the buildings being reduced to a heap of
rubble. Even the foundations of the buildings would be laid bare, such would be the level of destruction. Spiritually, God
often moves in our lives to expose the foundations of our lives, so that He can do a work of rebuilding according to His word
and will. Not many years after Micah prophesied this, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V (727 – 722 BC) laid siege to
Samaria. It is not entirely clear whether it was he, or his successor Sargon II (722 – 705 BC) who actually destroyed the
nation, and took the people into captivity. Sargon recorded that he took over 27,000 people from the Samaria region into
captivity.
Samaria was situated on a hill that was in a fruitful area, with vineyards planted around. The location on a hill also explains
why it would be cast down into a valley. Another view is that the area would be so destroyed that it would be dug up and
planted with vines. The area anyway is naturally stony, and the stones would need to be removed before an effective
vineyard could be planted.
In addition to this, we read that the idols that they had chosen to worship would be broken, and all of the objects that
accompanied the false worship of idols would be burned and destroyed. Not only was this a warning to the northern
kingdom, for whom destruction was imminent, it was also a warning to the southern kingdom of Judah, who should have
taken note and avoided their idolatry.
MICAH 9
God will shake what we hold dear if it does not comply with His righteous character, for He is concerned more in making us
the people He wants us to, rather than letting us have comfortable lives here on earth, only to enter an eternity that is lost.
In v7 Micah attacks the sexual immorality of the false religions being practised in the land. It was common for there to be
temple prostitutes, and they would attract the gifts of the cultish worshippers as part of the money that would keep the
whole process operating. Some commentators regard the gifts mentioned here as the idols themselves, while others
consider them to be the pay, whether in the form of clothing, jewellery, or money, given to the temple prostitutes.
Idolatry is frequently seen as spiritual harlotry in the Bible, so God is here seeing the false worship as spiritual adultery for
he is the one to whom all worship is to be given. These gifts would be returned to spiritual falsehood, as Micah prophesied,
for when a nation was taken over by an opposing army, it was normal for temple treasures and the like to be taken back to
the victorious country and used in the worship there. The irony is that the people of Israel were depending on these idols to
deliver them, only to find that they were indeed merely idols, with no power at all. It is indeed sad when people are deluded
in their religious beliefs, which is why we should be grateful to God for giving us His word as a book that we can depend on
and trust in.
TOPICS
ISRAEL - NATIONAL DIVINE DISCIPLINE
1. Leviticus 26 states the five cycles of discipline
If the people in the nation do not want to do things in God’s way God will hit them in five cycles of increasing discipline until
He completely destroys the nation.
2. First cycle - v 14-17 - sickness, depression, economic problems, people losing their strength of character, lack of power
in the nation.
3. Second cycle -v 18-20 - this is an intensified form of the first cycle with recession turning into depression, they become
even less enthusiastic.
4. Third cycle - v 21-22 - the situation further intensifies, psychological problems in the nation multiply, people behave like
animals, the wild animals are prowling on the streets both physically and symbolically. It was not safe to go out. Here you
have a breakdown in a nation with psychiatric problems and criminal problems.
5. Fourth cycle - v 23 - 26 - this is the invasion of your land with defeat with all the things that go with it, with food rationing,
with privation.
6. Fifth cycle - v 27-39 - this shows nation collapse and the removal of the nation from the land.
7. The parallel passage in Deuteronomy 28 indicates that God deals with the nation that rejects his Word in a systematic
way.
APOSTASY
1. Apostasy means falling away.
2. Apostasy differs from backsliding. A true Christian can backslide, an apostate is never born again. eg. Judas Iscariot.
3. The backslidden Christian breaks fellowship, but doesn't lose his salvation. (John 5:24)
4. The apostate is declared in (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and (1 John 2:19)
5. Apostates may do good works calling themselves Christians but they should not be accepted as such. (2 John 9-11, John
10:12-13).
6. There will be a great apostasy prior to the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
MICAH 10
PAGAN TRADITIONS
The following have their roots in pagan or pre-Christian ritual which have been combined with Christianity and are
condemned in the scriptures:
1. The use of pictures in worship (Numbers 33:52; Exodus 20:4,5).
2. The decking of images in gold, silver and precious stones (Deuteronomy 7:25; Ezekiel 16:17,18).
3. Monks' tonsure (Leviticus 21:5).
4. Pagan worship in high places (Deuteronomy 12:2,3).
5. Green trees (Deuteronomy 12:2,3).
6. Astronomical objects (Deuteronomy 17:3).
7. Use of loose standing pillars (phallic symbols) (Deuteronomy 12:3).
8. Communion with the dead (Isaiah 8:19; 1 Samuel 28:3,9; Deuteronomy 18:10,14).
9. Calling their priests 'father' (Matthew 23:9; Judges 17:10; 18:19).
10. Kissing of images (Hosea 13:2; 1 Kings 19:18).
11. Burning of incense to idols (2 Kings 18:4).
12. Image processions (Isaiah 46:5-7).
13. Drink offerings of blood (Psalm 16:4; Acts 15:29).
14. Repetitious prayers (Matthew 6:7).
MICAH 1:8-16 - JUDAH’S INCURABLE WOUND
Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as
the owls. For her wound [is] incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, [even] to
Jerusalem. Declare ye [it] not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust. Pass ye
away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning
of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing. For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil
came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem. O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift
beast: she [is] the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib [shall be] a lie to the kings of Israel. Yet
will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel. Make thee
bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from
thee.
KEY WORDS
Wail Saphad Wail, lament, mourn, tear the hair

Howl Yalal Howl, yell
Stripped Sholal Nude, barefoot (ie captive), stripped
Naked Arom Nude, naked
Wailing Misped Wailing, lamentation, mourning
Dragon Tannah Dragon, female jackal
Mourning Ebel Mourning, lamentation
Owl Yaanah Owl
Wound Makkah Blow, wound, slaughter, pestilence
Incurable Anash Frail, feeble, incurable, sick
Come Bo Go, come, bring, attain, depart, enter
Judah Yehudah Judah, celebrated
Come Naga Touch, reach, come near
MICAH 11
Gate Shaar Gate, door, opening, city, port
People Am People, tribe, nation folk
Declare Nagad Manifest, declare, predict, explain
Gath Gath Gath (a Philistine city)
Weep Bakah Weep, bemoan, mourn
House Bayith House, home, family, palace
Aphrah Beyth le Aphrah (House of) Aphrah, house of dust
Roll Palash Roll (oneself) in dust, wallow
Dust Aphar Ashes, dust, earth, ground
Pass away Abar Cross/carry over, pass away/beyond
Inhabitant Yashab Dwell, settle, inhabit
Saphir Shaphiyr Beautiful, Saphir (place in Palestine)
Shame Bosheth Shame, ashamed, put to shame
Naked Eryah Naked, bare, nudity
Zaanan Tsaanan Sheep pasture, Zaanan (place)
Come forth Yatsa Go out, come out/forth, proceed
Beth-ezel Beyth haetsel House of the side, Beth-ezel (place)
Receive Laqach Take, accept, receive, reserve
Standing Emdah Station, domicile, standing
Maroth Maroth Maroth (place), bitter springs
Wait carefully Chalah Entreat, beseech, grieve, make sick
Good Tob Good, kindly, cheerful, pleasant
Evil Ra Bad, evil, distress, harm, trouble
Come down Yarad Descend, go down, cast down, fall
Lachish Lakiysh Lachish (place in Palestine
Bind Ratham Yoke up, bind
Chariot Merkabah Chariot
Swift beast Rekesh Swift beast, dromedary, mule
Beginning Reshiyth First, beginning, chief
Sin Chattaah Offence, sin, punishment
Daughter Bath Daughter, apple (of eye)
Transgression Pesha Revolt, rebellion, sin, transgression
Find Matsa Come forth, attain, find, appear
Give Nathan Give, bestow, ascribe, appoint
Present Shilluach Present, dismissal, divorce
Moresheth-gath Moresheth-gath Moresheth-gath, possession of Gath
Achzib Akziyb Achzib (2 places in Palestine), deceitful
Lie Akzab Falsehood, treachery, lie
Heir Yarash Occupy, inherit, take possession
Mareshah Mareshah Mareshah (place), summit
Adullam Adullam Adullam (Place in Palestine)
Glory Kabod Weight, splendour, glory, honour
Make bald Qarach Make (oneself) bald
Poll Gazaz Cut off, shear, shave, poll
Delicate Taanug Luxury, delicate, delight, pleasant
Child Ben Son, grandson, child, nation
Enlarge Rachab Broaden, enlarge, make room
Baldness Qorchah Baldness, bald
Eagle Nesher Eagle, bird of prey
Go into captivity Galah Denude, exile, depart, captive
REFLECTION
In this section Micah turns his attention to the southern kingdom of Judah, and in fact does not mention the northern
kingdom of Israel, or Samaria again. Micah indicated earlier in this chapter that his message was to both nations, but the
main focus is on Judah. It is possible that the judgement forecast for Israel took place during the course of Micah’s writing,
so that the message of warning was only now needed for Judah.
By way of background, in 701 BC Judah joined a rebellion against Assyria, with the result that the Assyrian army came to
attack Judah and it destroyed much of the land. Most of the major cities of Judah were destroyed, although Jerusalem
remained intact. The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, besieged Jerusalem, but failed to conquer it (see 2 Kings 19:35-36). It is
possible that this section of the book comes from the time when Jerusalem was under siege at this time.
MICAH 12
In response to the warnings of the first few verses, Micah now enters a time of mourning. He says he will wail and howl,
beating his breast, as is common with those in mourning. He will also go stripped and naked, but the word for naked can
refer to a partial stripping, and it is most unlikely that God would call him to go around completely stripped, for this is not the
type of behaviour endorsed by God elsewhere in the word. The word for stripped probably implies going barefoot.
Certainly it would mean him putting of the rough outer garment that prophets used to wear, and we know that Isaiah did a
similar thing in Isaiah 20:3. Most of the population of the day would not be literate, so a clear visual aid would have spoken
more effectively to them. It probably also meant that he would have gone around without an upper garment. The purpose
was to show the people that the nation would be stripped by the plundering armies God would bring against them. His
appearance would be of one who is plundered and spoiled, which would be the punishment that was coming to the nation.
Micah clearly feels keenly the severity of the message he is given to deliver from God, and he is not one who is removed
from the burden of the Lord. Indeed, it is likely that Moresheth-Gath, referred to in v14 as ripe for destruction, was his own
home town, so Micah was closely involved in the outcome of his prophecy. It is not uncommon for God’s people to suffer
the same inconveniences that others experience when God is moving in judgement, and this will be the case for those who
become believers in the Great Tribulation before the return of Christ.
As to the noise of dragons referred to, there is reference to such in various events in classical literature. As an example,
Aelianus speaks of a dragon in India, which, when it perceived Alexander's army near at hand, gave such a prodigious hiss
and blast, that it greatly frightened and disturbed the whole army. Others suggest identification with other animals, one
possible being a crocodile, or perhaps jackals. If the latter, it is known that jackals emit a prolonged sound not unlike that of
a child crying, and so would give the impression of mourning.
The owl is known for its hooting, but some see ostriches referred to. The ostrich, forsaking its young (see Job 39:16), is an
image of bereavement. Jerome said of this verse: “As the ostrich forgets her eggs and leaves them as though they were not
her’s, to be trampled by the feet of wild beasts, so too shall I go childless, spoiled and naked.” Ostriches are known for their
loud, screeching cries.
As Micah moves into v9, he sees the wound that has been inflicted upon Samaria as incurable because of her sin, but that
it will also spread to Judah for her failure to repent. Although it seems that the previously forecast overthrow of Samaria
may have happened by this stage in Micah’s ministry, it is still not too late for Judah and the warning therefore goes forth.
Furthermore, it would not just affect the periphery of the nation, but would penetrate even to the capital city of Jerusalem,
the very heart of the Jewish heartland and way of life.
Certainly in Micah’s lifetime, Sennacherib came to the very gate of Jerusalem with his intention to overthrow the city,
although God would miraculously deliver the people at that time. God’s word is always accurate, and prophecy should be a
sharp tool to convict people of their need to repent. Looking longer ahead, Judah still did not show true repentance and thus
the promised destruction came.
Spiritually speaking, there are many in each generation who have no concept of the judgement of God that hangs over
them because they will not repent. God’s mercy is great and longsuffering, but if a person will not repent, his own choice to
live without God will come to pass for eternity, as well as for this life too. For those who will have eyes to see, the call of
God upon the life of each person is clear, and the issue needs to be faced by each human being. However, just as Micah
spoke the warning to his generation, there is a need for the church to proclaim the gospel so that people are aware of the
issues involved.
In v10, Micah starts to give the names of a number of cities, and these were destroyed by the Assyrians as they swept
across the land. Gath is the first mentioned, and is on the borders of Judea, and was one of five Philistine cities. As such it
is probably intended to refer to all of the Philistine territory. The phrase here is borrowed from 2 Samuel 1:20. By urging the
people not to declare the judgement to befall Judah in Gath, he is saying that they were not to give the enemy cause to
rejoice over God’s impending judgement of Judah. They were not to weep so that the enemy might know that Judah was on
losing ground.
Aphrah was one of Judah’s own cities, and the name meant dust. It is regarded by some as being Ophrah, in the land of the
tribe of Benjamin. Being one of their own they could weep there, as it would not be in full view of the enemy. There is
therefore something of a play on words such that they were told to roll in the dust there. It was common for mourners to
cover themselves with dust, or to sit in it, so there is a further call to mourning and sorrow here. Of course, when the
forecast destruction occurred, there would be no shortage of dust in the land.
Micah continues in v11, speaking to the inhabitants of Saphir, who are to be stripped and taken away into captivity. They
would be passing by, as the verse says, indicating that they would be moving forward, presumably captive as they will have
been despoiled by the enemy. The name of the town means beautiful, and the beauty will be taken away because of the sin
resulting in God’s judgement.
MICAH 13
Spiritually, we are to show the inner beauty of Christ in our lives, but if we allow sin to have free reign in our lives then we
will be despoiled by the enemy of our souls, and will lose the beauty that is to radiate out to a lost world.
We also find reference to Zaanan in the same verse, and it is not clear which town this is; some take it to be the Zenan of
Joshua 15:37. Wherever its location, its inhabitants did not come forth to console the people of Beth-ezel in their mourning,
because the calamity was universal; none was exempt from it. Beth-ezel might be Azal near Jerusalem, and means ‘house
on the side’ or near, and probably a strong town that was taken by the Assyrians. Although it was near to Zaanan, it
received no help from the people there because of the extent of the calamity.
The inhabitants of Maroth are mentioned in v12, and this has the meaning of bitterness. This too is a town in Judea, and
possibly not too far from Jerusalem. It may well have been overtaken by the Assyrians on the way to the siege of
Jerusalem. Certainly as they waited for good, evil would have come in the form of Sennacherib and his invading Assyrian
army, even to the gates of Jerusalem.
Lachish is the next town to receive the message of God’s wrath, and it is interesting that the town is said here to be the
beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, and it seems that Lachish was the first of the cities of Judah to introduce the
worship of false gods, imitating what Jeroboam had introduced in Israel. As it was lying near the border of the north
kingdom, Lachish was first to be infected by its idolatry, which then spread to Jerusalem. Lachish was a fortified city, but
that was of no avail to them when God moved against them.
So often the world looks at the strength of a person, or a place, but does not take account of God’s intervention. We saw
this when Sennacherib surrounded Jerusalem with his huge army and laid siege to the city, only to be turned away by God
with major losses to his army. This will be seen again in the Tribulation when Israel will be oppressed from all sides, with
significant odds against its survival, when God will intervene to destroy His enemies and deliver Israel.
The people of Lachish were told to bind the chariot to the swift horse (or perhaps the camel), presumably in an attempt to
make a speedy getaway when the need arose. Ironically, Sennacherib made the city his headquarters in the area when the
invasion took place. It is likely that the city had an abundance of horses and chariots for peaceful use, yet when they were
invaded they would have been taken away on foot.
The location moves on to Moresheth-Gath (perhaps Moresheth near Gath) in v14, a place close to the Philistine area. Since
Lachish was the cause of leading Judah into idolatry, and was thus a wicked city; therefore it should be reduced to such
distress as to send messengers with presents to the Philistines at Moresheth-Gath. The second part of the verse has
another play on words, for Achzib has the same root word as “lie”, and the houses of the town will prove a lie to the
traveller. It seems that a related word is also a stream that dries up in the hot weather, so the traveller could reasonably
expect to find water to quench his thirst. However, the city is to be destroyed so that there is nothing there.
In v15 the attention turns to Mareshah, to which God would bring a new ‘heir’, denoting that someone else would inherit the
place. Again there is a play on words, for Mareshah can mean ‘an inheritance’, so the inheritance would pass to another at
the time of God’s judgement. The invader would pass beyond and through the town, and go on to Adullam, said to be the
glory of Israel. This was a fenced city in the south of Judah towards the Dead Sea. Being a place of safety, there would be
the temptation to rest in complacency that the people gloried in. Each one of us needs to ensure that God is our refuge and
strength, and that we do not look elsewhere for our security.
The chapter closes in v16 with the exhortation for the people to make themselves bald. Cutting off the hair was a sign of
great distress, and was practised on the death of near relatives. The desolation would be so great that Israel would feel it
very deeply, and the mourning should be like that of a mother for the death of her most precious children. Some special
ways of cutting the hair were forbidden to the Israelites, as being idolatrous customs, such as rounding the hair in front,
cutting it away from the temples, or between the eyes. This was not the case here, but more the lament for a lost child. The
encouragement to enlarge their baldness seems to be exhorting them to outdo each other in their mourning. They are
compared to an eagle, which is often faint and weary when it moults and loses its feathers. The reason for this mourning is
that their people have gone into captivity.
TOPIC
HEATHENISM AND GOD CONSCIOUSNESS
1. Three systems of human understanding:

a) Empiricism - understanding through experimentation and observation.
b) Rationalism - understanding through logic and reason
c) Faith - believes an established fact as the basis of reality.
MICAH 14
2. Faith is the only means of understanding which does not rely on our own abilities - there is no earned merit in faith.
Therefore, everybody, even a young child, is able to believe.
3. Faith is compatible with God and grace - God provides, we trust Him and accept. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
4. God Consciousness: The existence of God:
a) Religious
i) God must exist because man universally believes in his existence.
ii) In this case the human mind establishes faith as the criteria for reality.
iii) Men do seek after God. (Psalm 42:1-2, Acts 17:27)
b) Moral
i) Man possesses a conscience with the urge to choose right over wrong.
ii) Human recognition of virtue and truth. The ultimate virtue - God.
c) Rational
i) The human mind possesses the idea of a Perfect and Absolute Being, therefore such a being must exist.
ii) In this case, the mind uses rationalism for reality.
d) Design
i) Structure of the universe demands a designer (Romans 1:19,20)
ii) In this case empiricism is the criteria for reality.
e) Cause and Effect

i) The law of cause and effect demands the existence of God.
ii) This is process of rationalism plus logic.
5. The reaction to God consciousness:

a) When man becomes conscious of God he then exercises his freewill.
b) Acceptance - desire to know God and have fellowship with God.
c) Rebellion - no interest in fellowship with God. SNOWFLAKE
d) Once a person reaches God consciousness and has no desire for fellowship with God, God has no further obligation to
that individual.
e) In the case of acceptance, God is responsible to provide gospel information on which to be saved. (Jeremiah 29:13, John
7:17, Acts 17:27, Luke 11:9)
6. Heathenism: What about the people who have apparently never heard the Gospel?
a) Application of Divine Character
i) Since God is perfect justice it is impossible for Him to be unfair to any member of the human race.
ii) God promises that every generation will be evangelised. (Isaiah 51:8b)
b) Application of Unlimited Atonement
i) Christ died for all members of the human race. (2 Corinthians 5:14,15,19, 1 Timothy 2:6. 4:10, Titus 2:11,
Hebrews 2:9, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 2:2)
ii) Therefore obviously God desires salvation for everyone. (2 Peter 3:9)
c) Application of Divine Sovereignty
d) It is God's will that all members of the human race be saved. (2 Peter 3:9)
i) If people are not saved, it is because of their own rejection of Christ as Saviour, not because of God.
e) Application of the Principle of God Consciousness
i) Human free will is tested in the two areas in which a decision must be made.
At the point of God consciousness - Do I want a relationship with God?
At the point of gospel hearing - Do I want to be saved?
ii) If anyone desires relationship with God, God will reveal Himself to them (Jeremiah 29:13, John 7:17, John
4:9,10, Acts 17:27).
Man has the ability to arrive at God consciousness through observing creation. (Romans 1:20, 21)
When a person reaches the point of God consciousness, he becomes accountable to God. This age varies with cultures,
languages and circumstances.
7. From the above it is obvious that any person can come to a saving knowledge of God.
MICAH 15
CHAPTER 2
MICAH 2:1-5 - WOE TO THE EVIL ONES
Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they practise it,
because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and take [them] by violence; and houses, and take
[them] away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. Therefore thus saith the LORD;
Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go
haughtily: for this time [is] evil. In that day shall [one] take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful
lamentation, [and] say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed [it]
from me! Turning away he hath divided our fields. Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in
the congregation of the LORD.
KEY WORDS
Woe Hoy Woe, alas

Devise Chashab Weave, fabricate, plot, devise
Iniquity Aven Trouble, vanity, wickedness, iniquity
Work Paal Do, make, work, practise
Evil Ra Bad, evil, trouble, wrong
Bed Mishkab Bed, couch, sleep
Morning Boqer Dawn, morning, morrow
Light Or Illumination, light, morning, sun
Practise Asah Make, do, accomplish, practise
Power El Strength, power, might, strong
Hand Yad Hand, power, means
Covet Chamad Delight in, covet, lust, desire
Field Sadeh Field, country, land, soil, ground
Take by violence Gazal Pluck off, spoil, take by violence
House Bayith House, home, palace, family
Take away Nasa Lift, carry away, accept, arise
Oppress Ashaq Oppress, violate, defraud, overflow
Man Geber Valiant man, warrior, man
Man Iysh Man, husband
Heritage Nachalah Inheritance, possession, heritage
Say Amar Say, answer, command, declare
Behold Hinneh Behold, lo, see
Family Mishpachah Family, kindred, tribe
Remove Mush Withdraw, remove, depart
Neck Tsavvar Neck, back of neck
Haughtily Romah Proudly, haughtily
Time Eth Time, season, when
Day Yom Day, age, season
Parable Mashal Parable, proverb, simile
Lament Nahah Groan, bewail, lament
Doleful Nihyah Lamentation, doleful
Lamentation Nehiy Lamentation, elegy, wailing
Spoil Shadad Ravage, spoil, lay waste
Change Mur Alter, change, remove, barter
Portion Cheleq Allotment, portion, inheritance
Turn away Shobeb Apostate, backsliding
Divide Chalaq Apportion, separate, divide
Cast Shalak Throw (away) cast, pluck
Cord Chebel Rope, cord, noose
Lot Goral Lot, portion, pebble, destiny
Congregation Qahal Assembly, company, congregation
MICAH 16
REFLECTION
In this section Micah sets out a warning to the greedy and those who oppress the poor to take advantage of them. This is
an age old problem that is still with us today, despite the pious sounding words of politicians and other leaders. There is the
tendency to plot evil at night, and then to put into practice the wicked deeds during the day, and Micah is clearly not
impressed by those who do such things. The oppression practised here is clearly not spontaneous evil that is done on the
spur of the moment, but it is planned and devised in a methodical way. The verse says that they will do this in the light of
the morning, implying setting out to perform their evil deeds as soon as the morning is light. In every nation there are the
powerful and rich, but God sees how they behave and He will judge them accordingly. This is in contrast with what the
Psalmist says of the godly person, “Lord, have I not remembered Thee in my bed, and thought upon Thee when I was
waking?” (Psalm 63:6). God is clearly seen throughout Scripture to oppose oppression, for in such cases it is the weak and
vulnerable who suffer, and God frequently says that He will support the widow, the orphan and the foreigner.
Micah is not the only prophet to oppose the oppressors in the land, for Hosea and Amos did the same. The difference here,
however, is that God is speaking, through Micah, to the people of the south, Judah, rather than the northern kingdom of
Israel. Beyond that the description is similar. Micah’s objection here is that the people lie in bed plotting their evil, not
apparently because they need to, or are short of the money that will result from their deeds, but because it is in their power
to do so (v1). This is literally “for their hand is for a god,” i.e., their power passes as a god to them; they know of no higher
power than their own arm; whatever they wish it is in their power to do. Our generation has not lost the desire to accumulate
more wealth at the expense of the poor. It is ironic that those who think they have power will be made subject to God’s will
and infinite power, and they will bow the knee to Him at some point, whether in this life or the next.
One of Micah’s main objections here is that the oppressors were trying to take away the land of other people. In v2 we see
that this was being done by violence, so it was not merely devious plotting, but violent removal of property. This had
particular significance in Israel because the ability to retain and pass on one’s heritage in land was vital to their community.
When they first settled in the land after their wilderness wanderings, God apportioned the land through Joshua so that each
tribe, each clan and each family had an allotted portion to live in that was theirs to pass on through the generations. Indeed
the principle of Jubilee was established so that if a person or family was confronted with hard times or debt, so that their
land was temporarily passed to others, it was to return to them in the 50 th year so that the heritage remained. The people
condemned by Micah here seem to have forgotten this fact, and were greedy to take others’ property from them.
In consequence of this evil, God was planning to intervene, and He gave details of His intention through Micah here. The
oppressors here were devising evil, yet God Himself would do the same against them. Obviously there would be nothing
devious or sinful about what God was doing; rather He would merely mete out the judgement that was due to them for
breaking his law and for sinning against Him. God’s “evil” would be righteous and divine retribution that is properly
deserved, and again it was planned and not a thoughtless reaction to their behaviour. The Bible is indeed true when it says
that a man will reap what he sows. The people had thrown the yoke of God’s law from their necks, but He would bring on
them judgement that could not be thrown off or escaped. The people here would not be able to go about haughtily, heads
held high, but instead they would be weighed down and stooped because of God’s intervention. Tiglath-pileser ruined this
kingdom, and transported the people to Assyria, under the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
There is a picture here also of the wider judgement of God, for even if people are not actively oppressing others, there will
come a time when each person has to face the Lord Jesus and account for how he has lived his life. God will intervene in
world affairs when His time is right.
In v4 the judgement is announced; when it fell they would lose their land and their riches. That which they had coveted and
taken by force would be coveted and taken by others, so that the people who oppressed the poor were themselves
despoiled. Indeed, that in which they had put their trust failed them, whereas those who put their trust in the Lord will never
be put to shame. One of the problems with riches is that they are insecure; there are always others who would gladly come
along and remove them, whether by force or otherwise. No wonder Jesus taught us to store up treasures in heaven rather
than on earth. The challenge for God’s people is to ensure that our priorities are the same as God’s and that in our lives we
do not oppress others in our accumulation of material possessions, whether unwittingly or otherwise.
The consequence that Micah seems to have in mind is that of the aftermath of when an invader conquers the land so that
the original inheritance is lost. Thereafter, he appears to envisage a redistribution of the land in v5, but they would not
participate in this. When the line is drawn after casting lots, the oppressors would not have an inheritance. God is able to
raise up and to throw down, and if we are not rightly submissive to Him, we will be subject to His judgement. So often that
judgement is linked to the evil that men have perpetrated themselves.
By way of background, among the Assyrians in the days of Judah, they would have an annual “lot” for the allotment of land,
and those men who wanted to take part would gather on the threshing floor. The chief man of the town or village would be
there with a bag of small stones. On each stone would be written the name of a field or portion of land, known as the “lot”.
When the men had arrived, the chief would call on a small boy, too young to understand what was going on, and the boy
would take the stones from the bag and give them round to the men until they all had one.
MICAH 17
The men would be illiterate, so they would not know which field was theirs, but on receiving their stone would say, “This is
my lot, may God maintain it.” A possible reference to this practice is found in Psalm 16:5-6. The chief would then read the
name that was written on each stone so that every man knew the piece of land assigned to him for the next year. To make
sure that each man knew the size of his land, the old landmarks were looked over and marked by a double furrow, one
furrow twice the width of the others. To make extra sure, they would place at each end a heap of stones which would be
called the “stones of the boundary”.
There is also a possible implication that such people who were the oppressors would lose their descendants, for if they
have no children or grandchildren, then there will be no one to inherit the land that would have been theirs. So often, those
with the most to lose suffer the greatest losses. By contrast, those who put their trust fully in God and invest in the kingdom
to come will have a sure and full inheritance through Christ.
TOPIC
EVIL
1. DEFINITION: Evil is Satan's policy in opposition to God's doctrine. Evil is therefore a collection of beliefs and practises
that back up Satan's viewpoint rather than God’s.
2. Evil is not necessarily bad, it is simply a policy that will take you away from the path that God prepared for you.
3. False religion may be very moral and even ascetic (and therefore look "holy"), but if it is leading people away from God's
revealed will it is evil.
4. Often evil can masquerade as "good". People who believe that their "good works" can satisfy God's holy demands are
deceived by evil doctrine. Romans 7:19,20,
5. Only God’s Word, Bible Doctrine can help the believer distinguish between true good and evil, Hebrews 3:13,14.
6. Only a soul saturated in God’s Word is truly protected from the subtlety of Satan's policy of evil. Proverbs 2:10-14, 3:7,
19:23.
7. Only applied knowledge of God's Word negates and neutralises evil. Psalms 54:5, Romans 12:21, Isaiah 45.
8. The issue for the believer is the daily choice to accept God's Word and therefore protect oneself against evil. God
watches for our choices. Proverbs 11:18,19, 22:3, 24:1-4, Ephesians 5:16, 2 Thessalonians 3:2,3.
9. The company of evil people will distort the thinking of the believer and confuse his/her witness. Isaiah 5:20, 1 Corinthians
15:23.
10. There is no evil in God at all. Psalm 5:4, 1 John 1:5, 4:4.
11. God judges evil and will condemn it to the lake of fire for ever at the final judgement. Psalm 34:16, Isaiah 13:11,
Revelation 20:11ff
12. In spite of evil still existing in the world due to Satan's on-going presence throughout the Church Age, the Lord is still on
the throne, and his hand is on all things.
13. Satan only does things by "permission" and we are in the Lord's hands and so are, in Christ, safe. Job 1:6-12; Proverbs
16:3, 4, Isaiah 45: 6, 7.
MICAH 2:6-13 - BEWARE THE OPPRESSION OF THE RICH
Prophesy ye not, [say they to them that] prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, [that] they shall not take
shame. O [thou that art] named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? [are] these his doings? do
not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off
the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war. The women of my people have
ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. Arise ye, and
depart; for this [is] not [your] rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy [you], even with a sore destruction. If a
man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, [saying], I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he
shall even be the prophet of this people. I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant
of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make
MICAH 18
great noise by reason of [the multitude of] men. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and
have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the
head of them.
KEY WORDS
Prophesy Nataph Ooze, prophesy, speak by inspiration

Take Nasag Retreat, take, remove, turn away
Shame Kelimmah Disgrace, confusion, dishonour, shame
Name Amar Say, answer, name, respond
Jacob Yaaqob Jacob, heel catcher
Spirit Ruach Wind, breath, life, spirit
Straiten Qatsar Curtail, harvest, straiten, cut down
Doing Maalal Act, doing, endeavour
Word Dabar Word, matter, thing, cause
Do good Yatab Make well, benefit, do good
Walk, depart Halak Walk, behave, follow, move, depart
Uprightly Yashar Straight, just, upright(ly)
Of late Ethmol Yesterday, of late, heretofore
Rise up Qum Rise, get up, help, establish
Enemy Oyeb Enemy, adversary, foe
Pull off Pashat Spread out, strip, pull off, unclothe
Robe Eder Mantle, robe, splendour
Garment Salmar Dress, garment, raiment, clothes
Pass by or through Abar Cross over, transition, pass by
Securely Betach Safety, refuge, secure
Averse Shub Turn back, retreat, averse
War Milchamah Battle, war, fight
Woman Ishshah Woman, wife
Cast out garash Drive out, expel, thrust out
Pleasant Taanug Luxury, pleasant, delicate, delight
Child Olel Babe, young child, infant
Take away Laqach Take/carry away, bring
Glory Hadar Magnificence, glory, splendour
Rest Menuchah Repose, rest, ease, quiet
Pollute Tame Pollute, foul, defile
Destroy Chabal Bind, destroy, corrupt, pledge
Sore Marats Be pungent, irritate, sore, grievous
Destruction Chebel Rope, noose, destruction, pain
Man Iysh Man, fellow, husband
Falsehood Sheqer Untruth, sham, falsehood, deceit
Lie Kazab Lie, deceive, be in vain
Wine Yayin Wine, intoxication, banqueting
Strong drink Shekar Intoxicant, liquor, strong drink
Assemble Asaph Gather, receive, assemble, fetch
Gather Qabats Collect, assemble, gather, grasp
Remnant Sheeriyth Remainder, remnant, residue
Put Sum Put, appoint, place, preserve
Together Yachad Unitedly, together, alike
Sheep Tson Flock, lamb, sheep
Bozrah Botsrah Bozrah, sheepfold, enclosure
Flock Eder Flock, herd, arrangement
Fold Dober Fold, manner, pasture
Noise Hum Make an uproar, noise, agitate
Man Adam Man, person, human being
Breaker Parats Break out, disperse, scatter
Come up Alah Ascend, come up, mount, recover
Gate Shaar Opening, door, gate
Go out Yatsa Go out, depart, escape, proceed
Head Rosh Head, captain, chief, ruler
MICAH 19
REFLECTION
It is not common in prophetic books of Scripture to hear the reaction of the people to whom the word is addressed, but in v6
we find their reaction here, and they do not want to hear Micah speak in these terms. Remember that he had spoken
against the oppression they were committing against the poor, mainly to ensure that they became and stayed rich. As such
a prophecy as this met with violent contradiction, not only from the corrupt important men of the day, but also from the false
prophets who flattered the people, Micah indicates it by showing that the people are abusing the long-suffering and mercy
of the Lord. He makes the point that by robbing the peaceable poor, the widows, and the orphans, they are bringing about
the punishment of banishment out of the land.
Even today, people become sensitive about money, and generally speaking only those who are truly committed to Christ
are prepared to have their wallets opened by God. The Bible has a good deal to say about money and riches, and if we are
to develop as Christians we need to ensure that our attitude to possessions and material things is correctly balanced
according to Scripture. We are but stewards of the things that we own while on earth.
The people reject the idea that they would be judged by God because of their attitude to money and the poor. Human
beings will do all they can to justify their position or their actions, and there is a natural tendency to ignore the threat of
judgement. God has judged in the past, and it is clear that He will do so again when it is appropriate in His good time. Too
often leaders, both religious and secular, will reject God’s chosen mouthpieces because they will not hear the sometimes
uncomfortable words that God has to say. Even in times of hardship people are too often reluctant to hear what God has to
say to them, but God looks for a heart that is open to Him and will be glad to respond in obedience to His word. There are
times in both history and Scripture when God abandons a people to their own evil ways because they will not follow His
godly paths.
In v7 the people of the land are addressed by the name of their ancestor Jacob, whose name was of course changed to
Israel. Just because they were the people of the Covenant between God and man does not mean that God cannot move in
judgement against them if they are disobedient and follow other gods. There is always the danger that we can rely on our
spiritual heritage without seeing what God is doing today, and this was the case for Micah’s hearers. We need to ensure
that our relationship with God is alive and relevant to each day that we live. However, even if these people reject God, His
Spirit is not restricted from moving amongst others to accomplish His work.
Sometimes people are so blind that they cannot see that they are doing wrong. It is quite possible to go through the daily
routine of life, sometimes even living a religiously devout life, but still be in spiritual darkness. We all need God’s Holy Spirit
to shine into our lives so that we see the truth about Jesus Christ, and respond to God’s free offer of life through Jesus’
death on the cross. Repentance is humbling, but it is the only way to a true relationship with God.
For those who do walk uprightly, God shows mercy and grace, and ultimately it is relationship that God wants in His people.
We are not to seek just the gifts and blessings of the Christian life, wonderful as they are, but the goal of our faith and hope
is relationship with God Himself, for that is what we long for and will enjoy in eternity. It is not the blessings of heaven that
we seek, but eternity with Christ that will be our ultimate delight.
Moving on to v8, Micah reiterates that they have oppressed the poor. They were removing the cloaks from those who
passed by, and in those days a robe or cloak was not just a covering by day, but would often double as bedding by night, so
the oppression in this way was serious. It may be that Micah is here referring not just to simple robbery in the highway, but
also taking a person’s cloak as part payment of debts that were owed. The beginning of the verse, “even of late” could
mean recently, even yesterday, or it could mean from long ago. The implication is that this behaviour had been occurring for
some time.
Micah says that his people (God’s people) have risen up as an enemy. Such is their rebellion against God that they are now
regarded by God as an enemy. How many people today are involved in religious activity that is Christ-less and which is in
fact the work of the enemy rather than that of Christ Himself?
In v9 we find that the women have been thrown out of their houses. This could well be a reference to the widows of those
who had been slain by these oppressors. Bear in mind that they were widows of their own people, Israelites, who they
should be caring for. God repeatedly says in Scripture that the vulnerable in society, such as the young and the widows,
should be looked after rather than taken advantage of and oppressed. Their children too were being deprived of their
livelihood, for without their homes they would lose their future heritage. God’s glory requires His precepts to be obeyed, and
this oppression undermined this.
Some commentators suggest that this section refers to the time of Ahaz, when Micah was ministering. At this time there
was the war made on Ahaz by Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel. They fell suddenly upon the Jews; killed in
one day one hundred and twenty thousand, and took two hundred thousand women captive and carried away much spoil
(See 2 Chronicles 28:6-8).
MICAH 20
Micah continues the warning against these evil men in v10, where he warns them that they will not find rest in their land,
which had become polluted by their wicked deeds. The concept of a land becoming polluted by the evil of its inhabitants
was established in Leviticus 18:25 & 28. As a consequence they would be thrown out, which was one of the elements of
discipline that God said would occur centuries before in the time of Moses if they did not obey (see, e.g., Leviticus 26:27-
35). Such prophecies are very unwelcome to the corrupt great men, because they do not want to hear the truth, but simply
what flatters their wicked heart. The land of Israel was supposed to be a place of rest for them after their wilderness
wanderings, but it had been made clear that if they disobeyed God He would drive them out of it.
There are some that see this verse as an exhortation to the godly to leave a land that had become corrupt. There is, of
course, a Biblical injunction to flee from worldliness and sin, but it is unlikely that this is the thrust of what Micah was
speaking of here.
In v11 we find an example of the false prophet, who speaks of prosperity and an abundance of wine, which often speaks of
prosperity. The people would be glad enough to listen to such a person, as his words would be welcome and comforting,
but without godly challenge. God does not call His people to self indulgence, but to a life free of worldliness and
discipleship. This is not to say that God does not give us many good things to enjoy, but our priorities need to be right.
The false prophets had to please the rich men, to embolden them in their self-indulgence, and to tell them that God would
not punish them. They no doubt spoke of God’s temporal promises to His people, the land “flowing with milk and honey.”
Presumably they referred to the promises of abundant harvest and vintage, and assured them that God would not withdraw
these, that He was not so precise about His law. Micah tells them in plain words what it all came to; it was a prophesying of
“wine and strong drink.” A prophet of God needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not an alcoholic spirit!
The heart of man has not changed today, and there are men (and women) filling church pulpits who will say what the people
want to hear, rather than what God has to say. It is an awesome responsibility to preach and teach God’s word, and
faithfulness to both the spirit and the letter of the Bible is essential. Preaching is not about what the people want to hear, but
what God wants to say to His people. At the same time, it is important to listen to what God is saying, and not distort the
message to what might suit us. It is those preachers who are prepared to risk the wrath of their hearers for God’s sake that
are the true ministers of God.
The tone changes in v12, for Micah moves from the threat of judgement to the promise of restoration. So often when God is
speaking of judgement He also gives the promise of blessing, and of course this would be true blessing rather than the
empty hope of the false prophet. Assuming that he is speaking to the morally corrupt people of his day, Micah is saying that
they would be banished from the land, but the time would come when their descendants would be allowed back and would
know restoration. The evil people who were polluting the land would not be the ones who would receive it back again, but
their children or grandchildren would. It would be a remnant that returned, and throughout history God has always had a
believing remnant that remains true to His name. Not all who returned did so as true believers, but the principle of a
believing remnant remains true.
Bozrah was a place famed for its sheep, and its name means ‘sheepfold’. They would be like sheep in a good area of
pasture where they would be provided for, and the noise of their return would not be insignificant. There is some uncertainty
as to who is referred to in this verse, in terms of those returning. Micah refers to both Israel and Judah, so it could be the
return after the exile, although some have suggested that it could be the return into the fields and pasture lands after their
deliverance from the siege of Sennacherib. In some respects, it does not matter who is referred to, for we have the principle
that God is a god of deliverance and shepherding care.
The final verse of the chapter (v13) gives the picture of the triumphant exit of God from the gates of the city to lead the
people. The image is one of deliverance, not conquest, as they are led forth to enjoy the freedom God has given them. The
Lord is at the head of the procession, reflecting the care of God, as well as His sovereignty.
TOPIC
WEALTH
1. Wealth may be in the form of money, gold or silver, goods or land. Wealth is always relative to the values within a society.
What is wealthy within a poor culture is poor within a more wealthy culture. What individuals feel is wealthy will differ from
person to person; some will never feel they are wealthy enough. The believer is urged to be content with what he has
received, in his position, from the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Philippians 4:11-13, Hebrews 13:5-6.
2. Money has a legitimate function, and wealth generally is, like money, a neutral thing; something to be used to facilitate
daily life. Money and goods are used to pay taxes, buy goods needed for the family, and give towards the Lord's work in the
church. Money is not evil. Genesis 29:3, Jeremiah 32:44.
MICAH 21
Money and goods are used for taxation, Matthew 22:17-22, Luke 20:20-26.
3. It is no evil to have wealth or lots of money, it is the lust for money and goods that corrupts a man, as it did Baalam,
Jude 11.
Money, and wealth generally, are great slaves but terrible masters. Wealth is deceitful if a person believes it will buy him
happiness, provide him with security, or give him immortality. Matthew 6:24-33, Luke 12:16-21 Proverbs 18:10-12, Proverbs
13:7.
5. Money and wealth will not buy respectability with God, nor will it purchase salvation. Mark 8:36,37, Acts 8:18-24, Mark
10:23-27.
6. Wealth may get in the way of the simple message of salvation, as the Rich Young Ruler found. Matthew 19:16, Luke
18:19,20, Mark 10:17-27.
7. Money may get in the way of spiritual growth, when we pay more attention to our wealth than we do to applying doctrine
in our lives. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 5:10 6:2, Baalam in Jude 11, Ananias' and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-10, All of us in James
5:1-6.
8. God is not impressed with money and pride filled shows of wealth. Luke 16:10-31, Proverbs 11:4,28.
9. Wealth can be a great blessing received by believers in maturity, and if it is it is to be used for the Lord's work, as well as
for life style. Proverbs 13:8ff, Hebrews 13, Refer Doctrine Of Giving.
CHAPTER 3
MICAH 3:1-4 - FALSE SHEPHERDS
And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; [Is it] not for you to know
judgment? Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off
their bones; Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and
chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will
not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their
doings.
KEY WORDS
Say Amar Say, answer, declare

Hear Shama Hear, consider, give ear, regard
Pray Na Pray, beseech
Head Rosh Head, captain, chief, ruler
Prince Qatsiyn Captain, guide, prince, leader
Know Yada Know, be aware, discern
Judgement Mishpat Verdict, sentence, judgement
Hate Sane Hate, enemy, foe, odious
Good Tob Good, fair, precious, beautiful
Love Ahab Love, have affection, like
Evil Ra Bad, evil, trouble
Pluck off Gazal Pluck off, flay, strip, tear
Skin Or Skin, leather, hide
Eat Akal Eat, consume, devour
Flesh Sheer Flesh, body, food, kindred
People Am People, tribe, nation, men
Flay Pashat Spread out, flay, strip, spoil
Break Patsach Break (out/forth), make a loud noise
Bone Etsem Bone, body
Chop in pieces Paras Chop in pieces, scatter, disperse
Pot Siyr Pot, cauldron, boil up
Flesh Basar Flesh, body, skin, nakedness
Cauldron Qallachath Kettle, cauldron
MICAH 22
Cry Zaaq Shriek, cry, announce
Hear Anah Heed, pay attention, hear
Hide Sathar Hide, conceal, keep secret
Face Paniym Face, countenance, mouth
Time Eth Time, season, now, when
Behave ill Raa Spoil, behave ill, displease
Doing Maalal Act, deed, doing, endeavour
REFLECTION
In this section Micah turns his attention to the specific group, the heads of Jacob and the princes (or leaders) of the house
of Israel. It is likely that Micah is not using the terms “Judah” and “Israel” in their technical distinction to show the southern
and northern tribes, but more probably he is speaking primarily to the people of Judah, to whom much of his prophecy is
addressed. In many ways this is a continuation of the previous chapter, as is suggested by the first few words, ‘and I said…’
He still castigates the leaders for their lack of true devotion to correct duty before God and the people.
The heads and princes would be the judges and rulers of the land, probably the heads of the tribal clans, and this would be
why he asks the question about should they know justice. The overall sovereignty in the land would rest with the king, but
he would give some of the day to day administration of justice to the judges. This is implied in the word for “know”, for to the
Hebrew mind this was more than merely knowing something by a mental process, but would involve the whole being. It was
more than knowing it in their minds, but putting it into practice. Thus, whilst the leaders knew about justice mentally, they
loved evil rather than good and their behaviour reflected the opposite of true justice. They appear to have behaved like this
from inner corrupt habit, such was their nature. The question ‘Is it not for you…’ indicates that it was their special function,
but they were failing to perform the justice required.
In v2 there is something of the analogy of the shepherd, which would be fitting for the care that the leaders owed to their
people, for in their injustice they are tearing the skin off the people they were oppressing, just as wolves would attack a
sheep. The judgement spoken of is all the more pertinent bearing in mind that Micah has just ended chapter 2 with God’s
promise to gather and unite the nation, like a flock of sheep in a good pasture. There is a parallel here with Ezekiel 34:2-4:
“Woe to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves; should not the shepherds feed the flock? Ye eat the fat and ye
clothe you, with the wool, ye kill them that are fed, ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened ...”
Suetonius tells us, in his Life of Tiberius, that when the governors of provinces wrote to the emperor, entreating him to
increase the tributes, he wrote back: “It is the property of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to skin them.” Good
leaders seek the best for the people that they govern so that the nation can flourish. There is a lesson here even for the
church, for a good pastor will genuinely care for the flock entrusted to him, so that they grow in Christ and mature as
believers. Unfortunately, there are far too many churches where the opposite occurs and the people are fleeced, whether
materially or spiritually. There is something of a perverse irony when the shepherd turns out to be the butcher!
It is, of course, most unlikely that these leaders were literally tearing the skin of the people, but in picture language it is clear
that they were pulling them apart. We might see the skin as the outer wrapping of a human, but to the Hebrew mind this
was tearing apart the very essence of a person. An example of this mindset is seen in Job 10:11. Apart from anything else,
each person is made by God, and abuse of any aspect of a person will displease God.
In v3 there is a likeness of these people to cannibals, to the extent that they place the victims into cauldrons. They were
doing with them as cooks do, who not only cut flesh off the bones, and into slices, but break the bones themselves, to get
out the marrow, and chop them small, that they may have all the goodness that is in them, to make their soup and broth the
richer. By it is suggested that these wicked and greedy rulers took every method to squeeze the people, and get all their
wealth and riches into their hands. Bear in mind that in almost every culture cannibalism is seen as a grossly abhorrent
means of behaviour, and thus the picture used by Micah has particular strength. The very livelihood of these oppressed
people is being taken from them.
We learn from v4 that the time will come when these wicked leaders will cry out to God for help, but He will not hear them,
for their hearts are far from Him. Thankfully God is merciful, but there is something presumptuous about mankind that
expects a gracious response from God in a time of need, when the rest of one’s life has been lived without reference to
Him. Far better to enjoy a good and vibrant relationship with God, so that when hard times come there are strong roots in
Him that will sustain us. We are then in a position to approach God in prayer for help when it is needed, for then it comes
out of a living relationship with Him.
God will, of course, respond to a genuine cry of repentance, made in faith to Him, but when the cry is merely an attempt to
twist God’s arm to avert deserved judgement, then even God’s mercy is often not found. The heart of the gospel message
is that each of us deserves God’s judgement unless we accept that Jesus Christ is the only possible Saviour offered by God
to avert the wrath that is otherwise coming upon us.
MICAH 23
The false shepherds Micah has spoken of deserve judgement, and in the absence of a genuine repentance the coming
judgement will not be averted. These people had shown no mercy to those they should have cared for, and they had set the
course of their lives accordingly. It is an awesome concept for God to turn His face from someone, as is described here, and
such an eventuality should sharpen our focus, both in our lives, and in our evangelism.
TOPIC
FALSE TEACHERS
The eighteen characteristics of the false teachers - 2Timothy 3:1 - 5
1. Lovers of self - To be self centred means that everything is interpreted in terms of selfish concerns; it is a moral relativism
that centres on the self rather than God or others.
2. Covetous - Lovers of money so that everything has a price and what is of value is what can be measured in dollar terms.
3. Boasters - We would say people like this are "full of hot air"; they have no substance, nor heart but love to speak great
words about themselves.
4. Pride - Arrogance knows no bounds when the opinion of God is ignored and the self is the sole criteria for decision
making.
5. Blasphemers - When people think they know better than God they very quickly move on to directly insult God and his
words, for they don't think they are bound by the rules that govern those who are, in their eyes, foolish enough to believe in
God!
6. Disobedient to parents - At heart a nation's strength is rooted in the strength and respect within the family unit. Where
children grow up to despise, disobey, or ignore their parents they will grow up without a healthy sense of discipline.
The society will then suffer as the child who does not respect its own parents will not often respect the life or property of
others. This point applies equally to children and parents; parents must live so as to be worthy of respect and children must
respect as far as they are able their parents.
7. Unthankful - This term sums up a trait of people who are in evil that often baffles others. Why is it that you can do
wonderful things for some people and they will despise you and insult you for the good you have done them, or they will use
your very kindness against you? The answer is here. People who get into evil and false doctrine will lose all perspective and
have as their character trait an ungratefulness that is destructive and nasty.
8. Unholy - Holiness means to be set apart for God and his service, and unholiness means the reverse; to be set apart for
self and evil rather than God and to be active in the service of the enemy.
9. Without natural affection - No capacity for love is an indication of deeper and more dangerous aspects of a persons
nature. When people love only themselves they are incapable of truly loving others.
10. Trucebreakers - When people have morality that is rooted in self interest you can be sure of only one thing with them;
that you cannot be sure of them at all. They will be as stable as the wind is! These are people whose word you cannot
trust.
11. False accusers - Malicious gossips will abound where-ever self is king. If people will not talk about the Lord and his
word to them they will talk about everything and anything else, as if it were important.
12. Incontinent - No self control. People who follow their whims and fancies as if they were truth and righteousness, where-
as they are simply lust and desires.
13. Fierce - Brutal men are Satan's men. Gentle men are God's. There is no place in the church for those who will tear
another person apart with their words or their hands. We are not to be fierce like wild dogs, but gentle like our Lord. A fierce
man is a false brother.
14. Despisers of them that are good - A man is known by his company and by those he loves. No good man will despise
good men, but every evil man will. Look at the company others keep and see where their hearts are.
15. Traitors - If a person is dishonourable they will betray you without thought. Evil has no standards other than self
gratification, and betrayal of the good for temporary gain is to be expected from evil men.
MICAH 24
16. Heady - Thoughtlessness is another trait of evil men. They do not think about consequences, they are rash and foolish,
lacking foresight and concern for others.
17. High-minded - While being rash and foolish themselves they use such terms of others. They do not see any problems
with their own behaviour, they are perfect in their own eyes.
18. Pleasure lovers - Their God is their belly. Philippians 3:19. They do things to feel good rather than because they are
good, and will be of benefit for them and others
MICAH 3:5-8 - FALSE PROPHETS
Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace;
and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. Therefore night [shall be] unto you,
that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down
over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners
confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for [there is] no answer of God. But truly I am full of power by the
spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
KEY WORDS
Say Amar Say, answer, declare

Prophet Nabiy Prophet, inspired man
People Am People, tribe, nation, men
Err Taah Stray, reel, err, seduce, wander
Bite Nashak Bite, strike, oppress
Tooth Shen Tooth, ivory, crag
Cry Qara Call out, cry, address, proclaim
Peace Shalom Peace, prosperity, health, happy
Mouth Peh Mouth, speech, hole
Prepare Qadash Consecrate, prepare, sanctify, purify
War Milchamah Battle, war, fight
Night Layil Night, adversity
Vision Chazon Oracle, dream, vision, revelation
Dark Chashak Be dark, black, dim
Divine Qasam Divine, determine, use divination
Sun Shemesh Sun, ray, be brilliant
Go down Bo Go, come, depart, enter
Day Yom Day, season, be hot
Dark Qadar Be ashy, dark-coloured, black, darken
Seer Chozeh Seer, prophet, stargazer
Be ashamed Bush Be ashamed, shame, be confounded
Confound Chapher Blush, be ashamed, confounded
Cover Atah Cover, wrap, veil, clothe
Lip Sapham Beard, lip
Answer Maaneh Reply, answer
Full Male Fill, be full of, fullness, satisfy
Power Koach Vigour, might, power
Spirit Ruach Breath, spirit, wind, life
Might Geburah Force, might, power, strength
Declare Nagad Manifest, announce, declare
Transgression Pasha Sin, transgression, rebellion
Sin Chattaah Offence, sin, sacrifice
REFLECTION
In this section Micah is turning his attention to the false prophets that are trying to obtain the attention of the people.
Usually, the message of the Biblical prophets is to the people of the land, but here it is the deceitful prophets who are the
centre of attention. These false prophets are causing the people to go astray, and are promising food and peace, when
there is no such prosperity. The word for biting in v5 is only used for the bite of serpents, suggesting that there is something
poisonous and destructive about what these false prophets have to say.
MICAH 25
Others suggest that they were biting their teeth, or holding back the true message of judgement, while they spoke false
words of peace. The message was promising food and prosperity rather than calling for repentance. However, the
implication in the latter part of v5 is that if they did not receive the pay of their hearers, they proclaimed war against such
people.
God’s mouthpieces should always be conscious of their high calling, and should carefully speak the words of God. The
false prophets in Micah’s day abused the gifts graciously given by God to lead and direct His people. Those that preach and
teach in every age, including in our day must be careful not to mislead, but should teach the whole counsel of God in a way
that honours Him and builds up the listeners. Most importantly, they should not be influenced by money or popularity, or
indeed any other distraction, for they are answerable to God for the way they have spoken to the people. God calls His
messengers to declare His word impartially, being neither bought with money, nor speaking words of falsehood. There is
something especially sad about a person who flatters others by his words, whilst claiming to speak for God.
Somewhat unusually, Micah does not say that they will be judged for what they say, but rather that they will have nothing
given to them to speak (v7). This perhaps suggests that some of what they were saying might have had some truth to it,
and that God will merely cause them to dry up, with nothing to say to the people. Again this is a lesson for those who speak
in God’s name; if He hasn’t given you a word it is better not to say anything. Perhaps these people were prophesying for
personal gain, so to avoid corruption of his word God stops speaking to and through them. Unfortunately, the church of
today still has preachers and so-called prophets who do so for profit, and not for the glory of God. It is important that God’s
people speak not only the right words, but that they say them with correct motives.
There is an alternative understanding of v7, for literally the lips that they were to cover is the hair of the upper lip. This was
an action required of lepers (Leviticus 13:45), and a token of mourning (Ezekiel 24:17), a token then of sorrow and
uncleanness. With their lips they had lied, and now they should cover their lips, as men dumb and ashamed.
By contrast, Micah tells us in v8 that he was filled with God’s Spirit, and that he is calling the people to repentance, so that
they turn from their sins. The verse starts with a literal “on the contrary”, indicating that he did not see himself in the same
category as the false prophets, but rather He had the true word of God to deliver. The true messenger of God will always be
filled with God’s Spirit, and will call people to turn to God in a repentant, life-changing manner, so that there is good fruit
from the message. There is a prophetic glimpse here of what happened on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were
filled with the Holy Spirit, as Jesus Himself had prophesied for them.
Note that he actually says that he is filled with power, then with the Spirit of the Lord, then with justice (or judgement) and
might. God first filled Micah with the power, or ability to carry out the work given to him. Then he was given the Holy Spirit to
give him the anointing for the task, and as such with God’s Spirit within he would see more clearly the sin that he was to
condemn. He can then announce the justice and might of God, that there is a day of reckoning, and with that there is a call
to repentance. God graciously equips those that He calls to serve Him; He does not leave us without the enabling power
from His throne to flounder, but we do need to work with Him. The church today needs people with similar anointing and
insight.
Note also that Micah was called, once duly equipped and anointed, to declare and expose the sin in the people; there was a
purpose to the call and the equipping for the work. We are not given tasks or talents in a vacuum, but God looks for willing
servants who will gladly take up the work He graciously calls us to do for him.
TOPIC
PROPHET
1. The gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet are distinguished in scripture. In the Old Testament there were those
who had the office of prophet, and served in an official capacity within the worship system of Israel but there were also
those who at times were given the gift of prophecy to give a special prophecy even though they were not full time prophets.
Elijah was a man with the office and the gift, where-as David had the gift at times but not the office.
2. The roles of the person with the office of prophet were many and varied:
a) Aaron was a preacher (Exodus 7:1).
b) In Nehemiah's time the prophet-preacher had a role to exegete the Word of God clearly so that the people would know
the truth (Nehemiah 6:7, Hosea 6:5).
c) As revivalists they were to call people to repentance (Judges 6:7-12, Zechariah 7:7-12).
MICAH 26
d) They were to oppose apostasy so that those who were likely to be misled by a false teacher would have no excuse (1
Kings 18:36-39, 40, 2 Chronicles 25:15, Ezekiel 2:5, 2 Kings 20:11).
e) They were encouragers of the people (Ezra 5:2).
f) They were sometimes song/worship leaders for the people (1 Samuel 10:5).
g) They led in prayer at worship (2 Chronicles 32:20).
h) They were the advisors to the kings and they were associated with coronations (1Samuel 10:1, 1Kings 11:28, 29, 2 Kings
9:1-6, 2 Chronicles 12:5, 2 Chronicles 12:6, 15:2-7).
i) They were spiritual advisors or seers for the kings; they "saw" the immediate future and so were able to advise the kings
of the right decisions (1 Samuel 9:9, 2 Samuel 24:11, 1 Chronicles 21:9, 24:29, 2 Chronicles 19:2, 33: 18, 2 Kings 17:13,
Isaiah 29:10).
j) They were fore-tellers of significant future events (2 Samuel 7:5-16, Amos 9:11, Isaiah 9:6,7, Isaiah 53, Ezekiel 34:22ff,
Micah 5:2, Daniel 9:26, Zechariah 13:8, Joel, Zechariah 14) and many more.
k) God intended them to be the shepherds and vine-dressers of the nation. As such they were to be the type of Christ, who
is referred to in the Old Testament as "the great prophet" (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, Zechariah 13:5-6, Matthew 21:11 ,
Luke 7:16, 8: 18-20, 24:19, 23-26, John 7:40,41).
3. There was no "set" formula for the prophets to follow, but certain things were established as "tests" for the people to be
sure the prophet was genuine.
a) The prophet had to have a spiritual life witness that was like Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10 - 12).
b) God spoke to the prophets by dreams and visions. God spoke to Moses face to face but he was an exception (Numbers
12:6-7).
c) The prophet had to be totally confident of his message, as he was judged by God if there was any falsehood in it (1 Kings
22:13, 14, 2 Kings 5:8).
d) There were to be no secret prophecies, everything was to be open and clear, so that all the people might be warned of
God (Jeremiah 23:25-29).
e) The prophet had to be specific in his message and had to be obeyed literally (2 Kings 5:10-19, note especially verse 13).
4. There were always false prophets; in fact the great prophets of the Old Testament were always outnumbered by false
prophets in their own day (Jeremiah 2:8, Ezekiel 13:1-23). Our Lord warned us that there will always be false prophets
about (Matthew 7:15 - 23). NOTE THE LORD'S WORDS here in that the personal walk of the prophet is to be paid attention
to. No spiritual fruit in their life = no truth in their words. God allows the false prophets to operate without immediate
judgement upon them, so that believers are always presented with an obedience test, to see whether we will obey the
scriptures or follow our own lusts to judgement. False prophets will abound at times of poor Bible teaching. Weeds only
grow in poorly cared for soil (Hosea 4:5, 6, 9:7, 8).
5. Tests that believers must apply when confronting a person claiming the gift of prophecy:
a) The words of the prophet will never contradict the Word of God (Jeremiah 23:33-36, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 Corinthians 14:32).
b) The prophet will never call people away from genuine worship of God (Deuteronomy 13:1- 5).
c) The prophet will always be specific and the prophecy will be able to be tested (Deuteronomy 18:20-22, Jeremiah 28:9).
d) Any prophet who asked for money was to be treated as false (Jeremiah 8:10).
e) Any prophet who was a drunkard was to be treated as false (Micah 2:11).
f) Any unconfessed sin of envy, jealousy, strife,.....etc in their life , they were false! (Jeremiah 23:11).
g) God's prophets were generally men alone, not in groups (1 Kings 22:5-8, 18:22).
h) Does the prophecy accord with scripture? (1 Corinthians 14:37, 38, 2 Kings 23:2).
MICAH 27
MICAH 3:9-12 - JUDGEMENT FOR JERUSALEM
Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and
pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward,
and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD,
and say, [Is] not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed
[as] a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
KEY WORDS
Hear Shama Hear intelligently, listen, consider

Pray Na Pray, beseech
Head Rosh Head, chief, captain, ruler
Prince Qatsiyn Leader, prince, ruler, captain, guide
Abhor Taab Loathe, detest, abhor
Pervert Aqash Distort, pervert, make crooked
Equity Yashar Straight, upright, equity
Build up Banah Build, make, repair
Blood Dam Blood, bloodshed
Iniquity Evel Evil, iniquity, wickedness
Judge Shaphat Judge, sentence, vindicate punish
Reward Shachad Donation, bribe, gift, reward
Priest Kohen Priest, prince, one officiating
Teach Yarah Flow, point out, teach
Hire Mechiyr Price, payment, wages, hire
Prophet Nabiy Prophet, inspired man
Divine Qasam Divine, determine, use divination
Money Keseph Money, silver, price
Lean Shaan Lean, rely, rest, stay
Evil Ra Bad, evil, distress, trouble
Come Bo Come, go, bring, depart
Plough Charash Scratch, plough, engrave
Field Sadeh Field, ground, land, soil, country
Heap Iy Heap, ruin
Mountain Har Mountain, range, hill
High place Bamah Elevation, height, high place
Forest Yaar Copse, forest, wood
REFLECTION
Micah addresses this section to the leaders of Judah, and the way he starts with ‘hear this’ echoes the beginning of the
chapter, thus continuing the message. He is able to speak so forthrightly to them because he is filled with the power, and
spirit of the Lord, and justice and might that we saw in the last section. Without that, his words would have seemed
presumptuous. Micah exposed some of the corruption of the leaders earlier in the chapter, but here he returns to that theme
to drive his point home. The difference here, however, is that because of the evil carried out by the leaders, the whole
nation will suffer God’s judgement.
In our generation we tend to shy away from the concept that a whole nation might be judged by God for the sins of a small
minority, but the way we behave inevitably impacts on others, whether for good or bad. We cannot live in isolation, nor as
Christians are we called to do so. If corruption sets in to a society, it is often not long before it spreads more widely. This is
evidenced by the loosening of moral standards generally in the Western world over the last generation or two; the
boundaries in what was acceptable were challenged and now what was considered immoral then is now accepted as
normal. Conversely, the relatively upright and moral behaviour of 50 years ago is now regarded as outmoded and irrelevant
to modern society. Nevertheless, God’s standards do not change, and we tamper with them at our peril. Unfortunately, what
has occurred in society has also tended to creep into the church.
Turning to v9, Micah accuses the leaders of Judah of despising justice and distorting what is right. One of the great losses
in recent years is that many societies have lost any concept of God, and people do not realise that God sees what we do,
think and say. Our politicians would behave differently if they realised the reality of this! It was the same in Micah’s day, and
justice was not being correctly administered, such that God’s wrath was aroused. We learn from v10 that there was clearly
MICAH 28
a cruel side to this, with bloodshed involved, and any society where the weak are oppressed will not prosper for long. It may
well be that the false justice had led to incorrectly administered capital punishment. The change of person from “You” to
“They” suggests greater estrangement from God.
It is, however, worth noting that Micah prophesied in the reign of Hezekiah (See Jeremiah 26:18), who was a good king. It is
possible that Micah was speaking into the situation left by the previous, evil king, and that in the short term the call to
repentance bore fruit.
We learn from v11 that the society had become money driven, so that the leaders judged for bribes, so that true justice did
not occur. When the legal system of justice is distorted by money and bribes there is little hope of sound government in a
land. Oppression can occur and the weak and poor in the nation are taken advantage of. It is a sorry situation when those
entrusted with dealing with justice have no regard for it and actually distort it.
The situation is made worse given that Micah accuses the priests of teaching for a price; they are saying what is expedient
rather than what God requires them to say, and they were apparently bought by the highest bidder. The reference to them
‘leaning upon the Lord’ could refer to them supposedly seeking God when the money was right, or perhaps proclaiming
times of fasting or prayer without any form of repentance.
When a church treads a politically correct line that pays more attention to the desires of man than the word of God, it will
lose its power and witness. Perhaps a similar situation has been seen in China in recent decades where the official church
has government approved ministers who will speak the party line, and is largely without power form heaven. By contrast,
the underground church, whilst living in peril of arrest and persecution, has seen immense growth and vitality because the
pastors could not be bought with money.
In a similar vein, Micah castigates the prophets, who utter prophecies for money, without having heard from God. It is totally
against God’s way to offer comforting words that promise peace, for a fee, when God would actually say the opposite.
God’s word should be free, not bought, and should be available to all regardless of their position in life. God established
Israel as His nation to operate according to His law, with His priesthood functioning impartially in His service, and with His
prophets setting out his ways and directing the nation. These were the three things that set Israel apart from the other
nations of the world, but they had abused all three of these God given blessings and requirements. As such Israel was
called to be a witness to the other nations, just as the church had a similar duty of witness today.
These characteristics can be expected from any church today also as hallmarks of God’s work amongst them, namely
justice, worship (we are all priests in Christ) and a keen listening to God’s word. If they are lacking in any measure, then
there is a clear indication of complacency, even if there isn’t the abuse of peddling such matters for money. There can be an
outward appearance of religion with due lip service being paid to these facets of life, but if there is a genuine work of God in
progress, whether it be corporate or individual, then lives will be changed and there will be a true and genuine desire for
godliness in all areas of life, including these three. There needs to be clear signs of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of
Christians and in their churches.
The chapter closes with the word that Zion would be ploughed as a field and Jerusalem would be as a pile of rubble. The
Temple area, held in such awe by the Jews, would be an overgrown mound full of weeds. Zion was the area of the city
where the royal palace was located, whilst Jerusalem referred to the rest of the city. The reference to the temple would link
to Jeremiah 7:4, which exposed an unnatural trust in the temple being there regardless of their behaviour. The Talmud
records that at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus, Terentius Rufus, who was left in command of the
army, with a ploughshare tore up the foundations of the temple and the houses were destroyed. It was fulfilled in part at the
destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, when the city was reduced to a heap of rubbish.
TOPICS
MONEY
1. Money in coin form was unknown until the 7th century BC Prior to coins, money or valuable metal was measured in
terms of ingots or rings. Croesus, King of Lydia first preserved his money in coins. When Cyrus the Great conquered Lydia,
he picked up the concept of coinage and gave it to the entire world.
2. Money is not evil. It has a legitimate function. (Genesis 23:9, Jeremiah 32:44)
3. The believer is urged to be content with what he has received, in his position, from the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:6-10,
Philippians 4:11-13, Hebrews 13:5-6.
4. It is the lust for money and goods that corrupts a man Jude 11.
5. The giving of money is an expression of the believers' priesthood. (1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 8 & 9)
MICAH 29
6. Coveting money makes one a slave to his desire. (Matthew 6:24). Money is a useful servant but a harsh master.
7. The danger of money to the unbeliever.

a) Salvation cannot be purchased with money. (Mark 8:36-37)
b) Money causes the rich man to put his trust in the wrong things. (Mark 10:23-25)
c) Money often hinders the unbeliever from seeking salvation. (Luke 16:19-31)
d) Money has no credit with God. (Proverbs 11:4, 28)
8. The danger of money to the believer:

a) Money can become part of a slavery to a vain search for happiness. (Ecclesiastes 5:10-6:2)
b) Love of money becomes a root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:6-12, 17-19)
c) Money can contribute to pride and self-centredness. (Acts 5:1-10)
9. Wealth is deceitful if a person believes it will buy him happiness or provide security Matthew 6:24-33, Luke 12:16-21.
Proverbs 18:10-12, Proverbs 13:7.
10. It is the believer's duty to wisely use his possessions, time, abilities and spiritual gifts which God has entrusted to us.
11. Three illusions about money.

(a) Money can bring happiness:- for the believer the Christian way of life is the only source of happiness.
(b) Money provides security:- Grace provides the only real security. (Matthew 6:24-33)
(c) Money can buy many things such as salvation, love, happiness, tranquillity.
MORALITY
1. Christianity is not morality but a relationship with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
2. Morality is a by-product of the Spirit filled life. (Ephesians 5:3)
3. Morality has no power. (Galatians 5:16) cf. Rich Young Ruler
4. The power of Christianity is found in the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
5. Morality is absolutely necessary for the orderly function of the human race. The Roman republic was the most moral
nation that ever existed. The Pol Pot regime and Idi Amin rule are examples of immoral governments.
6. Morality is for the whole human race. Unbelievers are capable of great morality. (Matthew 19:18, 20)
7. Morality cannot provide salvation or spirituality. (Galatians 3:2, Titus 3:5)
8. Morality has two main sources, the filling of the Holy Spirit and the area of strength of the sinful nature.
CHAPTER 4
MICAH 4:1-5 - A FUTURE OF HOPE
But in the last days it shall come to pass, [that] the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the
top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall
come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he
will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none
shall make [them] afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken [it]. For all people will walk every one in
the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
KEY WORDS
Last Achariyth Last, end (time), latter, posterity

Day Yom Hot, day, season, year
MICAH 30
Come to pass Hayah Exist, be, become, come to pass
Mountain Har Mountain, range, hill
Lord Yehovah Lord, Jehovah, eternal one
Establish Kun Be erect, set up, establish
Top Rosh Chief, ruler, top, sum
Exalt Nasa Lift, arise, exalt, magnify
Hill Gibah Hill, hillock
People Am People, nation, tribe, folk
Flow Nahar Sparkle, flow, assemble
Nation Goy Nation, Gentile, heathen, people
Come Halak Walk, come, depart, wander
Go up Alah Ascend, carry/bring/climb/mount up
God Elohiym Gods, God (supreme)
Teach Yarah Flow, point out, teach
Way Derek Road, course, path, manner
Path Orach Well trodden road, path, manner
Law Torah Law, precept, eg: Pentateuch
Go forth Yatsa Go out/forth, carry out
Word Dabar Word, matter, thing, cause
Judge Shaphat Judge, vindicate, sentence
Rebuke Yakach Correct, argue, reprove, rebuke
Strong Atsum Powerful, mighty, strong
Far off Rachoq Remote, far off, long ago
Beat Kathath Bruise, strike, beat (into pieces)
Sword Chereb Knife, sword, dagger
Ploughshare Eth Hoe, ploughshare, digging implement
Spear Chaniyth Lance, javelin, spear
Pruning hook Mazmerah Pruning knife or hook
Learn Lamad Teach, instruct, learn
War Milchamah War, battle, fight
Sit Yashab Sit down, settle, abide
Vine Gephen Vine, grape
Fig tree Teen Fig, fig tree
Make afraid Charad Make afraid, shudder, tremble
Mouth Peh Mouth, word, speech
Host Tsaba Army, host, mass of persons
Name Shem Name, character, authority
Forever Olam Eternity, always, perpetual
REFLECTION
As we move into chapter 4, the mood of the book changes, with the prospect changing from gloom to hope. The start of this
chapter parallels Isaiah 2:2-4 so the content is very similar, although Micah extends his prophecy beyond that of Isaiah to
speak of each man sitting under his fig tree. There has been discussion over the years as to whether either Micah or Isaiah
copied the other, but there is no conclusive view on this. What has to be concluded, however, is that God wanted the
prophecy to be included in His word twice, presumably to underscore the point. In the Isaiah passage, it is said that ‘all
nations’ would come to the temple, which appears to be more comprehensive than Micah’s ‘people’.
Chapter 3 ends with a picture of the destruction of the temple, with it being overgrown with vegetation. As is so often the
case in God’s word, a message of judgement is followed by a promise of hope in the future, and this is the case here as
chapter 4 starts. The chapter opens with “In the last days”, which looks forward from the time of destruction to the Messianic
era of Christ’s reign on earth after His return. There is the contrast here that the temple that was to be destroyed, will again
be built up and would become a place of prominence where God’s word will be spoken. Jesus will be the teacher and
people will pay close attention to His word. The people then will clearly find great encouragement for the word of God, and
they will have a desire to feed on that word. How the church today needs that type of hunger, coupled with a desire to walk
in God’s ways.
Jerusalem would be seen to be the centre of the world at this coming time. Old Jewish maps were always drawn with
Jerusalem as the centre of the world, and the reality will indeed come when Micah’s prophecy is finally fulfilled. We know
from other prophetic scriptures that at the time of Jesus’ return there will be topographical changes in the area of
Jerusalem, so it is possible that the raising up of the city above the hills will be a literal change to the area of the city.
MICAH 31
Note that it will be raised above the hills, and as the city of Jerusalem is surrounded by hills at present, it seems that the
centre will be raised up for the millennial reign. Others see this verse as referring to the exaltation of Christ and His word
going forth from Jerusalem, without a literal change to the landscape.
There are some commentators who see the emergence of the temple as a place of glory coming to pass at the time of
Christ at His first advent. This is on the basis that when Micah prophesied the original temple was still in place, and the
temple was rebuilt and enlarged by Herod just prior to and during the life of Jesus. Certainly there was a sense in which the
temple was glorified by the presence of Jesus, and of course He did cleanse it twice during His ministry, but the full import
of the prophecy goes beyond the first coming of Christ and must look forward to the second, when there will be a
culmination of God’s purposes.
There is, perhaps, a link here with the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14, that a ‘city set on a hill cannot be hidden’. There is a
reference to the church here in Matthew, for true believers are called to shine as a light in their witness. However, the Micah
passage clearly goes beyond this, for it is Christ who is glorified here and He is the one who is reigning over the nations.
Again we find that the Micah passage takes us beyond the present age to the end times.
When Christ reigns in power as the true Messiah, He will rule from Jerusalem and the nations will come to worship Him
there. Warfare will not feature in this stage of history (v3), the millennial period, so there will be no need for weapons of war.
This passage has been used by many “peace” groups around the world as part of their manifesto for peace. What is usually
forgotten, however, is that the peace flows from the common unity of mankind then, largely because the Prince of Peace is
reigning. True peace will not come until the Lord is here, when He will have removed His enemies from the earth.
Where Jesus is present to reign, then that truly will be the centre of the world. What is notable about this passage is that it
clearly extends the vision of a God-fearing situation to the whole world. Most passages of blessing in the Old Testament are
directed to Israel, with the gentile rest of the world being somewhat excluded from this. At best, the gentiles are normally
seen to be able to recognise that God is God, but without active participation in His purposes.
Micah, however, sees the blessing extending to gentiles too, so they can come and worship God in Jerusalem and learn of
and walk in God’s ways. This is a reversal of the events at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. There the nations were
dispersed because of apostasy, when men tried to reach up to the heavens in rebellion against God, and their languages
were confused. Now that Christ is seen to be reigning as King in Jerusalem, that curse can be reversed so that the nations
can come to worship Him. What was a matter of disunity will be reversed to become a unifying factor for the world.
In v4 we find every man sitting under his own vine and fig tree, living in security without fear. This is a picture of safety and a
settled and prosperous existence, for Christ will ensure that peace and justice are maintained in His kingdom. Here there is
no need for people to live in walled cities for there is security in the land. It was also not unusual for people in eastern lands
to sit under their fig trees to read, meditate and pray. Trees take a while to grow and produce fruit, so there is a sense of a
settled existence here. There will be no need for fear, for the Lord Jesus will have dealt with their enemies. The verse tells
us that the Lord God has spoken this, so we can be assured that it will indeed happen.
In v5 we find that all the nations might be walking after their own gods at the moment, but when the prophesied unity occurs
this will be changed, and the nations will come to learn the truth of God’s word. It will not be through any general
humanitarian ideas and efforts, however, that the human race will reach this goal, but solely through the omnipotence and
faithfulness of the Lord. The other gods of the nations are all worthless, but the true God is a God of strength and power,
and this will be seen in all fullness in the millennium. Although Israel has been somewhat fickle in following the Lord through
history, the time will come when God’s chosen people will faithfully serve Him.
TOPICS
JERUSALEM
1. Jerusalem is the Holy City of three monotheistic faiths.
a) JUDAISM: Jerusalem has always been the focus of the Jewish homeland as it was the capital of the first Jewish
kingdom. The Western Wall (the Wailing Wall) is a remnant of the great temple, built by King Herod and is the most sacred
of all Jewish shrines.
b) CHRISTIANITY: For Christians, Jerusalem is the site of Jesus Christ's last days on earth. It is the place of His trial and
crucifixion, and also of His resurrection.
c) ISLAM: The Arabs call Jerusalem "Al Quds", which means "The Noble (or Holy) Sanctuary". After Mecca and Medina, it
is the holiest city in the Muslim world. On the place where the Temple stood now stands the Dome of the Rock (or mosque
of Omar). It is built over a rock from where Mohammed is said to have ascended to Heaven.
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2. The name 'Jerusalem' is sometimes abbreviated to "Salem" which is the Hebrew word for peace (Genesis 14:18; Psalm
76:2). Jerusalem means "City of Peace" (Psalm 122:6,7; Isaiah 66:12; Haggai 2:9).
3. It was the city of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18).
4. Although the Israelites captured its "suburbs", they never took the citadel of Mount Zion (Judges 1:8,21 ; 19:12; Joshua
15:63). This fortress was called Jebus, after its inhabitants the Jebusites, descendants of Hittites and Amorites (Ezekiel
16:3). It was finally taken by King David and renamed City of David (2 Samuel 5:6-9).
5. It was a suitable place for a capital as it had not played a role in the history of any of the tribes and was not in any of the
tribes' territory, but on the boundary between Benjamin and Judah (Joshua 15:8; 18:16).
6. It was a strong fortress and had its own water supply in the spring Gihon. This could be reached from the city through a
tunnel (2 Samuel 5:8), later improved by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30).
7. The real spiritual meaning of Jerusalem began when King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to the City of David on
Mount Zion (2 Samuel 6:16). Zion became synonymous with Jerusalem as the place where God dwelt among His people.
(Psalms 48:1-3; 50:2; 87:2,3; 132:13,14; 137:5,6; 1 Kings 12:26-28)
8. Jerusalem the "City of Peace", was the scene of many battles and it changed hands many times during its 4,000 year
history. Since 1967 it has been back in Jewish hands. (Luke 21:24)
9. ITS FUTURE:
a) A new temple is to be built on the old temple site. The Antichrist will enter this temple to declare himself God.
(2Thessalonians 2:4)
b) The armies of all nations will be drawn against her. Its inhabitants will suffer terribly but they will be delivered by the Lord.
(Zechariah 14:1-9)
c) The Lord will enter the city through the East Gate (Golden Gate) which, at present, is bricked in. (Ezekiel 44:1,2; Psalm
24:7-9)
d) Jerusalem will be the capital during the Millennium. (Zechariah 2:10-13; 8:22; Isaiah 2:3,4)
e) But this Jerusalem is only a shadow of things to come. (Hebrews 11:10,16). After the Millennium there will be a new
Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. (Hebrews 12:22; Galatians 4:26; Revelation 3:12; 21:2,10).
KINGDOM: MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
1. "Thy will be done on earth, " will be fulfilled in the Millennium. (Matthew 6:10)
2. The Kingdom is the Millennium, the first 1,000 years of Jesus' eternal reign. It will be after the second advent, on the old
earth. (Revelation 20:4-6)
a) Promised (2 Samuel 7:8-17, Psalm 89:20-33)
b) Prophesied (Isaiah 2:1-5, 2:11, 12, 35, 55, 56, 62:11)
c) Presented (Matthew, Mark, Luke ) Israel, not the church)
d) Postponed Epistles of New Testament (for church age)
e) Proclaimed (Revelation 10) (Angelic herald) (Revelation 11:1-1 4) (Human heralds)
f) Plagiarized (Revelation 13)
g) Perfected (Revelation 11:15-19)
3. Issues relating to the Kingdom

a) The Character of God - will He keep His word to Israel? Yes. Jesus Christ will reign.
b) Unconditional Covenant - will He keep Covenant? Yes. Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, New - all fulfilled in the
Millennium.
c) Dispersion of Israel - will He recover them again? Yes. At the second advent.
d) Advent - will He return to earth at the worst period in history? Yes. At the end of the Tribulation.
e) Millennial - The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is eternal, why the emphasis on the first 1,000 years? Jesus will do what Satan
has been trying to do for 6,000 years; He will create perfect environment in an instant, as a demonstration to prove that
perfect environment is not the answer; regeneration is.
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4. Principles from Micah 4:1-8

a) The Kingdom will be supreme. (Micah 4:1)
b) The Kingdom will be universal. (Micah 4:2)
c) The Kingdom will be peaceful. (Micah 4:3)
d) The Kingdom will secure universal prosperity.(Micah 4:4-5)
e) The nation of Israel ruled by the Lord for the Kingdom. (Micah 4:6-8)
MICAH 4:6-13 - EXILE AND REDEMPTION
In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I
have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the
LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. And thou, O tower of the flock, the
strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the
daughter of Jerusalem. Now why dost thou cry out aloud? [is there] no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished?
for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a
woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go
[even] to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But
they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the
sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy
hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their
substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
KEY WORDS
Day Yom Day, hot, season, year

Say Neum Saith, hath said
Assemble Asaph Gather, assemble, receive
Halt Tsala Limp, halt
Gather Qabats Grasp, collect, gather, assemble
Drive out Nadach Push off, banish, drive out/away
Afflict Raa Spoil, afflict, break, displease
Make Sum Put, appoint, place, make
Cast far off Hala Cast far off, remove, be remote
Strong Atsum Powerful, strong, mighty, numerous
Nation Goy Nation, people, Gentile
Reign Malak Reign, rule, ascend the throne
Mount Har Mountain, (range of) hill(s)
Tower Migdal Tower, castle, rostrum
Flock Eder Flock, herd, drove
Stronghold Ophel Fortress, stronghold, tower, mound
Come Athah Come, bring upon
Dominion Memshallah Dominion, government, rule, power
Kingdom Mamlakah Kingdom, dominion, realm
Come Bo Come, go, bring, abide
Cry out Rua Shout, cry, make noise
Aloud Rea Aloud, shout, noise
Counsellor Yaats Advise, deliberate, take counsel
Perish Abad Perish, lose, destroy
Pang Chiyl Pang, sorrow, pain
Take Chazaq Seize, fasten upon, take
Travail Yalad Bear young, labour, travail
Pain Chul Writhe, be in pain, travail
Labour to bring forth Giyach Labour to bring forth, issue
City Qiryah Building, city
Dwell Shakan Reside, abide, dwell, lodge
Field Sadeh Country, field, ground, land
Babylon Babel Babylon, Babel, confusion
Deliver Natsal Defend, deliver, preserve, rescue
MICAH 34
Redeem Gaal Redeem, ransom, buy back, avenger
Hand Kaph Hand, palm, sole, hollow
Many Rab Abundant, many, plenteous, mighty
Defile Chaneph Defile, corrupt, pollute, profane
Eye Ayin Eye, look, appearance, presence
Look Chazah Gaze at, look, perceive
Know Yada Know, acknowledge, discern
Thought Machashabah Plan, plot, thought, purpose
Understand Biyn Understand, discern, perceive, regard
Counsel Etsa Advice, plan, counsel
Sheaf Amiyr Sheaf, bunch, handful
Floor Goren Area, (threshing) floor, place
Arise Qum Rise, get up, stir up
Thresh Dush Thresh, trample, tread down
Horn Qeren Horn, ivory, power
Iron Barzel Iron, implement, axe head
Hoof Parsah Hoof, claw
Brass Nechushah Brass, steel, copper
Beat in pieces Daqaq Crush, beat in pieces, make dust
Consecrate Charam Devote, consecrate, destroy
Gain Betsa Plunder, gain, profit, covetousness
Substance Chayil Force, strength, substance, riches
Lord Adon Sovereign, lord, master, owner
Earth Erets Earth, ground, country, land
REFLECTION
Having given hope in the first few verses of this chapter, Micah now expands this, focussing on Judah, which he says will
not disappear, but will come back as a nation. Although the nation will be afflicted, Micah gives reassurance that God will
bring them back and He will reign over them forever. This is set against the previous section, when we saw that the nations
of the world will come to Jerusalem, reversing the curse of Babel. This does not undermine the special covenant
relationship that God has with His chosen people, the Jews.
The section starts with the words ‘in that day’, thus pointing to the time just referred to in the previous passage, namely the
time of the messianic reign when the nations would stream to Jerusalem. When God restores His people, however, their
strength will be God given, and God maintained. There will be no need of natural protection against other nations, and as
we saw people will be able to sit peacefully under their vines and fig trees. Through this regathering the Lord will be
glorified, for He will take an afflicted and limping people, and make them great again. The reference to limping, or halting,
refers either to a person with physical lameness, or alternatively a flock of sheep worn out by its wanderings.
This promise sits alongside that made in chapter 2:12 and the two make up the promise that all of Jacob, and those afflicted
and dispersed, will be regathered. No one need be excluded from the blessings that God is promising. Spiritually, Israel has
been ‘limping’ through much of its history (hence the need for them to be exiled from the land physically), but when the
messianic age comes they will acknowledge their Messiah and Saviour. There is, perhaps an irony here, that the
regathered people will be the lame, the dispersed and the afflicted, which does not convey a picture of strength. For many
years Israel prided itself on its military strength, but in the messianic kingdom Christ will be central and He will give strength
to His people.
There is perhaps a parallel in that Jesus so often showed compassion to the ‘outcasts’ of society, many of whom will be part
of the church if they come to Him in saving faith. It is worth remembering that in Micah’s day, when the temple worship was
practised, anyone who was in any way incapacitated was deemed to be unclean and therefore unable to take part in the
worship. This would have driven them further to the edge of society, but the glorious hope offered by Micah, and ultimately
by Christ also, is that in the messianic kingdom all things will be made new and the outcasts will be gathered in. Even in the
church we need to face the challenge that sometimes the outcasts of society will be pivotal people in the church, and
indeed for all true believers this world is not our home, so there is a sense in which we should not feel at home here.
In v7 there is reference to the remnant, and throughout Scripture, and history, God will always have a remnant of people
who are faithful to Him. We do, of course, need to distinguish between personal salvation, received only by faith in Christ,
and national restoration, fulfilled according to God’s gracious purposes and prophetic word. God will be the author of this
divine rule that will be seen in Jerusalem at this future time, and consequently it will last forever.
The reference to the rule being established in Mount Zion links the reign with David, for Zion was his city. This reminds us
that Christ is descended from David, and thus confirms the royal kingdom He is setting up. God had promised David that
MICAH 35
his kingdom would not end, and here in prophetic terms we see the realisation of that with David’s greater Son ruling from
Mt Zion.
In v8 Micah says that the stronghold of Zion will see dominion. God, of course, had always intended that Jerusalem, as the
capital of Judah, should be ruled by Him, and that the people should submit to Him. Ironically, the more the people tried to
find their strength in themselves, wanting a human king like the other nations, the more it eluded them. The king had power,
but the nation lacked strength. However, once God takes His rightful place in the nation as their true sovereign, they will
know the strength that they had sought so often.
There is, of course, an analogy here for Christians, for our true strength is found in Christ alone, and we try to run our lives
in our own way at our peril. So with Judah here, it is only when God is reigning supremely over the nation that they will
experience what they most want, namely sovereignty, dominion and strength, with peace in its borders. Each one of us
must ensure that we are living under God’s sovereignty, for He is the only source of true strength. We do not find this by
being independent or self-sufficient, but in dependency on God for our lives, for there alone is true peace.
The flock tower mentioned is probably a tower of the Davidic palace or castle on Mount Zion. Jerusalem is called the
"tower," from which the King and Shepherd observes and guards His flock. In large pastures also it was usual to erect a
high wooden tower, so as to oversee the flock. Perhaps we gain an insight into this use of the tower in Song of Solomon
4:4: “Thy neck is like David's tower, built for an armoury: a thousand shields hang thereon, all heroes' weapons.” The tower
was a place that was symbolic of strength and protection. It symbolised the rule and reign of David as one of strength, and
was in an exalted position. Christ’s reign will be exalted and more magnificent than any normal human kingdom.
Some see in this reference to the tower that it is the Tower of Eder,’ which is interpreted ‘tower of the flock,’ about 1000
paces (a mile) from Bethlehem,” says Jerome who lived there, “and foreshadowing (in its very name) by a sort of prophecy
the shepherds at the Birth of the Lord.” There Jacob fed his sheep (Genesis 35:21), and there (since it was close to
Bethlehem) the shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night, saw and heard the Angels singing, “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The Jews inferred from this place that the Messiah should be revealed
there.
The stronghold (Hebrew: Ophel) was a strong place in the South of Jerusalem, the last place which the wall that enclosed
Zion reached, as it touched on the Eastern porch of the temple, with whose service it was connected. It was close to where
the priests lived.
Before God is able to take His rightful place in the nation, there would be problems (v9), for the daughter Zion will lose her
king, and wander into captivity to Babylon; but there she will be redeemed by the Lord out of the power of her enemies.
Micah thus brings his readers back from the more distant future to the immediate future, and in doing so warns them
against the complacency that might result from feeling that they were immune from judgement given God’s ultimate glorious
future for them. They needed to change their ways, or overthrow of their kingdom and exile would fall upon them. Their
rejection of Jehovah as their true king would mean loss of their earthly king. The pain that they would feel at that time would
be likened to a woman in labour, for once the pains start the resultant process of birth is inevitable. The command to cry out
is a desperate one, implying that there is little hope of the judgement being averted.
This is something that we as Christians must also guard against; we are promised a glorious future with our Lord and
Saviour, as part of the Bride of Christ. Before that, however, there is the call to faithful service in this lifetime, while we have
breath in our bodies and prior to the Lord’s return for His church. The generation that we live in can only be reached by this
generation!
For Israel the prospect of losing their king would have been more painful than for any other nation, for God has made
promises to them about the kingdom, descending from David, that were wonderful and magnificent, and they spoke of the
glory of the everlasting kingdom promised to him. For Israel, the presence of the king spoke of the mercy and grace of God
to them. Thus if they lost their king, much of their hope for the future would also be lost. However, we have the benefit of
hindsight, and know that Christ came from the line of David and has restored the kingdom forever.
In v10 Micah continues the analogy of a woman in labour, but moves from the loss of the king to the exile from their land.
The difference with natural childbirth is that although painful it is usually a joyous event, whereas the exile from Jerusalem
was profoundly sad for them. Nevertheless the birth process is one of great intimacy, and God uses that in His dealings with
His people. He is quite specific that they will be taken into Babylon, thus underscoring the accuracy of Biblical prophecy.
Bear in mind that at the time of Micah’s ministry Assyria was the enemy and not Babylon. The fact that they will be going
forth from the city indicates capture, and the reference to dwelling in the field suggests they will be defenceless, in contrast
to their previous location within the security of the city.
Nevertheless, they would not be abandoned in Babylon, for God promises through Micah deliverance and redemption from
their enemies. This was to occur 70 years later through the hand of Cyrus the Great. Whilst this was a literal redemption, it
was a type of a much greater one to be achieved through Christ some centuries later. The word used for redeemer is ‘goel’
which means literally a redeemer who is related to you.
MICAH 36
The principles of redemption, and the parallels with Christ, are beautifully brought out in the book of Ruth. God’s
judgements have a purpose, and when they are achieved He frequently shows mercy. The difference with the end time
judgement of course is that the outcome will have eternal significance without a second chance.
Moving on to v11, we see that many nations were forming the enemies of Judah. There would have been peoples who were
subject to Babylonian rule, and of course at the time of writing Assyria was a major oppressor of Jerusalem. There would
also be other nations who would rejoice at the fall of Judah when it occurred. The place would be defiled, with violence and
bloodshed, and Judah’s enemies would look on this and be glad.
We learn in v12 that these nations who oppose do not know the thoughts of the Lord. This is hard enough for true believers
(see Isaiah 55:8), but for unbelievers who are opposed to God’s people the ignorance of God’s ways is much greater. How
can those who do not know God’s word or His ways understand the plans that He has? Surely that is a challenge to each of
us to know God’s word and live by it. These enemies of Judah (and of God) who were gathered against Jerusalem (v11) will
now gather to be judged, as a sheaf is gathered in for harvest. These people will be ripe for judgement, which should be a
warning for all those who oppose God’s ways and His people.
The chapter closes in v13 with the command for Judah to thresh her enemies. The likeness is drawn to an ox treading out
the corn, and the animal has great strength in its horn, which in itself is frequently used in Scripture as a symbol of power
and strength. The hooves of the ox would be as brass, both strong and unyielding; unanswered prayer often provokes a
likeness of the heavens to brass. The judgement upon the enemies by Judah would be of strength and unyielding. The horn
is often used of destructive power, so we have the double analogy of both destructive and crushing power here. God will be
the source of their strength, for we have seen that without His protection any nation or person is as nothing.
Although the enemies with be broken and plundered, it will not be for Judah’s own gain, but the plunder would be devoted
to God as it would belong to the one who gave the deliverance and victory. The glory is to go to God, not to man, and this is
the pattern that still exists even in the church. We have the benefit of seeing the greater victory for God, seen in Christ, who
is seated at the right hand of God in glory. With that in mind, any attempt to deprive God of the full glory that is due to Him is
both foolish and futile.
TOPIC
CHRIST – RETURN OF OUR LORD
This is the hope of the church from the day it was announced at his ascension - Acts 1:10,11, and recalled at every
communion service, where the believers took the cup with the words, "until he comes" - 1 Corinthians 11:26. This was the
focus and confidence (hope) of the early church, the Lord is risen and he is coming again.
The great truth of the Lord's coming and all it will mean for mankind and the earth brings Paul to the point of praise filled
worship towards the Lord, and he "sings" a doxology to the glory of God – 1Timothy 6:13-16.
The Lord is referred to as the:
1. “Blessed and only potentate”. The Lord is perfectly happy/blessed as he is in control of the universe and his plan is
working out. He is the real ruler of the world and this will one day be seen by all.
2. “King of kings”, emphasises that he is ruler over all men who have ever ruled the earth as kings.
3. “Lord of lords”, indicates his victory over the angels, so that he is recognised by all as supreme ruler. Every knee will
bow to him. Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10.
4. “Who only has immortality”. He alone has by nature and deed true immortality, in that as God he has always been in
existence and as man he has defeated sin and death through the cross and resurrection, and it is in his power and because
of his position that we have everlasting life (we had a beginning but we will like him, have no end).
5. “Dwelling in the light”. Light was the clothing of Adam and Eve before the fall and is the clothing of the resurrected Lord.
He lives in the purity and radiance of unapproachable light. This made the elders of John's vision in Revelation sink to their
knees and sing praises. Revelation 4:3-11.
We do not have the right "vision" of the Lord today in many churches; we see him only as he was on earth, not as he is in
heaven now. The phrase of Paul directs Timothy to look up and get a clear view of the Lord as he is in glory and so worship
and serve him more appropriately.
MICAH 37
6. “Who no man has seen or can see”. This is a confusing passage for the Lord has been seen in his resurrection body and
visions of his glory have been given to John and Paul at least.
What does Paul mean? He means that we see only the Lord in resurrection body since the cross, but not in his full glory as
God, for that would completely and literally "blow us away".
Even John who was granted such a great series of visions that he recorded for us in Revelation, says, "no man has seen
God at any time", 1 John 4:12, John 6:46. Maybe we will see him fully as he is, in heaven when we have our resurrection
bodies. 1 Corinthians 13:12.
7. “To him belong all honour and power everlasting”. The only one fully deserving honour or reverence is the Lord and he is
the only one with true power that lasts forever.
Paul ends this doxology with the "amen", or "so be it". It is the way of saying, "I believe it, it is so", and we must all say
amen to the above points, or we will continue worshiping an inadequate view of the Lord.
Do we serve the Lord with an accurate picture in our minds of how he is today? It is easy to be slack when we think of him
only as the one who walked the lanes of Israel, but consider the visions of John and bow down before him as he sits or
stands in radiant light the all powerful King of kings and Lord of lords, the true ruler of the universe in his full power.
The Lord's coming for the church, terminates the church age and opens the door to the Great Tribulation and then for his
final victory over sin and death and the establishment of his kingdom.
RUTH – TYPE OF CHURCH
1. SCRIPTURE Ruth.
2. BIOGRAPHY
Ruth was a Moabitess who lived during the period of the Judges. The events recorded regarding Ruth occur about 1320
BC. Ruth was married to Mahlon (Ruth 4:10), the elder son of Elimelech and Naomi. Elimelech and Naomi were Jews who
came to Moab in time of famine from their native Bethlehem with their two sons Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:2). Elimelech
died in Moab. Both his sons married Moabites and lived in exile in Moab for ten years. By the end of that time both of
Naomi's sons were dead, leaving all three women widows. Naomi decided to return to Judah (Ruth 1:7) and tells her
daughters-in-law to return to Moab. Ruth, however, decided to go with Naomi and to accept God rather than her pagan
gods (Ruth 1:15,16). The women arrive in Bethlehem at the barley harvest (Ruth 1:22). Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz, a
kinsman of Elimelech (Ruth 2:3). Boaz met her, allowed her to glean and then provided Ruth with food (Ruth 2:14).
Ruth worked in the field until the end of harvest (Ruth 2:23). Ruth now went to the threshing floor at night and Boaz stated
that he would act as her kinsman redeemer (Leviticus 25:25, 47-49). Ruth and Boaz married, their son Obed being the
grandfather of David (1 Chronicles 2:12; Matthew 1:5).
3. EVALUATION
a) Ruth as a Moabite was under a curse (Deuteronomy 23:3-6).
b) Ruth decided to go with Naomi and accept God (Ruth 1:15,16).
c) Ruth goes to Bethlehem - "the house of bread" where the Bread of God is born some 1300 years later (Ruth 1:22).
d) At Bethlehem they found plenty of food.
e) Ruth meets Boaz who can represent the person of Christ, as he is:
i) The Lord of the Harvest - able to redeem (Ruth 4:4-6).
ii) The new Kinsman (Ruth 3:12,13).
iii) The supplier of wants (Ruth 2:14).
iv) The redeemer of the inheritance (Ruth 4:6,7).
v) The giver of rest.
vi) The wealthy kinsman (Leviticus 25:27).
vii) The Bridegroom (Ruth 4:13).
f) Ruth can be seen as the gentile bride of Christ (Boaz of Judah) whom he is able and willing to redeem.
g) Ruth gives an example of normal Christian experience:
i) Ruth deciding (Ruth 1). Salvation.
ii) Ruth serving (Ruth 2). Working for God.
iii) Ruth resting (Ruth 3). Resting in the promises of God.
iv) Ruth rewarded (Ruth 4). The Church in Heaven.
h) God blessed Boaz and Ruth with the birth of a son Obed who is in the line of Christ.
4. PRINCIPLES
a) Through grace cursing is turned to blessings by God (Numbers 22 - 24).
b) A person's free will is required to decide for or against God (Matthew 23:37).
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c) A person who accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour need never be spiritually hungry again (John 6:35).
d) Correct orientation in life will give spiritual blessing (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 119:9).
e) We can work in the field of the Lord of the harvest (John 4:36).
f) After the harvest the bridegroom (Christ) will wed the bride (the Church) (Revelation 21:2,9).
g) Jesus Christ gives the peace of God which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
h) Jesus Christ has redeemed us from this world (Galatians 1:4).
i) God can use those of low status in His plan (e.g. Ruth, a Gentile, is in the line of Christ 1 Corinthians 1:26).
CHAPTER 5
MICAH 5:1-6 - BETHLEHEM IS THE PLACE
Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of
Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of
Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been]
from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time [that] she which travaileth hath brought
forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the
strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be
great unto the ends of the earth. And this [man] shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land:
and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall
he deliver [us] from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
KEY WORDS
Troop Gadad Crowd, troop, gather

Troop Gedud Crowd, army, troop, band, company
Siege Matsor Siege, distress, bulwark, tower
Smite Nakah Strike, smite, beat, punish
Judge Shaphat Judge, vindicate, punish
Rod Shebet Stick. Rod, staff, sceptre
Cheek Lechiy Cheek (bone), jaw (bone)
Bethlehem Beyth lechem Bethlehem, house of bread
Ephratah Ephrathah Ephrath, fruitfulness
Little Tsaiyr Little, few, least, young
Thousand Eleph Thousand
Come forth Yatsa Go out/forth, come forth, escape
Ruler Mashal Governor, rule, have power
Going forth Motsaah Family descent, going forth, sewer
Old Qedem Before, ancient, old, the front
Everlasting Olam Concealed, eternity, perpetual, ancient
Give up Nathan Give, bestow, bring forth
Time Eth Time, season, now, when
Travail Yalad Bear young, labour, travail
Remnant Yether Remainder, excess, remnant
Brother Ach Brother, kindred, another
Return Shub Turn back, retreat, return
Child Ben Son, child, grandson, nation
Stand Amad Stand, abide, appoint, remain
Feed, shepherd Raah Tend, graze, pasture, feed
Strength Oz Strength, power, boldness
Majesty Gaon Excellency, majesty, pomp, pride
Name Shem Name, character, renown, report
Abide Yashab Sit down, settle, remain, abide
Great Gadal Make large, great, excellent
End Ephes End, cessation, uttermost
Earth Erets Land, earth, ground, field
Peace Shalom Peace, prosperity, health
Assyrian Ashshur Assyrian, 2nd son of Shem
Tread Darak Tread, walk, come, lead
Palace Armon Citadel, castle, palace
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Raise Qum Rise, raise, lift up, perform
Seven Sheba Seven, seven times
Eight Shemoneh Eight, eighth
Principal Nesiyk Prince, drink offering, duke
Man Adam Human being, person, man
Waste Raa Spoil, waste, do harm, mischief
Sword Chereb Knife, sword, dagger, axe
Nimrod Nimrod Nimrod, son of Cush
Entrance Pethach Opening, door, entrance
Deliver Natsal Snatch away, pluck, defend, deliver
Border Gebul Boundary, border, territory
RELFECTION
Although Micah is generally not a well known book in the Bible, this section contains one of the few verses that is easily
recognised, for verse 2 often features in carol services as part of the Christmas story. It is quoted in Mathew 2:6 by Herod’s
scribes when Herod asks about the birthplace of the Messiah. It is too easy to take these well known verses out of context,
so let us return to the beginning of the chapter and work from there.
In v1 it seems that Micah is describing the plight of the current leader, who was apparently having difficulty given that
reference is made to a siege when he is struck upon the cheek. This may not be a literal striking on the face (although this
might be fairly literal – see below), but a way of describing the hardship associated with the siege. The “daughter of troops”
is still the same who was before addressed, Judah. The word is almost always used of “bands of men employed in irregular,
marauding, in-roads.” Judah is entitled “daughter of troops,” on account of her violence, the robbery and bloodshed within
her. He finds himself in spirit along with the people in besieged Zion. The siege leads to conquest; for it is only in
consequence of this that the judge of Israel can be smitten with the rod upon the cheek, i.e., be shamefully ill treated.
In v2 the Messiah is not called king there, but mashal, ruler, as the possessor of supreme authority; whereas in v1 the
possessor of judicial authority is called shophet, to indicate the reproach which would fall upon the king and the leaders of
the nation on account of their unrighteousness. The principal fulfilment occurred in the Chaldaean period; but the fulfilment
was repeated in every succeeding siege of Jerusalem until the destruction of the city by the Romans.
The attack on the king (or “judge”) of Jerusalem could refer to Zedekiah, who was king at the time of the Babylonian
captivity, and whose eyes were put out shortly after he had seen his sons put to death. It could also have a longer term
view, for of course Jesus Himself was struck on the face at the time when He was crucified as the ultimate leader of
Jerusalem, albeit not seen as such by most at the time. There was a siege around Jerusalem at the time of the Babylonian
captivity, and although there was not a siege when Christ was crucified, the Romans did besiege Jerusalem some 40 years
later, culminating in its destruction in 70AD. Smiting the cheek in this way was a severe insult to an eastern person in those
days.
Moving on to v2 itself, we find Identified the place where Messiah was to be born. It is stated as being Bethlehem Ephratah,
to distinguish it from other towns in Israel by the name of Bethlehem. The name Bethlehem means ‘house of bread’ and it is
entirely fitting that He who was to be the Bread of Life to mankind should be born in a town of that name. Ephratah means
fruitfulness, and Jesus as the vine is the one who enables us to bear fruit, as well as being extremely fruitful in His ministry
Himself. It was also a requirement that Jesus was born there, for it was David’s town, and Jesus was descended from David
through His mother’s line naturally, and through Joseph by adoption. It was a small town with little to commend it other than
this exalted lineage that was to emanate from it, although it should be said that Rachel died there, and Ruth and Naomi
settled there too. It is located a few miles south west of Jerusalem, and it is a fertile area.
The reference to Judah further locates this Bethlehem from the others in Israel, so Micah is ensuring that there is no
confusion here. He addresses the town (or its people) and announces that from the town will come a ruler who must be of
divine origin, for His goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Jesus, of course, as a divine member of the
Godhead, has always existed, so He truly does date from everlasting, being involved in the creation of the world and from
eternity before that too. This expression conveys the strongest assertion of infinite duration of which the Hebrew language
is capable. The reference to thousands refers to the clans, where each contained 1000 families.
In v3 we find that God will give up His people in Judah to their enemies, until the time when she who is in travail has
brought forth. There is the implication here that both the nation, and the town of Bethlehem, will hardly be flourishing when
the Messiah is born there, and of course God’s timing as always is perfect. The fact that Messiah was to be born in
Bethlehem and not Jerusalem suggests that the Davidic royal line will have been in decline, such that the throne would not
be fully operative as it had been in earlier days. Micah had spoken enough of these things earlier in his message.
Nevertheless, we have the prospect that both David the king (prior to Micah) and the Messiah King would both come, not
from Jerusalem, but from the small town of Bethlehem.
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The one giving birth referred to here is probably looking forward to Mary, as prophesied by Micah’s contemporary Isaiah
(7:14). Israel suffered for many long years having lost her former glory, but the light eventually shone forth in the person of
Jesus. The verse also includes reference to the remnant of his brethren returning to the children of Israel. There may be a
reference here to the return of the Jews to the land of Israel, which we have seen in part over recent years, but to be
fulfilled in greater measure at the return of Christ. There may also be a spiritual dimension to this, for we also know from
elsewhere in Scripture that there will be a believing remnant in Israel in the last days.
Once Israel has returned to its God in the latter days, we find in v4 the promise that the Messiah Jesus will feed them in His
strength and glory. The messianic ruler here is said to be standing, which is the attitude of a servant, and it is interesting
here that Jesus will still have a servant heart, even though He reigns in glory. It is worthy of note that the word for feed is
one that involves tending and pasturing, just as Jesus from the New Testament is known as the Good Shepherd. He is not a
tyrant, but one who deals with His people with tenderness and care, protecting them from harm and ensuring they receive
the nourishment that they need.
The rulership exercised here is beyond that of normal earthly rulers, but it will have all of the divine authority and majesty of
Christ as Messiah. When on earth at His first coming, Jesus’ majesty was veiled, being glimpsed occasionally such as at
the Transfiguration, but now His royal majesty will be seen by all. With Jesus on the throne there will be peace (abiding) and
it will extend across the whole earth. As Christ’s power is universal so will His reign be. This suggests a security and settled
peace such as only Christ can give. The abiding also implies that the Jews as God’s chosen people addressed here will no
longer go astray, as they have done so often in the past.
Moving on to v5, we find that this man who will feed His people will be their peace too. He does not just bring peace, but He
is their peace, so this could be none other than Christ Himself. Compare Ephesians 2:14, “He is our peace,” which points
back to this passage. In this relation the Messiah is called the Prince of peace in Isaiah 9:5, as securing peace for Israel in
a higher and more perfect sense than Solomon. This will be seen more fully when enemies come to attack the land. The
reference to Assyria is sometimes rendered Asshur, which probably still refers to the same people. This is a type of the
nations of the world by which the people of the Lord are attacked, because in the time of the prophet this power was the
imperial power by which Israel was endangered.
Against this enemy Israel will set up seven, or eight princes, who, under the chief command of the Messiah, i.e., as His
subordinates, will drive it back, and press victoriously into its land. Sometimes in Hebrew literature the appearance of two
consecutive rising numbers such as the 7 or 8 here is used to denote emphasis, so God appears to be pressing His point
home here through Micah. Messiah will, of course, rule His people as a Shepherd, and will have the strength to accomplish
this. Seven is also mentioned as the number of the works proceeding from God, so that seven shepherds, i.e., princes,
would be quite sufficient; and this number is surpassed by the eight, to express the thought that there might be even more
than were required. Seven and eight is an idiom for a full number.
The victory spoken of most likely refers to the deliverance that would come from the world powers that oppressed Israel, but
also in terms of the ultimate victory of Jesus as the Messiah in time to come, culminating in His victorious reign in glory after
His return. In each generation there are battles to fight for which we need the help and strength of the Lord.
In v6 we see reference again to Assyria, but also to Nimrod, who founded the first empire and who built Babylon as well as
Nineveh (Genesis 10:9-10), and thus is symbolised the hostility of the world’s empires to the kingdom of God. Messiah will
bring deliverance form the oppressors when they seek to invade the land. Babylon deposed Assyria as an empire, and both
were enemies of Israel.
Judah desperately needs a new start, and their coming leader will have humble origins, as did king David. Perhaps it is
pertinent to mention that Judah looked for this coming deliverer in a human sense, and he never came. The people of
Micah’s day were looking for a dynamic leader who would deliver them from the oppressing empires, but on the face of it,
he never came. Instead, Jesus came as the suffering servant and was largely unrecognised by the people, yet He still
fulfilled many prophecies as such.
TOPIC
COVENANT: DAVIDIC COVENANT
1. Israel will have a king forever 2 Samuel 7:8-17.

a) A descendant of David in the Davidic line (v 12)
b) He will have a kingdom to rule over. (v 12)
c) God will provide a throne. (v 13)
d) The throne will be forever. (vs 13,16)
e) The Davidic Covenant is restated in (v 16)
MICAH 41
2. The covenant has one condition - disobedience will be rewarded with discipline but will not cause the cancellation of the
covenant. (2 Samuel 7:15; Psalm 89:20-37)
3. Discipline came with the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam. (1 Kings 12:16-20)
4. Discipline continued with the captivity of Samaria in 721 BC and Judah in 586 BC.
5. Since then the only King of David crowned in Jerusalem has been crowned with a crown of thorns. (Matthew 27:29).
6. The Davidic Covenant was confirmed to Mary. (Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:29-31).
7. The Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled at the Second Advent of Christ when He will commence His everlasting rule with the
1,000 year reign of the Millennium. ((Luke 1:32, Acts 2:29-30, Revelation 20:4-6)
MICAH 5:7-15 - THE REMOVAL OF IDOLATRY
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the
grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the
Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of
sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thine hand shall be
lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith
the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: And I will cut off the
cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou
shalt have no [more] soothsayers: Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst
of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of
thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they
have not heard.
KEY WORDS

Midst Qereb Nearest part, centre, midst
People Am People, tribe, nation, troop
Dew Tal Dew
Shower Rabiyb Rain, shower
Grass Eseb Glisten, be green, grass, herb
Tarry Qavah Wait, tarry, expect, collect
Man Iysh Man, male, fellow, husband
Wait Yachal Wait, be patient, stay, hope
Man Adam Man, human being, person
Gentile Goy Gentile, nation, heathen
Lion Ariy Lion
Beast Behemah (Dumb) beast, cattle
Forest Yaar Forest, copse, wood, honeycomb
Young lion Kephiyr Young lion, village
Flock Eder Drove, flock, herd
Sheep Tson Flock, lamb, sheep, (small) cattle
Go through Abar Cross over, go through/beyond
Tread down Ramas Tread, trample, stamp upon
Tear in pieces Taraph Pluck, pull/tear to pieces
Deliver Natsal Snatch away, defend, deliver, rescue
Hand Yad Hand, power, means
Lift up Rum Raise, lift up, exalt
Adversary Tsar Opponent, enemy, adversary
Cut off Karath Cut off, destroy, consume
Come to pass Hayah Exist, become, come to pass
Day Yom Day, season, year
Horse Sus Horse, swallow (ir rapid flight)
Destroy Abad Lose, destroy, perish
Chariot Merkabah Chariot
City Iyr City, town, court
Land Erets Country, land, ground, earth
MICAH 42
Throw down Haras Pull/throw down, break, destroy
Stronghold Mibtsar Fortification, stronghold, fortress,
castle
Witchcraft Kesheph Witchcraft, sorcery, magic
Soothsayer Anan Enchanter, soothsayer, sorcerer
Graven image Pesiyl Idol, graven or carved image
Standing image Matstsebah Column, idol, (standing) image, pillar
Worship Shachah Prostrate, do reverence, worship
Work Maaseh Action, deed, labour, work
Pluck Nathash Pull, pluck up, tear away, destroy
Grove Asherah Grove, Asherah (Phoenician goddess)
Destroy Shamad Desolate, destroy, overthrow
Execute Asah Do, make, execute, perform
Vengeance Naqam Revenge, vengeance
Anger Aph Anger, wrath, nose, nostril
Fury Chemah Heat, anger, rage, poison
Hear Shamah Hear, listen, perceive
REFLECTION
This section starts with the remnant of Judah being likened to dew from the Lord, which is perhaps an unusual comparison.
However, dew is something that is of divine origin, and cannot be controlled. It comes almost imperceptibly, but its effect is
evident, and in Deuteronomy it is described as a blessing and precious. It refreshes, and from a spiritual perspective, we
should find refreshment in the “dew” of heaven that comes down to us in Christ, by the Holy Spirit, when God is at work in
our midst. Man cannot manufacture dew, nor prevent its coming, for God supplies it according to His design. Without dew
the land becomes dry and parched, and without the blessing of heaven we become dry spiritually also.
Dew also does not remain throughout the day, and as v1 says, it doesn’t wait for man. We cannot presume upon God’s
blessing, and if we are not receptive to it then we will miss it. Dew is gentle, but what a blessing it brings. Micah is predicting
that Jacob will be a blessing to many nations, as dew is to the earth and this will be a sovereign work, not dependent on the
work of man. The fact that the dew doesn’t wait for any man suggests that the remnant of Jacob will not depend upon man,
but upon God, as was His intention from the beginning. Note also that Israel will be as dew amongst many people; despite
its relative small size Israel will have significance extending well beyond its borders.
In v2 the analogy changes to that of a lion. This may seem strange after comparing the remnant of Jacob to dew, for there
seem to be few similarities between a lion and dew, especially given the apparent terrifying and destructive aspects of a
lion’s nature. A lion is, however, as uncontrollable as dew, for it seems to come and go as it pleases regardless of what man
does. A lion is terrifying and brings fear wherever it goes, especially amongst sheep as the verse suggests. Sheep are
particularly defenceless creatures, so when confronted by a lion they will be an easy prey.
The remnant of Jacob will be victorious and terrifying to their enemies in those days, the nations being forced to succumb to
them. This can only happen when God is at work, so there is a similarity with the dew to that extent. Being the people of
God, the remnant will be not unlike Christ when He comes to judge, for He is a refreshing blessing to His people, but
terrifying to His enemies when they realise that His judgement is just and entirely deserved. The implication is that God’s
people here will wait for him, and He will accomplish His will and purposes. Some see in this verse a reference to Israel’s
victory in the time of the Maccabees.
In v9 we see the future victory of Israel against its enemies, brought about by the mighty hand of God. What occurs for
Israel is also the case for the church in its victory over sin and the devil, and ultimately it is in Christ that the final victory is
seen.
We find in v10 that God is announcing the removal of various things from the land. The first things picked out for removal
are the chariots and horses, which on first reading might seem a strange thing for God to do in a nation where they are to
be as lions. These would be the equivalent of our armaments and tanks today, so it might be odd that in the midst of their
strength God takes away their ability to defend themselves. However, God is making the point that He does not want the
people, or their kings and leaders, to be reliant on human strength and resources, which is a danger that all of us can
succumb to, whether in a military context or not.
An example of this is found in 2 Chronicles 26:11-15, where the King Uzziah set up a mighty army to support and protect
him from his enemies. There comes a warning in v16, when we read that after Uzziah became powerful his pride became
his downfall for he was unfaithful to God. This echoes the earlier Old Testament command not to trust in horses for strength
(See Deuteronomy 17:16 & Psalm 20:7). It is so easy for each one of us to look to our own resources for strength,
forgetting that God is the only sure rock and everything else is of little worth and can be shaken. By contrast, the people
MICAH 43
referred to by Micah are reliant on God, for He will be their strength. Of course, when the Prince of Peace (Jesus) comes to
reign in power, Israel will certainly have no need of worldly means of maintaining order.
The second thing that God will remove is the cities and strongholds. Again this would refer to reliance being placed in
something other than God. When God moves in power for Israel, there would be no need of walled cities to feel secure, but
He will be their defence. We all want to find security here on earth, but the only sure rock is Christ, and the New Testament
urges us to lay up treasure in heaven rather than on earth. There may be a link to the future time of prosperity referred to in
Zechariah 2:4.
Moving on to v12, God says that He will remove witchcraft and soothsayers, and these are things that attract God’s wrath
throughout the Bible. Those who resort to such practices are looking to falsehood, and away from God for their direction in
life. God looks for faithfulness in His people, and there is to be no place for such idolatry in either Israel or the church. There
is a clear warning against such things in Deuteronomy 18:10, and in Revelation 22:15 we find that those who practise
magic arts are excluded from God’s presence in the New Jerusalem. God calls such practices abominations, and we need
to take note of the things that God hates, and avoid them.
In v13 God attacks the idolatry in the nation, and He will remove idols and graven images. For any nation that is relying on
God as there defence there is no place for any false gods, and that would apply to individuals too. The graven images
would be made of wood or stone, whilst the standing images would be molten or cast metal. Such things have been
forbidden for Israel since the time of the 10 commandments, and God looks for a purity of faith that relies on Him alone, not
any manmade deities that are of no value. In modern times, at least in the western world, there may not be a tendency to
worship graven images overtly, but many worship the god of materialism, which is not far removed from idol worship. There
is a futility in giving any form of worship (whether overtly intended or otherwise) to anything manmade, and God requires
and deserves our total allegiance at all times.
Micah seems to summarise the futility of idol worship in v14, but speaks of “groves”, which is a translation of Asherah,
which were literally stems of trees or posts standing upright or set up as idols, which were dedicated to the Canaanite
goddess of nature. Far too often Israel resorted to worship of Asherah poles to be like the heathen nations around them.
The gross heathen idolatry, to which Israel was addicted under the Old Testament, is a figure denoting that more refined
idolatry which will exist even in the church of Christ so long as sin and unbelief endure. The extermination of every kind of
heathen idolatry is simply the Old Testament expression for the purification of the church of the Lord from everything of an
idolatrous and ungodly nature.
The cities referred to would probably incur God’s wrath as being near to the areas of false worship referred to here.
Anything that encourages people towards self-reliance or trust in other gods will be removed and destroyed; God will retain
a remnant of true believers who will follow Him diligently in all generations.
The chapter closes in v 15 with God’s threat to execute vengeance on the heathen in an unprecedented way. Essentially
this is a promise from God that He will take vengeance on all those nations that have not obeyed Him. Presumably by this
point it will no longer include Judah, which will have a godly believing remnant maintaining allegiance to the one true God.
He will exterminate every ungodly power by a fierce judgement, so that nothing will ever be able to disturb the peace of His
people and kingdom again.
TOPIC
GOD: DIVINE INSTITUTIONS - NATIONS -NATIONAL DISCIPLINE
1. Discipline upon the damned. These nations have lived out their purpose in history and must be eliminated. This is shown
in the story of Sodom in (Genesis 19). This also shows that God will not punish a nation if He can find a remnant in that
nation.
God will never damn a people to extinction in history as long as there is a remnant left. Believers are the salt of the earth
and are the insurance policy for the nation in which they reside (Matthew 5:13). God protects the believer from judgment
(Genesis 19:17-23; Romans 8:1). This was done without any external armies by means of a natural catastrophe.
2. The principle is given in (Acts 17:26) where God has set the geographical and historical boundaries for nations. God is
therefore sovereign in history and geography. This is done so that they should seek after the Lord (Acts 17:27). No nation
is that apostate that a person does not have a chance to be saved as when a nation becomes apostate it is either
destroyed or changed.
3. Another damned culture is the Amorites of (Genesis 15:16) where Abraham's seed would be in Egypt until such time that
the apostasy of the Canaanites had matured. However when the Israelites came out of Egypt they were used by God to
destroy the Amorites (Deuteronomy 7:2). As they were doing it for God they were not allowed to take booty (Joshua 6:17).
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This discipline was by direct military action and not by natural means. As the discipline continues they are warned about
their attitude (Deuteronomy 9:3-6).
4. The fall of the Chaldean empire under Belshazzer to the Medio - Persians and the Scythians is an example of the
destruction of a powerful empire overnight (Daniel 5). Daniel pointed out the God made Nebuchadnezzar king but when he
became proud he was discipline until such time as he acknowledged the source of his prosperity. No nation can attain
power unless God grants them it. Belshazzer had the testimony of Nebuchadnezzar but chose to ignore it.
5. Part of our responsibility is to pray for our country and its rulers (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
CHAPTER 6
MICAH 6:1-8 - GOD PLEADS HIS CASE
Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear
ye, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy
with his people, and he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied
thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of
servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab
consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the
righteousness of the LORD. Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before the high God? shall
I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of
rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my transgression, the fruit of my body
[for] the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but
to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
KEY WORDS
Hear Shama Hear intelligently, listen, consider

Lord Yehovah Jehovah, self-existent or eternal one
Arise Qum Rise (up), perform, stand up
Contend Riyb Grapple, wrangle, contend, defend
Mountain Har Mountain, range of hills
Hill Gibah Hill, hillock
Voice Qol Voice, sound, cry, noise
Controversy Riyb Contest, controversy, strife
Strong Eythan Permanent, mighty, strong
Foundation Mosadah Foundation
Earth Erets Land, earth, ground, field
Plead Yakach Be right, argue, decide, plead
Do Asah Do, make, accomplish, perform
Weary Laah Tire, faint, be weary, disgusted
Testify Anah Heed, testify, announce
Bring up Alah Ascend, lift, bring up, raise
Egypt Mitsrayim Mizraim, i.e. lower & upper Egypt
Redeem Padah Ransom, redeem, release, sever
House Bayith House, home, family
Servant Ebed Servant, bondsman
Send Shalach Send, cast/push away
Moses Mosheh Moses, drawing out (of water)
Aaron Aharon Aaron (brother of Moses)
Miriam Miryam Miriam, rebelliously
Remember Zakar Mark, remember, recount
Balak Balaq Balak, waster
Consult Yaats Advise, deliberate, consult, counsel
Balaam Bilam Balaam, foreigner
Son Ben Son, grandson, nation
Beor Beor Beor, lamp
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Shittim Shittiym Shittim (E of Jordan), acacia trees
Know Yada Know, discern, discover
Righteousness tsedaqah Rightness, justice, righteousness
Come before Qadam Project, precede, come before, meet
Bow myself Kaphaph Bow down (self), curve
High Marom Altitude, height, dignity, high
God Elohiym (Supreme) God, gods
Burnt offering Olah Burnt offering, sacrifice, ascent
Calf Egel Calf, steer, bullock
Year Shaneh Year (old)
Be pleased Ratsah Be pleased, approve, favour, consent
Ram Ayil Strength, ie ram, oak, tree, post
Ten thousands Rebabah Abundance, myriad, ten thousand
River Nachal Stream, river, brook, valley
Oil Shemen Grease, oil, ointment
Give Nathan Give, ascribe, appoint
Firstborn Bekor Firstborn, eldest, chief
Transgression Pesha Revolt, sin, transgression, rebellion
Fruit Periy Fruit, bough, reward
Body Beten Womb, belly, body
Sin Chattaah Offence, offender, sin, penalty
Soul Nephesh Vitality, breath, soul
Show Nagad Manifest, announce, expose, show
Man Adam Human being, man, person
Good Tob Good, beautiful, pleasant
Require Darash Follow, seek, ask, require
Justly Mishpat Verdict, right, just, sentence
Love Ahab Have affection for, love
Mercy Chesed Piety, favour, mercy, pity
Walk Halak Walk, behave, go about
Humbly Tsana Humbly, lowly
REFLECTION
In this section Micah turns back from the images of hope, and returns to the prospect of judgement that will await an
unrepentant people. The spiritual state of the people is such that he cannot dwell too long on the bright future, for they need
to be reminded of the need to turn back to God in repentance. Destruction had been prophesied, and given that they were
not a cleansed and repentant people who were looking to God in faith, they deserved judgement. Surely there is a reminder
here to God’s people in all ages to ensure that we put Him first at all times.
Micah is instructed by God to speak out, such that the hills and mountains hear what is being said to the people. It is almost
as though God is saying that if the people will not listen, then the hills and mountains, which of course form part of the
Promised Land, should be His witnesses. They would be seen as permanent and immovable objects, and would be there
when the present rebellious nation had gone. They would have seen what God had done for his people over the
generations (and found no lapse on His part), and would also have seen the rebellion on the part of the people. This theme
is continued into v2, when the foundations of the earth are called as witnesses, and they too would be deemed immovable
witnesses who had seen the behaviour of the people. The picture is reminiscent of a court case, in which the natural
features of the earth such as hills and mountain seem to have more insight that fallen man.
God invites the people to contend with Him, to put their case before Him, knowing that they have nothing of substance by
which they can plead in their defence. God was giving Micah the authority to speak in His name, to say that God was far
from pleased with their behaviour. The mountains and hills would be clothed with grass, trees and other aspects of God’s
provision, without having done anything to achieve this beyond receiving what God had to give.
By contrast the people, who had the knowledge and ability to respond to God’s caring provision, had failed to do so.
Perhaps there is a hint that God, who has made the mountains tremble in the past when He has been on the move, will
speak through physical manifestations on the earth if the people will not repent. God has been patient in the past, and there
is a sense of His condescension in coming to speak to His people through Micah, but they still deserved His judgement.
The Lord is clear that He has a controversy with His people; they had been chosen by God as special to be His witness and
representatives on earth, yet they had failed in this. Not only were they thus guilty of disobedience and idol worship, the
people around who should have seen a vibrant testimony to God’s goodness were thereby deprived and robbed of the
witness to God’s goodness. There is a real challenge here to the church also, for if we fail to portray a good witness to the
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world, God’s name is dishonoured and the people outside the church are robbed of the testimony that they should be
hearing.
In v3, God is seen asking the people what He had done to weary them, or by implication, what He had done to offend them.
God knows that there is no lack or default on His part, but in His grace He invites them to speak up to present their case
before Him. It is a sad state indeed when God’s people become tired of Him, but today’s church still needs to beware of
such behaviour. It is so easy to go through the motions of religion and become bored with it, forgetting that what we are
called to is a vibrant and living relationship with God through Christ. Religion that is lifeless has little worth, and is a poor
reflection of what the church should be. We have such abundant privileges and riches in Christ that we dare not become
complacent or bored. If our service for God becomes a chore, then we need to examine our hearts to rekindle the first love
that The Lord spoke about to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2.
In v4 God reminds the people of some of the ways that He has blessed them, particularly the redemption of the nation from
the bondage of Egypt. Given the harsh treatment that their ancestors received there, they should have been aware of God’s
abundant grace to them as a nation, but it is all too easy for subsequent generations to forget God’s blessings of years ago.
It is also true that none of us can live on a past blessing; we need a fresh walk with God that has testimony of what He is
doing in our lives now, not many years ago. Each generation needs to know God for itself, and similarly each generation
needs to reach its contemporaries with the gospel.
The reference to Moses, Aaron and Miriam would remind the people that God had given them Moses as their leader and
lawgiver, Aaron as their priest, and Miriam as prophetess, who praised God at the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. She led
the female chorus that sang the song of Moses in Exodus 15:20. The Jewish Targum expresses it thus: "I sent before thee
three prophets, Moses to teach the tradition of the judgments, Aaron to make atonement for the people, and Miriam to
instruct the women.'' This is the only mention of Miriam apart from the texts that describe her activity at the time (i.e. Exodus
and Numbers), so Micah is clearly seeing Miriam as a leader amongst the people of her day.
The people are then urged to remember what Balak had tried to do to them in v5. This refers back to Numbers 22, when
Balak summoned Balaam to curse the people of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness. Balaam attempted to fulfil
this request but was stopped by his donkey, who saw an angel blocking the path, and who was divinely enabled to speak in
rebuke to Balaam. As a result of this, the people were able to move from Shittim to Gilgal, and subsequently enter the
Promised Land. God thus overruled in the affairs of men to accomplish His purpose. Gilgal was the place of Israel's first
encampment in the Promised Land between Jericho and Jordan, where God renewed the covenant with Israel by
circumcision. This in itself spoke of a great move of God by parting the Jordan for them to cross over.
God had moved mightily in Israel’s history to display His righteousness, and in so doing He had frequently thwarted the
plans of the enemy. Despite God doing this, and showing clearly that His ways are right, Israel had frequently turned away
to other gods, showing their fickleness and abuse of God’s covenant with them.
Having reminded the people again of His grace and goodness towards them, there is, perhaps, a degree of poignancy in
God’s question earlier as to how He had wearied them. Despite His goodness, the plain fact was that the people had been
wearied by God, which of course is a state that should never be the case for a believer. May we never become bored with
God, so that our service for Him is a chore! As fallen human beings it is sometimes possible to become bored with good
things, which is perhaps one reason why God allows difficulties into our lives, so that we look to Him and appreciate His
goodness all the more.
The next few verses look for what God expects in return for the goodness He has shown, starting with the things He doesn’t
want. The people seem to respond by asking how they should come before God and bow before Him, and whether it would
be sufficient to offer sacrifices of burnt offerings, calves, lambs, and vast quantities of oil. There seems to be a recognition
that man cannot come to God empty handed, at least prior to the time of Jesus. This in itself is a good question that
deserves attention.
In the Law, God had indeed set out various sacrifices that were needed to deal with the barrier between God and His
people, albeit on a temporary basis until the coming of Christ. There is a subtle distinction here, for whilst there is mention
of burnt offerings, the people do not refer to sin offerings, which was the primary way of dealing with the barrier of sin in
their lives. In effect, they were proposing the ritual of sacrifice as a remedy, rather than a repentant heart. It is all too easy to
go through the ritual of religion, but miss the heart of the gospel by which we can be saved or the vibrancy of a living walk
with God.
Calves at a year old were deemed to be the best, and the number of lambs indicates a generous offering. Oil also formed a
part of the offering system, and the rivers referred to indicate an attempt to please God by quantity. The thrust of this is that
even the most generous offerings made by man are insufficient before God if the heart is not right, and God desires
relationship far more than ritual. Even the reference to offering the firstborn offspring would not be enough to appease God
if it is merely an outward show rather than a sign of repentance within. This of course, looks forward to God’s offering of His
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own Son Jesus, and apart from His sacrifice as the true Lamb of God, child sacrifice is not required by God. At the worst of
their apostasy, the Jews used to offer their children to false deities in the valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem.
Some commentators feel that vv6-7 are not the response of the people, but a continuation of the theme of Balak as he
asked Balaam how he should worship God. Calves of a year old were offered to heathen deities of the day, so the tradition
of sacrifice of this nature was common, probably as a tradition stemming ultimately from the time of Noah, if not Adam.
Even Balak offered such animals in an attempt to bring about a curse on Israel, but did not succeed.
Set against these attempts to appease God by sacrifice, in v8 we find what truly pleases God, and the verse starts by
declaring that they had been told before what is good. There is a glimpse back to Deuteronomy 10:12, and elsewhere, but
God requires them to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God. This is the heart of a godly way of life,
for it encompasses right and compassionate treatment of others, as well as a living walk with God Himself. Here we are
moving from outward performance of ritual to right and godly living. The Hebrew words used for justice and mercy (or
kindness) are the two words most often used for God and His attitude to the world. They balance God’s absolute fairness in
His dealings with the world with His unfailing love and care for his people.
With the benefit of hindsight we can see that relationship with God is achieved only through faith in Jesus Christ, but in
Micah’s day there was still a need for faith in the one to come, and it would be expressed practically in the requirements of
this verse. Perhaps it is worth emphasising the humble walk with God; in all things we are to remember His almighty nature,
and the immense privilege of being able to worship and commune with Him. It involves a daily relationship, enjoying
prayerful communication and trust.
In essence, God is looking for us to bring ourselves to Him, not offerings, but the selves that we bring should be worthy of
Him. This verse is echoed by other prophets, thus underscoring the importance that God puts on a right lifestyle, reflecting
true discipleship. It involves action, attitude and lifestyle being conformed to God’s will and ways.
TOPICS
RELIGION
1. Satan's religion is a humanly acceptable one: no sin, no judgment, no Saviour and no Hell. Satan appears as an angel of
light. (2 Corinthians 11:13-19, 26)
2. Many pastors in the churches are servants of Satan's policy, knowingly or unknowingly. (Isaiah 30:12, Jeremiah 2:8, 2
Peter 2:1-10)
3. Satan's strategy towards unbelievers is to keep them blinded to the gospel. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Colossians 2:8, 2
Thessalonians 2:9-10)
4. Satan's strategy towards believers is:-

a) To confuse by false teaching. (Matthew 7:15, Romans 16:18)
b) To appeal to pride. (2 Corinthians 10:12)
c) To promote idolatry. (Habakkuk 2:18,19)
d) To promote legalism. (1 Timothy 1:7-8)
5. Satan's policy calls for counterfeit faith:-

a) Counterfeit gospel. (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
b) Counterfeit pastors. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
c) Counterfeit communion. (1 Corinthians 10:19-21)
d) Counterfeit doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:1)
e) Counterfeit righteousness. (Matthew 19:16-28)
f) Counterfeit way of life. (Matthew 23)
g) Counterfeit power. (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10)
h) Counterfeit gods. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
CHRIST: MEDIATORSHIP
1. Greek word is mesites which has as its root meaning, to have a neutral group/nation to stand between two warring
nations to arbitrate and judge between them. The two concepts are judgement and peacemaking.
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2. The mediator had to be equal to both parties and acceptable to each.
3. Old Testament usage of this concept is found in Job 9:9, 32, 33. Job calls for an umpire between man and God.
4. The Hypostatic Union of the Lord Jesus Christ qualifies the Lord to be the mediator between man and God as he alone is
equal with both parties. 1Timothy 2:5.
5. The Lord's work on the cross forms the basis of his mediatorship as he removes the sin barrier between man and God.
Hebrews 9:12 1-5.
6. The Mosaic Law pre-figured the Lord's mediatorship. Hebrews 8:6, 12:24, Galatians 3:19, 20.
HEART
1. The Bible refers to the heart as the seat of consciousness in the soul. The word heart in the Bible refers in general to the
mind as there is no understanding available to the physical pump although it is seen as the centre of life.
The brain in the ancient world was divided into two the mind [nous] and the heart [kardia] with academic understanding
coming from the mind and its application from the heart. The heart is therefore related to the will.
A parallel system would be gnosis or knowledge and epignosis working knowledge where the knowledge or understanding
is put into effect either for good or bad.
2. There is no emotional reference when the heart is noted. Proverbs 2:2, 10, 15:14, 23:10, 1 Samuel 16:7, Genesis 6:5.
Emotional reference is often called bowels in the Bible
3. Doctrines are stored in the heart Deuteronomy 29: 4, Proverbs 2:2, 10:18, Psalms 119:11, 19:14, Job 38:36.
4. Negative attitudes of the Heart'

a) the heart can become "hardened" to the things of God Proverbs 5:12, 13, 10:6, 11, 13
b) it is the source of discord - Proverbs 6 :14, 18
c) it can be subtle and evil - Proverbs 7:10
d) hatred comes from the heart - 2 Samuel 6:16
e) disappointment is there - Proverbs 14 :12
f) mental sins are there - Proverbs 14:10-16, Isaiah 47: 10
g) we turn away from God first in our heart - Jeremiah 17:5, 9, Zechariah 7:12
h) hypocrisy is in some hearts - Job 36:13
5. The Lord tests our hearts to see if we are true - Psalm 26:2, Jeremiah 11:20, 17:10, 20:12.
MICAH 6:9-16 - THE PERIL OF DECEIT
The LORD'S voice crieth unto the city, and [the man of] wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath
appointed it. Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure [that is]
abominable? Shall I count [them] pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For the
rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue [is] deceitful in
their mouth. Therefore also will I make [thee] sick in smiting thee, in making [thee] desolate because of thy sins.
Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down [shall be] in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold,
but shalt not deliver; and [that] which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword. Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not
reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I
should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my
people.
KEY WORDS
Voice Qol Voice, sound, proclamation

Cry Qara Call out, cry, announce
City Iyr City, town, encampment
Wisdom Tushiyah Ability, understanding, wisdom
See Raah See, gaze, look on, consider
Name Shem Appellation, name, character, renown
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Hear Shama Hear, listen, consider, perceive
Rod Matteh Branch, rod, staff
Appoint Yaad Fix, appoint, direct, meet
Treasure Otsar Armoury, store, cellar, treasure
Wickedness Resha Wrong, iniquity, wickedness
Wicked Rasha Wrong, condemned, guilty, wicked
Scant Razon Leanness, scant, thinness
Measure Eyphah Ephah (measure for grain), measure
Abominable Zaam Abhor, be enraged, abominable, defy
Pure Zakah Be innocent, clean, count pure
Balance Mozen Pair of scales, balances
Bag Kiys Bag, cup, purse
Deceitful Mirmah Deceit(ful), false, feigned, fraud
Weight Eben Build, stone, weight
Rich man Ashiyr Rich man, noble
Violence Chamash Violence, cruelty, injustice, wrong
Inhabitant Yashab Inhabit(ant), keep house, settle, remain
Speak Dabar Speak, answer, declare
Lie Sheqer Untruth, sham, lie, falsehood
Tongue Lashon Tongue, language, wedge
Deceitful Remiyah Idle, false, deceitful, treachery
Mouth Peh Mouth, speech, sound, edge
Sick Chalah Be worn, weak, sick, afflicted
Smite Nakah Strike, smite, beat, punish
Desolate Shamem Devastate, astonish, be desolate
Sin Chattaah Offence (and its penalty), sin
Eat Akal Eat, consume, devour, burn up
Satisfy Saba Have enough, satisfy, fill, suffice
Casting down Yeshach Casting down, hunger
Midst Qereb Nearest part, centre, midst
Take hold Nasag Retreat, remove, take hold
Deliver Palat Escape, deliver, carry away safe
Give up Nathan Give, ascribe, appoint
Sword Chereb Knife, sword, dagger, axe
Sow Zara Sow, plant, bear, yield
Reap Qatsar Harvest, reap, cut down
Tread Darak Tread, walk, thresh
Olive Zayith Olive (tree/branch/berry), Olivet
Anoint Suk Anoint, smear over
Oil Shemen Grease, oil, olive
Sweet wine Tiyrosh Grape juice, new/sweet wine
Drink Shathah Imbibe, banquet, drink
Wine Yayin Wine, banqueting, intoxication
Statute Chuqqah Custom, manner, ordinance, statute
Omri Omriy Omri, heaping
Keep Shamar Hedge about, guard, keep, protect
Work Maaseh Action, activity, deed, work
Walk Halak Walk, behave, depart, run
Counsel Moetsah Counsel, purpose, device
Desolation Shammah Ruin, desolation, waste, astonishment
Hissing Shereqah Derision, hissing
Bear nasa Lift, accept, carry, bear
Reproach Cherpah Reproach, shame, disgrace
REFLECTION
After the beautiful words of God in v8, this section comes as something of a contrast. What God requires seems starkly
different from what the people are doing. Instead of justice, they are using false scales and are thus deceitful (v11). Instead
of mercy and loving kindness, there are violence, lies and deceit (v12). The problems are not new, but the gentle beauty of
God’s words highlights the problems with great clarity.
Returning to v9, there is the warning from God of the punishment of the rod, which the people deserve. It is the voice of the
Lord speaking, giving greater emphasis to the message. The city being addressed would be Jerusalem, the capital of
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Judah, and thus the seat of government and the worship of God. The heart of the nation is therefore clearly failing in what
God requires. Micah states that (the man of) wisdom will see God’s name, in other words the person who is wise will
recognise and hear God’s voice. God’s audience should hear about the punishment that will come their way, and ideally
repent to avoid it.
We all stray from God’s highest way at times, and it is important for each one of us that we walk closely with Him and
recognise His voice, normally spoken through His word, to obey it. In every generation the godly, discerning man will
respond obediently to God’s voice.
God has been looking for justice, mercy and humility, yet in v10 He finds something quite different. God poses the question,
yet He is really making a statement, for He knows that treasures acquired through wickedness fill the houses of these
wicked people. In other words, despite God’s words of warning and exhortation, the wicked continue to bring their ill-gotten
gains into their homes, rather than cast them out. The measure spoken of is the ephah, and the people were giving short
measures in order to boost their dishonestly gained wealth. This was condemned in God’s law in Deuteronomy 25:13-16.
God is not mocked, and He expects people to trade honestly. Thus it is clear that they were not living justly, as He requires.
Ultimately we know that dishonest people will have no treasure at all, for when they meet God face to face they will not
have laid up treasure in heaven, and will have nothing to show for their lives here on earth.
The theme continues in v11, where God condemns false balances and incorrect weights. The traders were weighing out
insufficient measures for the price they were being paid, again defrauding the people. God will not hold such people as
“pure” or guiltless in His sight. The size of the cheating is immaterial; God expects honest dealing in our lives and there is
no place for any falsehood.
God speaks against the rich in v12, largely because it is generally the rich who benefit, or have gained their riches, from the
dishonest dealing that God has been speaking against. God is not opposed to riches as such, but He does object when
riches have been falsely obtained, or when wealth is too important in our lives and takes the place of priority that is due to
Him. Even those in the city, who perhaps were not so rich, have still spoken lies and thus been dishonest. Jesus made it
clear that we are to be truthful in all things, so that our “yes” means “yes” and we don’t “muddy the waters” with half truths
or worse.
Such was the behaviour in the city that was rejected by God, and the verse ends by mentioning the deceit that was in their
mouths. Nothing undermines friendship like deceitfulness between people, and society is impoverished when people
behave in that way. We are to be honest and truthful in all our dealings, and that includes our relationship with God – He
can’t be fooled anyway!
Because of the sins of the people, God would act against them (v13). He would smite them with incurable sickness, and the
use of the perfect tense here indicates the certainty of it happening. The land would be threatened, presumably with
devastation from an enemy. The heaping up of riches (falsely obtained) would itself be the cause of their being laid waste,
deserted, and desolate. The desolation came in the form of exile – for Israel by Shalmaneser of Assyria, and Judah by
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Some commentators suggest an alternative rendering: “I also am weary with smiting you, in making you desolate for your
sins.” They were corrected by God, but to no purpose, hence the weariness on God’s part.
God gives a more specific description of future events in v14, where He says that they will eat but not be satisfied. This is a
common problem with those whose focus is on worldly wealth, for the more they accumulate, the less it satisfies. Jesus
commands His followers to lay up treasure in heaven, where nothing can erode or steal it, and there is a rich satisfaction in
finding our treasure there. Today, much of the western world has its focus on materialism, but there is no true satisfaction in
it. We find true satisfaction only in God.
The judgement (casting down) would be in their midst, so that the very centre of civic life for them would be affected. This
was not a judgement that would affect the periphery of the nation, but it would attack at its very core. Others suggest that
this could mean that it would be internal strife that would be their downfall, as coming from the midst of them. The verse
continues that they would take hold, presumably to save and rescue their wives and children, but would be unable to deliver
them. Even if there was temporary deliverance, they would be given up to the sword and perish. Unless our trust is in the
Lord, we are on shaky ground indeed.
In v 15 there is a judgement on their harvest, so that they would sow and not reap. We all need to remember that the food
we eat is provided by the grace and mercy of God, and He is more than able to withhold a good harvest as a form of
judgement. This verse underlines the futility of ignoring God and His word, for though man may toil to provide his food, God
can easily cause crops to fail. It is reminiscent of Jesus’ words about building on the rock of obedience to His word, rather
than the sand of disobedience (Matthew 7:24-27). Given the threat of enemies taking people captive, there may well be a
reference here to the enemy feeding on what the people had laboured for. This was one of the predictions of Leviticus 26:16
and Deuteronomy 28:30 in the event of disobedience to God. The judgement affects both the necessities of life as well as
the luxuries of wine.
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This concept shows the emptiness of materialism, for even the latest and best thing that one might want will soon grow old
and not satisfy. It is a vain hope to put trust in riches or material property; God is the only sure rock upon whom we can
depend, and He is the one who promises to provide for our needs, not our greed.
The cause of the people’s problem is again set out in v16, and God is quite explicit here. They are following after the
statues of Omri rather than those of the Lord. Omri was a king who displeased God, and in 1 Kings 16:25 we read that he
did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than the other kings before him. His statutes were the Baal worship which his son and
successor Ahab raised into the ruling national religion (1Kings 16:31-32), and the introduction of which is attributed to Omri
as the founder of the dynasty, being the founder of Samaria. Ahab also persecuted God’s prophets, became involved in the
murder of Naboth because he wanted the man’s vineyard, and clearly set an awful example for the people.
If this passage originates after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, as much of Micah does, then there is added force
to this verse. The people of Judah would have seen what had happened to Israel because of the evil that Omri started, and
was continued by Ahab and beyond. It doesn’t therefore take a great deal of imagination to realise what will happen to
Judah if they do not repent and follow the Lord. May the church of today learn from this lesson. The people of God in Judah
(and they were God’s people) would become a reproach, which is an awful thing to happen to the very people who should
be God’s witness to the nations around.
TOPIC
WORLDLINESS
1. Worldliness means to follow the beliefs and philosophy of man rather than that of God
2. Worldliness is the opposite of Godliness; it is thinking/doing in opposition to God's revealed word. Titus 2:11-14.
3. All people are faced with the constant choice of following God's way or the world's. Romans 5:12, 3:19, 1 Corinthians
1:21, Ephesians 2:12, James 1:27, 2 Peter 1:4, 2:20.
4. Satan is the "prince of this world", and has power to deceive those who are negative to God's plans. John 12:31, 14:30,
16:11, 1 Corinthians 4:4, 1 Peter 5:8, 9.
5. We must not love the world, 1 John 2:15-17.
6. We must hate all the world stands for, in thought and in deed. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, 11:30-32, Galatians 6:14, James
1:27, James 4:4, 2 Peter 1:3, 4, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 19.
7. We must not return to our old behaviour patterns, Ephesians 2:1-7.
8. This evil world system and the prince of this world will be condemned. Matthew 18:7, John 12:31, 16:11, 1 Corinthians
6:2, 2 Peter 3:7, 2 Peter 2:1ff.
CHAPTER 7
MICAH 7:1-7 - THE DANGER OF CORRUPTION
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is]
no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. The good [man] is perished out of the earth: and [there is] none
upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil
with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge [asketh] for a reward; and the great [man], he uttereth
his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. The best of them [is] as a brier: the most upright [is sharper] than a
thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. Trust ye not in a
friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son
dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a
man's enemies [are] the men of his own house. Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my
salvation: my God will hear me.
KEY WORDS
MICAH 52
Woe Alelay Woe, alas
MICAH 53
Gather Oseph Collection (of fruits), gathering
Summer fruits Qayits Harvest, summer (fruit)
Grape gleanings Olelah Gleanings, grapes, grape gleanings
Vintage Batsiyr Grape crop, vintage
Cluster Eshkol Bunch of grapes or fruit, cluster
Eat Akal Eat, consume, devour
Soul Nephesh Breathing creature, vitality, soul
Desire Avah Wish for, covet, desire
First ripe fruit Bikkurah Early fig, first ripe fruit
Good Chasiyd Kind, good, godly
Perish Abad Perish, destroy, lose oneself
Earth Erets Land, earth, field, ground
Upright Yashar Straight, convenient, upright
Man Adam Human being, man
Lie in wait Arab Lurk, ambush, lie in wait
Blood Dam Blood, bloodshed
Hunt Tsud Hunt, chase, catch, lie in wait
Man Iysh Man, male, husband
Brother Ach Brother, kindred
Net Cherem Net, doomed object
Evil Ra Evil, mischief, wicked, trouble
Hand Kaph Hand, palm, power
Earnestly Yatab Diligently, earnestly, thoroughly
Prince Sar Head man, chief, captain, prince
Ask Shaal Enquire, request, ask, demand
Judge Shaphat Judge, pronounce, sentence, punish
Reward Shillum Recompense, reward, retribution
Great Gidol Great, older, mighty, noble
Utter Dabar Utter, speak, talk, arrange
Mischievous Havvah Mischievous, naughty, perverse
Wrap up Abath Interlace, wrap up, pervert
Best Tob Good, beautiful, best, better
Brier Chedeq Prickly plant, brier, thorn
Upright Yashar Straight, upright, just
Thorn hedge Mesukah Thorn hedge, hedge
Day Yome Day, hot, season, year
Watchman Tsaphah Observe, await, behold, watch(man)
Visitation Pequddah Visitation, charge, reckoning
Perplexity Mebukah Perplexity
Trust Aman Build up, support, trust, believe
Friend Rea Associate, companion, friend, fellow
Put confidence Batach Take refuge, trust, put confidence
Guide Aluph Guide, friend, captain
Keep Shamar Hedge about, protect, guard, keep
Door Pethach Opening, entrance, door, gate
Mouth Peh Mouth, edge, hole, word
Lie Shakab Lie down, rest, sleep, ravish
Bosom Cheyq Bosom, bottom, lap
Son Ben Son, grandson, one born
Dishonour Nabel Wilt, fail, disgrace, dishonour
Father Ab Father, chief, principal
Daughter Bath Daughter, apple of eye
Rise up Qum Rise up, stir up, strengthen, succeed
Mother Em Mother (as bond of family)
Daughter in law Kallah Bride, i.e. son’s wife, daughter in law
Mother in law Chamoth Mother in law
Enemy Oyeb Adversary, enemy, foe
Look Tsaphah Lean forward, observe, look, watch
Wait Yachal Wait, be patient, hope, stay, trust
Salvation Yesha Salvation, deliverance, prosperity
Hear Shama Hear, listen regard
REFLECTION
MICAH 54
There is a change in approach here, for Micah expresses his own feelings about the state of the nation of Judah, whereas
before he has been expressing God’s message for the people.
The lament that Micah expresses is moving, and also gives an indication of the cost of being a prophet. He feels as alone
as a solitary piece of fruit after harvest, or one of the few grapes left in the vineyard after the rest have been picked. There
is not a cluster of fruit in sight; hence his loneliness. To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ can sometimes be a lonely path,
for even in a church setting there are often those who are happy to compromise or sit on the fence of commitment,
undermining true fellowship. Those who will serve God wholeheartedly are frequently in the minority, and it can be a hard
calling to serve God in a morally lax generation.
Elijah too, felt alone after his mighty victory on Mount Carmel and he thought (mistakenly) there were no others left who
served God. The lack of a cluster of fruit underscores the loneliness that Micah felt, especially when he desired the first ripe
fruit of good fellowship with others of like mind.
It has to be said, however, that some commentators see in this passage a confession of the people of the nation, in that
they are feeling distressed and abandoned, apparently forsaken by God.
In v2 Micah felt that there were no other good men left; no one who is upright, but instead he was surrounded by people
who were aggressive and violent. This links back to Micah 3:2-3 and 2:1-2. The use of trapping someone with a net
suggests a degree of treachery in the heart of these unbelieving violent men. It is possible that the reference to a net
alludes to the ancient method of a duel between the retiarius and secutor. The former had a casting net, which he
endeavoured to throw over the head of his antagonist, that he might then despatch him with his short sword. The other
parried the cast; and when the retiarius missed, he was obliged to run about the field to get time to set his net in right order
for another throw. While he ran, the other followed, that he might despatch him before he should be able to recover the
proper position of his net; and hence the latter was called secutor, the pursuer, as the other was called retiarius, or the net
man.
In v3 the wicked are keen to use both hands for their evil deeds, thus adding force to the purpose. We have here the prince,
judge and a man of importance asking for bribes, so their judgement will be impaired. In the expression ‘They wrap it up’,
the Hebrew is used of intertwining cords together. Thus is suggests that these three are colluding together to distort justice.
Bad men so often develop a great skill in effecting their nefarious plans, and this seems to be pictured here. God forbids the
taking of bribes or the perversion of justice; rather he looks for honesty and upright dealings from His people. No one is
exempt from living as God requires, although evil men and women seem to think they can escape His notice.
Moving on to v4, we find that the best of these men is as a brier, and the most upright sharper than a thorn hedge. No one
can touch such evil people without getting hurt. I have a thorn hedge in our garden, and I know from experience when it is
time to trim it, that it can be a most vicious plant! People who are sharper than that are prickly indeed. It is a sad legacy in
life that people become hurt when they rub shoulders with certain people; how much better to be the loving, gracious
people that God wants us to be! Briers are not good for much other than burning, and those that come into contact with
them tend to get hurt.
Micah seems to realise how bad the situation is, and looks then to the watchmen and the day of visitation, which appears to
look forward to the day of judgement, when all wrongs will be put right by God. Some commentators see the reference to
watchmen being the true prophets and servants of God, proclaiming the judgement that will befall the sinful nation. There
would be judgement and perplexity for the people as predicted by God’s true prophets. Others prefer to see this as referring
to the watchmen of the sinners, the false prophets, who would suffer at God’s visitation upon them for leading the people
astray. There is often perplexity when false prophets abound.
In v5 Micah says they are not to trust in a friend, for in a state of moral corruption there is no one to trust, not even those
who are close to you. The state of the people is such that even one’s spouse is not to be trusted, which is a sad state of
affairs indeed. The risk of betrayal is such that secrets can’t be shared with those close to you in this situation. Corruption in
a society is destructive and pervades all aspects of it. By contrast God requires His people to be full of integrity.
The problem is reiterated in v6, where there is dishonour and conflict between the closest relationships of father and son,
mother and daughter, as well as between close in-laws. When trust breaks down in close family ties it is a sign of moral
breakdown in a nation. This situation was reflected in Jesus’ ministry in Matthew 10: 21, 35-36 when He declared a similar
situation in response to His own teaching. This type of situation will occur prior to the return of Jesus as indicated by Luke
21: 16 and 2 Timothy 3:1-3.
Micah speaks in v7 of looking to the Lord; even if others wouldn’t he would remain faithful to God. The remnant of God’s
true disciples will always look to Him, and that is the call in our day too. Whatever situations occur, and however lonely it
might seem at times, God should always be the focus of our gaze and attention. This change of focus brings everything
back into perspective. The more we contemplate and trust in God, the more fulfilled and secure our lives will be, even at
times when others are not there to give support. Note how Micah knew God to be the source of His salvation, and how God
MICAH 55
would hear his prayer. Although Micah has expressed despair, he is not overcome by it, for he knows his God, and He is
utterly trustworthy.
MICAH 7:8-10 - JUDGEMENT, BUT DELIVERANCE TO FOLLOW
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light
unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and
execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness. Then [she that
is] mine enemy shall see [it], and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine
eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
KEY WORDS
Rejoice Samach Cheer up, make glad, rejoice

Fall Naphal Fall, fail, cast down, perish
Arise Qum Rise, accomplish, establish, succeed
Sit Yashab Sit down, settle, tarry, marry
Darkness Choshek Darkness, misery, destruction, sorrow
Light Or Illumination, light, morning, sun
Bear Nasa Lift, carry, bear
Indignation Zaaph Anger, indignation, rage
Sin Chata Miss, sin, lead astray, condemn
Plead Riyb Grapple, contend, defend, plead
Cause Riyb Contest, cause, strife
Execute Asah Do, make, accomplish, execute
Judgement Mishpat Verdict, judgement, sentence
Bring forth Yatsa Go out, bring forth, escape, go abroad
Behold Raah See, appear, behold, perceive
Righteousness Tsedaqah Rightness, justice
Shame Bushah Shame
Cover Kasha Plump, fill up, clothe, cover
God Elohiym God, mighty
See Ayin Eye, look, fountain
Tread down Mirmas Tread down, be trodden underfoot
Mire Toyt Mud, clay, dirt, mire
Street Chuts Street, outdoors, highway
REFLECTION
It is not entirely clear who is speaking at the start of this section, but it may well be that Micah is speaking on behalf of the
nation. In our day we tend to have an individualistic view of the world, so that a person does not usually speak on behalf of
others. In the Old Testament, however, it was not uncommon for a person to speak on behalf of others, for there was a
more interconnected view of life. Consequently, “I” can sometimes mean “we”, especially when a person is speaking to God
on behalf of others.
In Micah’s words the people seem to be looking ahead, so that even though they might fall in the short term, they know that
they will rise again to a place of prosperity and influence. There is a recognition, however dimmed at times, that God would
remember His covenant with the people and after they have fallen in discipline, God would restore them as His word
declares. There are many promises by God that the land of Israel would not be destroyed, and these hold good today.
There is, however, a principle here that sometimes punishment had to come in order that better times could also arrive.
There is the glimmer of hope in v8 that even when they had fallen, yet God would be a light in their darkness.
The fall in view here was the Babylonian captivity for Judah, and the Assyrian one for the northern Israel. We know that the
Babylonian exile lasted 70 years as Jeremiah had prophesied, and the nation was then allowed to return. On a longer term
basis, and not necessarily in view in this passage, the nation of Israel was dispersed around the world in 70AD after
rejecting Jesus as Saviour, and has recently been established again as a nation in 1948. Perhaps there is a New Testament
hint here, for Christ Himself ‘fell’ (though not because of His own sin) only to rise again in glory.
As a general point arising from v8, it is worthy of note that it is not good to rejoice over anyone when they are down, for it is
God’s prerogative to take vengeance, and He is the one true judge. As Christians we should be content to let Him have the
final say. A recurring trend in Scripture is that when God used a foreign nation to judge His people Israel, the invading force
MICAH 56
went beyond the measure of discipline that God intended such that anti-Semitism crept in. God then had to judge the
invading force for their cruelty to His people who He loves. There is a clear warning against pride and excessive self-
confidence here.
A similar theme continues into v9, where Micah, presumably still speaking for the people, recognises that God’s indignation
would come upon them, but that He would plead their cause in godly vengeance afterwards. The outcome would be that
they would look to him and behold His righteousness. A true believer will gladly accept the Lord’s discipline, knowing that it
is for the best, but confident that God will root this in love and that His good purposes will shine through. Even in the difficult
times, God is there to lift us up so that we are not crushed. Somewhat paradoxically, confidence in God’s just punishment
gives rise to hope that God will indeed help when He has chastised His people enough. Taken correctly, we grow most in
times of adversity, if we will keep our eyes on God for His protection and deliverance.
Ultimately, it will be Jesus Himself who will come and plead our cause. He died and now intercedes for us, and is both the
judge and our advocate before the Father. The mercy of God as expressed in Christ is immeasurable.
The hope of deliverance becomes stronger in v10, where Micah looks ahead to the time when the enemy will be defeated
and put to shame. More often the enemy of God’s people despises God Himself, so this adds force to the hopes and
prayers of God’s people for Him to move in power and glory on their behalf. The honour of God’s name is more important
than that of His people, but it is also relevant that God will not be put to shame for the way He treats His people. Yes, He
will discipline when it is needed, but He will not crush forever. Furthermore, God’s retribution against the enemies of His
people is just. This was seen quite literally in the overthrow of Babylon after God had used them in bringing the exile about,
for the streets were trodden down by the Medes and Persians. It is dangerous for God’s enemies to taunt the people,
asking where their God is.
TOPIC
ANTI-SEMITISM
1. God's promise to Abraham - whoever blesses the Jews, God will bless; whoever curses the Jews, God will curse
(Genesis 12:1-3).
2. History shows a correlation between the rise and fall of Empires and their treatment of the Jews.
a) Anti-Semitic - Spanish Empire 16th century, Russian Empire 19th - 20th century, Nazi Germany 20th Century.
b) Pro-Semitic - Britain in 19th century, United States of America in 20th.
3. The concept of Israel

a) Racial Jew - one who is descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
b) Religious Jew - one who practices Judaism.
c) Regenerate Jew - born again, now part of the body of Christ (Romans 9:6-8)
MICAH 7:11-20 - FUTURE RESTORATION AND GOD’S GLORY
[In] the day that thy walls are to be built, [in] that day shall the decree be far removed. [In] that day [also] he shall
come even to thee from Assyria, and [from] the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea
to sea, and [from] mountain to mountain. Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell
therein, for the fruit of their doings. Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily
[in] the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed [in] Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. According to the
days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous [things]. The nations shall see and be
confounded at all their might: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick
the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD
our God, and shall fear because of thee. Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the
transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins
into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast
sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
KEY WORDS
Day Yom Day, be hot, season, year

Wall Gader Fence, hedge, wall, enclosure
Build Banah Build, repair, obtain children
Decree Choq Enactment, decree, custom, ordinance
MICAH 57
Remove Rachaq Remove, widen, recede, loose
Come Bo Go, come, bring, depart
Assyria Ashshur Assyria, Asshur
Fortified, fortress Matsor Besieged places, defence, fortified
City Iyr City, court, town
River Nahar Stream, flood, river
Sea Yam Sea, large body of water
Mountain Har Mountain, hill, range of hills
Land Erets Land, ground, earth, field
Desolate Shemamah Desolate, waste, devastation
Dwell Yashab Sit, dwell, settle, marry
Fruit Periy Fruit, bough, reward
Doing Maalal Act, doing, endeavour, work
Feed Raah Tend, feed, graze, pasture
People Am People, tribe, nation, flock
Rod Shebet Stick, rod, branch
Flock Tson Flock, cattle, sheep
Heritage Nachalah Inheritance, possession, heritage
Dwell Shakan Abide, remain, dwell, lodge
Solitarily Badad Separate, alone, solitary
Wood Yaar Forest, copse, wood
Carmel Karmel Carmel, fruitful field
Bashan Bashan Bashan (place East of Jordan)
Gilead Gilad Gilead (place East of Jordan
Old Olam Old, perpetual, ancient
Come out Yatsa Go/come/carry out
Show, see Raah See, look, spy, stare
Marvellous Pala Wonderful, marvellous, separate
Nation Goy Nation, gentile, heathen
Be confounded Bush Be ashamed, disappointed, confounded
Might Geburah Force, might, power, strength
Lay Sum Put, lay, hold, appoint
Hand Yad Hand, power, ordinance
Mouth Peh Moth, hole, word
Ear Ozen Ear, hearing, audience
Deaf Charash Scratch, deaf, silent
Lick Lachak Lick (up)
Dust Aphar Dust, earth, ground, ashes
Serpent Nachash Snake, serpent
Move Ragaz Quiver, stand in awe, move, tremble
Hole Misgereth Hole, border, close place
Worm Zachal Crawl, serpent, worm, fear
Be afraid Pachad Fear, be afraid, stand in awe
Fear Yare Fear, revere, dread
Pardon Nasa Lift, forgive, pardon
Iniquity Avon Evil, fault, sin iniquity
Pass by Abar Cross over, pass, carry, remove
Transgression Pesha Revolt, rebellion, transgression, sin
Retain Chazaq Fasten, restrain, retain, withstand
Anger Aph Nose, anger, wrath
Delight Chaphets Delight, desire, have pleasure, favour
Mercy Chesed Kindness, beauty, mercy, piety
Turn again Shub Turn back, retreat, return
Compassion Racham Have compassion, mercy, pity
Subdue Kabash Subdue, conquer, tread down
Cast Shalak Throw, cast, hurl, pluck
Sin Chattaah Offence, sin, penalty
Depth Metsolah Deep place, bottom, depth
Perform Nathan Give, render, perform
Truth Emeth Faithful, right, true, sure
Swear Shaba Swear, adjure, take an oath
Father Ab Father, chief
Old Qedem Old, past, ancient
MICAH 58
REFLECTION
In this last part of the book, Micah looks forward to the day when the walls of Jerusalem are to be rebuilt (v11), beyond the
time of enduring punishment, to a period of prosperity. In that day, the decree, being the imposition of foreign rule by an
occupying force, will be removed, indicating freedom for God’s people. The walls were rebuilt under orders from King Cyrus
at the end of the 70 year Babylonian exile, and then the tyranny of the decrees imposed by the Babylonians were removed.
There could be a sense that God had decreed the exile would last 70 years, at the end of which His decree to that effect
was to be removed. There is an assumption that with the rebuilding of the walls there would be a return of the people to the
land.
The day is defined further in v12, when it is said that people will return from Assyria, which is of course where the northern
tribes of Israel were taken for their period of exile. The fortified cities would presumably be the places where the Jews would
be taken during their exile, and where they were kept securely so that there was no premature return feasible. They were
there as prisoners and servants, and their release is a picture of the greater redemption effected by Jesus on the cross.
The word for fortress can also refer to Egypt as a poetic name for that nation, so Micah appears to be saying here that
people would return from the areas of Egypt to the river, which would be the Euphrates, thus indicating an area from the
Nile to the Euphrates. Egypt was an area full of cities, so that would link with the reference to the cities in this verse also.
There is difference of opinion amongst scholars as to whether the reference to the seas (sea to sea) and mountains
(mountain to mountain) is speaking in general terms, covering great areas, or specific locations. If the latter, the
Mediterranean would certainly be one of the seas, another possibly being the Dead Sea, or perhaps the Red Sea. As to
mountains there are several suggestions, including Mount Taurus, Carmel, Lebanon, Hor, Seir, or others, but the reference
may well be general.
In v13 the tone is somewhat more sober, for there is the reminder that the desolation of discipline and exile is yet to come.
Nevertheless, there is great encouragement here, for the people are to look beyond the punishment that is their due, to the
time of God’s mercy and grace to them beyond the hardship. The desolation came in the form of the attacks from Assyria
and Babylon. For completeness, some commentators take the view that the desolation refers to the other lands that will
oppress Israel, and later face the consequences for that.
Moving on to v14, Micah prays that God might feed His people, the ones of God’s heritage, with the rod, which is an
instrument of correction and discipline, but used correctly it comes from a heart of love. This calls us back to the passages
such as Psalm 23 when God is likened to a shepherd, and of course Jesus Himself said He is the good shepherd. The
responsibility of pasturing God’s people is delegated to Pastors and Elders in the church today, but godly, loving care for the
people must be at the core of this work. In the time of restoration spoken of here, the rod will be more of an implement of
care rather than discipline.
In years gone by, shepherding with a rod or staff involved walking in the midst of the sheep, tapping them from time to time
to make sure they didn’t wander off, and using the staff to defend them from enemies. There is a picture here of intimacy
and genuine care.
The people being fed here will have been living in the woods alone as part of God’s discipline, but now there is restoration.
They will be allowed to dwell in Carmel, an area very fruitful with vines, and Bashan and Gilead, both areas noted for fruitful
pasture land and as such were hotly contested. They were so much in demand as areas that these territories were often
lost to other nations and were not always part of the northern kingdom. Some see the reference to dwelling alone in the
wood as a reference to being alone in the world, namely to be in the world but not of it. God’s people are indeed called to be
set apart, both from the world, and for the Lord and His service.
The Lord appears to give an answer in v15, in that He will accomplish mighty things for them, as in the day when He
delivered them from the captivity of Egypt. The Jews have historically looked back to the Egyptian Exodus as the pinnacle
of God’s deliverance, but He will deliver them again with mighty power. Indeed, when the return came, God stirred up the
mind of the Gentile King Cyrus, who not only allowed all those Jews to return to their homeland if they wanted, but he also
provided for them in generous measure (See Ezra 1:2-4).
Such would be God’s deliverance for them that the nations would be astounded (v16). Micah lists various gestures which
express surprise, indicating that the nations would be dumbfounded by His work for His people, almost dumb and deaf in
their amazement. All of the strength of the foreign nations around will be as nothing when God moves to bless his people.
MICAH 59
There is a modern parallel here, for the church is called to be a powerful witness to the goodness and greatness of God,
who still does marvellous things for his people. How often do we undermine the witness God would have us give to the
world around, by failing to display the fruit of the Spirit and the witness that He would have us give?
We have tremendous news in the gospel as Christians, and the world should be equally agog at the sight of the church
functioning correctly under God’s direction, as the nations would be at the time of God’s blessing for Israel referred to here.
How much more will the nations quake when God’s ultimate deliverance of his people at the return of Christ takes place!
The nations’ subservience to God will be seen further in v17, where they will lick dust like a serpent, a sign of total
subservience. They will creep out of their hiding places afraid, like worms coming out of holes, largely because of what God
is seen to be doing in and for His people. This is a far cry from the captivity of Israel and Judah that was about to occur.
There is, perhaps, a similarity here with the end time judgements of Revelation (Rev. 6:15-17) when the people will be
fearful of the Lord and will hide in caves.
Micah’s hope over these last few verses is almost like a return to the good old days when Israel knew prosperity and God’s
blessing. Such dreams often have an element of nostalgia in them, and the period after the return from exile was not as
glorious as in the golden era of David and Solomon. This gives us the tendency to look beyond to the fulfilment of God’s
plan, yet without detracting from the immediate context of Micah’s own time.
Micah closes his book with a reflection on the nature of God, and at the beginning of v18 he asks “Who is a God like unto
Thee?” This is a play on words given that Micah’s own name means Who is like the Lord? These last three verses are read
in the synagogue on the Day of Atonement. Annually the orthodox Jew will stand by a river or other body of water, and
symbolically empty his pockets of his sins, throwing them into the water.
More than that, however, is the magnificence of God’s nature, for He pardons sin and forgives the transgressions of His
people. No other (so called) God has either the authority, or the desire, to forgive the sins of those who follow Him. Note
that the forgiveness is for the remnant of His inheritance. God will always have a godly remnant among His people, and
whilst forgiveness is available to all, it is only effective for the remnant that will believe in Christ as the only Mediator
appointed by God to achieve our salvation.
The God of the Old Testament is often portrayed as a vengeful and merciless God, but His nature has not changed, and in
Christ in the New Testament we see the depth of His love for mankind. What is important is that we see the whole character
of God revealed throughout Scripture, so that we have a balanced view of God. He is full of compassion and love, but at the
same time He is also entirely holy and righteous. Only God can forgive sin, and He works in us by His Spirit to make us
more like Him.
As Micah points out at the end of v18, God does not remain angry forever; He is justifiably righteously angry with sin in all
its forms, and will move in judgement against it. This is counterbalanced, however, by His mercy and compassion, and in
Christ the ultimate expression of this is seen.
This theme continues into v19, where the compassion of God is again underscored, as well as His willingness to deal with
sin in His people. The casting of the sins into the sea links back to the practice developed at the Day of Atonement
mentioned above, and of course such an action would give the thrust that they are forever dealt with and removed. It was
Corrie ten Boom who some years ago added the instruction that when our sins are thrown into the sea, there needs to be a
sign erected “No fishing allowed!” The sea is of course a natural antiseptic, removing impurities from the waste that enters
it, and is a good picture of what God does with our sins.
Micah ends his book with a reminder that God is faithful; He made promises to Abraham and Jacob, two of the patriarchal
founders of the Jewish nation, and He will keep them. God made promises on oath years ago, and He will be utterly faithful
to keep His word. Indeed, the very presence of an Israel in the original area of land given to them is testimony to God’s
faithfulness even in our day.
It is entirely fitting that Micah ends with the faithfulness of God. He has spoken of the unfaithfulness of the people, and the
need for God to move in punishment and discipline, but because God has made promises to Israel, He will keep His word
and restore them. We learn from the New Testament that God has graciously opened up His offer of salvation to all nations,
so that whoever will repent and believe in the saving work of Jesus can be saved. This does not undermine God’s promises
to Israel, which are still valid, but enhances and magnifies the gracious purposes of God for mankind. May his name be
praised!
TOPIC
PROPHET see page 25

MICAH 60
DOCTRINES
DOCTRINE PAGE
ANTISEMITISM 55
APOSTASY 9
CHRIST: MEDIATORSHIP 47
CHRIST: RETURN OF CHRIST 36
COVENANT: DAVIDIC COVENANT 40
EVIL 17
FALSE TEACHERS 23
GOD: DIVINE INSTITUTION – NATIONS – NATIONAL DISCIPLINE 43
HEART 48
HEATHENISM AND GOD CONSCIOUSNESS 13
ISRAEL – NATIONAL DIVINE DISCIPLINE 9
JERUSALEM 31
KINGDOM – MILLENNIAL KINGDOM 32
MONEY 28
MORALITY 29
PAGAN TRADITIONS 10
PROPHECY 5
PROPHET 25
RELIGION 47
RUTH: TYPE OF CHURCH 37
WEALTH 20
WORLDLINESS 51
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1976, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Adventuring Through the Bible, by Ray C Stedman, 1997, Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
The NIV Thematic Study Bible, 1996, Hodder & Stoughton, 338 Euston Road, London, NW1 3BH, England
Hosea to Micah, The People’s Bible Commentary, Paula Gooder 2005, The Bible Reading Fellowship,1st Floor, Elsfield Hall,
15 – 17 Elsfield Way, Oxford, OX2 8FG, England
Abraham J. Heschel , The Prophets – An Introduction. © 1962, Harper Colophone Books, New York , NY . P. 22.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
Geneva Bible Translation Notes
Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible
MICAH 61
Barbara M Bowen: Strange Scriptures that Perplex the Western Mind, 1944, Erdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, USA
Jensen’s Survey of the Old Testament, 1978 by Irving L Jensen, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, USA
MICAH 62

A Study of The Book Ok Micah

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EVANGELICAL BIBLE COLLEGE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

A VERSE BY VERSE STUDY

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

HOW CAN I BE SAVED?

Salvation is available for all members of the human race.

How do I become a Christian?

The results of Salvation

As to content, Micah can be divided into 3 main sections:

1. The awesome prospect of God’s coming (1:1-7)

MICAH 1:1-7: THE AWESOME PROSPECT OF GOD’S COMING

Word Dabar Word, matter, thing, cause, decree

ISRAEL - NATIONAL DIVINE DISCIPLINE

1. Leviticus 26 states the five cycles of discipline

1. Apostasy means falling away.

4. The apostate is declared in (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and (1 John 2:19)

6. There will be a great apostasy prior to the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

1. The use of pictures in worship (Numbers 33:52; Exodus 20:4,5).

3. Monks' tonsure (Leviticus 21:5).

4. Pagan worship in high places (Deuteronomy 12:2,3).

5. Green trees (Deuteronomy 12:2,3).

6. Astronomical objects (Deuteronomy 17:3).

7. Use of loose standing pillars (phallic symbols) (Deuteronomy 12:3).

9. Calling their priests 'father' (Matthew 23:9; Judges 17:10; 18:19).

10. Kissing of images (Hosea 13:2; 1 Kings 19:18).

11. Burning of incense to idols (2 Kings 18:4).

12. Image processions (Isaiah 46:5-7).

13. Drink offerings of blood (Psalm 16:4; Acts 15:29).

14. Repetitious prayers (Matthew 6:7).

MICAH 1:8-16 - JUDAH’S INCURABLE WOUND

Wail Saphad Wail, lament, mourn, tear the hair

HEATHENISM AND GOD CONSCIOUSNESS

1. Three systems of human understanding:

4. God Consciousness: The existence of God:

e) Cause and Effect

5. The reaction to God consciousness:

MICAH 2:1-5 - WOE TO THE EVIL ONES

Woe Hoy Woe, alas

MICAH 2:6-13 - BEWARE THE OPPRESSION OF THE RICH

Prophesy Nataph Ooze, prophesy, speak by inspiration

MICAH 3:1-4 - FALSE SHEPHERDS

Say Amar Say, answer, declare

The eighteen characteristics of the false teachers - 2Timothy 3:1 - 5

MICAH 3:5-8 - FALSE PROPHETS

Say Amar Say, answer, declare

a) Aaron was a preacher (Exodus 7:1).

e) They were encouragers of the people (Ezra 5:2).

g) They led in prayer at worship (2 Chronicles 32:20).

MICAH 3:9-12 - JUDGEMENT FOR JERUSALEM

Hear Shama Hear intelligently, listen, consider

7. The danger of money to the unbeliever.

8. The danger of money to the believer:

11. Three illusions about money.

2. Morality is a by-product of the Spirit filled life. (Ephesians 5:3)

3. Morality has no power. (Galatians 5:16) cf. Rich Young Ruler

7. Morality cannot provide salvation or spirituality. (Galatians 3:2, Titus 3:5)

MICAH 4:1-5 - A FUTURE OF HOPE

Last Achariyth Last, end (time), latter, posterity

1. Jerusalem is the Holy City of three monotheistic faiths.

3. It was the city of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18).

KINGDOM: MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

3. Issues relating to the Kingdom

4. Principles from Micah 4:1-8

MICAH 4:6-13 - EXILE AND REDEMPTION