Verse 1
Micah is not only gathering the ear of Israel but he says the whole world should listen to. Those are the type of words that should grab your attention. I am have something to say that is significant for every nation to know.
Verse 2
Micah does something here that he will continue to do throughout this book. He uses courtroom language to paint the picture that there is a trial happening and God is the witnesses who is going to testify against you. In fact, God is the also judge. And Micah paints a frightening picture of the coming of judge
Verse 3
Now when Micah was speaking these words most likely in the public square in Jerusalem and throughout Judah. I imagine that there could have been some who received these opening words with applause. Finally, God is going to bring judgement on our enemies around us! Finally God is going to put that King of Assryia in his place!
Verse 4
Now where Micah’s listeners might have been thinking about their enemies when he said God is going to a witness against them, Micah makes it clear it is because of Israel and their sin that God is bringing judgment.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you are hearing biblical teaching that is convicting and challenging and you begin to think about people in your life who need to hear this. And then through the conviction of the Holy Spirit you realize these are words that I need to hear. That is not always an easy place to come to because it requires spiritual awareness of your own weaknesses and it requires humility to bring yourself before God and say, “Search me, O God and reveal areas of my life that do not reflect your character.”
For Micah’s audience, they would love it if God would bring judgment against their enemies. They were living in a time of international unrest and they were hoping that God would silence their enemies. But what they don’t recognize is that it is their own sin that is bringing about the judgment of God.
And so Micah asked the question in verse 5 that they were all thinking: What is the transgression of Jacob? What have we done wrong? What would cause God to be so upset with us?
Have you ever gotten pulled over for speeding and you knew you were speeding but when the officer comes to your car you still ask the question, “Uh, what’s the problem officer?” And the officer gives you that look that he knows what you know that you were going 80 when the speed limit was 45. It is that look that says, “are you really asking that question?”
Micah responds in a similar way, “Is it not Samaria?” Is it not Jerusalem? Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom and Jerusalem was the capital of the Southern Kingdom. Micah was most likely proclaiming these words in Jerusalem and he is saying look at the wickedness of Jerusalem and Samaria. Do you really need to ask, “What sins?”
It is like the kid with chocolate all over his face and hands trying to declare innocence that he didn’t eat the candy bar. And the mom saying, “go to mirror and look at your face. Are you still going to tell me you didn’t take the candy bar?”
These two capital cities were the head and heart and soul of these two kingdoms. Micah is saying, “The issue is the sin of your leaders. Your leaders have abandoned God. Now it wasn’t as if the leaders were sinful and the people were righteous. But God was holding the leadership responsible for the sins of these two Kingdoms. The leaders were modeling wickedness. And as leadership goes so goes a country.
And so Micah jumps right into the judgment of Samaria without first articulating the specific transgressions or sins of Samaria . Because Micah knows you do not need to look far to recognize this is not a nation that worships God. Micah recognizes that if each one of his listeners is honest with themselves their lives were far from God. They were like the kid with chocolate all over their face and hands. They were guilty and their lives clearly revealed it.
Verses 6-7
Samaria was a city built on a mountain and it was an impressive city. This was not just going to be destruction but humiliation. In the future, no one is going to view this place as a mighty city. In fact, people are going to say, ‘Oh, this is a good flat, open space to plant a vineyard.”
Samaria had built itself up through the worship of false gods. And their places of worship were paid for through temple prostitution. It was built by things that were evil in the eyes of the Lord. And Micah says that the Lord is going to smash these idols and temples to pieces. They will not bring you hope and security. And they will not keep you from the judgment of God. What Micah is describing here is an event that will take place less than ten years from Micah speaking these words. In 722 BC Assyria would indeed conquer Samaria and the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
When we read the first seven verses of Micah it is difficult to read. No one wants to read about coming judgment.
And we can find ourselves reading these words with a disconnect. These are ancient words about ancient people concerning ancient events. it can seem like it has very little to do with us. But let us pause and think about these opening words. Micah is saying something incredibly important for you and I to take hold of.
During this time what were the people of Israel most likely talking about in the town square? Many people were probably talking about the movement of the Assyrian army. I heard they just conquered this city, this territory. I hear they are moving toward us.
If God was going to be concerned about something wouldn’t the potential destruction of His people be the priority. Shouldn’t that be number one on his list – the perseveration of the nation of Israel.
But what is God concerned about? What was it that caused God to leave his place and address the world?
The world domination of Assryia? No, the sins of His people. The idolatry of His people. He is concerned that his people have given their hearts and affection to someone or something other than Him. To God, that is the crisis.
Sometimes when you and are in a difficult season, when you are experiencing a personal crisis, or a national crisis or a world crisis we can believe that the biggest issue in our life is the crisis. And if God would visibly step into our lives, the first thing that we assume that He would want to address would be the crisis of our lives.
Oh God, I am glad you are here now lets go fix this thing.
But how surprised would we be if he said, “that is not why I am here. I am not here to fix that crisis or take away that trial in your life, I am here to address the issue of your heart. You have moved your affection to one other than me.”
When we see the Lord bringing judgment to Israel during the season that they were in it should be a reminder that what should matter to us is what matters to God. Whether we are in a time of crisis or peace, what should matter to us is what matters to God.
This past week I read this short quote from a writer who was observing the life of Micah. And it is a pretty simple quote but it just stuck with me.. The writer said, “Micah is gripped by an awareness of the living God.”
‘Micah is gripped by an awareness, by the reality that God is real, living and active. He is gripped by the reality that He is creator and we are His creation. He is gripped by the reality that our lives are accountable to God. He is gripped by the reality that what really matters in life is what matters to God.
Is Micah aware of the threat of the Assyrian army? The great crisis of the day. Yes. It fact he has a far greater awareness of anyone as he has just prophesied that Samaria is about to be leveled. But he is not gripped by the fears of this crisis. He is gripped by the reality of the living God. And when the living God leaves His place and calls the world to attention, what is God wanting to do? He wants to address the heart of His own people. That is the crisis for God. That is what concerns the living God. The heart of His own people. And His people have given their hearts to another and God will address the disobedience of His people. He will judge the sins of his people.
What is even more startling about the words of Micah is not only does the Lord not show up to stop Assyria but he is actually going to use the present international crisis to judge his own people.
Why?
Because what matters to God is the heart of his people. And he will not allow the sins of his people to go unjudged. Later in Micah 6:8 the Lord tells Israel in a very straightforward way what matters to him. Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good…”
That phrase “O man” is interested phrase. He could have just said, he has told you what is good. But he references humanity. Humankind. He is referencing our existence in this world And there are a lot of things that we make priority in this world that are not the priority of God. And so there is a sense of, “Ok, humans and your human wisdom, this is what is important..”
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
We will take a more closer look at this verse in a few weeks but in the middle of a national crisis for Israel, the Lord says I want a heart that is humble before me and I want a heart that lives in way that reflects me.”
What should matter in our lives should matter to God. And God will use whatever means possible to draw his people back to Him and it may mean that God uses the trials of our life to judge the sins of our life so that we will be people will hearts humbled before God and God alone.