Micah

Micah 1:2:
Hear, all you peoples;Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple 

 The Lord saw what you have done.
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Micah 2:6-11
6 “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
    “Do not prophesy about these things;
    disgrace will not overtake us.”
7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
    “Does the Lord become impatient?
    Does he do such things?”
“Do not my words do good
    to the one whose ways are upright?
8 Lately my people have risen up
    like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
    from those who pass by without a care,
    like men returning from battle.
9 You drive the women of my people
    from their pleasant homes.
You take away my blessing
    from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
    For this is not your resting place,
because it is defiled,
    it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says,
    ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’
    that would be just the prophet for this people


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​"False prophets are rejecting his word of coming judgement and warning of exile because of their false worship and economic oppression of the poor and vulnerable. They distort the character of God by claiming he is infinitely patient and does not act in judgement but only in salvation (2v6). This is like so many in the contemporary church, who speak of God only as a God of love and reject the very idea of his wrath against sin, or of conservatives in the church who want to dismiss any critique of racial and social injustice as ‘cultural marxism’ rather than seeing that it might point to genuine wickedness in society with which God is rightly angry and his people should reject/seek repentant transformation. Micah’s retort is that God’s word, including his word of judgement, is ‘good’ - but only for those who are ‘upright’ - ie the repentant faithful remnant. The tragedy is that people only want to hear good news and not face up to the truth of their sin and it’s consequences : ‘If a liar and deceiver comes and says, “I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for you.’ (v11) Sadly there are numerous such false prophets/teachers in the church today, and people who flock to hear them. As 1 Tim 4v3 warns us ‘the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.’ --John Stevens; Expository Blog

Micah 2:11:
If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophecy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people The people will find a prophet to feed their own appetite.

​The people were religious, but it was an empty ceremonialism. "Religion had become a matter of form; ceremonial observances were thought to meet all religious requirements. There was widespread misapprehension that as long as the external acts of worship were scrupulously performed the people were entitled to the divine favor and protection" (Homer Hailey). "The people have replaced heartfelt worship with empty ritual, thinking that this is all God demands. They have divorced God's standards of justice from their daily dealings in order to cover their unscrupulous practices"

Micah 4:1-4:
In the last days  the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established  as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.  Many nations will come and say,  "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,  to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways,  so that we may walk in his paths."  The law will go out from Zion,  the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.  They will beat their swords into plowshares  and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree,  and no one will make them afraid,for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

​Prior to the end of all things, man will have gained a glorious Sabbath rest on earth, one described over and over again by Isaiah (Is 63:17-25). The Sabbath rest here described has little to do with the pharisaic rules of modern Sabbatarians.

Micah 4:3:
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 pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

"He afterward adds, with respect to the fruit, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks". I have already briefly explained the meaning of the Prophet: he in fact shows that when the nations should be taught by the word of God, there would be such a change, that every one would study to do good, and to perform the duties of love towards his neighbors. But by speaking of swords and spears he briefly intimates, what men, until they are made gentle by the word of the Lord, are ever intent on iniquitous tyranny and oppression; nor can it be otherwise, while every one follows his own nature; for there are none who are not wedded to their own advantages, and the cupidity of men is insatiable. As then all are thus intent on gain, while every one is blinded by self-love, what but cruelty must ever break forth from this wicked principle? Hence then it is, that men cannot cultivate peace with one another; for every one seeks to be the first, and draws every thing to himself; no one will willingly give way: then dissensions arise, and from dissensions, fightings. This is what the Prophet intimates. And then he adds, that the fruit of the doctrine of Christ would however be such, that men, who were before like cruel wild beasts, would become gentle and meek. "Forge then shall they their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks". "Raise, he says, shall not a nation a sword against a nation, and accustom themselves they shall no more to war". He explains here more fully what I have before said, - that the Gospel of Christ would be to the nations, as it were, a standard of peace: as when a banner is raised up, soldiers engage in battle, and their fury is kindled; so Micah ascribes a directly opposite office to the Gospel of Christ, - that it will restore those to the cultivation of peace and concord, who before were given to acts of hostility. For when he says, 'Raise a sword shall not a nation against nation,' he intimates, as I have already stated, that wherever Christ does not reign, men are wolves to men, for every one is disposed to devour all others. Hence as men are naturally impelled by so blind an impulse, the Prophet declares, that this madness cannot be corrected, that men will not cease from wars, that they will not abstain from hostilities, until Christ becomes their teacher: for by the word "lamad" he implies, that it is a practice which ever prevails among mankind, that they contend with one another, that they are ever prepared to do injuries and wrongs, except when they put off their natural disposition. But gentleness, whence does it proceed? Even from the teaching of the Gospel. This passage ought to be remembered; for we here learn, that there is not growing among us the real fruit of the Gospel, unless we exercise mutual love and benevolence, and exert ourselves in doing good. Though the Gospel is at this day purely preached among us, when yet we consider how little progress we make in brotherly love, we ought justly to be ashamed of our indolence. God proclaims daily that he is reconciled to us in his Son; Christ testifies, that he is our peace with God, that he renders him propitious to us, for this end, that we may live as brethren together. We indeed wish to be deemed the children of God, and we wish to enjoy the reconciliation obtained for us by the blood of Christ; but in the meantime we tear one another, we sharpen our teeth, our dispositions are cruel. If then we desire really to prove ourselves to be the disciples of Christ, we must attend to this part of divine truth, each of us must strive to do good to his neighbors. But this cannot be done without being opposed by our flesh; for we have a strong propensity to self-love, and are inclined to seek too much our own advantages. We must therefore put off these inordinate and sinful affections, that brotherly kindness may succeed in their place. We are also reminded that it is not enough for any one to refrain from doing harm, unless he be also occupied in doing good to his brethren. The Prophet might indeed have said only “They shall break their swords and their spears;” so that they shall hereafter abstain from doing any hurt to others: but, rather it says, “They shall forge,” or beat, “their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;” that is, when they shall abstain from all injuries they will seek to exercise themselves in the duties of love. And love consistent with what Paul says, when he exhorts those who had stolen to steal no more, but to work with their own hands, that they might relieve others (Eph. 4: 28.). Except then we endeavor to relieve the necessities of our brethren, and to offer them assistance, there will not be in us but one part of true conversion, as the case is with many, who are not indeed inhuman, who commit no plunder, who give no occasion for complaint, but they live to themselves, and enjoy unprofitable leisure. This indolence the Prophet here indirectly condemns, when he speaks of the plowshares and the pruning hooks. John Calvin

Micah 4:5:
"For all the 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." 

​To "walk in the name" means to walk in the power and authority of the person or authority named. The old expression, "Open, in the name of the king," or, "in the name of the law," reflects this. The Name or authority we can rightly claim determines our power. This is why we pray "in Jesus NAME," i.e., in His person and authority. If your god is yourself, or mankind, your authority will be a limited and poor one. The growing impotence of many churches is due to the nature of their god not resembling the biblical God. Their God is limited, sentimental, and incapable of judgment or true redemption. Their god is small, weak, and ineffectual. He can give advice but no government or deliverance.

Micah 5:2:
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose going forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” 

​Christs kingdom was predicted to arrive in humility, far from the centers of human power. Jesus was to be a descendant of David. Bethlehem had been David’s hometown.

​Micah 5:11-15: 
​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.

Micah 6:8:
​“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?” 

In this verse Micah points out what God requires of us. We are to do Justice. How are we “to do Justice”? What does that mean for us? Justice comes in different forms. We can do Justice by lending help to the parent who is struggling to put food on the table and is earning just enough to put a roof over their children’s heads. We can lend our help by offering to buy them groceries, maybe filling up their car with gas or connecting them to resources that can give them financial assistance and build their credit. We can do justice by assisting the homeless in our community to find shelter and get them connected to resources that will supply them with food and daily necessities. We can do justice by giving our time, talent and treasure to community organizations that give back to youth, those who are less fortunate and those who are struggling to make it each day. --Edward Ford Jr.; Urban Faith

​Micah spoke out against false holiness and stated clearly what true holiness is. God requires, of all men: justice, love of mercy, and humility.
A businessman's religion starts with justice. He determines to be right with God, right with men, right with self. This is the standard.

​Notice what Micah didn’t say. He didn’t say God had told us what is good. Yes, God does tell us that again and again; but Micah used the word “shown.” By His own actions, God has set the standard for our lives, behavior, words, and attitudes.
As the Lord has shown us, so we should do—and this is the essence of biblical love. Let’s zero in on the three qualifiers of Micah 6:8. They represent God’s great expectations of us. They are His values in a nearly valueless world. -Dr David Jeremiah

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​Breakdown of Micah 6:8
Do justice. This doesn’t mean lock people up – it has nothing to do with criminal justice. It means treat others fairly. Make sure that people have what they need.
Love kindness. This doesn’t refer to our feelings, it means to actually help other people be treated fairly. Be kind to them.
Walk humbly with your God. This doesn’t mean deciding Jesus was wrong or being self-serving with what we do. It means being less than God and looking up to him as a guide.
Our actions as followers of Christ demonstrate what following Christ means. It demonstrates not just to us, but to others. Words are just words, confusion in the spiritual realm, until the Spirit of God and experience in life convinces us of their validity.
This is all a bit different than swearing some kind of allegiance to a “Christian nation,” with all sorts of self-serving and misled beliefs. This is what it means to be a Christian. -Dorian Scott Cole; New Generations Explore Faith

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