Micah 01
Micah 1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to Micah of Moresheth. He delivered this message during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The prophecies pertain to Samaria and Jerusalem.
Micah means “who is like God.” He prophesied from 739-702 B.C. during the reigns of three different kings of Judah. He was a contemporary prophet with Isaiah. Isaiah was from the big city of Jerusalem, but Micah was from the small town of Moresheth. Isaiah was a city slicker, while Micah was a small town country boy. Isaiah’s Hebrew was very academic, while Micah’s Judah was more simple and not as defined. Micah’s prophecies were given mostly to Jerusalem, but also to Samaria. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah, while Samaria was the capital of Israel.
2 Listen, all you nations! Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth! The sovereign Lord will testify against you; the Lord will accuse you from his majestic palace.
The Hebrew word for “listen” is שִׁמְעוּ֙ (shimu), a Qal imperative 2nd person verb, meaning a command to listen. Micah begins his different prophecies with this same Hebrew word. Micah is calling all of the Gentiles of the earth to a court of law to witness against Judah. God is the prosecutor and the judge.
3 Look, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling place! He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops!
God is coming down out of the heavens to accuse and judge Judah of crimes.
4 The mountains will disintegrate beneath him, and the valleys will be split in two. The mountains will melt like wax in a fire, the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope.
When God comes down to earth to judge Judah, the valleys will be split into two. The mountains will melt like wax. The rocks will slide down the mountains like a waterfall. Micah is looking toward two judgments of Israel. The first judgment will be that of Gentile invasion. The second and final judgment will be that of the Great Tribulation.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the nation of Israel. How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? They are right in Jerusalem!
The reason Israel is to be judged is because of her sin. Samaria was the capital of northern Israel. Jerusalem was the capital of southern Judah. Both nations were guilty of false worship.
6 “I will turn Samaria into a heap of ruins in an open field— vineyards will be planted there! I will tumble the rubble of her stone walls down into the valley, and tear down her fortifications to their foundations.
Samaria was the capital of northern Israel. Samaria was guilty of worshipping demonic idols. Since Samaria would not tear down her demonic idols, Assyria will attack Samaria and reduce the dirt and the idols to rubble.
7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces; all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. I will make a waste heap of all her images. Since she gathered the metal as a prostitute collects her wages, the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.”
Since the Israeli kings would not destroy her demonic idols, God will raise up the Assyrians to smash the idols.
8 For this reason I will mourn and wail; I will walk around barefoot and without my outer garments. I will howl like a wild dog, and screech like an owl.
After Samaria is destroyed, Micah will walk around Judah barefooted and naked as an expression of deep mourning.
9 For Samaria’s disease is incurable. It has infected Judah; it has spread to the leadership of my people and has even contaminated Jerusalem!
Samaria’s sin was so terrible, that it spread even to the leaders of Jerusalem.
10 Don’t spread the news in Gath! Don’t shed even a single tear! In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust!
Assyria will destroy 46 Judean cities, but God will not allow them to destroy Jerusalem. One angel will kill 185,000 Assyrians in their sleep. In verses 10-15, Micah listed some of the Judean cities which would be destroyed. He identifies these cities by using Hebrew word plays.
Gath was a Philistine city, meaning to tell. The Hebrew word play is “Tell about the destruction in tell town”.
Beth Leaphrah means house of dust. “The house of dust will roll in dust”.
11 Residents of Shaphir, pass by in nakedness and humiliation! The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city. Beth Ezel mourns, “He takes from you what he desires.”
Shaphir means beauty. “Beauty town will become unbeautified.”
Zanaan means come out. The come out city will not dare come out during the Assyrian invasion.”
Beth Ezel means “house of nearness.” “No one will go near the house of nearness.”
12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth hope for something good to happen, though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem.
Maroth means bitter. “Bitterness will come to bitter town.”
13 Residents of Lachish, hitch the horses to the chariots! You influenced Daughter Zion to sin, for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back to you!
Lachish means horses. “Hitch the horses in horse town.”
14 Therefore you will have to say farewell to Moresheth Gath. The residents of Achzib will be as disappointing as a dried up well to the kings of Israel.
Moresheth Gath was the hometown of Micah. Moresheth means inheritance. “Inheritance town will become an inheritance for the Assyrians.”
Achzib means deceit. “Deceit town will be deceived.”
15 Residents of Mareshah, a conqueror will attack you, the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam.
Adullam means refuge. Those who seek refuge will find refuge in refuge town
16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; shave your foreheads as bald as an eagle, for they are taken from you into exile.
The chapter ends with 46 cities of Judah being taken into exile. Judah is to shave her head bald as a sign of mourning.