Kraig Josiah Rice
Devotional Bible Commentary On
written by
Kraig J. Rice
www.7-star-admiral.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS An Introduction to this Bible book of MicahA Look At Chapters 1-3 A Look At Chapter 4 A Look At Chapter 5 A Look At Chapters 6-7 |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS An Introduction to this Bible book of MicahA Look At Chapters 1-3 A Look At Chapter 4 A Look At Chapter 5 A Look At Chapters 6-7 |
Who wrote this book?
What are some things that we know about Micah?
He was a prophet from the south (the southern Kingdom of Judah) who prophesied
against the folks from the north and south. He informed the
northern Kingdom of Israel about their soon coming fate at the hands of the
Assyrian army. God had told His people that if they worshipped idols He would put
them out of the land that He had given them. He warned them for 200 years.
God kept His word. He used the Assyrian army to put them out of the land.
Micah was probably alive when the Assyrian army destroyed Samaria in 722-721 B.C.
It is possible that he knew the prophet, Isaiah (from the southern Kingdom of Judah,
and the prophet, Hosea, in the northern Kingdom of Israel.
When and where was this book written?
Why was this book written?
God would bless them with Himself as the Messiah. Why? Because God is the greatest
treasure in the universe. Their Messiah would save them
from their sins at His first coming and save them from other nations at His
second coming. The Messiah of Israel would be born in Bethlehem of Judah at His
first coming, but rule the world from Jerusalem at His second coming.
What was the historical setting in those days when this book was written?
King Ahaz was a wicked king, however, King Jotham and King Hezekiah were good kings.
What are the dates for these kings? King Jotham (about 750-736 B.C.); King Ahaz (about
743-716 B.C.); and King Hezekiah (about 716-687 B.C.). These dates cover a general time
period of about 63 years.
The theme of this book:
The Bible book of Micah has seven chapters:
Micah foretells the decline of the entire Jewish nation. This was a pretty negative
message. But God was not finished with these folks. God would restore them to their
land, more than once if necessary during their entire national existence, and this
entire Jewish nation would eventually be on top of all of the world empires one day
when their Messiah would rule from Jerusalem. This was a very positive message. God
wanted the Jewish people to know what was in store for them. Their sins would bring
them down into the depths of God's judgment but, after their repentance, God would
lift them up to new and greater heights.
Why do many of the prophecies in Micah appear to have a mixed up context? All of the
prophecies of Micah were future to his date. He got his messages from the Lord and
recorded them. Some of his prophecies have been fulfilled at different dates along the historical time line. It is not hard for us to discern which of his
prophecies are for which time period. And some of them deal with future events to
our time. It could be that it was like him looking at several mountain ranges in the
distance. He could see from mountain top to mountain top and record what he observed
there, however, he failed to see what was happening in the valleys below.
These valleys, that he could not observe, may have allowed him not to see
many events and vast amounts of time associated with them. God only
allows a prophet to see what He wants him to see. But God will help us understand
His word and what He wants us to know.
"For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on
the high places of the earth. The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys
will split like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place"
This scripture refers to the second coming of Christ. At His first coming He came
as a Lamb for the slaughter but at His second coming He comes as a Conqueror on a
white horse- the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At His first coming He taught with
a shepherd's staff but at His second coming He will rule with a sword of iron.
He is the Alpha and Omega- the beginning and the end. Who is like Him?
Sometimes God can use an earthquake as judgment (Psalm 18:7-10).
"So I, the Lord, will make the city of Samaria a heap of rubble. Her streets
will be plowed up for planting vineyards. I will roll the stones of her walls
down into the valley below, exposing all her foundations. All her carved images
will be smashed to pieces. All her sacred treasures will be burned up. These
things were bought with the money earned by her prostitution, and they will now
be carried away to pay prostitutes elsewhere"
Satan makes sure that sexual sins are always associated with idolatry. When God
is removed, then foolishness reigns. There is an old saying, "If you don't stand
for something, then you will fall for anything." God has an absolute value system
but the evil world system has a relative value system- if it feels good then do it.
But a society that abandons its absolute code of moral conduct is a society in
decline. What were the sexual sins of Israel and Judah? Wife swapping, polygamy,
rape, incest, molest, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and beastiality. Mix
these sins with Satan worship, violence, and child sacrifice and then you have a
society that God is going to judge.
"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, places for
planting a vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, and I will
uncover her foundations"
This prophecy was literally fulfilled. Samaria was judged on God's balance scale and
fell. The Assyrians rolled the stones of Samaria down the hill it was built on and
they are still there to this day. God hates evil and sin. He will judge it. He does
not like to judge but He does it because He is righteous. God can judge a civilization,
a capital city, a town, or an individual. God will judge the guilty person who has
done evil and wrong.
"How terrible it will be for you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans.
You rise at dawn and hurry to carry out any of the wicked schemes you have power
to accomplish. When you want a certain piece of land, you find a way to seize
it. When you want someone's house, you take it by fraud and violence. No one's
family or inheritance is safe with you around! But this is what the Lord says:
There is an old saying: "Pride hides a multitude of sins- but only from yourself."
God does not create evil but God can arrange circumstances of judgment that appear
evil from the perspective of the one being judged.
"But the wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest, and its waters
cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked"
The Jewish folks were shattered spiritually and politically due to the corruption
of their spiritual leaders. God put those leaders there at that time for that
purpose to properly minister His word to those folks but instead of helping the
people, they oppressed them. Those spiritual leaders did not fulfill their calling
nor their destiny
"Someday, O Israel, I will gather the few of you who are left. I will bring
you together again like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture. Yes, your
land will again be filled with noisy crowds! Your leader will break out and lead
you out of exile. They will break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it;
Their king will pass before them, with the Lord at their head"
God always deals with a remnant. Why? Because God deals with quality rather than
quantity. The devil's crowd always outnumbers God's crowd. Those folks
loved and worshipped God for who He was in those days- they belonged to God. God
took special notice and care of those folks. And it is the same for us today.
"Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong,
but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil. You skin my people alive
and tear the flesh off their bones. You eat my people's flesh, cut away their skin,
and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot. Then you
beg the Lord for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect Him to listen?
After all the evil you have done, He won't even look at you!"
Have you ever observed a pack of wild animals tearing apart another animal to eat
what they just brought down? Have you ever observed a butcher cutting up meat?
Micah paints a symbolic picture with words to describe how the rich were oppressing
the poor, how the false prophets were leading the Israelites to spiritual slaughter
by their lies, and how the political leaders were causing the downfall of their
nation by their corruption. I think that we can understand why God stated that He
had to judge these folks.
This is what the Lord says to you false prophets:
"You are leading My people astray! You promise peace for those who give you food,
but you declare war on anyone who refuses to pay you. Now the night will close
around you, cutting off all your visions. Darkness will cover you, making it
impossible for you to predict the future. The sun will set for you prophets, and
your day will come to an end. Then you seers will cover your faces in shame,
and you diviners will be disgraced. And you will admit that your messages were
not from God"
The false prophets told the people what they wanted to hear. And then the people
told the false prophets how wonderful they were. What were the false prophets
telling the people? The judgment of God would not fall, there was to be peace and
no war, the Assyrian army would never march into Samaria, the Babylonian army would
never march into Jerusalem, God's temple would never be destroyed, it was alright to
oppress others as long as it was legal, it was alright to make all of the money that
you wanted to- no matter how you did it. It was alright to live any lifestyle that you
wanted to.
History repeats itself:
The Lie of the Prosperity Gospel:
"But as for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with
justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel's sin and rebellion"
God told the people the truth through His prophet, Micah. Micah was a genuine prophet
of God and was full of the power of God. Micah had to have God's power in order to
preach God's messages to a hostile, angry, and wicked people. Micah was not after
fame, wealth, or position. He put God first in his life and fulfilled his destiny.
"Listen to me, you leaders of Israel! You hate justice and twist all that is right.
You are building Jerusalem on a foundation of murder and corruption.
You rulers govern for the bribes you can get; you priests teach God's laws only
for a price; you prophets will not prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you
claim you are depending on the Lord. No harm can come to us, you say, for
the Lord is here among us"
There was much greed and covetousness in Micah's day. Many folks believe that
covetousness is another form of idolatry. Everything they did was for what they
could get out of it for themselves. God was not first in their lives. Helping
other people and being kind to others did not rank high on their list of priorities.
Because of their greed and love of money they devoured others. There was not anything
that they would not do for money. The corruption was so great in politics, in business,
and in religion that the nation was doomed to destruction.
There is a passage of scripture from the prophet, Isaiah, where he likens some folks
in Jerusalem to those, at one time, who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
Did Micah's predictions come true? Yes. First, Israel was conquered and deported by
the Assyrians, and secondly, over 100 years later, Judah was conquered and deported
by the Babylonians.
"In the last days..."
What will happen in our future, in the last days?
"But as you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain by supernatural means.
It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue
collapsed into a heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces were
crushed as small as chaff on a threshing floor, and the wind blew them all away
without a trace. But the Rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain
that covered the whole earth"
"In the last days, the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem will become the most
important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship.
Many nations will come and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Temple of the God of Israel. There He will teach us His ways, so that we
may obey Him. For in those days the Lord's teaching and His word will go out
from Jerusalem. The Lord will settle international disputes. All the nations will
beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. All wars
will stop, and military training will come to an end. Everyone will live quietly
in their own homes in peace and prosperity, for there will be nothing to fear.
The Lord Almighty has promised this! Even though the nations around us worship
idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever"
The Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, will rule and reign from Jerusalem in the future. This will usher
in the Davidic Kingdom of the last days and present a glorious future to Israel. The prophet, Isaiah,
also prophecied this
"...that in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established..."
These prophecies will be fulfilled during the millennial reign of Christ when He is
reigning in Jerusalem for 1,000 years. How can Christ physically live that long?
Remember that Christ is God and is eternal- He does not have a beginning or an
ending to His life like you and I do on this earth. And many people will be with
Him in those days
All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks. Only at this time will weapons of war be converted to instruments
of blessing.
What is the meaning of these 5 verses in brief?
"In that coming day, says the Lord, I will gather together My people..."
"Rise up and destroy the nations, O Jerusalem! says the Lord. For I will give
you iron horns and bronze hooves, so you can trample many nations to pieces.
Then you will give all the wealth they acquired as offerings to Me, the Lord of
all the earth"
Why does Christ, as the good future world ruling dictator, have a right to claim
ownership of the world, its peoples, and its governments? We have to remember who
Christ is. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Christ has a right to the ownership of all peoples on the earth because He created
them. He created Adam and Eve to begin with. He created you and I. He is our Creator.
He has a right to do with us as He wants to.
We thought you said that Satan owns some of the people- how come? Satan does claim
ownership of many people but not because he created them. Satan cannot create life.
When people worship Satan, they have transferred their ownership from God to Satan.
They have also transferred their authority to Satan. When people get saved, they
transfer their ownership from Satan to God and they also transfer their authority
to God. This is where the free will of mankind comes in. We can choose our master.
And let us hope some do not stray away from the cross of Christ
Christ has a right to be worshipped by all peoples on the earth because of His work
of redemption. His death, burial, and resurrection is of supreme importance. Why?
Because when you and I accept Him as our Saviour we are redeemed by His blood and
He claims ownership of us as His sons and daughters by adoption. He loves each
person on the earth and died and resurrected for each one. That is why He has a right
to receive worship from each individual, not only now, but also when He rules
supreme from Jerusalem during His Millennial Reign.
"In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble the lame, I will gather the outcast
and those whom I have afflicted; I will make the lame a remnant, and the outcast
a strong nation; So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on,
even forever"
In our day the Israelites have been reestablished in their land (the nation of Israel)
but the Jewish temple will still have to be built before Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah,
will literally go there to rule and reign in righteousness.
"Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor
perished? For pangs have seized you like a woman in labor.
Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in birth
pangs. For now you shall go forth from the city, you shall dwell in the field,
and to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the Lord will
redeem you from the hand of your enemies"
Micah predicted the Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem (Zion) and Judah. Babylon was
under the heel of Assyria when Micah made these predictions. This scripture was not
fulfilled until over 100 years later- Micah never lived to see his Babylonian predictions come
true. But did his predictions come true? Yes. Here are the dates from history:
Historians, who are in disagreement, have two main dates for the fall of Jerusalem.
The early date is 605 B.C. while the late date is 586 B.C. So, what is the time period
between the fall of Samaria and the fall of Jerusalem? The early date would be
114 years while the late date would be 135 years.
The folks from Judah did go as slaves to the Kingdom of Babylon. Many years later
God released them through the decree of Persian King Cyrus. So, Micah's prophecies
came true. So then, what are we to believe? Since Micah's prophecy about the Northern
Kingdom of Israel going into slavery to the Assyrians came true, and since his
prophecy about Christ being born in Bethlehem came true, then we have no doubt
that his prophecies about the end times will also come true.
"Now also many nations have gathered against you, who say: Let her be defiled,
and let our eye look upon Zion. But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord,
nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the
threshing floor.
The Battle of Armageddon will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation Period.
Many nations will be gathered against God and Israel at that time
This is what the Lord had to say through the prophet, Joel, about the Battle of Armageddon:
"Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us;
They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek"
Who is the judge mentioned in this verse? In the bible book of Judges, a judge was
the ruling political leader at the time. In reference to the Babylonian captivity,
King Zedekiah was that judge
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings
forth are from of old, from everlasting..."
There were two towns named Bethlehem. Micah mentions the name, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
to separate the two. This town was in Judah. The word ephrathah in Hebrew means
"fruitful."
Many Jewish folks in Christ's day knew about the coming of their Messiah:
The Hebrew Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Jesus Christ was born in
Bethlehem Ephrathah and it is one of the proofs of His messiahship. This is a
remarkable prophecy that was given about 700 years in advance. Why is it remarkable?
Because the Jewish nation went into slavery and was no longer a nation. God would
have to work more than one miracle to bring this scripture to fulfillment. He would
have to bring Israel back into existence, and He would have to carefully choose
people who were in the family lineage of King David. Did God do it? Yes. God is
great and nothing is impossible with God.
Bethlehem Ephrathah is about 8 miles from Jerusalem. Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not live in
Bethlehem- she lived in Nazareth, about 70 miles north of Bethlehem. So, how did
God move her from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to fulfill this prophecy? God
controlled the circumstances so that the Roman Emperor Augustus sent forth a decree
that everyone must be taxed. Joseph did not want to leave Mary alone in Nazareth
because of her pregnant condition, so they made the journey together to Bethlehem.
This was a journey of several days on foot or on a donkey in those days.
The wise men came to them bearing gifts for the baby Messiah. This money might have
helped Joseph and Mary pay their taxes and pay for their lodging and food or
whatever else they needed. God always provides and God always opens a door where
there is no door in response to believing faith. Faith always shows itself in action.
The prophet, Isaiah, predicted:
The prophet, Daniel, predicted when the Hebrew Messiah would begin His public ministry.
He predicted this event about 565 years before it happened.
The prophet, Zechariah, predicted that the Jewish Messiah was to be betrayed for
exactly 30 pieces of silver. This prophecy was given about 500 years before it was fulfilled.
There is abundant proof that Jesus Christ is the Hebrew Messiah if only you will
believe it. Because of all of this proof, you can place your complete trust in Him.
But it is not just a head knowledge that one needs. There is 18 inches between one's
head and one's heart. You have to have Jesus living in your heart. You do this by
inviting the living Christ to come into your heart and forgive you of all of your
sins. This is what it means to be "born again" or "converted." It does not matter
whether you are Hebrew or non-Hebrew, Jesus is an equal opportunity Saviour.
He died for you to prove His great love that He has for you. Won't you invite Him
to come and live inside of your heart right now if you have not already done so?
"And He will stand to lead His flock with the Lord's strength, in the majesty of
the name of the Lord His God. Then His people will live there undisturbed, for He
will be highly honored all around the world. And He will be the source of our peace"
God always takes care of His own and He can take care of you and I no matter what
problem we happen to be facing:
"Comfort, comfort My people: says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her
that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has
punished her in full for all her sins. Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting:
Make a highway for the Lord through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road
through the desert for our God. Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten
out the curves and smooth off the rough spots. Then the glory of the Lord will be
revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken"
"When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses, we will
appoint seven rulers to watch over us, eight princes to lead us. They will
rule Assyria with drawn swords and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod.
He will rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our land"
What is this scripture about? When the Moslem armies of the future (Assyrians) attack Israel at the Battle of
Armageddon to exterminate the Jews, the Jewish Messiah General will fight for Israel.
The enemies of Israel will be defeated and Jesus will place an army of occupation
in their lands using this strategy. This battle ends the Great Tribulation Period.
General Jesus wins.
"And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee..."
The groves of trees were on the high places where idol worship and sex orgies took
place. These sins were done in defiance of God. God was going to destroy those
places and each city and town associated with it. Did God do it? Yes. He did exactly
what He said He would do- the towns of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were destroyed
and the people marched off as slaves of the Assyrians. Later, He did the same thing
to the Southern Kingdom of Judah under the Babylonians.
What idols were worshipped there? Idols to the gods of Molech, Baal, Ashtoreth,
Chemosh, Milcom, and others
Idol worship is spiritual adultery against God.
Chapter 6 reveals more of the problems with some of the Jewish folks of that day-
some took God for granted, some worshipped idols, some were atheists, some were
indifferent, and some were in apostasy. There was some treachery, some violence,
and some sexual immorality. And there was more.
Chapter 7 reveals that God and His chosen people will win in the end. Christ will
rule supreme and God's promise to Abraham (the Abrahamic Covenant) will be entirely fulfilled.
"O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify
against Me. For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from your slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you"
God reminded His people that they belonged to Him. He delivered them from Egyptian
slavery. God chose the family of Moses to lead the folks of Israel in true
worship to God and in holiness. But many of the folks in Micah's day were going
against those teachings and throwing away their heritage with idol worship and
sinful living.
People do what they want to do. When folks disobey the Lord they don't have to blame
God as an excuse. God asks them, "What have I done to you (that you should disobey
Me?)". Of course, the answer is "nothing" so each person is accountable for his or
her own sins and they are without excuse. God loved and blessed them but they
falsely accused God. So, in my opinion, God asked them, "Where is your proof?"
"For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of
bondage; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam..."
Each of us should count our blessings and be thankful to God for His mercies and
for all of His blessings to us.
"O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled, and what Balaam
the son of Beor answered him, from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, that you may know
the righteousness of the Lord..."
There are going to be storms in your life. These storms hit one from time to time. There may be a storm of false teaching as this verse indicates about Balaam. There may be other storms that come our way- divorce, death, persecution, illness, unemployment, a natural disaster, a crime, and so forth. How are we to survive each and every one? Keep your eyes upon Jesus so you do not sink. Stay close to Jesus and He will lead you through the storm. Hang on to His hand and He will guide you through rough waters that threaten to take your life. He is there for you. He will not leave you nor forsake you as you place your faith in Him. Take one day at a time. There is an old saying: Take life by the inch (one day at a time) and it's a cinch, but take life by the yard (more than one day at a time) and it's hard. He loves you and you are special to Him.
Who was Balaam? He was a gentile prophet who served God for awhile. He sinned against God when he fell in love with money more than with the Lord. I believe he was similar to Judas Iscariot who also sold out our Lord for the love of money. Balaam took the devil's side when he told King Balak how to destroy Israel. God made sure that he did not live long after that.
"With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall
I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall
I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my
soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Many a man has asked the question, "How am I to approach such a big and powerful
God? How can I be saved? What do I have to do to please Him? Is He angry with
me? and so forth" God has given us these answers in His word. A person must come to God
through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
In other words, God wants a person to get saved by grace through faith
"The only laws you keep are those of evil King Omri; the only example you follow
is that of wicked King Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing
you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you"
King Omri was from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, so why were the folks in the
Southern Kingdom of Judah following his evil program? What difference does it make?
The disobedience of the folks of Israel to God is what got them marched off as
slaves to Assyria. I have a feeling that the folks of Judah thought that they could
sin against God and He would not see it. Many folks today think that same thing.
Many folks believe that just because God is silent He does not care or that He
will not judge their sin(s). However, God does see one's sin(s) and though you may
get away with it for now, you will eventually have to answer for it.
The folks of Judah commited their sins on a national level. They became reprobate
(beyond the hope of salvation) so God gave them the same treatment that He gave
the folks of the Northern Kingdom of Israel over 100 years earlier- He had them
marched off as slaves. Is there a moral to this story? Yes. If people do not learn
from history, they are bound to repeat it.
"Woe is me..."
I can guarantee you that when Micah gave his prophecy that he suffered persecution.
Maybe it was necessary for him to suffer in order to obey God's will. Years later,
the prophet, Jeremiah, suffered when he gave a similar message from God. I can
only imagine that it was a hard message for him to deliver.
"Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the
doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.
For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are those of his own household"
The Lord Jesus Christ stated similar ownership truths:
Exactly what are ownership truths? Each and every person on this earth is owned by
either God or Satan. If you love the Lord, God owns you. If you do not love the Lord,
Satan owns you. God and Satan are at war against each other.
There is no middle ground. There is a major separation between the saved and the
unsaved folks on this earth. There are the sheep versus the goats. There are those
who are good versus those who are evil. There are those who are clean versus those
who are unclean. There are those going to heaven versus those going to hell.
Those are God's rules, not mine. It is His creation and the way that He designed
it- if you do not like it then take it up with Him. If you want to argue with Him
over this matter, that is up to you.
Who can you trust? Most family relationships have to have mutual trust, respect,
love, confidence, and support in order to share love and harmony. Otherwise, there
may be bitter hostility.
Satan claims every individual on this planet but God says, not so! I have a few
who belong to Me. They love Me for Who I AM. This is where the idea of a godly remnant comes to fruition- God
always deals with quality rather than with quantity. Many more are on Satan's side
but God always has a few. If you want to study more about this, I have another web
page that gives more information:
"As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders"
God reminds them that He loves the Israelites and watches over them. He wants them to
repent of their sins and accept Him as their saviour. He will prove Himself to the
folks of Israel when He returns. How? He will work miracles of judgment on
behalf of Israel like the ones He worked in the past to free the Israelites from Egyptian
slavery in the days of Moses.
"Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among
His people? You cannot stay angry with Your people forever, because You delight
in showing mercy. Once again You will have compassion on us. You will trample
our sins under Your feet. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea
(of Your forgetfulness). You will show us Your faithfulness and unfailing love as
You promised with an oath to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago"
God always keeps His promises. He is a Person of absolute integrity and will never
let you down or fail you. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He will
keep and honor His promises to Abraham and Jacob because of Who He is.
Micah gave a message of hope. He saw beyond God's judgment when Christ shall reign
and when there will be universal peace. Love, freedom, and reconciliation are all
blessings of His gospel today.
The message of the prophet, Micah, is quoted in other places in the bible. Where?
1) By the elders of the land of Judah when they quoted Micah 3:12. This is found in
2) By the the chief priests and scribes of King Herod and quoted Micah 5:2.
This is found in
3) By Christ when He quoted Micah 7:6. This is found in His discourse in
Jesus is our Peace and our Shepherd
"...feed in the strength of the Lord..."
Our Lord Is Our Shepherd:
What does being a shepherd to us mean? We are His sheep. It means He takes care of
us, He protects us, and He gives us salvation. And much more...
Christ's Kingdom:
Predictions concerning Christ:
"Hear"
The Sins of Israel and Judah (also for us today?):
These are also interesting passages of scripture to look at and study:
The End Times:
God's Blessings:
Sins of Israel & God's judgment:
Concerning Assyria:
The prophet, Micah, wrote the bible book of Micah as a prophecy. Many think that his writing is a
Hebrew poem. He is classified by many (in theology) to be one of the "minor prophets."
There is not much personally known about this prophet. His name means "who is like
the Lord?" His home town was Moresheth near Gath. Where was that? It was a small
town about 20 to 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem near the city of Lachish- close to
the Philistine border region. Today it is identified by archaeologists with
Tell ed-Judeideh.
We do not know where and when Micah wrote his prophecy. It was probably written
sometime during the decline and fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel
(734-721 B.C.). It was probably written from somewhere in the southern Kingdom of
Judah, possibly before the Assyrians came to Jerusalem.
God, through Micah, had 2 main messages that He wanted to convey to the Jewish people:
They would be judged for their sins- their civilization was going to be destroyed and they were going into captivity.
Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom) would fall. In other words, Samaria would fall
(Micah 1:6) and Jerusalem would fall (Micah 3:12). God was going to eventually restore them to a right relationship with Himself,
and He would eventually restore their land to a godly remnant.
Samaria was founded by King Omri (1 Kings 16:24) about 857 B.C. as the capital
of the northern kingdom. The northern kingdom, had lapsed into apostasy over 100 years
previous to the time of Micah. They worshipped the golden calves that King Jeroboam
had set up. They also did other wicked deeds. God sent the prophets Elijah, Elisha,
and Amos to preach to them to repent but they refused. God's judgment, foretold by Micah
(Micah 1:6), fell on the folks of Samaria about 721 B.C. when the Assyrians captured
the city and marched them off to Assyria as slaves.
Jesus Christ is our Judge and Redeemer. Who is like You?
1) Chapter 1 God's disgust with Samaria and Jerusalem
2) Chapter 2 God's judgment against oppressors and false prophets
3) Chapter 3 God's judgment against Israel's leaders
4) Chapter 4 God's future reign and Israel's return from captivity
5) Chapter 5 The Messiah will come; the Godly remnant shall be purified
6) Chapter 6 God's case against His people; His people are guilty and must be chastised
7) Chapter 7 God's hope for His people; God's love for His people
(Micah 1:3-4).
(Micah 1:6-7). NLT
(Micah 1:6).
"I will reward your evil with evil; you will not be able to escape! After I am
through with you, none of you will ever again walk proudly in the streets"
(Micah 2:1-3). NLT
(Isaiah 57:20-21).
(Ezekiel 34:1-10).
(Micah 2:12-13).
(Micah 1-4). NLT
(Micah 3:5-7).
"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They
will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them
whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths"
(2 Timothy 4:3-4).
One false teaching that is going around today in the U.S.A. is the prosperity gospel.
What is the prosperity gospel? If you love the Lord, God will make you materially
rich. Was Jesus materially rich? No. Was Paul the Apostle materially rich? No. He
had to work hard as a tent maker just to stay alive. Many church members believe in
the prosperity gospel. Can this create a problem? Yes. If some church members have
more money than some others, then the "haves" can look down upon the "have nots" as
not being spiritual enough. This can cause economic class distinction. And guess who
are the ones elected to serve on the church board? Yep- the ones who have money- the
ones who are considered to be more spiritual. The Apostle James warned against
this sin in the church
(James 2:1-13). When I went through my Job's Trial for over 9 years and lost nearly
everything that I had, I experienced first hand how hurtful this false doctrine can be.
And there are many more false doctrines around that we have to be aware of.
(Micah 3:8).
(Micah 3:9-11).
(Isaiah 1:10-15).
(Micah 4:1).
1) There will be a great apostasy (a great falling away from Christ).
2) The rapture of the church will take place.
3) An evil world dictator (the antichrist) will eventually arise.
4) The world's peoples will declare war on God and this war will last 7 long years
(the Great Tribulation Period).
5) Jesus will begin His rule from Jerusalem in His Second Advent.
(Daniel 2:34-35).
(Micah 4:1-5).
(Isaiah 2:2-4). Why did God give two of His prophets the same message?
(Matthew 18:16).
(Revelation 20:6; Isaiah 11:6, 65:17-25).
Verse 4:1 The mountain in symbolism is Zion
Verse 4:2 The flowing river in symbolism are the many peoples of the nations of the
world that will pilgrimage to Jerusalem to get a glimpse of King Jesus.
Verses 4:3-4 There will be justice, peace, and security in Jerusalem and Israel.
Verse 4:4
"But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one
shall make them afraid..."
This is a memory verse
Verse 4:5 No more idolatry will be tolerated there.
(Micah 4:6).
(Micah 4:13).
(Revelation 19:16). He has a right to take possession of the earth because He created
it. Whatever you create is yours. If you create a piece of furniture then it is yours.
If you paint a piece of artwork on canvass then it is yours. Christ created the
world so it is His. He has a right to do with it as He wants to. Are you making that
up, preacher, or do you have a scripture to prove your words? Here is a scripture:
"For by Him (Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him"
(Colossians 1:16).
(Matthew 18:12; Luke 15:4).
(Micah 4:6-7).
(Micah 4:9-10).
In 605 B.C. the captivity of Judah began. Daniel was carried off.
In 597 B.C. was the first large deportation to Babylonia. 60,000 were marched off.
In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was destroyed and so was God's temple.
In 538 B.C. was the decree of Cyrus for God's people to return to their land.
It took approximately 3 years for the Israelites to return to the land in sufficient
numbers to begin their nation of Israel once again- making a total of 70 years as
the prophet, Jeremiah, had foretold
(Jeremiah 25:11).
"Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; For I will make your horn iron, and I
will make your hooves bronze; You shall beat in pieces many peoples; I will
consecrate their gain to the Lord, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth"
(Micah 4:11-13).
(Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39; Zechariah chapters 12 & 14).
This is the end of the war that the world declared against God. God wins this
battle and wins the war. Then there will be 1,000 years of peace.
"Proclaim this among the nations: prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all
the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and
your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say: I am strong.
Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your
mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to
the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full,
the vats overflow- for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the
valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision"
(Joel 3:9-14).
(Micah 5:1).
(2 Kings 24:15-25:7). In my opinion this verse should be the last verse of
chapter 4 because it refers to the Babylonian captivity.
(Micah 5:2).
"Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and
from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"
(John 7:42).
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel"
(Isaiah 7:14).
Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
(Micah 5:4-5a).
"He chose His servant David, calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob's
descendants- God's own people, Israel. He cared for them with a true heart
and led them with skillful hands"
(Psalm 78:70-72).
(Isaiah 40:1-5).
(Micah 5:5b-6).
(Micah 5:14).
(2 Kings 23:4-20). Actually Satan was the real one getting worship through these idols.
That is one reason why God was dissappointed with His chosen people- His people were set
aside to worship God, not Satan.
(Micah 6:3-4).
(Micah 6:4).
(Micah 6:4).
(Micah 6:6-8).
(John 14:6). We must have our sins washed clean by His blood in redemption
(John 6:28-29; Acts 16:30-31). Each of us has to invite Him to come and live inside
of our heart (become God possessed) and take up residence there on the throne of
our heart. Each of us must ask Him to forgive us of our sins.
(John 3:7) and then to act justly. What does that mean? It simply means to obey the
Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you). Be merciful in your
dealings with others and keep a humble and contrite heart before God. You and I
cannot walk like this in sanctification (holiness) unless God helps us. And Paul the
Apostle mentions similar attributes for the believer as fruits of the Holy Spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23). All this is what God expects from each of us.
(Micah 6:16). NLT
(Micah 7:1).
(Micah 7:5-6).
"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My
Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny
before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.
I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against
his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household.
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves
son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his
cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me"
(Matthew 10:32-38). Also see Mark 13:12 and Luke 12:53.
(Micah 7:15).
(Micah 7:18-20).
(Jeremiah 26:18).
(Matthew 2:5-6).
(Matthew 10:32-42).
(Micah 5:4-6).
Our Lord Gives Us Peace:
1) Christ will be the peace (Micah 5:5; Isaiah 9:6-7; Zechariah 9:10)
2) Christ made peace and is our peace (Ephesians 2:14-15)
3) Christ will be Israel's peace (Isaiah 9:7)
4) Christ is the Good Shepherd (Psalm 22)- He gives His life for the sheep.
5) Christ is the Great Shepherd (Psalm 23)- He keeps His sheep.
6) Christ is the Chief Shepherd (Psalm 24)- He is coming in glory.
1) Basis of Christ's kingdom (righteousness) (Micah 4:2 & 5)
2) Blessing of Christ's kingdom (peace) (Micah 4:3)
3) Highlight of Christ's kingdom (worship of God in spirit & truth) (Micah 4:1&7)
4) Extent of Christ's kingdom (universal) (Micah 4:2)
5) Capital of Christ's kingdom (Zion or Jerusalem) (Micah 4:1-2)
6) Christ will be born in Bethlehem of Judah (Micah 5:2)
7) Christ will be a king (Micah 2:12-13)
8) Christ will reign in righteousness over all the earth (Micah 4:1-7)
Micah gives 3 messages, each beginning with the word "hear."
Micah 1:2 This message to hear is addressed to all people
Micah 3:1 This message to hear is addressed to the leaders of Israel
Micah 6:1 This message to hear is addressed to the folks of Israel encouraging
them to repent and turn from their sins to the living God.
1) The worship of Satan and idols (Micah 1:7, 6:16; Jeremiah 7:31, 32:35)
2) Sexual immorality (Jeremiah 3:2; Ezekiel 16:25)
3) Covetousness (Micah 2:2)
4) Oppression of the righteous and the poor (Micah 2:2)
5) Violence (Micah 2:2, 3:10, 6:12, & 7:2)
6) Believing false teachers and false religions (Micah 2:6 & 11; 3:5-7 & 11)
7) Corruption amongst government officials (Micah 3:1-3)
8) Dishonesty in their court system (Micah 3:9 & 11; 7:3)
9) Crooked police, military officials, & others (Micah 6:10-11)
Should end on a positive note with the second coming of Christ (the glorious hope)
Isaiah 2:2-4, 2:11 & 12, 26:21, 40:9-11; Zephaniah 3:19
Isaiah 3:10, 38:17, 63:7-9
Ezekiel 22:23-31; Isaiah 2:8, 3:8, 8:17, 26:11
Isaiah 36:2
34. Nahum Commentary
Celebrate Christ's Resurrection
32. Jonah Commentary
Bible Commentary Index
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As of April 5, 2012