UBF Daily Bread

GOD'S WORD COMES TO MICAH

Passage: Micah 1:1~16

Key verse: 2

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth^(A) during the reigns of Jotham,^(B) Ahaz^(C) and Hezekiah,^(D) kings of Judah^(E)—the vision^(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

²Hear,^(G) you peoples, all of you,^(H)
listen, earth^(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness^(J) against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.^(K)

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

³Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling^(L) place;
    he comes down^(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.^(N)
⁴The mountains melt^(O) beneath him^(P)
    and the valleys split apart,^(Q)
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
⁵All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
    because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
    Is it not Samaria?^(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

⁶“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
    a place for planting vineyards.^(S)
I will pour her stones^(T) into the valley
    and lay bare her foundations.^(U)
⁷All her idols^(V) will be broken to pieces;^(W)
    all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
    I will destroy all her images.^(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,^(Y)
    as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

⁸Because of this I will weep^(Z) and wail;
    I will go about barefoot^(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
    and moan like an owl.
⁹For Samaria’s plague^(AB) is incurable;^(AC)
    it has spread to Judah.^(AD)
It has reached the very gate^(AE) of my people,
    even to Jerusalem itself.
¹⁰Tell it not in Gath^[a];
    weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah^[b]
    roll in the dust.
¹¹Pass by naked^(AF) and in shame,
    you who live in Shaphir.^[c]
Those who live in Zaanan^[d]
    will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
    it no longer protects you.
¹²Those who live in Maroth^[e] writhe in pain,
    waiting for relief,^(AG)
because disaster^(AH) has come from the Lord,
    even to the gate of Jerusalem.
¹³You who live in Lachish,^(AI)
    harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion^(AJ) began,
    for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
¹⁴Therefore you will give parting gifts^(AK)
    to Moresheth^(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib^[f]^(AM) will prove deceptive^(AN)
    to the kings of Israel.
¹⁵I will bring a conqueror against you
    who live in Mareshah.^[g]^(AO)
The nobles of Israel
    will flee to Adullam.^(AP)
¹⁶Shave^(AQ) your head in mourning
    for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
    for they will go from you into exile.^(AR)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.

MICAH

Micah was from the Judean country town of Moresheth, near the Philistine border. He was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. Isaiah lived in Jerusalem and talked with kings, but Micah was a country prophet. He saw how idolatry had poisoned Israel and Judah. He also saw the gap between the rich and the poor, and he spoke out against social evils and injustice. He looked forward to the coming of the Christ (5:2;2:12-13; 4:1,7). He lived during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (kings of Judah).

Three major events occurred during Micah's lifetime: i) The Assyrian army invaded Syria, Philistia and parts of Israel and Judah (734-732); ii) in 722 Samaria fell; iii) in 701, Judah joined a revolt against Assyria and Jerusalem was almost destroyed. God saved her by sending a plague among the Assyrian soldiers. The key verse of Micah is 6:8.

Outline of contents

1:1-16 -- God will punish idolatry

2:1-3:12 -- God's judgment on the corrupt

wealthy class

4:1-5:15 -- God's great hope for his people

6:1-16 -- God calls Israel to repentance

7:1-20 -- A promise and a faithful remnant

1. God's judgment falls on two capitals (1-7)

God is the sovereign ruler of all the earth. He reveals himself through his dealings with his own people. He is angry because of the idolatry of Israel and Judah, and he comes down from his dwelling place to tread the earth. His coming is fearsome, because he comes to judge. Samaria was the capital of Northern Israel; the poison of idolatry and immorality flowed from there. Jerusalem, capital of Judah, had become like a pagan altar. The Assyrian Empire was God's instrument of judgment.

2. Weeping and mourning (8-16)

The Assyrian army would destroy Samaria and come to the very gates of Jerusalem. This disaster is from the Lord. Micah wept and wailed and went about naked, showing vividly the sorrow and shame of defeat and slavery. Lachish was in Judah, near Micah's home town. This city had followed the corrupt ways of Northern Israel and had influenced all Judah. The cities of Judah would be overrun by the Assyrian army.

Prayer: Lord, cleanse all idols from my heart. Have mercy on your repentant people.

One Word: God hates idol worship