Micah – A Minor Prophet with a Major Message

My husband and I are loving our third chronological trip through our Bibles. Things that may not have touched us deeply the first two times are now jumping off the pages at us.

This week we read the entire book of Micah in two days. For those who don’t know, Micah is one of the minor prophets. This isn’t because he was less important, but because he didn’t write as many words as prophets like Isaiah or Ezekiel. But Micah packed a lot of prophecy into his seven chapters. Remember, there were no chapters back in those days. The books were divided thusly years later.

MICAH AND ISAIAH – PROPHET BUDDIES

Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Micah’s message was for all the people of the time. Chapter 1:2 Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple (ESV).

Micah’s prophecies tell of God’s judgment on three groups: Samaria and Jerusalem; the leaders of Israel and Judah; and the people who lived in Israel and Judah. The people had begun to worship like those around them, forgetting who they were and that they were God’s people. They became idol worshipers and they lived licentious lives. They disregarded the poor among them and oppressed them greatly, taking anything from them they could, including long-held family land.

God used Micah to try to get the people to see how evil they’d become. He told them it wasn’t too late to turn back to God and to their former days when David was king and they loved and honored God. The good news for us is—it is never too late!

TICKLED EARS

But the people only wanted to hear the false prophets who told them what they wanted to hear—so that they could continue to sin. To me, this sounds like many of today’s preachers who only tickle the ears of their congregations. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (2 Tim. 4:3-4 ESV).

Micah - A Minor Prophet With a Major Message @DDuPreeWilliams #faith #writing Share on X

MAJOR WORDS FROM A MINOR PROPHET

Here are some amazing prophecies of Micah:

The Babylonian captivity of about 586 BC, even before Babylon became a great and powerful empire.

The coming birth of Jesus in Bethlehem Ephrathah 700 years before His birth

The remnant of Jacob would be delivered 538 BC when Cyrus the Great granted them permission to return to Judah

WE KNOW THIS ONE

Micah is also the book that gave us that frequently quoted passage, 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 (mercy), and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 ESV).

To have true justice, God’s righteous justice, and mercy, which can come only from a loving God, we must walk humbly with Him, knowing we are so unworthy. God loves us so much, despite our sin. He gave us His Son, The Lamb of God, who died on the cross and paid a price we could never pay.

INDEED – WHO IS LIKE YOU?

In the last portion of the seventh chapter, Micah asks this question:

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

And passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?

He does not retain his anger forever,

Because he delights in steadfast love (Micah 7:18 ESV).

Let me urge you to read the entire book. Ask God to give you new ways of seeing and understanding His Word. Reading won’t take long, and you will be blessed.

Blessings, y’all!

By now you know I’m a huge Paul Wilbur fan. I love that his lyrics come straight from The Word! This is one of my favorites and it fits beautifully with Micah’s words.