Micah: Israel's Judge (Part 9)

Listen to what the LORD says: "Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. "Hear, you mountains, the LORD's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.
Micah 6:1-2

This is a strong opening. God is making a case against Israel. God is obviously going to be the judge in this case, but who does it say the witnesses are? The mountains, hills, and the very foundation of the earth. Hosea, who prophesied around the same time Micah did, also speaks of a case against Israel:

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Hosea 4:1-2

Hosea gives us a bit of insight on why God is bring a case against Israel, which helps us understand why God is so angry.
Micah chose to omit the details of Israel's sin, but he still has something really important to say in the verses spends 

"My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.
Micah 6:3

God wants to know what he did from them to sin against him. And he is a judge who does have a right to make an inquiry. What has God done to Israel, but love them?

I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD."
Micah 6:4-5

Balak and Balaam's story is in Numbers 22, but Balaam is mentioned in many places.

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.
Deuteronomy 23:3-5

When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.
Joshua 24:9-10

because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)
Nehemiah 13:2

These three verses are about how God protected Israel by his power. In Micah 6, there two examples of how God protects and delivers Israel, so this is obviously an important story. A donkey saved Balaam's life and then God used Balaam to bless Israel. 

With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:6-8

Micah is hitting on an important point here, but he's a bit more subtle about in than others.

To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
Mark 12:33

But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:22

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
Hebrews 10:11

Micah is saying that God has told us what to do, so why aren't we doing it?

Some Christians sin and sin over and over again because it's ok, God forgives our sins. God loves us no matter what. But that's the wrong attitude about life. Yes, God forgives us, but obeying is better than a sacrifice. If you are one of those people who thinks sin is fine, your wrong. Just remember than Jesus suffered for you. He was whipped, beaten with a staff, mocked, slapped, spat on, they divided up his cloths by casting lots, and even crowned him with thorns, which formed to remind us of sin (Genesis 3:18).
Jesus suffered for you. Every time you sin, you beating, spitting on him and even as your adding to the load of sin Jesus died for, Jesus has already forgiven you.

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Luke 23:34

Sources:
http://biblehub.com/micah/6-6.htm

Photo Credit:
http://candy-jesusesmidulcerefugio.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html

Micah: Vengeance is Mine (Part 8)

Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses.
Micah 5:1-5a

Micah has prophesied about destruction, judgement, justice, sin, and false prophets/teacher. Now, Micah is tell us about the one who can save us from all of this and the one who will judge those who choose to not be saved, and that would be Jesus. The most important thing in these first five verses is that Jesus' "greatness will reach to the ends of the earth." Even when bad happen, his greatness will be there.

And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses.

I love how Micah puts this. Even when there are invaders, Jesus will be our peace. When everyone else, is freaking out because people are marching through our fortress, Jesus' greatness will still remain.

We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders, who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue. Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.
Micah 5:5b-9

Later in this chapter, Micah focuses on the negative side of God's judgment, but right now, Micah highlights the fact that God will deliver them. Micah reminders us that delivereance will come, before getting into the details of the destruction.

"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities. I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me."
Micah 5:10-15

Micah prophecies about God's judgement time and time again, but there are a few things Micah mentions that have become idols to the people of Isreal:

1. Horses, chariots (This would be technology)
2. Strongholds (buildings)
3. Witchcraft, spells, (superstition)
4. Idols, scared stones, Asherah poles (false religions)

These are things people can become obsessed with in modern time, whether be getting the newest phones, computers, TVs, etc. or practicing a false religion such as Islam, Hinduism, and Atheism.
But Micah also reminds us that it not our place to avenge sin. God says through Micah: "I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me."

It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."

Dueteronomy 32:35

-Ruth

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Sources:
http://www.holydevotion.org/micah/2009/06/micah-510-15-standing-on-rock.html

Photo Credit:
http://untilallhaveheard1.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/the-prophets-and-prophecy-m-dods/

Micah: Who is Like God? (Part 7)

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.
Micah 4:1

This refers to a temple in Jerusalem, the 3rd temple. "The last days" refers to before the events in revelation. Since the third temple has yet to be built, Micah is making a prediction that's waiting to be fulfilled. Ezekiel 40 describes the physical appearance of the temple, but Micah describes something different.

Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple 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.
Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
Micah 4:2-5

Micah means "Who is Like God?" and this helps when your look for what Micah means.
In the old testament, the temple was how God communicated with his people. You need to sacrifice at the temple to have your sins forgiven.
Once Jesus died on the cross, there was no need for the temple and it was destroyed in a later invasion of Israel.
But what we see is the temple coming back and we see what happens when the temple is rebuilt.
Who is like God?
God has chosen to reveal himself to his people by a third temple.

for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem." Why do you now cry aloud— have you no king? Has your ruler perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor? Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.
Micah 4:6-10

Who is like God?
Only God can keep a perfect balance between justice and mercy.
God punishes his people, but he also promises to gather them back together.

But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!" But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
Micah 4:11-12

This prophecy is already starting to be fulfilled. Nations have always been rising up against Israel. More modern examples would be Hilter and conflicts with Egypt, Jordan,Syria, and Iraq.

"Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations." You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Micah 4:13

Who is like God?
God still helps his people, despite the many times they've turned their backs on him. God will bring them victory, allowing them to destroy many nations. Who is like God?

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said: "LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
1 Kings 8:22-23

-Ruth

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Photo Credit:
http://eschatologytoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/school-to-prepare-for-rebuilt-temple.html

Micah: Justice (Part 6)

Then I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice, you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?" Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.
Micah 3:1-4

After reading through the book of Micah, I got the feeling that Micah had a very strong sense of justice. He is still defending Judah because he thinks it's not their fault. Micah says that they have been lead astray by their leaders and God agrees with him.

This is what the LORD says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim 'peace' if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them. Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God."
Micah 3:5-7

I can relate to Micah because I also have a strong sense of justice. God has a strong sense of justice too, but he loves us more than he loves justice. That is why he sets aside being fair and gives us something better that justice. He gives us mercy.
God has given the false prophets a chance for mercy, but he does have to have a sacrifice for sin, whether that's a lamb (old testament) or Jesus' death or, if you don't except these, you are the sacrifice. If you don't accept the savior, you must burn up in hell.
Here, God is thinking of ending the age of the prophets. Prophets were suppose to be God's way to communicate to his people, but even they were becoming corrupted and their corruptness was rubbing off on the Israelite. God knew he had to stop this, but first God gave a chance for repentance through Micah because Micah was one of the few people who still had faith in God.

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.
Micah 3:8

Micah is a righteous prophet. Even though people are against him, he stands strong because he longs to please God.
The false prophets are telling the people exactly what they want to hear. No one wants to believe that Micah is right. They don't want judgement, so they believe the false prophets and continue with their lives as if nothing's wrong.
The same is true of today. Their are false pastors and teachers who tell people what they want to hear and they usually have a huge audience because who doesn't want to be told what they want to hear? Everyone wants to be told that God is fine with their sin.
But then there are the pastor and teachers like Micah who tell you what God wants you to hear. They tell you what the bible says, not what the world says. Those are the people you should listen to.

Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the LORD's support and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us." Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
Micah 3:9-12

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Micah: In Denial (Part 5)

"Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us."

Micah 2:6

These are the false prophets of Judah, and they are in denial. They don't want to believe that they were sinning or that disaster would befall them. They want to live in the moment, ignoring the consequences of their sin, ignoring that it is sin, but Micah was called to change that.

Should it be said, O house of Jacob: "Is the Spirit of the Lord angry? Does he do such things?" "Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?
Micah 2:7

Micah now poses this question: can God be angry?
The answer is absolutely! God has a righteous anger. Anger becomes sinful when it turns into a grudge or causes you to do anything else sinful.

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. You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever.
Micah 2:8-9

Most of the prophets are not accepted by their people. (The only exception that comes to mind is Jonah.) There's even a parable that says this!
Micah his says people are acting like an enemy towards everyone, which probably includes himself.

Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy. 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!

Micah 2:10-11

We live in a time of opposition. Mathew 7:15 says "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." There are false Christians that wish to destroy the true ones.
In the time of Micah, there were no Christians, but there were prophets to lead the people. There are also false prophets that pretend to be true ones.

"I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD at their head."
Micah 2:12-13

I think this is talking about Jesus. Jesus will break open the way and go before us.
Micah promises that Jesus is coming, that he will redeem us. He'll lead the way.

The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD at their head.

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Photo Credit:
Micah: http://communitysteeple.com/spiritual/146-a-major-message-from-the-minor-prophet.html
Wolf: http://www.markmallett.com/blog/more-on-false-prophets/

Micah: The Deliberate Sinner (Part 4)

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.
They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.
Micah 2:1-2

There's sin, and that's bad, but what's even worse is when someone plans their sin. Micah isn't the only bible verse that says this.

I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.
Psalm 36:1-4

" 'But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD and must be cut off from the people of Israel.
Number 15:30

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Hebrews 10:26-27

Deliberate sin is wrong, the old and new testament both agree on that.

Therefore, the LORD says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.
Micah 2:3

Micah is very straightforward. He tells us "Don't do this because God will do this." If you deliberately sin, God will plan disaster for you. This might be dooming you to hell, or there might be disasters on earth.

In that day people will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: 'We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.' "
Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.
Micah 2:4-5

If you plan sin, you will be punished. God does punish sin. It's not always immediate, but it does happen.

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Micah: Powerful Prayer (Part 3)

Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. For Samaria's plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself. Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust.
Micah 1:8-10

In the previous post, Micah prophesied about Samaria being destroyed. Micah is distressed because Samaria started sinning by worshiping Baal and sacrificing their children to their idols, but it spread like a plague to Judah. Micah weeps before God and God answers his prayers.

So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.
2 Kings 17:18-19

2 Kings 17 describes the attack of the Assyrians and the sins of Israel. It is the devastation Micah prophesies about, but God heard Micah's mourning. God spared Judah, even though they were infected with sin, God heard.

Pass by naked and in shame, you who live in Shaphir. Those who live in Zaanan will not come out. Beth Ezel is in mourning; it no longer protects you. Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem. You who live in Lachish, harness fast horses to the chariot. You are where the sin of Daughter Zion began, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Akzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel. I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobles of Israel will flee to Adullam. Shave 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.
Micah 1:11-16

Seeing his own people suffer was painful, so he wept, he prayed. God didn't destroy Judah because of prayer.
This is why we must pray. God doesn't have to answer us with a yes, but you're prayer can never be answered if it's never asked.

Photo Credit:
http://www.theomegadays.net/topics/minor_prophets_micah1.htm

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Micah: Judgement is Coming (Part 2)

Hear, you peoples, all of you, listen, earth and all who live in it, that the Sovereign LORD may bear witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.

Micah 1:2-4

Verse 2 of Micah is an important, commonly overlook verse

Hear, you peoples, all of you, listen, earth and all who live in it,

This tells us that he is speaking to everyone of that time period.

that the Sovereign LORD may bear witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

This tells us the purpose of his letter, to warn to whole world that God is going to bear witness against us. Micah might be referring to the later mentioned case God makes against Israel.
Or perhaps, he's saying that sometimes, it may seem like bad people are successful. Sometimes, evil people do well, but Micah is warning the world that in the end, God will punish those who don't give their life to Christ. (Or, in that time, have faith in God and have it credited to you as righteousness).

All 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? What is Judah's high place? Is it not Jerusalem? "Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations. All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used."
Micah 1:5-7

Micah might be talking about when the Assyrians invaded Samaria. (2 Kings 17)
Micah's first prophecy is about God punishing sin and that is true today. God punishes sin.

Photo Credit:
http://www.yahwehsword.org/s_destruction/08_hosea_and_the_assyrians.htm

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Micah: Introduction (Part 1)

The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
Micah 1:1

Micah is one of my favorite books because to me, it shows the power of God. The book of Jeremiah even quotes Micah:

Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: " 'Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.' "Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the LORD and seek his favor? And did not the LORD relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!"
Jeremiah 26:17-19

There is also a Casting Crowns song that has lyrics based on Micah. In their song "Courageous," there is one line towards the end that says "Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God."

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

The first thing Micah writes down (after his opening) is about when the Lord comes. Micah holds on to the hope that Jesus will come, and we hold on to the hope that Jesus is coming back. God has not abandoned us, He will return.

Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth.
Micah 1:3

Photo Credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Micha.jpg

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