A. “Can you HEAR me now?”
1. That’s one of those COMMERCIAL CATCH PHRASES everyone knows.
ILLUSTRATION:
In 2001 Verizon Wireless hired 50 people to travel the country and test the company’s CELLULAR NETWORK. They each averaged 100,000 miles a year to ensure that the Verizon
Network was as FAR-REACHING as they ADVERTISED.
In 2002 Verizon hired thirty-four-year-old Paul Marcarelli of New York City to be the “personification” of those 50 testers. (And yes, those are his own glasses!) He became simply known as the “Test Guy” and in the Verizon commercials you would see him, on his cell phone, in a variety of places and situations testing the Verizon network uttering the phrase, “Can you hear me
now? Good!”
(As a side note: Verizon quit using Paul Marcarelli in their commercials back in 2011. And now, starring just this month, he is doing commercials for SPRINT. When Verizon quit listening, Sprint took over.)
2. “Can you hear me now?” is a question that God could be asking the kingdoms of Israel and Judah
because they certainly haven’t been listening to God.
a. From Micah’s writings it seems that the Northern Kingdom of Israel is either undergoing attack by
the ASSYRIAN ARMY or has already been CARRIED off into CAPTIVITY. Israel was taken CAPTIVE about 722-721 BC.
b. In 2 Kings 18:9-10 we learn that “Israel was taken captive during the reign of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and that it took 3 years for Assyria to defeat and overtake the city of Samaria, the capital
of Israel.”
COMMENT:
God WARNED Israel time and again that this would happen unless they repented of their wickedness and idolatry and RETURN to Him, but they didn’t LISTEN. While the Assyrian army is viscously ripping their NATION APART killing people by the THOUSANDS, I wonder if God is sadly asking, “Can you hear me now, Israel?”
B. This is certainly the question that the Prophet Micah is now asking of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
1. He uses the words “HEAR & LISTEN” throughout this book to stress the importance of God’s Word.
2. Micah was written around 735-700 BC.
a. Micah was a contemporary with Isaiah, prophesying during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
b. There is a reference of him in Jeremiah 26:18 pronouncing “DOOM on Judah”.
COMMENT:
Micah was a resident of Judah from Moresheth-Gath, about 20-25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. He, even as Amos, was a prophet to the POOR and DOWNTRODDEN. He was especially indignant over the CORRUPTION and HEARTLESSNESS of the inhuman RULERS and money-serving PRIESTS and PROPHETS. Micah is said “to have Amos’ PASSION for JUSTICE and Hosea’s HEART for LOVE.”
3. Micah’s name means: “WHO IS LIKE THE LORD” (Yahweh)
MESSAGE:
I. MESSAGE CONCERNING JUDAH’S SINS (JUDGMENT)- chapters 1-3
A. Micah begins by letting his readers and listeners know that what he is about to say does not come from
him, but are the “WORDS of the LORD”- v. 1.
1. His prophecies concern the CAPITAL cities of Israel and Judah—“Samaria” and “Jerusalem.”
a. He begins with the word “HEAR” in v. 2- (READ).
b. Micah wants to know, “OKAY SAMARIA, JERUSALEM, EARTH. CAN YOU HEAR GOD NOW? GOD HAS SOMETHING TO TELL YOU, SO LISTEN UP.”
2. God has had enough with the IDOLATRY and WICKEDNESS of His people, so He is coming in
JUDGMENT against Israel and Judah- v. 3 (READ)
a. The “HIGH PLACES” are the SHRINES to the IDOLS that have been ERECTED.
COMMENT:
It was customary for nations to erect ALTARS and PLACES of WORSHIP on elevated spots
to give their gods and goddesses places of HONOR.
Of course, “the building of these HIGH PLACES were forbidden by God”- Deut. 12:11-14.
b. Micah pictures God as being much HIGHER than these HIGH PLACES. He said, “The Lord is
COMING DOWN from His dwelling place to DESTROY your HIGH PLACES.”
COMMENT:
The Jews had forgotten how GREAT and MIGHTY the Lord really is. But how often do we FORGET when we allow PEOPLE, THINGS and PLEASURE to have a HIGHER PLACE in our lives than Almighty God?
3. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was the first to be destroyed- vv. 6-16
a. God says, “I am going to make Samaria a heap of RUBBLE”- v. 6.
COMMENT:
After multiple WARNINGS and PLEADINGS that God would DESTROY Israel unless they REPENT and RETURN to Him, God finally sent the mighty and vicious Assyrian Army to carry out His JUDGMENT against the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
b. Samaria will be LAID to WASTE and all of her IDOLS and HIGH PLACES will be DESTROYED.
4. Micah knows that it’s only a matter of time that JUDA— his HOME NATION—is next.
a. “So he WEEPS and WAILS over Israel’s destruction and Judah’s impending judgment”-
Micah 1:8.
b. Micah 1: 9 “Israel’s wound is incurable; it has come to Judah—even Jerusalem itself.”
COMMENT:
This was a time of GREAT SORROW for the true followers of God. They are seeing their cities being DESTROYED over the RELIGIOUS and SOCIAL CORRUPTION that had SPREAD
through these two nations like an INCURABLE CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
b. That’s what SIN does. Paul told the Corinthian church that they had to deal with the SIN in their congregation because it will spread like “YEAST in a fresh batch of DOUGH”- 1 Cor. 5.
B. In pointing out the SINS of Israel and Judah, Micah then turns to his own—the PROPHETS- 2:6-11
1. To ensure that the PRIESTS and PROPHETS would not SPEAK against the SINS of the RICH
RULERS and NOBLES, they would PAY them to say what they wanted to hear.
a. These PROPHETS would even go to the TRUE PROPHETS and try to prevent them from
PREACHING the TRUTH- 2:6b- “Do not prophecy about these things.”
COMMENT:
God was sending PROPHETS to WARN the people of His impending JUDGMENT and try to urge them to REPENT, but they were being SILENCED by the FALSE PROPHETS of the LAND—who also knew the TRUTH, but kept SILENT.
b. These PROPHETS spoke only of what the PEOPLE wanted to HEAR:
- Micah 2:11-“They prophesied for plenty of wine and beer.” (“Just keep the BREWSKIES
coming and I’ll tell you anything you want to hear.”)
- Micah 3:5- “As long as one would feed these prophets, they would proclaim peace. If one
refused, they would WAR against him.”
- Micah 3:11- “The LEADERS would JUDGE for a BRIBE, her PRIESTS teach for a PRICE, and her PROPHETS will tell FORTUNES for MONEY.”
2. Sadly, this RELIGIOUS CORRUPTION is still prevalent among many so-called PREACHERS of
God’s Word.
a. There are plenty of FALSE PROPHETS in churches all over the WORLD who will PREACH
only what people want to HEAR.
b. Some have built MEGA-CHURCHES espousing FALSE DOCTRINE.
c. For this very reason, the Apostle Paul warned the young preacher Timothy to PREACH the unadulterated Truth of God’s Word no matter what- 2 Timothy 4:2-5 (READ & COMMENT)
COMMENT:
The prophet Micah knew the TRUTH. And even though it was a MESSAGE that brought DEEP SORROW to the depths of his SOUL, He now tells JUDAH that they, too, will be JUDGED by God.
II. A MESSAGE CONCERNING THE COMING MESSIAH (HOPE)- chapters 4-5
A. The NATION that God is going to use in JUDGMENT against Judah is introduced in chapter 4.
1. Assyria, the DOMINANT POWER of that day, won’t be their CAPTORS as they were of Israel, but
“BABYLON” will- Micah 4:10.
a. Babylon at the time of the writing of this PROPHECY was no THREAT to Judah.
COMMENT:
Judah was more POWERFUL. However, Micah prophesies that the little nation of Babylon some 500 east of Judah will be the one to DEFEAT them.
b. Micah 3:12- “…Zion will be plowed like a field; Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.”
COMMENT:
Everything, including the “TEMPLE OF GOD” will be demolished.
2. In the midst of Judah’s DESTRUCTION and CAPTIVITY by Babylon, Micah presents a
MESSAGE of HOPE.
a. Micah 4:10b- “…You will go to Babylon; there you will be RESCUED. There the Lord will
REDEEM you out of the hand of your ENEMIES.”
COMMENT:
Jeremiah prophesied that “Judah will be taken into BABYLON CAPTIVITY by King Nebuchadnezzar, and there remain for 70 years”- Jeremiah 25:8-12. “After the 70 years of captivity, they will return to their land, even as God promised”- Jeremiah 29:10-14. However, only a “RIGHTEOUS REMNANT will RETURN”- Jeremiah 23:3.
b. God used the Babylonian CAPTIVITY to purge the WICKED and IDOLATERS from the nation of Judah, and RESCUE the RIGHTEOUS.
COMMENT:
It was through the FAITHFUL that returned to Judah that God PRESERVED the SEED LINE of Abraham until the MESSIAH (Jesus the Christ) was BORN.
B. Micah introduces the COMING of Christ in chapter 5. (Three points are made about the Messiah)
1. “He will rise from Bethlehem”- 5:2 (Some 700 year after this writing)
a. Although Bethlehem was a small insignificant town located about 5½ miles south of Jerusalem,
Micah prophesies that “the RULER of Israel” will come from that little TOWN.
COMMENT:
Of course, we know the story of how Joseph and his very pregnant wife Mary had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted in the King’s census, and there she gave birth to Jesus the Son of God.
b. Jesus is the Messiah—the Christ. And He is the “KING of kings and the LORD of lords,” the RULER of all things.
2. “He will SHEPHERD His flock”- 5:4
a. Jesus describes Himself as “the GOOD SHEPHERD” in John 10.
COMMENT:
This is quite a CONTRAST. Jesus is not only the RULER of the WORLD, but He is also a loving SHEPHERD to His people. The FLOCK over which He SHEPHERD is the “CHURCH of Jesus Christ.” As our shepherd Jesus STRENGTHENS, NOURISHES, PROTECTS and GUIDES us in our daily walk with Him.
b. Micah said, “As a Shepherd, His GREATNESS will reach the ends of the earth.” (Every Christian who has lived the world-over, know and has known the greatness of our Lord.)
3. “He will bring Peace”- 5:5
a. Isaiah 9:6- “Prince of peace.”
b. John 16:33- “…in Me you may have peace…”
COMMENT:
“The means through which Jesus brought PEACE among Jews and Gentiles was through His shed BLOOD on the CROSS”- Ephesians 4:13-14. We are ONE in Christ Jesus.
III. MESSAGE CONCERNING GOD’S PROMISE (SALVATION)- chapters 6-7
A. God wants all of Israel to know how He has BLESSED them time again in chapter 6.
1. God asked, “How have I been a burden to you?”- 6:3.
COMMENT:
God reminds them what He has done for them: “I brought you SAFELY out of Egypt. I PROTECTED you when others wanted to do you HARM. I have defeated ARMIES that were more POWERFUL and MIGHTY than you. I have WATCHED over you, CARED for you, and PROTECTED you. So tell Me how I’ve been a BURDEN to you?”
2. How did the Israelites show their APPRECIATION for what all God had done for them?
a. By DISOBEYING His commands, TURNING from Him to idols, MISTREATING their
fellow-man, and WORSHIPPING Him OUTWARDLY but not LIVING for Him INWARDLY.
b. Church . . . God has BLESSED us even beyond what He did for the Israelites. He gave us His Son Jesus Christ so that through Him we can have ETERNAL LIFE.
COMMENT:
Sadly, many Christians today still look at God as a BURDEN, and choose NOT to OBEY Him, allow other things to be MORE IMPORTANT than Him, MISTREAT their fellow Christians, and REFUSE to WORSHIP Him as they should.
c. John 5:3- “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.”
3. Micah tells the people that what God wanted all along was merely for them to “LOVE Him and to
LOVE one another.”
a. That’s the two “GREATEST COMMANDMENT”- Matthew 22:37-40- You know, “The commands that all the LAW and the PROPHETS hang on.”
b. Listen to what Micah says God requires- 6:8 (READ and COMMENT)
c. “LOVE GOD! LOVE PEOPLE!”
COMMENT:
Micah is saying to the Israelites, “Is that too hard? Is that too much of a burden? Just show God and your fellow-man that you LOVE them.”
B. Israel’s DISOBEDIENCE has led to their MISERY- 7:1-6
1. The people of Judah laments, “What MISERY is mine!”- v. 1
a. Their LIFE of DISOBEDIENCE, GREED, IMMORALITY, IDOLATRY, FALSE TEACHING has made their LIVES MISERABLE.
b. Isn’t that what SIN does?
COMMENT:
Sin may bring PLEASURE for a while, but it won’t LAST long. Sin breeds PROBLEMS and HEARTACHE. It creates ENEMIES. It destroys FAMILIES.
2. Micah said that no one can be TRUSTED . . . not your NEIGHBORS, not your FRIENDS, not your FAMILY. NO ONE! Sin has taken over, and JUSTICE, MERCY, and HUMILITY are gone.
C. In the midst of all the CHAOS and MISERY . . . SALVATION is PROMISED- 7:7-20
1. Micah- “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear
me.”- v. 7
2. I have heard people say that “The God of the Old Testament is about Judgment and Wrath, and
the God of the New Testament is about Love and Salvation.”
a. That’s not TRUE at all.
COMMENT:
God never changes. The Minor Prophet Malachi quotes God as saying, “I the Lord do not change”- Malachi 3:6. God is always about SALVATION.
b. If you are not SAVED, you cannot BLAME God—it’s on you.
3. As Micah concludes his PROPHECY he presents us a picture of the NATURE of God that NEVER CHANGES- Micah 7:18-19 (READ and COMMENT)
