The book of Micah isn’t one that springs to mind except perhaps at Christmas when we remember the well known verse, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you be small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will rule over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient time” (5:2).
This verse is accepted as a reference to a “Promised Ruler from Bethlehem” – the Messiah, but there’s much more to the message of Micah than that! The Christmas Story quite rightly is celebrated as a key festival of the Christian Church. The danger is that it’s seen as a stand-alone event, when it’s really a step in the salvation history of mankind.
The 8th century before Christ was a low point in the spiritual life of Israel. Perhaps its cause was that, like in our own day in the Western world, it was time of relative peace and plenty. Micah, as Hosea and Amos had done a generation before, raised his voice against this serious falling away from the historic revelation of Jehovah: ”Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth and all who are in it, that the Sovereign Lord may witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple” (1:2). It was his painful duty to tell the people of Israel that the nation is in spiritual:
RUIN
Micah ministered to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. He predicted the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians and warned the Judeans that, unless they repented and changed their ways, they too would come under God’s discipline for their sins. The standard by which God measured His people was the covenant He had entered into with Moses. This raised a standard of holiness. Any behaviour which fell short of this standard was denounced as sin and uncleanness and could not be tolerated by a holy God. If the people obeyed, they would enjoy blessing, but if they disobeyed, they could expect judgement.
Micah has been called “the prophet of the poor and oppressed.” He denounced both the corruption of the state of Jerusalem and its political and spiritual leaders. His message is proclaimed with no uncertain sound, as in passionate terms he attacks the social evils of his day. His courageous stand for his convictions of God’s truth made him extremely unpopular. It recalls the famous historical statement attributed to Henry II about Thomas A’ Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, “Who shall deliver me from this turbulent priest?” It’s been repeated many times about Church leaders who raise a voice to criticize those in authority who ignore the downtrodden. Such leaders of society are needed more than ever today.
In Micah’s day the religious practices were debased and there were many moral and social abuses in its community life. He complained, “Zion’s leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price and her prophets tell fortunes for money” (3:11). The rich stripped the poor of their money and property and oppressed them unmercifully.
It was a blatant violation of basic God-given human rights. The Divine Bailiff served them notice through Micah. It took a good deal of courage to do this for, not unnaturally, the unscrupulous landlords bitterly resented what they thought was unwarranted interference in their business affairs! “Don’t preach these things to us” (2:6), the false prophets cried. But true prophets never pussyfoot around the issues. Micah refused to be quiet as he unmasked and denounced the false rulers.
What happened in Micah’s day still takes place in the 21st century, especially in the developing and third-world countries. Wherever you find distressed and suffering people, the cause is usually their leaders. Corrupt authorities rule for their own benefit, and the people suffer. Like Micah, we may feel quite powerless to do something about injustice in society, but he certainly made a fuss over it. Fortunately, nowadays, there’s a greater social conscience with efforts being made to forgive the burden of debt of poor countries. We can’t do much ourselves except support efforts for Fair Trade by Tearfund and similar agencies.
The warnings given by Hosea and Amos had been ignored, but in His great forbearance and mercy, God was giving the nation yet another opportunity to return to Him. Micah knows that the leaders of church and state are blind to the situation and that judgement is inevitable, leading eventually to the exile of the majority into Babylonian captivity. Yet he’s given a prophetic insight of hope for a returning remnant, and of:
REFORMATION
To read the book of Micah only in the past or present tense is to miss the point. Micah looked to God for revelation as to the future, perhaps in a shadowy outline, but nevertheless a valid prophecy. Micah had to deliver a sombre message of judgement but he never loses hope. The promises made by Jehovah to Israel’s founding fathers were irrevocable and not even the gross sins of the people could annul the unconditional promises of God. Micah sees beyond the present awfulness to a return from exile: “I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel” (2:12). “… the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we will walk in his paths” (4:2).
But there was a stumbling block. The people of Israel didn’t really understand Jehovah, despite their covenant-relationship with Him. It required more than a token acknowledgement of Jehovah as the national God of Israel. They’re convinced that they can merit God’s good-will by their own efforts. They’re willing to bargain with God, as if He bargained like them. But He doesn’t! The people inquired how they could discharge their obligations to Him as if it was a matter of discussing the value and number of offerings to appease Him. They’re quoted as saying, “With what shall I come before the Lord?” (6:6). Wouldn’t it be sufficient to bring their burnt offerings? Or even a jumbo-sized gift of “ten thousand rivers of oil? (7).
Surely, that would be acceptable? No, God waves it all aside. No sacrifices can compensate for the absence of ethical living. The demands made by the Eternal God are moral and spiritual and nothing can act as a substitute. Sacrifices naturally have their place in religious devotion, but not replacing spiritual qualities and practical living. God is looking for repentance, not for donations. He wants the giver, not the gifts.
Micah declared, “He has showed you, O man, 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” (8). When Jimmy Carter was sworn in as president of the United States in 1977, he placed his hand on a Bible at this passage, and read out the words. This should be the model for everyone.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, a confessed Christian wanted to end a televised address to the nation with the words “God bless you!” but he was stopped by his media director, spin-doctor, Alistair Campbell, a convinced atheist, in a celebrated remark, “We don’t do God!” Well that’s not what Micah had in mind in these three phrases which combine the essentials of true religion – to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.
Two out of the three things that God requires of us are to do with our fellow men. This tells us something about the importance God attaches to human behaviour. To do justice implies more than the letter of the law. It includes setting right whatever is wrong and to walk in integrity and faithfulness. We are to be straight in our dealings; there’s to be no deviousness, no sharp practice. There’s a call for transparency in business and political life. Cutting corners and being “economical with the truth” isn’t acceptable to God.
Micah is telling his people and us too in the 21st century that God expects His followers to demonstrate mercy and compassion for one’s fellows. We’re to love others in just the same kind of way as God loves them. It’s to be a big-hearted love, a forgiving love. It’s best summarized in John’s first letter, “And God has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (4:21).
And what does it mean to “walk humbly”? It’s to be a follower of Jesus in all we do and say: not arrogant but respectful, not assertive but retiring. It’s to be teachable and to readily accept dependence upon God; to be in step with God and not to outstrip Him or to lag behind. True religion is a matter of daily living.
Micah knew that even a return from exile wouldn’t be the answer. Something more than a new start was required. The hearts of the people would have to change. In words which would be uttered by Ezekiel, “I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (36:35,36).
Micah’s message didn’t go altogether unheeded for we learn that King Hezekiah feared the Lord and sought His favour (Jer 26:19). He was the leader of a reformation in church and state. The temple was cleansed and purged of idol worship and the priesthood re-consecrated to their holy vocation. The newly restored religious life had an effect on the community, in blessing and prosperity. Just think of what a spiritual revival would do in our community to our crime statistics? Sadly, the reformation didn’t last long and the nation was soon in its backslidden ways.
Reformation wasn’t enough as a vital ingredient was missing. Micah had a deep conviction about the reign of God which leads him to foretell a greater day when all creation will experience the wonder and peace of the rule of God. There was a coming Kingdom which would outlast the present kingdom and outshine it in blessing to the world. He’s given a message by God which points to the incarnation of Christ and His:
REDEMPTION
Micah was inspired to proclaim the coming of the Messiah, one of the most remarkable predictions of his ministry. He saw through the smog of his own day to a Ruler on the distant horizon. He saw this One coming out of human obscurity, not out of a position of power.
The Christmas carol is correct in referring to Bethlehem as a “little town” for it had a population of fewer than a thousand people at that time. Although it was an obscure town of Judah, it had a certain pedigree for it was King David’s home village. The name of Bethlehem was certainly prophetic for its meaning is “The House of Bread”, for its greatest inhabitant would indeed be the “Bread of Life” to the world. Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, turned an insignificant village into one of the best known places in the world.
The predicted “Ruler over Israel” would arise from no earthly origin like all other human beings. Micah put it like this: His “origins are from of old, from days of eternity” (5:2). What was described was more than an ancient lineage. Here was One whose existence stretched back into eternity: He was, in fact, one with the Eternal God.
No new personality came into existence when Jesus was born. The Eternal had become incarnate. God had taken manhood unto Himself and the Child of Mary was – and always will be – the God-man. What He had ever been in the past, He continued to be in the incarnation. The attributes that were His by sovereign right as the Second Person of the Trinity were still His when, in the words of the apostle Paul, He “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Phil 2:7). He never divested Himself of His deity, for He was very God and very man. This is a profound mystery.
God had shown Micah part of the redemption story – a crucial part. It was but a piece in the jigsaw puzzle of the unfolding revelation of God’s saving purposes for mankind. It was only after the death and resurrection of Jesus that the glorious plan of redemption became clear for those who had eyes to see it. Paul gave it full expression when he wrote to the believers in Corinth: “God … reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Cor 5:18).
The message of Micah and the whole of Scripture is that mankind is alienated from its Creator because of sin. It’s God who is the aggrieved party and man is the cause of the broken relationship. But the glory of the Gospel is that God responded in love and mercy. He took the initiative in “reconciling the world to himself” - and how did He do it – “in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (19).
While God is merciful and forgiving by nature, He is, at the same time, the holy One who can’t simply say of evil, “It doesn’t matter; let’s forgive and forget.” We may say that of someone who’s done us wrong, but God, because He’s God, can’t! His eternal justice and righteousness requires something else to happen before our forgiveness becomes possible. The apostle wrestled with this problem: how can God “be just and the justifier”? (Rom 3:25). The answer is because He has punished the sins of ungodly sinners in His own Son.
The death of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary is the required atonement. This was prophesied by Isaiah in the century following Micah: “He was pierced for our transgressions … the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed … and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (53:4-6).
The apostle Paul summed up the redemption made possible by Jesus: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). It is the gift of God to all who come to Him in repentance and faith. It’s more than merely knowing about it or even believing it – it’s necessary to commit oneself to it. True faith can be expressed in the letters which make up the spelling of the word – F A I T H – “Forsaking – All – I – Take - Him”.
Our journey through the prophecy of Micah has viewed the Ruin caused by sin; there was a temporary Reformation, but which proved the absolute need for Redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone could bring about what the prophet clearly saw as the fulfilment of God’s purposes. Micah prophesied a complete:
RESTORATION
Micah knew enough of the Promised Ruler from Bethlehem to declare that He would be the author of a great restoration of God’s Kingdom at the end the age in the new heaven and earth: “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord… And they will dwell securely, for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace” (5:4,5).
Micah is confident to end his prophecy in a wonderful hymn of praise: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant … ?” (7:18). This is our God – powerful to deal with sin, compassionate with our failures and faithful to His promises!
I’m so glad to be part of Micah’s story – do make sure that you are too!
