We come to the final chapter, and final post on my comments and reflections on the book of the prophet Micah.
Micah 7 begins with a brief lament by Micah as he seeks righteous people in Israel but, like a fruit-picker arriving after the harvest, finds little joy (verse 1). Instead he finds people who are violent, seek opportunities to undertake violence, and do it well (2-3). He finds rulers and judges who are corrupt and can be bought with the bribe. The one offering the bribe is described as a ‘great man’ who speaks what he desires rather than the truth and the corrupt officials make it happen (3-4). But it gets worse! Verses 5 and 6 speak of neighbours, friends, family and household members being or becoming enemies because they treat each other with disdain, contempt and mistrust. It’s an ugly picture all around.
Micah chapter 6 is very much a chapter in two parts. Whilst the chapter and verse divisions in the Bible make it easier to find specific sentences, sometimes the divisions run counter to the narrative and make it more difficult to understand. The chapter divisions in use today were added in the early 13th century, and versification we use was added in the mid-1500s.
Micah 6:1-8
The first three verses are a recap of the indictment of the Lord against His people, Israel. The Lord pleads His case to the mountains and the foundations of the earth - for they were there before Israel had been formed. They are poetic witnesses of what the Lord has done for Israel.
We come to Micah, chapter 5.
The early verses (from 2 through 4) speak of the coming Messiah. The words prophecy that one will come from Bethlehem, from the tribe of Judah and will become the ruler of Israel. Interestingly Micah also recognises or speak that this ruler is “from the days of eternity”.
Verse 4 is worth quoting in full:
And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth. (Micah 5:4 from the NASB®)
Continuing my thoughts on Micah. Today we’re on chapter 4.
The first 5 verses contain a prophecy of what will happen in the last days or latter days. This is a time to come. There is some beautiful imagery in these verses, viz.
And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war.
(Micah 4:1-3 from the NASB®)
Further thoughts on the prophet Micah - this time on chapter 3.
Micah 3 is a short chapter - 12 verses - and is a chapter in three parts.
The first part - verses 1 through 4 details more of what we saw in the previous chapter about injustice, oppression, evil being perpetrated against the people by the elite (the charges are specifically against the “heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel”). But this time the language is somewhat more graphic:
Continuing some thoughts on the book of the prophet Micah. Today looking at chapter 2.
The chapter begins with the Lord’s/Micah’s indictment against the people:
Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the power of their hands. They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. (Micah 2:1-2 from the NASB®)
In April, May and June I posted some thoughts on what I had been reading in the first 13 chapters of the major prophet, Jeremiah.
Towards the end of May and into early June I read my way through one of the minor prophets, Micah, reading a chapter (more or less) every day or two.
As I read, I journal. This journalling may take the form of observations or comments about the text. It may be questions that the text raises for me, or ideas or concepts that I don’t grasp (either fully, or at all). My journalling can also be prayers that form as I read. I will also ask questions of the Lord by writing them down and then journalling what drops into my mind after that. Most of my journalling is in narrative form, but it occasionally comes as dot points (particularly if I am noting some comments or observations about a number of verses in succession).