But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. — Micah 5:2
Introduction
Isaiah from Jerusalem was a ‘city and court prophet’ and had access to kings and authority. Forty kilometres to the west in Moresheth Gath, part of the Shephelah or lowlands (Samson’s territory), came his contemporary, Micah, the ‘country prophet.’ He understood the needs of the peasant and rural people. The prophet courageously decried immorality, injustice, and idolatry. He foretold the defeat of both the Northern Kingdom and Judah. His prophetic book gives us some powerful points about the coming King Messiah and the kingdom He will inherit.
Hebrew Name of Micah
The prophet’s name comes from Michayahu, meaning ‘Who is like God?’ Short answer: No one! The LORD God is the One and Only God; no one even comes close.
Author of Micah
Micah from rural Judah in the Shephelah, did not have the connections or graces of the Jerusalem prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Yet, he received a burden from the Lord against oppression, injustice, and tyranny and it catapulted him out of obscurity into the divine spotlight. Micah understood that what we lack in the natural, God can more than compensate in the spirit. It was he who said, ‘But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord’ (Micah 3:8). When you have the Holy Spirit in control, He will give you the right words, authority, and the power to deliver them. Micah prophesied during the reigns of Judean kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Micah’s prophecy helped influence Hezekiah’s religious reforms.
Portrait of Christ in Micah
Christ is the Ruler and Judge of Israel who comes from Bethlehem-Ephratah (5:2). Since Bethlehem is David’s city, and Messiah is the ‘Son of David,’ it is no mystery why the Almighty ordained that David’s Son would be born in David’s city. It took the census of a heathen Roman emperor to bring the holy couple from their normal residence in Nazareth, Galilee, to Bethlehem, Judea, in order for Christ’s birth to fulfil prophecy.
Theme of Micah
As a country prophet, Micah was uniquely placed to spotlight the oppression of the peasants, the poor, the widows, the fatherless, the hidden people and other vulnerable categories. He was a true and noble ‘social justice warrior.’ He exposed the sins of both kingdoms of Israel and Judah, predicting their demise (Chapter 01), denouncing corruption, covetousness, oppression, pride and evil. Balancing this emphasis on judgement comes his message of mercy, righteousness, and humility. The same Judah which is punished for sin will experience God’s restoration power
Key Verses of Micah
Micah 6:8: He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Micah 7:7: Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
Micah 7:18: Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
TO BE CONTINUED