The Minor Prophets reveal that God uses the Gentiles as a means, an instrument, to chastise His elect, Israel. The Gentiles, however, do things in excess, and this offends God, who then comes in to punish the Gentiles. God’s chastisement of Israel and His punishment of the Gentiles issue in the manifestation of Christ, and the manifestation of Christ brings in the restoration, which will consummate in the new heaven and new earth. All the Minor Prophets have this same basic thought, although they use different expressions to convey it. In Micah the expressions are very poetic. The entire book of Micah is a book of poetry.
In this message we will begin to consider the prophecy of Micah, covering the introductory word and Jehovah’s reproof on Israel.
The introductory word is in 1:1.
Micah is a shortened form of Micaiah, meaning “Who is like Jah?” “Jah” is a shortened form of Jehovah. The longer form of the prophet’s name is found in the Hebrew text of Jeremiah 26:18.
The time of Micah’s ministry was about 750-710 B.C., at the time of Isaiah and Hosea.
The place of his ministry was Judah.
The object of his ministry was the northern kingdom of Israel (also Judah). In the Old Testament, the term Israel is used for two matters: the whole race of Israel and the northern kingdom of Israel. Because the term is used in these two ways, it is sometimes difficult for us as readers to know whether it refers to the northern kingdom of Israel or to the entire people of Israel. Here it refers to the whole race of Israel, including Judah.
The subject of Micah is Jehovah’s reproof on Israel and His restoration of Israel.
The central thought of Micah is that Jehovah reproved Israel of her evils and promised her His saving and gathering of her remnant for the restoration (Matt. 19:28) in the millennium (Rev. 20:4, 6).
In Micah the revelation concerning Christ is very strong. Christ is revealed in His eternal origin (5:2c); in His human birth in Bethlehem (5:2a); in His being the Ruler, the Shepherd, and the peace of Israel in the millennium (Rev. 20:4, 6; Micah 5:2b, 4a, 5a); in His becoming great (5:4b); and in His saving Israel from Assyria (5:6b).
Micah 5:4b says that in the millennium Christ will be great unto the ends of the earth. Daniel 2:34 and 35 tell us that Christ as a stone cut out without hands will crush the great human image and will then become a great mountain, the kingdom of God, and fill the whole earth. Today, apparently Jesus is very small, but in the coming kingdom He will become great.
The book of Micah has five sections: the introductory word (1:1); Jehovah’s reproof on Israel (1:2—2:11; 3:1-12); Jehovah’s comfort to Israel (2:12-13; 4:1—5:15); Jehovah’s contention with Israel (6:1-16); and the prophet’s observation and expectation (7:1-20).