MICAH (PROPHET) Micah, meaning "who is like the LORD", was a prophet who prophesied from approximately 737696

BC in Judah and is the author of the Book of Micah. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos and Hosea and is considered one of the twelve minor prophets of the Tanakh (Old Testament). Micah was from Moresheth-Gath, in southwest Judah. He prophesied during the reigns of kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah. Micahs messages were directed chiefly toward Jerusalem. He prophesied the future destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria, the destruction and then future restoration of the Judean state, and he rebuked the people of Judah for dishonesty and idolatry. His prophecy that the Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem is recalled in the Book of Matthew. AUTHOR The author of the book is Micah of Moresheth (1:1). Micah's hometown of Moresheth is probably the same town identified later as Moresheth-gath in the Shephelah (rolling hills) of Judah. This village was one of many that was captured by Sennacherib in his attack on Judah in 701 BC. (cf. Micah 1:14). Moresheth was an important city which guarded a key route into the hill country of Judah south of Jerusalem. Because of its importance it was fortified by Rehoboam as a defensive center (2Ch 11:5-12) Nothing else is known about Micah, but we can surmise that Micah may have actually prophesied during the invasion and witnessed the destruction of his own hometown by Sennecharib. He probably saw his relatives killed and hauled off into slavery. DATE Micah prophesied during the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (1:1). We know that Jotham began a co-regency with his father Uzziah (Azariah) in 750 B.C. and he assumed sole authority when his father died in 739 B.C. (The year Isaiah was called as a prophet). Hezekiah began ruling with his father Ahaz in 735 B.C. and he assumed sole authority when his father died in 715 B.C. Hezekiah continued his reign until 686 B.C. Thus Micah's ministry extended no longer than 750-686 B.C. The time can possibly be narrowed a little more because of the internal chronological markers. First, the fact that Micah did not mention Uzziah would imply that he had already died and that Jotham was ruling alone as king. This would place Micah after 739 B.C. Second, he began prophesying before the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. because at one point he pictured Samaria's future fall (1:6-7). Third, Micah's prophecies extended to Assyria's invasion of Judah in 701 B.C. because he recorded the distress accompanying that invasion (1:10-16;5:6). Fourth, Micah also intimated that Judah would go into exile in Babylon, Merodachbaladan in 701 B.C. (4:10;cf. Isa 39:1-8) \

Thus Micah's ministry could be assigned generally to a time between 735 and 700 B.C.

TITLE OF THE BOOK The Book of Micah is a prophetic book in the Tanakh/Old Testament, and the sixth of the twelve minor prophets. It records the sayings of Micah, an 8th-century B.C. prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah. The book has three major divisions, chapters 1-2, 3-5 and 6-7, each introduced by the word "Hear," with a pattern of alternating announcements of doom and expressions of hope within each division. Micah reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and powerful, and preaches social justice; while looking forward to a world at peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new Davidic monarch. THEME AND PURPOSE The message of the Book of Micah is a complex mixture of judgment and hope. On the one hand, the prophecies announce judgment upon Israel for social evils, corrupt leadership and idolatry. This judgment was expected to culminate in the destruction of Samaria and Jerusalem. On the other hand, the book proclaims not merely the restoration of the nation, but the transformation and exaltation of Israel and Jerusalem. The messages of hope and doom are not necessarily contradictory, however, since restoration and transformation take place only after judgment. KEY WORD/S AND PEOPLE ancestors ~ members of a family in previous centuries. Assyrians ~ these people came from the country called Assyria. BC ~ 600 BC means the year that was 600 years before Jesus came to the Earth, and so on. bless ~ to say and to do good things for a person. covenant ~ a serious agreement between two or more people; a serious agreement between God and a person (or a nation). curse ~ to declare strongly that an evil thing will happen to someone; the words that a person says when he or she curses someone; an evil thing that someone declares will happen to someone else. descendant ~ a child, grandchild, and so on; a person in your family who lives after you are dead. dew ~ drops of water on the ground in the early morning. Egyptian ~ a word that describes someone from Egypt or anything from Egypt. eternal life ~ a special and new life that a person starts when they accept Jesus. This new life is to be with Jesus for always. fairness ~ when a person behaves fairly towards someone else. forgiveness ~ when you show pity towards a person that has done something wrong to you; when you do not accuse that person any longer and you do not continue to remember those bad things; when God frees us from punishment for wrong things. Hebrew ~ the language that *Jewish people speak. Israel ~ the name that God gave to Jacob; all the people that are *descendants from Abrahams, Isaacs and Jacobs family; the group of people that God chose; the northern part of the country that God gave to his people; the people in that northern part, who had their own king; the nation that consists of *Jews and people that speak *Hebrew.

Israels people ~ the *Israelites. Israelite ~ a *Jew; a person from the nation called *Israel. Jew ~ a *descendant from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who belongs to the nation called *Israel; a person who follows the same religion as the people in the nation called *Israel. Jewish ~ this word describes a *Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a *Jew. Judah ~ after the nation called *Israel split, Judah was the name of the south part. Lord ~ someone with authority; or, a name for God in the Bible; it means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus; we use that name when we obey him. LORD ~ the special name for God that he himself told the *Jews to call him in the *Old Testament. The *Hebrew word is Yahweh. Do not confuse LORD with Lord. Lord can mean that you respect any person. But LORD only means the real God. LORD and Lord translate two completely different *Hebrew words. messenger ~ a person who brings messages. Messiah ~ Gods special servant; the man that the *Jews expected to come to the Earth; the only person that can put people into a right relationship with God; the man that will come again to rule all the people in the world. Messiah is a name for Jesus Christ. It means the person that God appointed to rule. God sent him to save us from Gods anger. (Gods anger is because of the bad things that we do.) New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after Jesus lived on the Earth. It is about Christs deeds and the things that he taught. It is also about the church, the people that have believed in him. Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on the Earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christs birth. plead ~ here, to accuse a person of a crime; to state what evidence you have against that person. priest ~ a man who gave gifts and burned animals as gifts to God for the *Jews; a man whom God chose to serve him and to do special work for him. prophecy ~ messages and stories that God has given to a person; messages that tell about things before they happen; the messages that a *prophet speaks or the messages that he writes. prophesy ~ to tell about things before they happen; to speak with Gods (or a false gods) help; to speak on Gods (or a false gods) behalf. prophet ~ a person who is able to tell other people what God wants; a person who speaks on behalf of God; someone who tells about things that will happen in the future. But a false prophet is someone who merely pretends to speak Gods words. prostitute ~ a person who sells his or her body to other persons for pleasure and sex. psalms, Psalms ~ songs about God that tell how good and great he is; songs that tell what God has done; a book that contains such songs, in the Bible. religious ~ pure, holy and sincere; when someone follows a religion; when someone loves God. remnant ~ the few people that remain from the nation called *Israel. rod ~ a thin stick; a stick that someone uses to give punishment; an object that is like a stick and it shows authority.

salvation ~ when God removes us from *sins results and its power; when God rescues a person from evil things and their results; *forgiveness by God when we follow Jesus and we are sorry for our wrong behaviour. Saviour ~ the person who rescues people from evil things. shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep. sin ~ when people do wrong things against God; when we do not obey Gods commands; the evil nature that is in us, which we were born with. spiritual, spiritually ~ holy; these words describe the inner part of a person, that can contact God; these words describe holy things. Temple, temple ~ the special building where *Jews went to praise God; the holy place in heaven where God is; OR a special building where people went to praise false gods. thorns ~ sharp points that grow on a plant or bush. vineyard ~ a place where grapes (a special fruit) grow. (People use the fruit to make wine.) watchtower ~ a tall building where a guard watches for danger. worship ~ a way to act when we are with God; to give thanks to God and Jesus; to bend oneself down in front of God (or a false god); to show honour to God; to say that we love God very much. We usually worship together with other people, with prayers and many happy songs. KEY VERSES 1: 6-7 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planning vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations. All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes they will again be used. 2: 3-4 Therefore, the Lord says: I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity. In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: We are utterly ruined; my peoples possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitor. 2: 6-7 Do not prophesy, their prophet say. Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us, Should it be said, O house of Jacob: Is the Spirit of the Lord angry? Does he do such things? Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright? 2: 12-13 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the Lord at their head. 3: 1-3 Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice, you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from the people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my peoples flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?

3: 5-7 This is what the Lord says: As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim peace; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him. Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God. 3: 11 Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us. 4:2 Many nations will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. 4:6-8 In that day, declares the Lord. I will gather the lame: I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem. 4:13 Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; i will give you hoofs of bronze to pieces many nations. 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. 5:10-15 In that day, declares the Lord, I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. I will destroy your carved images and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles and demolish your cities. I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me. 6:1-5 Listen to what the Lord says: Stand up, plead your cases befor e the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. Hear, O mountains, the Lords accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. My people, what have I done to you? How have I burde4ned you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counselled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord. 6:9-16 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city and to fear your name is wisdom Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. Am I still to forget, O wicked house, your ill-gotten

treasures and the short ephah, which is accused? Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? Her rich men are violent; her people are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully. Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword. You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil on yourselves, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine. You have observed the statues of Omri and all the practices of Ahabs house, and you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations. KEY CHAPTERS Micah 1:2, "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." Micah 5:2, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 6:8, "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." Micah 7:18-19, "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." OUTLINE The book can be divided into three parts, each beginning with an imperative to hear or listen. Each section contains words of condemnation but ends with an expression of hope. I. Coming Disaster and a Glimmer of Hope (Micah 1-2) A. The Lord's Case against Israel (Micah 1:1-7) After the editorial heading (v. 1), Micah gives reasons for the terrible fate soon to come to Israel and its capital, Samaria. B. A Call to Lament (Micah 1:8-16) Doom is soon to come to Judah also, and the appropriate response for both the prophet and the people is lamentation. C. God's Judgment Will Fit the Crime (Micah 2:1-5) God's judgment is not arbitrary or unjust. People have brought on themselves the exact judgment they deserve. Those who have taken other's property will have their own inheritance taken away. D. Micah Confronts Preachers of False Assurance (Micah 2:6-11) Preachers of false hope are at least partially responsible for Judah's fate because of their refusal

to speak the truth. Instead of warning the people of impending danger, they have brought deceptive words of comfort. E. A Word of Hope (Micah 2:12-13) A word of hope seems out of place after all the terrible pronouncements of doom in these first two chapters. These words were probably added later to bring relief from all the condemnation and hope to a later generation. II. Condemnation, Judgment, and Promise (Micah 3-5) A. A Series of Oracles against Leaders (Micah 3) Rulers, prophets, seers, and priests are singled out as major offenders and the ones responsible for God's judgment against Judah. Even the holy city of Jerusalem will be destroyed (v. 12). B. Mostly Words of Hope (Micah 4-5) This section contains two of the best-known passages from Micah--the hope for a time when all nations will destroy their weapons and dwell in peace (4:1-4) and the promise of the new ruler from Bethlehem (5:2-5a). III. From Judgment to Hope (Micah 6-7) A. Introduction to God's Lawsuit against Israel (Micah 6:1-5) God again makes the case that Israel fully deserves the punishment it will receive (similar to the beginning in 1:2-7). God is just--God has not broken the covenant; the people have. B. What Does God Expect from Covenant Partners? (Micah 6:6-8) In this often quoted passage, the people are reminded that they already know what God wants from them--not sacrifice, but justice, love, kindness, and a humble walk with God. C. God Has No Choice but to Punish (Micah 6:9-16) The Lord is a God of justice and cannot ignore the sins of the people. Therefore, judgment is inevitable. D. Lament over the Terrible State of Society (Micah 7:1-7) The prophet speaks a painful lament about how bad society has become. No one, not even friends and family, can be trusted. Such a nation cannot expect to survive. E. A Closing Liturgy (Micah 7:8-20) Scholars generally agree that this is a liturgy (with responses designed for public worship) and that it assumes an exilic or postexilic context. It is meant to help the people process the disastrous past and renew hope for the future. REFERENCE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Micah http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micah_%28prophet%29 https://bible.org/seriespage/micah http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-commentary/micah-lbw.htm http://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Micah.html http://www.biblestudytools.com/micah/ http://www.enterthebible.org/oldtestament.aspx?rid=51