Daily Devotion||每日靈修

This week, we shall study the book of Micah in the Old Testament.

Book of Micah

Little is known of the prophet Micah (whose name means "Who is like the Lord?") beyond what can be learned from the book itself and from Jeremiah 26:18. He was from Moresheth, like Moresheth Gath in southern Judah. As indicated in 1:1, he likely served as God's prophet between 750 and 686 B.C. during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, and that made him a contemporary of both Isaiah and Hosea. He predicted the fall of Samaria which took place 722-721 and this placed his early ministry during the reigns of Jotham (750-732) and Ahaz (735-15).

Micah's message puts great emphasis on the social ills and reflects the social conditions of Judah before the reform by Hezekiah (71-5-686). 2:8 is the key verse that reflects the current condition of his time: "Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle".

The message of Micah alternates between judgment and hope for both Israel and Judah, ending with a glorious future of Zion through the coming of the Messiah.

Three historical events happened during Micah's ministry:

1. The military campaign of Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria from 734-732 B.C. which saw Judah and its neighbors pay tribute to him, while according to 2 Kings 15:29, Israel lost most of its territory to Assyria;
2. Samaria fell in 722-721 to Assyria, putting an end to the northern kingdom as prophesied by God's prophets; and
3. In 701 Judah joined an unsuccessful revolt against Assyria, but Jerusalem was spared from destruction.

It is also helpful to note that Micah uses the term "Israel" to refer to the whole nation spiritually, while at times, uses it to denote only the northern kingdom, politically.

1:1-2 — Opening Address

1. While there is no detail provided for his calling, how does Micah affirm the authority of his messages?
2. While the vision is concerning "Samaria and Jerusalem" (1:1):
   1. Why does Micah call upon the "earth and all who live in it" to listen?
   2. What kind of message is Micah going to deliver, as implied by these words: "witness against you" and "from His holy temple"? (1:2)

1:3-7 — Judgement against Samaria — although the sins of the whole covenant-nation are rebuked (v. 5), the specific judgment mentioned here applies mainly to Samaria for now (vv. 6-7)

3. What does Micah seek to convey with his depiction of the time when God chooses to visit the earth to hold men accountable for their sins? (vv. 3-4)
4. Whose sins will God's visitation deal with? (v. 5)
5. In his vision, Micah hears God's judgment against Samaria first (vv. 6-7)
   1. How severe will the judgment be? (v. 6)
   2. What kind of sin in Samaria will be dealt with? (see 1 Ki. 12:28-30 and Note 1 below)

1:8-16 — Samaria's Plague will Spread to Judah

6. How does the prophet respond to what he saw or heard in his vision? (v. 8)
7. Why? (v. 9; note that Micah is from Judah, not the northern kingdom)
8. What can we learn from the action of the prophet?
9. Vv. 10-15 is a series of play of Hebrew words that describes the fate of each Judean city that fits the meaning of its name (see Note 2 below). The play on words of each is listed below for information (except the first and the last, namely Gath and Adullam):
   1. Beth Ophrah means "House of Dust": their fate is to roll in dust (v. 10)
   2. Shaphir means "Beauty Town": their citizens will be shameful captives (v. 11a)
   3. Zaanan means "Going-forth Town": will cower behind their walls (v. 11b)
   4. Beth Ezel means "House of Taking Away": now, they can do nothing (v. 11c)
   5. Maroth means "bitter": true to its name, they will be in pain (v. 12)
   6. Lachish sounds like "to the steeds": will run for their lives (v. 13; but nothing from other parts of Scriptures speaks to its sin as introducing the sins of Samaria to Judah, except in here)
   7. Moresheth Gath means "possess" or perhaps "betrothed": You (Judah) will have to relinquish this Judean city to the enemies (v. 14a)
   8. Akzib means "deception" (v. 14b): referring to a stream that dries up, deceiving its travelers (K&D, 296)
   9. Mareshah means "conqueror": now becomes the conquered (v. 15a)

What does the sum of the above play on words depict?

10. "Tell it not in Gath" (v. 10) is borrowed from 2 Samuel 1:20, and the fleeing to Adullam (v. 15) echoes the fleeing of David from Saul to Adullam as a fugitive (1 Sam. 22:1; 2 Sam. 23:13)
    1. Why does Micah begin the lament over the impending plight of the Judean cities with the use of David's lament over Saul?
    2. Why does he end this lament with telling to nobles of Israel to flee to Adullam like David? (v. 16)
11. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

1. v. 7b may be speaking of spiritual whoredom, as the sin of idolatry is often depicted as spiritual prostitution. In any case, what it means is those who would be used by God to destroy Samaria and its idols (i.e. the Assyrians) will recycle their gain into other forms of idol worship.
2. Waltke notes many of the cities are unknown to us today. However, based on those we know, they "from a circle with a radius of fourteen kilometers around Micah's hometown, Moresheth-Gath" (TOTC, Micah, 153). The Hebrew meaning of each city is quoted from the same source.