The prophet Micah came from the small town of Moresheth, southwest of Jerusalem. His message is intended primarily for the Southern Kingdom of Judah, though he also makes reference to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (the nation had split into two kingdoms after the death of Solomon around 920 BCE). In his first oracle (1:2-7) Micah predicts the fallThe Fall refers specifically to the disobedience of Adam and Eve when they listened to Satan rather than adhering to God's command not to eat the fruit from the tree. When people act contrary to God's will, they are said to fall from from grace... More of the Northern KingdomThe Northern Kingdom consisted of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel and lasted for 200 years until it was destroyed by Assyria in 721 B.C.E. In the northern kingdom the kings were evil. Prophets like Elijah and Amos railed against them and their evildoing. More. That would date the beginning of his prophetic ministry before 721 BCE, when Samaria fell to the Assyrians. From that time on, only the Southern KingdomThe Southern Kingdom consisted of two tribes of Israel, Judah and Benjamin. Jerusalem was its capital, and the kingdom lasted from 931-586 B.C.E. As with the Northern Kingdom many of the kings were wicked, and prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel spoke their often judgmental... More of JudahJudah was the name of Jacob's fourth son and one of the 12 tribes. More remained, until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Micah expected that Judah would follow the fate of Israel and predicted that Jerusalem, the holy city that God had chosen for the Temple, would be wiped off the face of the earth. For those holding to the assurance that God would never break promises to protect the king and TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... More, these words would have been a great shock, probably thought to demonstrate a lack of faith on Micah’s part. Micah spoke harshly to prophets, seers, and priests who told people what they wanted to hear–the reassuring words of God’s promises–and not the reality that Judah’s fate could soon follow that of Israel.
Like JonahJonah son of Amittai was a rebellious prophet who fled from the Lord's command, only to be delivered by a big and fish and bring about the repentance of Nineveh. More, Micah’s predictions of destruction were premature but eventually realized, albeit exaggerated in his picture of the complete annihilation of Jerusalem–which, of course, like most Old Testament prophecies, is poetic in nature. Jerusalem was destroyed, but not until more than a century after Micah’s time. However, many of the towns mentioned in 1:10-12 were destroyed in 701 BCE by the Assyrians.
