SUMMARY
Micah is one of the eighth-century prophets–a contemporary of IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)–preachers who boldly proclaimed God’s word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. and a little later than HoseaProphet to the northern kingdom who married a prostitute to show God’s relationship to a faithless Israel. and AmosProphet to the northern kingdom who condemned Israel’s oppression of the poor, calling for justice to "roll down like waters.". Like these other prophets, Micah speaks against false worship and for social justice. He proclaims harsh judgments against his own people (the nation of JudahJudah was the name of Jacob’s fourth son and one of the 12 tribes.) and is particularly offended by the leaders in business, government, and religion. Micah comes from a small town outside Jerusalem and addresses the centers of power as an outsider. He even boldly predicts the destruction of the holyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine city of Jerusalem. The book also provides words of hope beyond the judgment.
SO WHAT?
Micah would be worth our attention for the three best-known passages (4:1-4; 5:2-5a; 6:6-8), even if the rest of the book, with its harsh judgments, were left unused (as is usually the case). Harsh words of judgment are not what most people crave to hear, but these too come to us in the prophets as the word of God. Micah’s critique of preachers who say only what people want to hear and society’s general reluctance to recognize that there are consequences to bad behavior make Micah’s words an important message for our time as well as his own.
WHERE DO I FIND IT?
Micah is the 33rd book in the Old Testament. It is the sixth of the so-called “minor” (or shorter) prophets, the 12 books that make up the final portion of the Old Testament.
WHO WROTE IT?
Micah wrote a good bit of what is contained in his book, but some passages, especially those that seem to be addressed to people who have already suffered a disaster, most likely come from a much later time.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?
Micah lived at the end of the eighth century BCE, about the same time as Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah. The earliest words from Micah seem to come just before 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… of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721 BCE (1:2-7). Other parts of Micah appear to be written in the time of the Babylonian exile (after 586 BCE) and later as some of the exiles returned home.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Micah is a book of judgment against God’s people, mixed with words of hope that promise the possibility of renewal even after disaster comes.
HOW DO I READ IT?
The prophetic books are often hard to read. Most have little or no narrative. They are a collection of messages from God to the people by way of the prophet. In Micah there are abrupt changes from condemnation to hope and back again that make it difficult to follow. Start with the three best-known passages (4:1-4; 5:2-5a; 6:6-8). Then pick and choose whatever section looks interesting, knowing that there is often no apparent continuity from one passage to the next.
