Micah, The Book of The Prophet

[He. Miykah or Miykayah “Who(is)like Yah(God)”]

Courtesy of Alexander Scourby(Bible Audio)The Book of Micah

Background: This prophet lived and worked a little later than Amos and Hosea and about the same time as Isaiah and what he has to say is very similar to them. He worked in the Southern Kingdom and condemned social injustice and inequality, and corruption among the political and religious leaders. God must punish his people but beyond Micah speaks of a future which will center of Jerusalem temple when a descendant of David will emerge to lead God’s people against her enemies (4-7). 6:6-8 seems to sum up the message, not only of Micah, but of all the prophets of this period. 7chs


Author: Micah


Date and Location: He prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (1:1) c.740-690, same time span as Isaiah’s ministry.


Recipients: Both concerns North and South Kingdom (1:1) but since he was from South Kingdom and only mentioned Southern Kings. It is generally assumed that his ministry was primarily to Judah.


Purpose:
*Pronounce judgment for continual apostasy and insincere religious observance (3:8; 6:6, 7)
*Show true faith, practical manifestations like social justice and honesty in business (6:8)
*Proclaim God’s ultimate plans for his people (2:12,13; 7:11-20)


Unique Features: The number and Precision of his prophecies:
*Northern Kingdom’s fall (1:6, 7)
*Judah’s invasion by Sennacherib in 701BC (1:9, 12)
*Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple (3:12)
*Judah’s Babylonian captivity (4:10)
*Judah’s return from captivity (4:10)
*The exact name of Christ’s birth-place (5:2)
*He was one of the few writing prophets referred to my name (Jer26:18)


Comparison:
Isa
*Shared one (4:1-3 Is2:2-4), they may have borrowed from Joel (Jl3:10)
*Use nakedness (1:8 Is20:2)
*People coming from Assyria and Egypt (2extremes of the Near East) in the Messianic age (7:12 Is19:23-25)

Jer
*Quoted 3:12 writing more than a century (Jr26:18)
*Greedy prophets and priests (3:11Jr6:13) and false prophets (3:5 Jr6:14)
*A remnant Israelites (7:18 Jr23:3; 44:28)

Abbreviations: Mic. / Mi

MV: Testimonizers, 2Co1:12-14
Bib1Yr: Ac8-10Saul and Cornelius