Who, When, Where

Written by Micah. Micah means "Who is like Yahweh?" He was a prophet of Yahweh who lived in southern Judah around 750-700BC.
Micah gives us the date based on the reign of the kings he mentions at the beginning. So 720BC to about 710BC.
During the divided kingdom the Northern part of the country was Israel, and the Southern part was Judah. In between was a sort of no-mans land called Samaria, (if you remember that there was “some area” in between)…
Micah’s message was meant for Samaria and Judah.

Summary

Yahweh has had enough and is about to bring judgement and destruction on his people.
But later his temple will be established and there will be world peace where Israel is a might nation. With Jesus as eternal king…

Before You Read

If you had a child who was constantly rebellious. Disrespecting you. Constantly trashing your property. Stealing from you. Badmouthing you to everyone. Dealing drugs from your house and living a sordid life of non-stop parties. How would you treat them? What would be your limit?
Once they reached it, could they ever get back?

Key Verses

Micah 5:2

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
being small among the clans of Judah,
out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

A ruler who has been since ancient times? Jesus? 700 years before he was born Yahweh had already said he would be born in Bethlehem.

Micah 6:8

What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly,
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

How do you rate on those three?

Micah 7:18

Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity,
and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage?
He doesn’t retain his anger forever,
because he delights in loving kindness.

When it comes down to it, as a race, our behaviour towards Yahweh really do deserve to be punished for our constant rebellion, and our constantly worshipping anything but Yahweh. And yet he is so loving and patient and forgiving with us. He blesses us so much more than we would bless a constantly disobedient and rebellious child of our own.

After You Read

What verses really stood out to you?

How would you summarize this book in a sentence or two? What is it about? What is God trying to say to us?

Has this happened yet?
In some ways it has, the nations attacked Israel about 200 years later… And then the Romans totally destroyed Jerusalem in AD70. But there has never been “world peace” like it’s described here.
Chapter 4 says “in the Latter Days”… when is that? And if it hasn’t happened yet, then what still has to happen? How will Israel be? How will the temple be reestablished? How will the Ancient One become king?