Study in Micah

 

Study in Micah

Title:  What happens when you get tired of God?

God asks, ‘how did I make you tired of me?’ (6:3)

1.        Christian teachers often sow in tears

Context: Divided Kingdom – Israel (capital Samaria), Judah (capital Jerusalem).

The prophecy opens with a call to the nations.  However, soon the focus is on the northern kingdom.  The superpower of the day, Assyria, is going to take them into exile.  The southern kingdom of Judah needs to take notice, as they too will go into exile because of their wickedness.

This message is devastating for Micah, as his hometown, in southern Judah, is mentioned in the warning (1:14).  Think of Paul’s sorrow over his people the Jews (cf. Romans 9:1-3).

But different teachers of the day saw that all will be well.  There are plenty of teachers, even in our day, who will ignore the issues of sin and judgement. 

2.       People who are weary of God turn to idols

The people had poles to the god Asherah in their gardens.  They went and worshipped at the temples of Baal.  They are deep in idolatry.

Then there is the fact that they plot evil on their beds (2:1).  They try to figure out how they can take property off the vulnerable.  Remember that when the people had entered the Promised Land the land had been divided out.  There were laws to return land to those who lost it.  The people were ruled by greed.

The land was riddled with corruption, as can be seen by the use of wicked scales (6:11).

The Promised Land was supposed to be like a return to Eden or a taste of heaven.  However, it had become a violent and sinful place.

3.       We have no idea how our much our sin costs

Nancy Guthrie thins that the people are saying that they think God is acting like he can’t be pleased.  Despite the fact that He had rescued them from Egypt they do not see His love.  They ask God what they should give for their sin.  ‘Shall we bring a burnt offering?’  ‘Shall we bring 1,000 rivers of oil?’  ‘Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgressions?’  (6:7).  Are they saying, ‘you simply can’t be pleased'?

The irony is that it will take the death of a firstborn—God’s firstborn—to deal with their sin.

But this is what repentance should look like: to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (6:8).  Surely this says so much about the nature of God’s character.

Is their any hope in this book?

Yes, God will send a shepherd-king (2:13 and 5:2).

He offers to forgive people.  In fact, that is part of His nature.  ‘Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgressions for the remnant of his inheritance?’ (7:18).

Conclusion:

One hundred years after God gave this prophecy to Micah a number of people returned from exile and rebuilt the temple.  But all the promises—like swords being made into ploughs—are not yet there.

The beginning of chapter 4 talks about the ‘latter days’ (4:1).  Reading the book of Acts we can see that the last days are that time between Jesus’ first and second coming.  Jesus has coke and brought us peace.  He will come again and bring it in its fullness.