Book of Micah

THROUGH A SERIES OF THREE ORACLES MICAH INDICTS ISRAEL AND
ESPECIALLY JUDAH OF COVENANT DISLOYALTY WHICH WILL BRING CERTAIN
DEVASTATION UPON THEM (AND ESPECIALLY JERUSALEM), BUT ALSO
PROCLAIMS THAT YAHWEH WILL ONE DAY SAVE THEM, JUDGE THEIR
ENEMIES, AND SHEPHERD THEM AS THEIR KING OUT OF HIS GOOD LOYAL
CHARACTER
I. Introduction: The word of God came to Micah, the Morashite
at the times of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah about the
nation's capitals Samaria and Jerusalem 1:1
II. First Oracle--Judgment against the Nations, Israel & Judah,
and the Hope of Deliverance from Captivity:2 Even though
Micah warns of Yahweh's coming judgment for the nations,
Israel, and especially Judah because of her covenant
unfaithfulness, he promises to regather them together as
their Shepherd/King 1:2--2:13
A. Judah's Exile--Judgment against the Nations, Israel &
Judah: Micah urges the people to listen to this word
against them from the Lord because He is coming to
judge the "high places of the earth including Samaria
and especially Judah because of her premeditated evil,
hardness of heart, abuse of the covenant community and
uncleanness 1:2--2:11
1. Call to Attention--Hear!: Micah urges all peoples
to listen to this word against them from the Lord
1:2
2. Description of the Coming Judge: The Lord is
coming from His palace to judge the "high places"
of the earth 1:3-4
3. Judgment Case against Northern and Southern
Kingdoms: 1:5-16
a. Accusation: The Lord is coming to judge the
"high places" Israel and Jacob--especially
Jerusalem, Jacob's high place 1:5
b. Announcement of Judgment: Micah not only
reports that Yahweh is going to destroy
Samaria because of her idolatry, but that he
and the nations around Jerusalem should also
lament because Jerusalem's exile is near 6-
16
1) Against the North: Yahweh is going to
make Samaria a desolation as He returns
her idolatrous evil upon her 1:6-7
2) Against the South: Micah laments because
Judah's sins have brought judgment to
Jerusalem, and urges the cities around
Jerusalem to also lament 1:8-16
a) Introduction: Micah laments because
Judah's sins have brought judgment
to Jerusalem 1:8-9
b) Lament:3 Micah graphically calls on
the cities around Jerusalem to
mourn for the fall and exile of
Jerusalem 1:10-16
4. Elaboration of Judah's Sin: Micah elaborates
Judah's sin as premeditated evil, hardness of
heart, abuse of the covenant community and
uncleanness 2:1-11
a. Woe Oracle: Accusing the people of plotting
and doing evil, materialistic sins against
the people, Micah announces that Yahweh is
planning for their destruction 2:1-5
1) Accusation: Micah accuses the people of
thinking up evil things to do as extreme
materialists and then doing them 2:1-2
2) Announcement of Judgment: Because of the
evil of the people, Micah announces that
Yahweh is planning for them to be
destroyed and mocked by their enemies
2:3-5
b. Judgment Speech: Micah proclaims judgment
upon the people because the leaders do not
want to hear what God is saying, the people
treat members of the covenant badly, and it
is an unclean place where a drunkard could
represent the people 2:6-11
1) The People Will Not Hear What God Tells
Them:4 2:6-7
2) Treat Members of the Covenant Community
Badly: 2:8-9
3) An Unclean Place Where a Drunkard Could
Represent the People: 2:10-11
B. Restoration from Exile by Yahweh:5 Micah proclaims that
Yahweh will regather the people after their exile and
lead them as their shepherd-King 2:12-13
1. Regathering of the People: 2:12
2. Yahweh as the Guide of the People: 2:13
III. Second Oracle--The Prophet's Indictment of the Leaders of
Israel & Judah, and Judah's Future Glory: Micah urges the
leaders of Judah and Israel to hear that they will be judged
now and Jerusalem will be destroyed because of their self-
serving evil, but then the Lord will bring about victory for
Judah through a divinely sent ruler from Bethlehem who will
gather the nation and bring about peace 3:1--5:15
A. Judgment against the Rulers and False Prophets of the
Land: Micah as a true prophet urges the leaders,
prophets, and priests of Judah and Israel to hear that
they will be judged and Jerusalem will be destroyed
because of their high handed, self-serving use of
position to consume people 3:1-12
1. Judgment against the Rulers of the Land: Micah
urges the leaders of Israel and Judah to listen
because they are unjust people who consume people,
therefore, the Lord will not answer them when they
cry out to Him in their distress 3:1-4
a. Call to Attention--Hear!: Micah exhorts the
leaders of Israel and Judah to listen 3:1a
b. Accusation: The Leaders are unjust consuming
the people 3:1b-3
c. Announcement of Judgment: Although they will
call out to the Lord for help, He will not
answer them because of their evil deeds 3:4
2. Judgment against the False Prophets: Accusing the
false prophets of only serving themselves, Micah
proclaims that a time of judgment will come when
prophetic abilities will be gone, but now he
proclaims God's will concerning judgment upon
Judah and Israel 3:5-7
a. Accusation: The false prophets give false
hope of peace to those who prosper them, but
war against those who do not profit them 3:5
b. Announcement of Judgment: Micah proclaims
that a time of judgment will come when
prophetic abilities will be gone, but now he
proclaims God's will concerning judgment upon
Judah and Israel 3:6-8
3. Judgment against the Rulers, False Prophets, and
Priests: Micah urges the leaders, priests, and
prophets of Judah and Israel to listen as he
accuses them of perverting their ministries with a
high hand, because Jerusalem will be destroyed for
this 3:9-12
a. Call to Attention: Micah urges the heads of
the Judah and Israel to listen 3:9a
b. Accusation: Micah accuses the leaders,
priests, prophets of perverting their
ministry for personal gain, and then
affirming that the Lord is with them so that
they will not be judged 3:9b-11
c. Announcement of Judgment: Because of the evil
of the leaders Micah affirms that Jerusalem
will be raised 3:12
B. Salvation of Jerusalem:6 Although Jerusalem will have
glory among the nations in the last days, she must
first be taken into captivity, then the Lord will bring
about victory through a divinely sent ruler from
Bethlehem 4:1--5:15
1. Jerusalem's Glorious Future: Micah describes the
glory which Jerusalem will have in the last days
4:1-8
a. World Prominence: 4:1a
b. A Peoples Will Come to Jerusalem: 4:1b
c. Instruction and Revelation From Jerusalem:
4:2
d. Yahweh Will Be Judge Bringing World Peace and
National Security: 4:3-4
e. The Nation Will Prosper: 4:5-8
1) Spiritually Sensitive to Yahweh 4:5
2) Gathered Together: 4:6
3) Be Strong: 4:7
4) Jerusalem Will Have Dominion 4:8
2. Crisis and Restoration: Before Jerusalem may be
regathered from captivity, she must first be taken
into captivity, then the Lord will bring about
victory through a divinely sent ruler from
Bethlehem who will gather the nation and bring
about peace 4:9--5:15
a. Crises Which Precedes the Victorious Kingdom:
Before Jerusalem may be regathered from
captivity, she must first be taken into
captivity now 4:9-5:1
1) Now--Captivity to Babylon: 4:9-10a
2) Then--Regathered from Babylon: 4:10b
3) Now--Army against Jerusalem: 4:11-13
4) Now--The King/Judge7 of Israel Will Be
Smitten on the Cheek: 5:1 [Heb 4:14]
b. Victory Through A Divinely Sent Ruler from
Bethlehem: 5:2-15
1) The King's Birth and Being--
Bethlehem/Eternal: 5:2 [Heb 5:1]
2) The King's Work: 5:3-15 [Heb 5:2-14]
a) Initially The Lord Will Reject the
Nation: 5:3a
b) Gather the Nation Together: 5:3b-4
c) Bring Peace for the Nation: 5:5-15
(1) Destroy Enemies: 5:5-9
(2) Destroy Weapons and
Fortifications of War: 5:10-11
(3) Destroy the Occult: 5:12
(4) Destroy Idolatry: 5:13-14
(5) Destroy Disobedient Nations:
5:15
IV. Third Oracle--God's Lawsuit with Israel and the Ultimate
Triumph of the Kingdom of God: Although Micah (on behalf of
the nation) admits to Yahweh's charge of covenant
unfaithfulness and is willing to suffer for his (the
nation's) sin, he warns their enemies not to scoff at their
punishment because the Lord will restore the nation, and
judge the earth, whereupon he and the nation pray for the
Lord to shepherd them, and praise Him for the wonderful
works that He will do out of His loyal character 6:1--7:20
A. Final Round of Judgment: When the Lord in His
faithfulness charges the nation with covenant
disloyalty, Micah, on behalf of the nation, admits his
(their) sin, and yet waits for the Lord to save them
6:1--7:7
1. A Covenant Lawsuit: In the form of a covenant
lawsuit, Yahweh challenges the people to present
their case before the mountains as their jury,
because He has been faithful and has a case
against them, therefore, Micah reminds the people
to approach God with covenant obedience and not
religious ritual 6:1-8
a. Introduction: Yahweh challenges the people to
present their case before Him, and summons
the mountains to appear as witness in the law
suit because He has a case against His people
6:1-2
1) Challenge the People to Present Their
Case: 6:1
2) Summons the Mountains to Appear as
Witnesses: 6:2
b. Divine Challenge to the People: Yahweh
challenges the people to bring a charge
against Him since He has been faithful to
them in history 6:3-5
1) Challenge to Bring an Accusation against
the Lord: 6:3
2) Challenge to Remember the Lord's Saving
Deeds: 6:4-5
c. Conclusion--A Prophetic Reminder of the
Lord's Requirements: Micah exhorts the nation
not to approach the Lord with religious
ritual, but with covenant obedience--justice,
lovingkindness, and submission to the Lord
6:6-8
2. A Judgment Speech: The Lord calls His people who
are cheating others with their measurements to
hear that destruction is coming because of their
wickedness which was like that of their fathers
Omri and Ahab 6:9-16
a. Call to Attention: 6:9
b. Accusation: The rich in the community are
cheating others with their measurements 6:10-
12
c. Announcement of Judgment: Destruction is
coming because of the wickedness of the
people 6:13-15
d. Summary of Judgment Speech: Because the
people are following the "laws" of Omri and
the works Ahab, they will be destroyed 6:16
1) Accusation: 6:16a
2) Announcement of Judgment: 6:16b
3. Prophetic Lament:8 Micah admits the sin of the
nation and his own personal sin, but affirms that
he will wait for the God of his salvation 7:1-7
a. Lament Proper: Micah admits the sin of the
nation and his own personal sin 7:1-6
b. Statement of Confidence: Micah will wait for
the God of his salvation 7:7
B. Final Promise of Salvation: Even though Micah is
willing to suffer punished for his (and the nation's)
sin, he warns the enemies not to scoff because the Lord
will restore the nation, and judge the earth, whereupon
he and the nation pray for the Lord to shepherd them,
and praise him for the wonderful works that He will do
out of His loyal character 7:8-20
1. Zion's Confidence/Oracle of Salvation: Even
through Micah is willing to suffer punishment for
his iniquity, he warns the enemy that he should
not laugh in derision, because the Lord will
deliver the nation, rebuild it, extend its
boundaries, cause the nations to come to her, and
judge the earth 7:8-13
a. Confidence: Micah affirms that although he
will suffer punishment for his iniquity, the
enemy should not rejoice over his loss and
question the presence of his Lord because the
Lord will deliver him 7:8-10
b. Oracle of Salvation Addressed to Zion: Micah
proclaims that there will be a time when
Jerusalem will be rebuilt, her boundaries
extended, and the nations will come to her
while the rest of the earth is judged 7:11-
13
2. National Prayer: Micah prays that the Lord would
shepherd His people, affirms that He will do
miraculous things as before, proclaims with the
nation confidence that He will overcome their
enemies, and praises Him for His loyal character
7:14-20
a. Petition: Micah prays that the Lord would
Shepherd His people when they are safe in the
land as their King 7:14
b. Oracle of Salvation to the Nation: Yahweh
will show miraculous things to His people as
when He brought them out from Egypt 7:15
c. Nation's Statement of Confidence: The nation
proclaims its confidence that in the future
the nations will be overcome by their God and
come in fear before Him 7:16-17
d. Concluding Hymn of Praise: Micah proclaims
the unique character of their God who is
gracious, loyal, compassionate, forgiving,
and keeps His promises 7:18-20
1) Yahweh does not remains forever angry
7:18a
2) Yahweh has loyal love 7:18b
3) Yahweh is compassionate 7:19a
4) Yahweh forgives: 7:19b
5) Yahweh is true to His covenant promises
7:20
___________________________
1 This outline is adapted through my own study from the
analyses of Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament
Introduction, 330-31; Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Interpreting the
Minor Prophets, 134-52; Homer Heater, Jr., "Notes on the Book of
Micah," unpublished class notes in seminar in the exilic Old
Testament prophets [Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1990], 175-
76; Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old
Testament, 34-40; John A Martin, "An Outline of Micah,"
unpublished class notes in 304 preexlic and exilic prophets,
(Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983), 1-3; "Micah," in The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by
Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament,1475-76; Thomas Edward
McComiskey, "Micah," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary,
VII:401.
The overall structure will recognize three major units each
of which beings with "Hear" and each of which may be divided into
sections of "judgment" and "salvation."
2 Chisholm notes a chiastic structure for 1:2--3:12:
A Immediate future: Jerusalem conquered like Samaria
1:2-16
B Present: Judah's sin denounced 2:1-11
C Ultimate future: Restoration from Exile 2:12-13
B' Present: Judah's sin denounced 3:1-11
A' Immediate future: Jerusalem conquered (like Samaria)
3:12
Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Interpreting the Minor Prophets,
133. Even though this structure crosses over the larger division
Chisholm writes, "The structural relationship between 3:1-12 and
chapters 4--5 does not invalidate the chiasmus proposed ... for
chapters 1--3. Two or more structures can sometimes run
concurrently" (Ibid., 134, n. 3).
3 This section includes wonderful word plays on the names of
the ten cities.
4 Heater writes, "Verse six is difficult because it is the
account of an emotional, heated encounter between Micah and the
prophets who opposed his message, The words for speak in the
verse mean literally 'to drip' ... and are used almost
exclusively of prophetic speech. The false prophets are telling
Micah not to rock the boat.... The difference between the
translation of NIV and NASB is rather striking. The NASB is more
literal, but the sense is better captured by NIV. To get what NIV
has, the verb must be made impersonal: 'Let them (Micah and
others) not prophesy.' The next phrase is equally difficult. It
should probably be better understood as the words of the false
prophets: 'Calamities will not overtake us.' (2:6)
Israel is questioning Micah's message. God is surely not
angry is He? Micah says that his message will be good to those
who do good, but those who treat God as an enemy and God's people
as easy prey can expect to be expelled from the land (2:7-10)
(Homer Heater, Jr., "Notes on the Book of Micah," unpublished
class notes in seminar in the preexilic Old Testament prophets
[Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1990], 37).
5 Often the sections on "salvation" in Micah are questioned
as being genuine because of the seemingly abrupt movement from
one theme to the next, but Chisholm is helpful when he responds,
"However, from a rhetorical standpoint, one could view them as
part of an intentional juxtapositional technique used to contrast
sharply the present/immediate future described in the preceding
or following context(s) with the ultimate restoration portrayed
in the salvation messages themselves" (Robert B. Chisholm, Jr.,
Interpreting the Minor Prophets, 132).
6 Chisholm sees a chiastic structure for chapters 4:5--5:15
A The nations do not follow the Lord at present 4:5
B Judah is restored 4:6
C A remnant becomes a great nation under the
Lord's rule 4:7
D Rulership returns to Zion 4:8
E Zion and its king are humiliated 4:9
F Zion is exiled and redeemed 4:10
F' Zion is protected 4:11-13
E' Zion and its king are humiliated 5:1
D' A ruler arises in power 5:2-6
C' The Lord's power makes a remnant a superior
nation 5:7-9
B' Judah is purified 5:10-14
A' The Lord judges the disobedient nations 5:15
Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Interpreting the Minor Prophets,
141-42.
7 Heater writes, "The king is called judge (shophet...)
perhaps to rhyme with rod (shebet...) (Homer Heater, Jr., "Notes
on the Book of Micah," unpublished class notes in seminar in the
preexilic Old Testament prophets [Dallas Theological Seminary,
Fall 1990], 39).
8 Chisholm also sees a chiastic structure to chapter seven:
A Prophet's Lament 1-7
B Zion confident of her enemies' defeat 8-10
C Zion assured of salvation 11-13
D The nation's prayer 14
C' The nation assured of salvation 15
B' The nation confident of her enemies defeat 16-17
A' The nation's hymn of praise 18-20
Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Interpreting the Minor Prophets,
152-53.

Book of Micah

IronGland

Satanus

Narkissos

Euphemism

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