30. Micah

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30. MICAH

I. OUTLINE

1. Background. 1:1-4.

2. The Assyrian Crisis. 1:5-16.

A. Wailing Prophet. 1:5-9.

B. The Alarm. 1:10-16.

3. Of Ethical Concern. 2:1-3:12.

A. Men of Wealth. 2:1-10.

B. False Prophets. 2:11.

C. Dreams of Restoration. 2:12,13.

D. Appeal to the Leaders. 3:1-12.

4. Visions of Glorious Future. 4:1-5:15.

A. Universal Religion. 4:1-8.

B. Way of Monarchy. 4:9-5:6.

C. A World of Purity. 5:7-15.

5. Adversity and Triumphs. 6:1-7:20.

A. God's Controversy. 6:1-5.

B. Fundamentals of Religion. 6:6-8.

C. Plea for Jerusalem. 6:9-16.

D. Pessimism of Despair. 7:1-6.

E. Triumph of Faith. 7:7-20.

II. AUTHORSHIP

1. The book was the work of Micah.

2. Micah lived at Moresheth, which survives today as Morissa, in southwestern Palestine.

3. He was a contemporary of Isaiah.

4. He lived only twenty miles from Amos.

5. His work was of more importance than was generally recognized.

6. He was a "proletarian" prophet. He was but little influenced by Isaiah.

7. Most of his work was done in the days of Hezekiah-715-686 B.C.

8. Micah was a poet-he wrote in verse.

III. MICAH AND HIS TIMES

1. Micah does not talk much about either idolatry or immortality. His message is: "Do justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God."

3. The three parts of the book deal with:

A. Judgment.

B. Comfort.

C. Salvation.

4. Micah longed for a universal religion.

5. Almost a hundred years later, Jeremiah remembered Micah. (Jer 26:18,19)

6. He exposed the dishonest and corrupt officials.

7. Micah was not in the literary class of Deutero-Isaiah and Amos, but he was far superior to Ezekiel.

8. Micah is one of the best unified books in the Old Testament. It has received but little editorial tampering.

9. Micah started the campaign of "social reform" that was taken up by Zephaniah, the psalmists, John the Baptist, Jesus, Francis of Assisi, and John Wesley.

IV. SELECTED TEXTS

1. Futility of prayer. "Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them; he will hid his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil." 3:4.

2. Conversion of the nations. "And many nations shall come, and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.'" 4:2.

3. Swords into plowshares. "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks...neither shall they learn war any more." 4:3.

4. Individual character. "They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid." 4:4.

5. Worthless sacrifices. "'Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?'" 6:7.

6. What the Lord requires. "'He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?'" 6:8.

7. Attributes of God. "Who is a God like thee, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in steadfast love." 7:18.