The book of Micah is a marvelous book. Few passages of Scripture are better known than Micah 6:8 which adorn the alcove of religion in the reading room of the Library of Congress, “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (NASU) Even though it is a relatively short book, less than six pages in my Bible, it is brimming with prophecies of the promised Messiah. Several of these prophecies speak about the majestic and omnipotent rule of the Messiah over the earth. The occasion for the prophecy from which the book originates is identified in chapter one, verse five. Rebellion is the reason; rebellion first reared its ugly head in Genesis 3 and has not ceased to be a problem some 2,500 years later. It seems to me that most of the human race is prone to it.
Micah 1:1-5 sets the stage for the prophecy against God’s people, “The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. 2 Hear, O peoples, all of you; Listen, O earth and all it contains, And let the Lord God be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple. 3 For behold, the Lord is coming forth from His place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. 4 The mountains will melt under Him And the valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, Like water poured down a steep place. 5 All this is for the rebellion of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?” (NASU) Evidently a court has been convened and God’s people (Israel and Judah) are the defendants. The Lord Himself, Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, will serve as the witness against God’s people. If that does not get your attention, I have no idea what will. It certainly has mine. Verse five explicitly reveals the reason for the trial. Both kingdoms, Israel and Judah, have rebelled against the Lord. Neither is worshipping properly. The northern kingdom was worshipping in the wrong place and with the wrong attitude. The southern kingdom was worshipping in the correct place but with the wrong attitude. Shockingly, Judah’s sin is revealed as idolatry and the prophecy goes so far as call Jerusalem a “high place.” Calling Jerusalem a “high place” leaves no doubt that their worship was idolatrous.
Rebellion against the Lord is a serious offense and it can take many forms. Chapter two reveals many of the manifestations of rebellion. Scheming iniquity, committing evil that was conceived in the dark of night, robbing a man of his house and inheritance are all identified as marks of rebellion against God. Becoming impatient with God, stripping clothes from the needy, evicting women (presumably widows) from their homes, choosing wicked leaders, etc. all indicate a rebellious people. Covetousness and rejection of the Word of God are clear signs of rebellion. Praise God, Micah 5:4 offers sure and certain hope in the form of an omnipotent Messiah, “And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.” (NASU)
