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By David R. Sincerbox|Published Date: February 04, 2012
Micah 2:12
12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;
I will gather the remnant of Israel;
I will set them together like sheep in a fold,
like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.
The Story: Micah abruptly shifts his focus from the present to the future when God in His mercy will restore Israel to its former glory. As God reassured Elijah when He informed the tired prophet that He had reserved seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Ki. 19:18), God reassures the faithful who will listen to Micah that he will gather a remnant of the faithful like sheep. During periods of apostasy, there always will be a remnant, sometimes no more than a family as in the days of Noah, sometimes many more, but still only a portion of the whole. Other passages pertaining to a remnant can be found in Is. 10:20-22; 11:11, 16; 46:3. Yet this remnant mentioned here seems to be an accumulation of various “remnants” throughout Israel’s history because of the phrase, “a noisy multitude of men.”
The Structure: A question arises: To what event is this passage referring? Is it referring to the end of King Sennacherib’s siege (Micah 1:12)? Is it referring to the end of the Babylonian exile? Or is it referring to the end of the age? Prophecy is both forthtelling and foretelling. When it is foretelling, it can predict something that will happen in the near future as well as something that will happen in the far future. In Isaiah 7:10-14, Isaiah speaks to King Ahaz and says that the Lord will give the king a sign in which a virgin “shall conceive and bear a son.” This in all likelihood was fulfilled in some way during Ahaz’s time. But we also know that it foretold the virgin birth of Jesus many centuries later (Matt. 1:22-23). Micah 2:12 might already in one sense been fulfilled yet its ultimate fulfillment is yet to be (Rom. 11:26).
We can take comfort in the fact that regardless of how difficult things might become, God will keep His promises to those who remain faithful and bring them into His presence. Even if we think we are the only ones left who are His, He has kept a remnant!
For more insight to the prophet Micah, order the book, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 2: Micah-Malachi, by James Montgomery Boice, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By David R. Sincerbox|Published Date: February 03, 2012
Micah 2:10–11
10 Arise and go,
for this is no place to rest,
because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.
11 If a man should go about and utter wind and lies,
saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”
he would be the preacher for this people!
The Story: In v. 8, the evildoers, God’s people, rose up “as an enemy.” Micah now tells them, “Arise and go…” You are going into exile! There is no “rest” for them in the land of promise, for they have forsaken the Lord and His ways. What do the false prophets say? “O, no, we will enjoy wine and strong drink, the good life!” But Micah states that their words are “wind and lies.” These are just the kind of preachers a wayward people will hear.
The structure: Verse 11 ends Micah’s woe oracle, the only one in his prophecy. He has contended with the false prophets and relayed God’s intention to carry the nation of Israel into captivity. In the next two verses, Micah will offer hope for the future.
When a nation abandons its moral compass, it succumbs to greed and envy. Its political life becomes corrupted and the powerful take advantage of the weak. We see that at work in America today. We still are blessed despite the loss of traditional values, but more and more of these blessings are eroding. Pray for the country. Pray that its people will repent and come to their senses. Is your church actively praying for revival in America?
For more insight to the prophet Micah, order the book, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 2: Micah-Malachi, by James Montgomery Boice, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By David R. Sincerbox|Published Date: February 02, 2012
Micah 2:8–9
8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy;
you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly
with no thought of war.
9 The women of my people you drive out
from their delightful houses;
from their young children
you take away my splendor forever.
The Story: “But lately” is literally “yesterday”. Micah now describes the effects of greed upon the powerless and vulnerable. The traveler who expects safe passage is stripped of his “rich robe” as if he were an enemy; the traveler himself has “no thought of war” whatsoever, but merely wants to be on his way. “The women of my people” seems likely to refer to widows. Unscrupulous manipulation by the schemers results in these vulnerable women being driven from their “delightful houses” resulting in their young children being deprived of their very spiritual lives. Without the security and shelter of a home, these children could not spend time growing in the faith and maturity, but rather, as street urchins, or perhaps even sold into slavery, they were condemned to cultivate mere survival, being deprived of the benefits of their birthright as children of the covenant.
The Structure: When one acts upon one’s covetousness, it not only violates the Tenth Commandment (Ex. 20:17, Dt. 5:21) which forbids coveting, much less acting on it, but it also violates the security and stability of families. Envy violates the holy character of God Himself through the desire to usurp things that have not been given to one by the Creator. Because of this, Paul states that coveting is idolatry (Col. 3:5).
Because of our special relationship with God the Father through Jesus the Son, we, being in Christ, have a certain splendor that reflects the splendor of God who, according to Psalm 145:5, is clothed in splendor. Do you think of yourself as having splendor? The fact that we do and that it comes from God is a profound and humbling reality. According to Paul, we are being transformed from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). How should this knowledge impact our lives?
For more insight to the prophet Micah, order the book, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 2: Micah-Malachi, by James Montgomery Boice, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By David R. Sincerbox|Published Date: February 01, 2012
Micah 2:6–7
6 “Do not preach”—thus they preach—
“one should not preach of such things;
disgrace will not overtake us.”
7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
Has the Lord grown impatient?
Are these his deeds?
Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?
The Story: People have the capacity to delude themselves and justify their own behavior (see Prov. 16:2). When they do so, they do not want to hear the truth. They, like Israel of old, want those who are proclaiming that what they are doing is wicked to shut up. Words “drop” from their mouths, such as, “Don’t prophecy”. Amos and Isaiah also experienced people attempting to shut them up in Am. 7:16; Is. 30:10. The wrongdoer often supports false prophets who proclaim, “disgrace will not overtake us. God is not like that. God is loving, not condemning.” False prophets also proclaim that God’s patience is inexhaustible. They say, “His deeds are not those which bring calamity.” Micah counters, speaking for the Lord, “Do my words do good to him who walks uprightly?” God is thus saying, “Aren’t my words good? Aren’t they meant as a blessing? But they are only a blessing to those who are obedient.”
The Structure: This passage relates a contentious dialogue between the evildoers and Micah. It is difficult at times to determine who is saying what. Some believe that the evildoers speak in verse 6 and Micah as God’s spokesperson responds in verse 7. It seems more likely, however, that Micah responds in 7d, rather than 7a.
The Psalmist stated: “Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, ‘You will not call to account?’” We must all guard against rationalizing our behavior. We all need to pray Psalm 139:23-24:
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts! 24
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
For more insight to the prophet Micah, order the book, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 2: Micah-Malachi, by James Montgomery Boice, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By David R. Sincerbox|Published Date: January 31, 2012
Micah 2:3-4:
3 Therefore thus says the Lord:
behold, against this family I am devising disaster,
from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you shall not walk haughtily,
for it will be a time of disaster.
4 In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you
and moan bitterly,
and say, “We are utterly ruined;
he changes the portion of my people;
how he removes it from me!
To an apostate he allots our fields.”
The Story: Because the evildoers are devising “wickedness,” God is “devising” (the same Hebrew word) disaster against “this family.” The word translated “wickedness” in 2:1 is the same word translated “disaster” in 2:3. In Amos 3:1, “family” refers to the whole nation of Israel. The instance of scheming land barons dealt with here is only one example of wrongdoing which the Lord is judging; thus even though people were swindled out of their homes, many of these victims were in turn guilty of the sin of idolatry (see Micah 1:5). But the unscrupulous devisers of wickedness are being singled out because of their haughty walk, which translates a vivid figure of speech, a walk characterized by an “uplifted neck”. When the Assyrians attack, they will taunt these evildoers for their lofty, arrogant and supercilious pretensions; the evildoers will “moan bitterly” and be stripped of their ill-gained lands. It is ironic that the swindlers’ bitter complaint will be, “he (the Assyrian) changes the portion of my people,” something they themselves did with their own theft of others’ lands. These swindlers, also in the throes of their own idolatry, moan ironically, “To an apostate he (God) allots our fields.”
The structure: Hebrew prophets often employ poetry in their oracles. Hebrew poetry differs from English poetry in that it employs parallelism in which two lines run parallel to one another and correspond in some way to each other: the second line in synonymous parallelism repeats the first line in slightly different wording; the second line in metaphoric or simile parallelism completes the figure of speech found in the first line; the second line in antithetical parallelism offers a contrast with the first; the second line in staircase parallelism partially repeats the first line while bringing it to a climax. Sometimes the parallelism is carried into four lines as with the Song of Deborah in Judges 5:27.
The New Testament in James 5:1-6 also speaks harshly against those who have obtained wealth at the expense of others. Ill-gained wealth seems to spawn arrogance. We must guard against an “elevated neck” of any sort, pride in family, possessions, nation, church. Humble gratitude and thanksgiving is the opposite of pride. Are you cultivating an attitude of humble thanksgiving?
For more insight to the prophet Micah, order the book, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 2: Micah-Malachi, by James Montgomery Boice, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By David R. Sincerbox|Published Date: January 30, 2012
Micah 2:1-2:
1 Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.
The Story: If ever there is an account in prophecy that speaks to the current economic situation in America, it is this one. As in the days of Micah, powerful people lost sleep while developing schemes that would defraud others. Part of our current housing and economic crisis came about because of unscrupulous lending practices. Some who could not afford houses in a certain price range were hoodwinked by lenders into signing loans, whereas others, compelled by greed and the housing bubble signed loans under the notion that real estate prices would continue to rise and they would make a huge profit off a miniscule investment. Politicians (Congressmen and Presidents), world bankers, mortgage companies, hedge fund managers, borrowers, and others created and fueled by greed, created a real estate bubble; some exerted excessive creative energies—probably even lying on their beds while doing so—to devise complex funds that few could understand that ultimately, when they crashed, took many houses away from people. Why did they do so? Micah says, “because it [was] in the power of their hand.” They could do it, therefore they did it.
The Structure: The literary structure of this passage is called a “woe oracle”. An oracle is defined by The Oxford English Dictionary as a “divine revelation”. Woe oracles often appear in the prophets (some can be seen in Is. 5:8, 11, 18, 20; Jer. 22:13; Am. 5:18). Jesus, too, used a woe oracle to address the Pharisees and the Scribes in Matt. 23:13-29.
Sometimes one can sin and transgress spontaneously without much thought. But often evil is premeditated. Evil doers follow a pattern that Micah outlines in this verse: the first step is to “devise” the scheme; the second step is to “work” it, to tweak it, to refine it; the third step is to put it into action, to “perform” it. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus states, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Christians can be very gullible. We want to see the good in people but those outside the faith can be very deceptive because they are in the enemy’s camp. We must be on guard. Some deceivers even pose as children of light! If a financial “opportunity” appears too good to be true, or goes against common mathematics, it probably is too good to be true. As with champagne, economic bubbles can be quite intoxicating. When they burst, they leave behind painful hangovers.
For more insight to the prophet Micah, order the book, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 2: Micah-Malachi, by James Montgomery Boice, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By David R. Sincerbox|Published Date: January 29, 2012
Micah 1:14–16:
14 Therefore you shall give parting gifts
to Moresheth-gath;
the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror to you,
inhabitants of Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
shall come to Adullam.
16 Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair,
for the children of your delight;
make yourselves as bald as the eagle,
for they shall go from you into exile.
The Story: Moresheth-gath, Micah’s hometown, sounds like “One-who-is-betrothed,” thus her dowry, her “parting gifts,” will be paid to Assyria. Achzib sounds like “deceitful thing.” Mareshah sounds like “inheritance”, thus God will bring an inheritor to “Inheritances-town” who will inherit their inheritance. The opening salvo against these twelve cities began with a reference to David. The ending salvo closes with a reference to David who fled to this Adullam while being pursued by Saul (1 Sam. 22:1; 2 Sam. 23:13). As the future king of Israel once took refuge in Adullam, “the glory of the Lord” will now come not to be sheltered, but to destroy. Despite shaving the back of the head as a sign of mourning being forbidden by Lv. 19:27 and Dt. 14:1, it nonetheless was a common practice in that day. Israel and Judah are to mourn their children, the “children of [their] delight,” being carried off into captivity. “Eagle” is likely a common one of several vultures found in those regions which is bald. The American “bald eagle” is called that because “bald” in its case means “white.”
The Structure: Other Biblical references of baldness and mourning can be found in Is. 3:24, Jer. 7:29 and Amos 8:10.
If these cities had experienced “godly grief” for their sins (2 Cor. 7:9), they would never had had to grieve in the manner in which they did. Godly grief leads to repentance and restoration and “no loss,” according to Paul. Are their sins in which you need to feel a godly grief that will lead to repentance?
For more insight to the prophet Micah, order the book, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 2: Micah-Malachi, by James Montgomery Boice, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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