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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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