Micah – Page 3 – Be Still…

Micah 5:7-15 – The Purge

garbage can and bags against turquoise brick wall

Every week before our housekeeper comes to prepare food for the week, I do a purge. (Yes, I am that spoiled living in Mexico. It all started with supporting the economy here, and now I have a lifetime friend.) I open the refrigerator and make sure all the uneaten food has a new reality (hopefully not the trash). I have a collection of vegetables in the freezer just waiting for soup stock creation. Those vegetables still have a purpose.

Is God doing his own purge of the people being disobedient and following other gods? We read today about the remnant of those remaining in Israel. Their future would be a lot different from those cast into exile and/or killed. Who would be the chosen remnant after the “purge”? I think of another time God did a purge in Noah’s day, all the way back in Genesis 6!

Micah 5:1-6 – O Bethlehem!

Read Micah 5:1-6

The distress/deliverance conversation continues here, but the distress is over quite quickly in just one verse. We have a direct order imbedded here to “mobilize!” What does that mean exactly for us today? I hear it as a cry to battle against the evil that is trying to overtake this world.

We know that evil cannot win, but there is no reason why evil shouldn’t give it a try. Is it safe to assume evil must be in denial about the strength of God? In direct contrast, we see how Micah immediately shifts the focus of great things involving Jerusalem to the small, unsuspecting town of Bethlehem.

Micah 4:6-13 – God’s in Charge

Read Micah 4:6-13

a pocket watch with the word FOREVER written on it

The generous and universal hope given in our last reading is again focused on the people of Judah, particularly in Jerusalem. There is hope for a return from the exile that hasn’t happened yet. This text seems to flip back and forth between judgment and rescue; however, it is regarded as an oracle of salvation.

The people must have thought Micah was crazy when he mentioned Babylon. While we know the Babylonians were the empire to take down Judah, at the time Micah said these words Babylon was not a power to be feared. This promised exile would have sounded a bit foolish to Micah’s audience. What effect do you think that had on Micah’s credibility?

Micah 4:1-5 – The Last Days

Read Micah 4:1-5

peace sign made out of flowers with psychedelic design

Talk about dramatic impact in this transition! Micah places these verses, which are almost identical to verses in Isaiah 2, right here after speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem. We know that Isaiah and Micah are contemporaries speaking to the same audience. Did God choose to give them both the same message, or do you think Micah is quoting Isaiah? Micah doesn’t say.

We have clearly jumped far into the future when God will reign over all. The people of Judah see indication of a bright future as Micah designates Jerusalem. Do you think the people could fully grasp what this meant having not experienced the exile yet?

Micah 3:1-12 – Boast in the Lord

Read Micah 3:1-12

Micah calls out to the leaders to listen. This message is for them. Leaders include rulers, priests, and prophets in charge of telling the people about God’s ways and expectations. It wasn’t like people had their own Bibles sitting on the shelf with everything they needed to know. The people had to rely on their leaders to tell them about God.

These leaders needed a wake-up call. They were more interested in the bribes they’d receive and in supporting themselves rather than relying on God and teaching truth. I know the struggle, even today, for pastors leading churches and feeling like their hands are tied when “big donors” expect their own agendas will be recognized, even when the good of the congregation is the other direction. Interesting comparison.