Weekly Sermons

Micah Overview

Top Twenty Prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament

Proverbs 30:4              The Establisher of the earth has a Son

Genesis 3:15               The seed of the woman will crush Satan

Micah 5:2                    The Ruler from old will be born in Bethlehem, city of David

Isaiah 7:14                  Messiah will be born to a virgin, called “God with us”

Isaiah 9:6-7                 The Child’s name will be Mighty God; He will rule David’s throne  

Malachi 3:1                 A messenger will come before Messiah, preparing the way

Isaiah 11:10                A Root of Jesse will be a banner to people; Gentiles will seek Him

Isaiah 42:1                  The Spirit of the Lord will be on God’s Servant

Deut. 18:15-19            There will arise a prophet like Moses the people must listen to

Psalm 110                   The Lord is a Priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek

Genesis 49:10-12        Shiloh will be from tribe of Judah & wash his garments in blood

Psalm 22:16                Hands and feet will be pierced

Zechariah 12:10          Jerusalem will look on Him whom they pierced

Isa. 53:5-6, 10-12       Messiah will die in the sinner’s place and live again

Daniel 9:25-26            Messiah will be cut off; doing the math takes you to A.D. 30

Malachi 4:2-3             Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings

Psalm 16:10                The Holy One will not undergo corruption

Ezekiel 34:22-24        My Servant “David” will feed and shepherd my people

Isaiah 49:6                  Will be a light to the Gentiles; salvation to the ends of the earth

Job 19:25-27               My redeemer lives- and will stand on the earth

Daniel 7:13-14            Son of Man will come on the clouds; have everlasting dominion

Note that 13 of the 20 are from the Prophets; 4 from the Minor Prophets

A very key one is from our book for today: Micah! 

Micah is mini-Isaiah!

Clear reference to Messiah’s coming

Clear reference to Messiah judging

Clear reference to Messiah’s rule from Jerusalem

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1:1       Micah the Moreshite

Moresheth-gath is about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

What he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem

In Days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah

That makes Micah a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea

He probably wrote the book around 730 B.C.

Micah primarily prophesied to Judah but also predicted the fall of the north to Assyria.

Micah has a mixture of short-term and long-term messages. He calls his listeners to repent or judgment will come, but points to their ultimate hope in what we now call the first and second coming of the Messiah.

Outline:

Three divisions containing both judgment and promise with predictions.

Judgment:                 Promise:                    Predictions:

1:2-2:11                      2:12-13                       Fall of Samaria to the north

                                                                        Fall of Judah to the south

                                                                        Destruction of Jerusalem

3:1-12                         4:1-5:15                      Nation will return from captivity in Babylon

                                                                        The Eternal King is Coming to Bethlehem!

6:1-16                         7:1-20                         God will keep His promise to Abraham

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A Closer Look at the Book of Micah:

1:2       Pay attention, earth: the Lord God will be a witness against you

1:3       The Lord is leaving His place and coming down to trample…

1:5       Because of Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the house of Israel.

            Idolatry in Samaria AND Jerusalem

1:7       I will destroy all Samaria’s idols!

1:8ff    Micah laments…

            Her wound is incurable, and has reached even Judah.

1:13     Beginning of sin traced to Lachish?

Lachish was the city in Judah that Solomon’s son Rehoboam had re-built to protect Judah from Egypt (2 Chr. 11:5-12). 

Backslidden king Amaziah was killed while hiding there (2 Kings 14:19; 2 Chr. 25:27).

It was captured by Assyria’s king Sennacherib during the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:13-17; 2 Chr. 32:9).

Later Nebuchadnezzar also took the city.

Archaeologists have discovered a small temple with an altar to make sacrifices there. 

1:15     Mareshah also in trouble

2:1       WOE to those who dream up wickedness and prepare evil plans on their beds!

2:3       I am now planning a disaster against this nation…then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time         

2:6       Rejection of God’s word: “Stop your preaching.”

“Shame will NOT overtake us!”

2:7       “Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?”

Don’t My words bring good to the one who walks uprightly?

2:10     Defilement brings destruction!

2:12-13           Remnant regathered…           Jacob and the remnant of Israel…

Their King will pass through before them, the LORD as their leader.

3:1       To the leaders…

Aren’t you supposed to know what is just?   You hate good and love evil.

3:5-6   What the LORD says to false prophets…      “It’s sunset for you!”

3:8       But as for me, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the Lord, with justice and courage, to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.

Chapter 4       The coming reign of the Messiah on earth

4:1       In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established…

4:2       Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His ways so we may walk in His paths.

4:3       He will settle disputes among many peoples. They’ll beat swords into plows. No war.

4:4       The mouth of the Lord of hosts has promised this!

4:5       We will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever.

4:8       Sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem

5:2       Bethlehem will be the birthplace of the Messiah, whose origin is from antiquity.

5:4       His greatness will extend to the end of the earth.

5:6       He will rescue us from Assyria when it invades our land

North fell to Assyria, South miraculously preserved!

6:1       God’s case presented against Judah in a lawsuit.

6:3       How have I done you wrong?

I redeemed you from the land of Egypt.

I gave you Moses and Aaron and Miriam to lead you.

I preserved you from enemy attack.

6:6       You ask what kind of sacrifice I want…

6:8       HERE’S WHAT YAHWEH WANTS:

Act justly        Love faithfulness        Walk humbly with your God.

6:9       HERE’S WHAT YAHWEH SEES:

            Injustice

            Wealthy taking advantage of people

            Lies

6:13     As a result, I am bringing desolation!

6:16     You are like wicked Kings Omri and Ahab

7:2       A sad indictment, reminding of Romans 3:10-23

Godly people have vanished from the land; there is no one upright among the people.

7:4       The day of your watchmen, the day of your punishment, is coming; at this time their panic is here.

7:7       But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

WOW!            Look at this key verse:

7:9       This verse hints of the implications of Messiah’s coming atonement (see Romans 3:23-26)      

Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the Lord’s rage until He argues my case and establishes justice for me! He will bring me into the light; I will see His salvation.

Romans 3:23-26

7:11     A day will come for rebuilding your walls; on that day your boundary will be extended.

7:12     On that day people will come to your from Assyria and Egypt (Solomon’s prayer re-energized)

7:18     These verses could summarize the hope of the prophets for those who repent…

Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in faithful love. He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show loyalty to Jacob and faithful love to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from days long ago.