Micah is a small OT book with a big story… Micah alternates between destruction and hope. A true Christian faith that is strong and well nourished has as its foundation hope. Hope is ever present even in the days such as the people of the Ukraine, are suffering this very day. Micah wrote this book between 735 and 700 BC. This was a period of great prosperity in Jerusalem even though they did face some threats from Assyria. As Micah wrote this book he most likely would remember that the Northern Kingdom fell to Assyrian forces in 722 BC, I am sure he thought of this because although he lived in the Southern Kingdom he had witnessed the carnage the North. The tie if there is any to the present day situation in Ukraine is the hope of the people and their undeniable faith in their hope for a better day. Right now for most of us there is a stubborn refusal to examine the state of our relationship with God. We refuse to acknowledge the social ills of our day and do what is necessary to restore our relationship with God through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Where is our Micah? It is thought that Micah wrote this prior to the good King Hezekiah’s reign, this being the time of the wicked King Ahaz. (2 Kings 16) This King subjected himself to being a subordinate of Assyria, not trusting in God. There was idol worship and the destruction of God’s temple, which leads to Micah’s predictions of the fall of Samaria (the Northern Kingdom)  and several other warnings to the people of Judah.

In the remaining verses in chapter six (9-16) God has made known through Micah that cheating and violence will be punished. In chapter seven we find four other points in this closing chapter. The first is the total corruption of the people, their perversion of justice ,family and the people in general turn away from others as well as God. Contempt and lack of compassion have a free hand. Micah calls for penitence and trust in God. The book comes to an end with two wonderful thoughts. There is the prophecy of restoration and ends with God’s compassion and steadfast love. Read these last verses of the book of Micah and rejoice….

 18 

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over the transgression
of the remnant of your possession?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in showing clemency.

19 

He will again have compassion upon us;
he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.

20 

You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and unswerving loyalty to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
from the days of old.

Micah 7 New Revised Standard Version

Our world needs a Micah and even though Micah chastises us for our sins he leaves us with the promises God has made and set before us through his son Jesus Christ. We need to understand that while our God is one of mercy and forgives, casting our sins into the depth of the seas… There is a judgement.

Life is Good

jk

Note:Did Micah write the Book of Micah? The book is a compilation of materials some of which come from a period considerably later than Micah’s time. The threats in chapters 1–3 and 6–7:7 are usually attributed to Micah, but the promises in chapters 4–5 and 7:8–20 are generally dated several centuries later.     (britannica)