A Survey of the Prophets - Micah
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Historical Background of the Book. After the Assyrians destroyed the Northern Kingdom in 720 and carried them off into captivity, they continued to expand their empire. As a result, they started to threatened the Southern Kingdom as they had the Northern Kingdom with military conquest , most notably around 711 B.C. and 701 B.C.
The Author and the Audience. Micah's name means "Who is like Jehovah?". He was the son of Monesheth. Scholars are divided whether this is a reference to his father or to the village about 15 miles SW of Jerusalem. Micah's prophetic role lasted from about 735 B.C. to about 700 B.C., overlapping Isaiah's timeframe. He had a dual audience:
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Outline/Major Themes. The book of Micah is written in typical prophetic style:
- Ch. 1 Coming punishment for both Israel and Judah. In the near future, this would occur at the hands of the Assyrians. About 120 years after that, Judah would be conquered by the Babylonians.
- Ch. 2-3 Reasons for the punishment given: greed, false prophets, violent injustice, bribery, and idolatry.
- Ch. 4-5 Prophesy of future restoration and glory.
- Ch. 6 God's indictment of His people.
- Ch. 7 Need for righteousness, confession of sin, and the Lord's mercies.
- Need for repentance (Acts 17:30-31)
- "Sunday Christians" - Observing religious ceremonies is pointless without having the right attitude and living a life of constant righteousness (Matt. 15:7-9; 23:23)
- Birth of the King in Bethlehem (Ch. 5:1-4 with Matt. 2:1-6; Luke 2)