Judgment and Glory: Micah 1 (1)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 46.1-3
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

Sing Psalm 46.1-3
(St. Chrysostom: We Have Not Known Thee As We Ought)
God is our refuge and our strength; He is our help in times of need.
Thus though the earth beneath us should change, the sea consume the mountain range;
waters may roar with raging speed; yet God will rescue us at length.

Read Micah 1.1, 2

Preparation
1. When did Micah prophesy?

2. Against whom did he prophesy?

Meditation
Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and prophesied into the days of Hezekiah. He was from Moresheth in Judah and served as a prophet during the reign of three kings. Jotham was a good king; Ahaz was not; and Hezekiah was, in the main, a faithful servant of the Lord. Micah’s preaching may have contributed to the revival which came during Hezekiah's reign.

His opening sermon is a broadside of judgment against both Israel and Judah, as represented by their respective capital cities. Both are guilty of sin against the Lord, and both shall therefore fall under His wrath. The chief sin of each is idolatry (5), not substituting other gods for God, but adding other gods with Him. Israel shall be judged first, it appears (6, 7), then Judah (8-12).

Nevertheless, even in this opening chapter, Micah points forward to a day of the coming glory of God (12-15). The sermon ends with a call to repentance and lamentation (16).

His witness is against the people of God (v. 1), but it is for the entire world (v. 2). For the Word of God to His people is the same Word that we are to proclaim to the world: God is coming to judge the sins of all who rebel against Him, and to fill the earth with His glorious Kingdom and Presence. The witness Micah bore is the same we must bear in our own days of witness.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“The word of the LORD that came to Micah…which he saw…” (v. 1) reflects his contemporary’s words found in Isaiah 6.1: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord…” Both men were seeing God speak and calling the people to hear and listen.

We, too, have been called to see, hear, and listen to the love and warnings found in Scripture. It is the way we are called to see what the LORD has to say to us. We have been given the Holy Spirit to guide and help us as we seek to see Him clearly in His Word.

“Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law” (Ps.119.18).
“Then they came to Philip…and asked him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12.21).
“But we see Jesus…” (Heb. 2.9).
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3.2).
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor. 13.12).
“For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (Ps. 36.9).

The word of the LORD comes to us through the written and living Word; we will do well to see it, hear it, listen to it, and let it be a witness against and for us as we live our lives “in our own days of witness” (Mic. 1.2).

Reflection
1. Jesus has appointed us to be His witnesses (Acts 1.8). What does that mean? What does it require of us?

2. What should we expect to learn from Micah about how to carry out our own calling?

3. Have you mapped out your Personal Mission Field? Watch this brief video, download the worksheet, and get started today.

Micah means “one who is from God,” or, as we find elsewhere, “one who is the son of the Morashite,” in other words son of the heir…He is not one of the people but one chosen to receive the grace of God, through whom the Holy Spirit speaks. He began to prophesy in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Ambrose of Milan (333-397), Letter 45

Lord, You have appointed me as Your witness (Acts 1.8); help me today so that I…

Closing Prayer: Psalm 46.4-11
Pray for any believers you expect to see today. Ask the Lord to enable you to encourage them in their walk with and work for Him. Pray for the filling of His Spirit, that you might bear faithful witness to Jesus.

Psalm 46.4-11
(St. Chrysostom: We Have Not Known Thee As We Ought)
God’s everlasting, joyous grace gladdens the city where He dwells.
Safely in Him, we will not be moved; when morning dawns, His love will be proved.
Fears and distresses Jesus dispels for His beloved, chosen race.

Kingdoms arise and rage and roar, threat’ning the earth with sore distress;
nations may fall, earth melt away, His Word is yet our hope and stay.
God is among us, ever to bless; He is our stronghold evermore.

Come see the works of God’s Right Hand! He breaks the nations of the earth,
shatters their foolish weapons and pride, sets all their sinful strength aside;
Them He will show His infinite worth as they before His judgment stand.

Rest in the Lord and be at peace, all who are mired in sore travail:
Lift up our God, praise Jesus our Lord; proclaim to all the earth His Word!
God is our stronghold, never to fail: thus may our hope and joy increase!

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to last week’s summary of Colossians 4 by clicking here.

Micah in God’s Covenant
Where does the book of Micah fit in God’s covenant with His people? Our workbook, God’s Covenant, can help you to answer that question and to gain a better understanding of how the grace of God reaches and transforms us in Jesus Christ. Order your free copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scripture are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.