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The Scriptorium

Micah

Micah reveals God's plan for restoration.

The Heart of God: The Decline and Fall of Israel (6)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on the book of Micah.
Micah is more explicit than any of the prophets we’ve seen in holding out the promise of restoration. His message was meant as much for the people of Judah as for Israel, though it came to Israel in the final moments of her demise. As we shall see, the great hope held out by Micah was reserved for the times in which we live. How should this encourage and instruct us as we read these Old Testament prophets?

For reflection
1.  How can you see all three of the unifying threads of Scripture – God’s glory, God’s people, and God’s work of redemption – surfacing in the book of Micah? It’s almost as if, as one kingdom falls and another begins its last days, God wanted to remind His people of the things that matter most. Jot down references that point to each of these unifying threads.

2.  What was the role of the rulers of Israel – kings and prophets – in the nation’s decline and fall? What did they fail to do? How should Micah’s message be understood by the rulers of God’s people today?

3.  Summarize the hope Micah held out for God’s people, beginning “in the last days” (Mic. 5.1). When are these “last days” (cf. Acts 2.14-17)? What seem to be the key elements of this hope, as we see them throughout the book?

4.  Micah seems almost to provide a script for Israel to use in returning to the Lord (ch. 7). What are the key components of that return?

5.  On what basis does God promise to forgive and restore His people (chs. 5, 7)? Is this because of something they do, or because of something God does? Explain. How do the nations respond to God’s great work of redemption on behalf of His people? In what ways does Micah give us insight to the work of Christ, the Messiah of God?

Summary
The book of Micah brings a kind of culmination to one stage of Israel’s relationship with God – ending in judgment – while it points forward to a further development of that relationship “in the last days.” Micah himself stands on the cusp between the last days of Israel and the beginning of the last days of Judah. How do you suppose his message would have been received on the part of the people of Judah? How should we receive it today?

Closing Prayer
Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Psalm 86.11-17

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course,
Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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