Name means: “Who Is Like the Lord?”
Not to be confused with: Micah the Ephraimite (Judg. 17–18) or Micaiah, a prophet during Ahab’s reign (1 Kin. 22:8–28; 2 Chr. 18:3–27).
Home: Moresheth, possibly the same as Moresheth Gath (Mic. 1:14), a city in the lowlands of Judah about 22 miles southwest of Jerusalem.
Occupation: Prophet in Judah during the reigns of Jotham (c. 740–731 B.C.), Ahaz (c. 731–715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 B.C.).
Best known as: A contemporary of Isaiah who denounced Judah for adopting Israel’s idolatrous ways and who criticized Jerusalem’s leaders for oppressing rural citizens.
More: For perspective on the period when Micah lived, see “The Life and Times of Isaiah” at Is. 1:1.
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Micah delivered prophecies to Judah under three different rulers. Two revered the Lord, but one did not. Here are the men who set the spiritual tone of the nation that Micah addressed:
• Jotham (c. 740–731 B.C.) came to power even before he was crowned king when his father Uzziah (Azariah) was struck with leprosy (2 Kin. 15:5; see also Uzziah’s profile at 2 Chr. 26:1). Like his father, Jotham feared God. He extended Judah’s borders, built and fortified cities, and fought off the Ammonites (2 Kin. 15:32–38; 2 Chr. 27:1–9).
• Ahaz (c. 731–715 B.C.), the son of Jotham, committed extreme evil (see Ahaz’s profile at 2 Chr. 28:1). After his father died, he brought back idolatrous practices, including child sacrifice, and served the gods of the Syrians, who had allied with the Israelites to slaughter and capture untold thousands of his rebellious subjects (2 Chr. 28:1–25). His appeal to the Assyrians for help made Judah a tributary of Tiglath-Pileser. Not even Isaiah’s warnings could assuage Ahaz’s evil habits (Is. 7:10–17).
• Hezekiah (c. 715–686 B.C.) was a virtuous ruler despite his upbringing as Ahaz’s son (see Hezekiah’s profile at 2 Chr. 29:1). He combined exceptional faith with effective political leadership and spiritual reforms (2 Kin. 18–20; 2 Chr. 29–32). He survived a siege of Assyrian troops sent by King Sennacherib and miraculously recovered from a terminal illness (Is. 38:1–8).
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Most of Micah’s prophecies were aimed at the unruly people of Judah. But he had one message for the northern kingdom of Israel: God would reduce Samaria to a heap of ruins. This grim warning foreshadowed the discipline that the Lord had in mind for Jerusalem, because Judah was guilty of the same sins (Mic. 1:12–16). The Lord’s judgment arrived when the Assyrians overran Israel and captured Samaria (722 B.C.) after a three-year siege. As Israel’s capital, Samaria’s downfall symbolized the entire kingdom’s ruin. For more on this wealthy, idolatrous city and its downfall, see Samaria’s profile at 1 Kings 16:24 and “The Three Campaigns of the Assyrians” at 2 Kings 15:29.
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Imagine a society in which powerful citizens seize whatever land and property they want, especially from people too weak or impoverished to defend themselves. This was the situation Micah observed. The wealthy and influential took control of real estate owned by others, using any means necessary (Mic. 2:2; 3:10). Leaders denied justice to the poor and left violence unchecked in order to enrich themselves (3:3, 10; compare Prov. 22:16). The prophet rightly denounced their thieving and murderous practices.
By seizing land assigned by God to fellow Israelites, Judah’s wealthy elite violated key principles of the Law. They broke the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:13, 15, 17), the law of redemption (Lev. 25:23–28), and the law against changing landmarks (Deut. 19:14). In retaliation for defying these laws, the Lord promised to let foreigners steal Judah’s lands (Mic. 2:4).
The justice that the Lord expected in Judah is the same justice that He expects today. The New Testament strongly warns against covetousness (Eph. 5:5; James 4:1–5), because longing for more and more things quickly leads to a sinful craving for what belongs to others. An insatiable appetite for material things can lead us to commit all kinds of injustices; even if we stop short of breaking the law, we will find ourselves sacrificing the things that truly matter for those that mean nothing in the long run.
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A country where justice is for sale will suffer rampant injustice. A nation where truth depends on what a person can afford has lost touch with God. When morality is defined in terms of money, a society is in dire trouble.
Micah saw that his society had sold its soul, and he was appalled. The services of judges, priests, and prophets were all up for the highest bidder. The fact that these people received income was not the issue; they needed to earn a living like anyone else. But Micah observed that they had become corrupt, letting money distort their decisions. Instead of declaring what was true, right, and just, they said whatever they were paid to say. They grew wealthy by exploiting their positions and lost their integrity in the process.
Amazingly, these so-called leaders believed that God would continue to back their hypocritical words. They brushed off prophetic warnings of an impending foreign invasion. “Is not the LORD among us?” they replied. “No harm can come upon us.”
They were badly mistaken. The Lord would judge their impenitence. He was not about to allow them to continue violating His law in peaceful affluence.
When we are in leadership positions—especially where we render moral or ethical decisions or give advice—the Lord calls us to evaluate if we have sold our souls for profit or other personal benefit. If we let anything taint our responsibilities, we have been warned. God does not tolerate corrupt leaders.
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Micah offered words of hope to a people living in fear of attack. Because they felt defenseless, their possessions—weapons and food in particular—took on an inflated value. Their energies were consumed by holding on to what little they had left. Micah envisioned a time without war or the weaponry (Mic. 4:3), an era of peace and security when everyone would have plenty of food (4:4).
This was actually God’s original design for the world (Gen. 1:27–31). Humanity’s sinful rebellion initiated the struggle for material well-being that so often leads to conflict (3:17–19; 4:3–14). But according to Micah’s prophecy, the Lord will ultimately resolve issues of war and access to adequate resources. Humanity will live in peace, abundance, and joy (compare Rev. 21:1–5; 22:1–5).
Micah’s encouraging vision reminds us that we can trust God to provide safety, food, and a better future. And because He provides for our needs, we can live as sources of hope to others, sharing the gifts that have been given to us.
More: To learn more about God’s plan for the future and how it impacts life today, see “The King Declares His Kingdom” at Matt. 4:17.
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Love for the Lowly
Although the name Mother Teresa (1910–1997) has become synonymous throughout the world with showing mercy to the poor, the details of her story are often unknown, just as she herself tended to shy away from widespread public acknowledgement during her lifetime.
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was nearly forty years old before she ventured outside the walls of her Calcutta convent to begin her work of caring for the poor. Born to an Albanian family living in Skopje, Macedonia, she had sensed God’s call by the age of twelve. Building upon what she had learned and experienced while participating in a youth group at her church, she sought to spread Christ’s love by becoming a missionary. At age eighteen she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin. A few months later she was in India, and in 1931 she took her first vows as a nun, choosing the name Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Revered for her simple, practical approach to spirituality, Saint Thérèse, like the young novice who admired her, sought to live a hidden life. It was with the posthumous publication of her writings and final conversations that she became firmly established as one of the most popular saints in the history of the church.
Mother Teresa spent the next sixteen years teaching geography and catechism at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta. She was disturbed by the poverty she glimpsed outside the convent, and as she went away by train in 1946 to recuperate from tuberculosis, she came to understand her next spiritual mandate, “the call within the call.” She later recollected, “I was to leave the convent and work with the poor, living among them. It was an order. I knew where I belonged but I did not know how to get there.” She sensed Jesus revealing His pain at the neglect of the downtrodden, His sorrow at their lack of awareness of Him, and His longing for their love.
Two years later Mother Teresa received permission to don a white, blue-bordered sari and leave the convent to live among the poor. When her circumstances forced her to beg for food and supplies, she considered returning to the convent. But within a few months she was joined by several former students as she continued reaching out to the starving, sick, and dying. Out of a free choice and love for God she chose to remain and do His will.
In time Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order in which members commit to a simple, ascetic lifestyle as they work to give “wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.” Today its various branches can be found in more than a hundred countries worldwide, where its members provide care for refugees, ex-prostitutes, the physically and mentally ill, sick and abandoned children, lepers, the aged, and the convalescent. It is through this organization that Mother Teresa’s work gained international attention, including a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, an honor she accepted “for the glory of God and in the name of the poor.”
Not until after Mother Teresa’s death did the anguish of her inner life become known. Even as she did her utmost to spread joy and love to the needy and neglected, she often felt a painful separation from God and a longing for His affection. Perhaps it was this sense of desolation that enabled her to empathize with the downtrodden, and drove her to fight for justice on behalf of the person “that is shut out, that feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person that has been thrown out from society.”
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After denouncing Judah’s bad leaders (Mic. 3:1–12), Micah proclaimed good news: one day an ideal and eternal king would rule the land. This unique promise offered a glimmer of light in the midst of gathering darkness (5:1; 7:8).
The hometown of this mighty prince seemed like an absurd place for the birth of God’s Chosen One. Yet Micah’s bold words clearly pointed to tiny Bethlehem. The everlasting ruler would come from Ephrathah (“Fertility”), an ancient name for the land surrounding Bethlehem (“House of Bread”). The New Testament informs us that Jesus the Messiah was born at Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1; Luke 2:4–6), fulfilling Micah’s prophecy (Matt. 2:6; compare John 7:42).
Micah’s prophecy seemed to imply that the ruler would arrive shortly, but seven centuries separated the prophet from the king he announced. Nevertheless, in the bigger scheme of things, the Messiah’s coming was just around the corner. Samaria would fall (722 B.C.), and Jerusalem would soon follow (587 B.C.). Decades later, Jews would return to Palestine. The next major event in the Lord’s plan would be the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. He would bring everlasting salvation, not only to Israel but to the entire world (Mic. 7:7, 18–20).
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Holding on to Christian faith and values can make us feel out of step with the society that surrounds us, a member of a lonely minority. But the Bible describes many followers of God who experienced this same sense of disconnectedness. Micah and other Old Testament writers referred to these faithful few as a “remnant” (Mic. 5:3, 7, 8). The term remnant describes survivors who remain after a devastating calamity and form the nucleus of a new community. In the case of Israel, the remnant was made up of people who held on to their faith in the face of opposition at home and persecution abroad. Because of the remnant, faith was preserved until Jesus came into the world.
The Bible frequently addresses how God’s followers should live as a minority people, often highlighting the Lord’s intent to preserve a godly remnant:
• Moses warned the Israelites that they would be scattered among the nations if they disobeyed God. But the Lord would not completely abandon His people. He would hear their prayers when they finally turned back to Him, and He would not forget His covenant with them (Deut. 4:27–31).
• Isaiah foresaw a day when a remnant of Israel would depend on the Lord instead of on pagan governments (Is. 10:20–23).
• Amos urged his listeners to change their practices in business and government in order to cause the Lord to be “gracious to the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:14, 15).
• Jesus announced God’s kingdom and began training His disciples, warning that His followers would encounter opposition and persecution (Matt. 5:1–16).
• Peter wrote primarily to Christians of Jewish descent living in cultures opposed to their beliefs and values. He reminded them of their calling to holiness and pointed out that they were “sojourners and pilgrims” (1 Pet. 1:15, 16; 2:11, 12). In a second letter, he said that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations,” supporting his point with the examples of Noah and Lot, faithful men who lived in corrupt societies (2 Pet. 2:4–11).
• Paul described the church as a “remnant according to the election of grace” that was not unlike the seven thousand faithful Israelites in Elijah’s day (Rom. 11:2–5). He urged Philippian Christians not to be terrified by their adversaries as they suffered for the sake of Christ but to maintain conduct worthy of their Lord (Phil. 1:27–30).
Following God often brings trouble from people who do not know Him. When we experience that kind of opposition, we can take heart in the fact that these trials are part of our calling in Christ (1:29; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 2:19–24).
More: For more about living in tension with your surrounding culture, see “Cocooning” at Heb. 4:14–16 and “Christians Against the System” at 1 Pet. 5:13.
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Any of Micah’s listeners who doubted the Lord’s commitment to Israel need only look back to a scene where their ancestors waited to enter Canaan from a site in the plains of Moab (see “Acacia Grove” at Josh. 2:1). Balak, the king of Moab (Mic. 6:5), tried to hire the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites (Num. 22–24). Balaam refused to utter anything bad toward Israel. He argued that he had no choice but to follow the command of God, who had chosen to bless His people (22:12, 18, 19). Instead of cursing the Israelites, Balaam blessed them three times.
For more about this intriguing man, see “The Unscrupulous Prophet” at Numbers 22:6, 7. See “Playing with Fire” at Numbers 31:15, 16 for more on this incident’s bloody outcome.
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Three-Dimensional Spirituality
Micah memorably summed up what it means to know and follow the Lord: we are to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. This three-dimensional approach encompasses all of life. For example:
• To act with justice keeps us in the real world rather than mired in religious abstractions that cause us to ignore oppression and injustice.
• To love mercy keeps us in touch with the grace of a faithful God rather than in bondage to results-oriented spirituality that produces legalism, weariness, and burnout.
• To walk humbly with God makes us reliant on God’s resources rather than on human solutions, which often put unrealistic pressure on individuals and institutions.
Micah’s soaring statement of spiritual virtues is the high point of his book. However, it is important to notice the context of community where we are to live out these values. It is not enough to do justice, love mercy, or walk humbly with God in private. The demands of living publicly are always with us. Justice requires honest business practices and openhandedness with our resources (Mic. 6:10–12). God promises sickness, dissatisfaction, captivity, and death to people who resist His ways (6:13, 14). Clearly, the Lord means for us not merely to admire godly principles but to put them into action in everyday life.
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Micah must have felt terribly lonely as he faced down Jerusalem’s proud people. Like Elijah (1 Kin. 19:10), he might have concluded that he was the last faithful person on earth. Wherever the prophet turned, he found people who were corrupt, deceitful, and violent. From domineering rulers and judges to close friends and family, he found no one he could trust.
Surrounded by a hostile world, Micah took comfort in the fact that God remains in control and takes care of His children no matter what others do (Mic. 7:7). This truth offers hope when we find ourselves alone among people who do not know or honor God. As we search out people to help us carry life’s burdens, we need more than ready listeners. We need to be able to trust. And as Micah found, we can always count on God (Heb. 13:8).
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Micah’s prophecy closes with a psalm that praises God for protecting His people. The prophet looks ahead to a time of restoration when the Lord will gather Israel as a shepherd gathers sheep (Mic. 7:14) and the ruined city of Jerusalem will stand again (7:11, 12).
In the meantime, the Lord’s people endure judgment. Enemies mock God’s faithful followers, defiantly asking, “Where is the LORD your God?” (7:10), a question often on the lips of those who do not fear Him (Ps. 42:3, 10; Matt. 27:41–43; 2 Pet. 3:3, 4). Yet the question will haunt all those who ask it, for the Lord will vindicate Himself and His people.
It is this realization that leads Micah to worship. “Who is a God like You?” he exclaims. The answer is obvious: no one! Only the God of mercy is capable of pardoning sin (7:19, 20; see also “The God of Mercy” at Deut. 7:9). And he still pardons sinners today, inviting us to come as we are to receive the gift of His perfect grace.
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