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| Photo by James Tracy |
Micah means “Who is like Yahweh?” He prophesied from 675-617BC. He was apparently from the tribe of Judah. Most of his prophesying occurred in the reign of Hezekiah in the south and wicked Ahab in the north. Like Isaiah, he focused mostly on the northern kingdom and their coming destruction.
1 The word of the I AM that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
Ahaz was the worst king Judah had and Hezekiah, his son, the best.
2 Hear, all you people! Hearken, O earth, and all the people that are in it: and let the Master I AM be a witness against you, the Master from His holy temple.
3 Because, Look! the I AM is coming down from the place He dwells to trample the high places of the earth.
Cities, especially capitals, were generally built on top of hills when possible for better protection. Also, pagan temples were generally elevated or built on mountains.
4 And the mountains will melt under His feet like wax in front of a fire, and the valleys will be split apart like water poured over a cliff.
5 This is going to happen because of the sins of Jacob's children. Where does the sinning happen? Isn't it in Samaria? And where is idol worship happening in Judah? Isn't it Jerusalem?
6 And so I will turn Samaria into a heap of ruins, and plow up her streets to be turned into vineyards. Her building stones will be tossed into the valley, until all her foundations are visible.
When Assyria conquered Samaria, she leveled her.
7 And all of her carved idols will be beaten to pieces, and all the valuables will be burned with the fire. They used prostitution to get rich, so their riches will be used to pay prostitutes elsewhere.
God really hates these false idols. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, fulfilled this scripture. He burned and totally destroyed the idols in Israel.
8 Therefore I (Micah) will wail and howl. I will go stripped and naked. I will make a horrible noise like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
The Hebrew word translated “Dragon” means “monster, sea serpent, venomous snake or dinosaur.”
Some translations render this “Jackals,” which would certainly make a horrible noise, though I think it more likely Micah meant what he said; dragons. Just because we don’t have dragons wandering around today, doesn’t mean they didn’t have them in Micah’s time. There are enough dragon legends worldwide to make us believe some type of large, reptilian monster used to exist with humans and has since gone extinct. We just call their fossils dinosaurs instead of dragons.
Micah was not happy his nation would be destroyed. He mourned for her.
9 For my people's wound is incurable. It has even spread to Judah, all the way to Jerusalem!
10 Don't let those in Gath know! Instead, city of Aphrah, roll around in the dirt to show your grief.
8 Therefore I (Micah) will wail and howl. I will go stripped and naked. I will make a horrible noise like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
The Hebrew word translated “Dragon” means “monster, sea serpent, venomous snake or dinosaur.”
Some translations render this “Jackals,” which would certainly make a horrible noise, though I think it more likely Micah meant what he said; dragons. Just because we don’t have dragons wandering around today, doesn’t mean they didn’t have them in Micah’s time. There are enough dragon legends worldwide to make us believe some type of large, reptilian monster used to exist with humans and has since gone extinct. We just call their fossils dinosaurs instead of dragons.
Micah was not happy his nation would be destroyed. He mourned for her.
9 For my people's wound is incurable. It has even spread to Judah, all the way to Jerusalem!
10 Don't let those in Gath know! Instead, city of Aphrah, roll around in the dirt to show your grief.
Gath was a major city in Philistia who would love to hear of Israel’s coming destruction.
The rest of this chapter is a bit hard for us to read some 2500 years after it was written. Historians didn’t record all the fulfillments and many of the cities changed their names after the captivity. This makes it hard to know for sure what the prophet is talking about.
11 Walk by naked, people of Saphir, …
“Saphir” means “beautiful.” The Assyrians would parade their captives naked on the way to slavery.
… the people of Zaanan can't come out mourning. Bethezel has had their homes destroyed.
12 For the people of Maroth waited carefully for good to come: but evil came down from the I Am to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 O people of Lachish, harness your chariots to the fastest animals! You are where sin began in Judah, following Israel's sins.
14 So send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath! The houses of Achzib will deceive the kings of Israel.
Moresheth-gath was a city in Philistia, Micah’s home town. Apparently, Judah and Philistia fought over this town frequently so that sometimes it was in Judah and sometimes Philistia. Achzib was a sister city of Moresheth-gath. The philistines can not or will not help Judah’s Lachish when she is attacked.
15 Yet I will bring a conqueror to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah. He will chase the Nobility of Israel all the way to Adullam!
16 So shave your heads in mourning for your loved children! Be as bald as a vulture, because they are going to be carried away from you into captivity.
Moresheth-gath was a city in Philistia, Micah’s home town. Apparently, Judah and Philistia fought over this town frequently so that sometimes it was in Judah and sometimes Philistia. Achzib was a sister city of Moresheth-gath. The philistines can not or will not help Judah’s Lachish when she is attacked.
15 Yet I will bring a conqueror to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah. He will chase the Nobility of Israel all the way to Adullam!
16 So shave your heads in mourning for your loved children! Be as bald as a vulture, because they are going to be carried away from you into captivity.