The Matter-of-Fact Prophet

The Matter-of-Fact Prophet

(Micah)

Yearly Theme:  “Goodness is… Governing”

Series Title:  “Goodness in G minor”

May 26^th, 2024

Something to think about:

As we continue our series today on the Minor Prophets, we come to the Prophet Micah.  Micah was a prophet from the Southern Kingdom, Judah, and lived in the small town of Moresheth some 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem.[1]  According to Scripture, he prophesied between 740 BC and 686 BC and spanned the reigns of Jotham and Hezekiah.  In his lifetime, he witnessed the overthrow of the Northern Kingdom, Israel in 722 BC by the Assyrian Empire and foresaw the coming destruction of Judah and Jerusalem.

Micah was a contemporary of the Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, and his prophetic writings seem to be written in a series of short non-chronological oracles of coming judgment (separate divine warnings from GOD) over a period of several years rather than an ongoing narrative explaining the story of Israel and Judah’s warnings from GOD and their ultimate demise.  Though only seven chapters long, Micah’s central message climaxes in chapter six.  Let’s take a closer look:

Turn in your Bible to:  Micah 6:1-8

We can initially notice from these few verses that there is this question as to what the people should “bring” to the LORD, as if it is some “thing” He wants from us.  But rather than a “thing” (an offering or sacrifice), or a gift for Him, GOD truly desires (and requires) behavior and a way of living that makes a difference for us, others, and ultimately, Him.  What GOD truly desires is for us to do what is “good.”

Key Point:  “GOD has told His people what is good.”

So, what is “good” according to GOD’s standards?  The word that Micah uses for “good” is:

Good (ṭôb), adj., n. good; merry, pleasant, desirable; in order, usable; efficient; friendly, kind; morally good.[2]

What Micah means when he writes that “the LORD has told you what is good,” is that GOD has laid out for them the moral contrast between good and evil and has covenanted with them as their good GOD to do the good things that He planned for them.  The Apostle Paul said the same thing to the church at Ephesus when he wrote…

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT),  ⁸  God saved you by his grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  ⁹  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  ¹⁰  For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

So, we aren’t saved by “doing good,” but rather we are saved so that we “can do the good things” He planned for us to do long ago.  So what is it that Micah tells Israel and Judah that GOD requires of them; what good does he want them to live out?   He says…

• Do what is  .

Justice (miš·pāṭ),  n. judgment involved in the determination of rights and the assignment of rewards and punishments.[3]

• Love  .

Kindness (ḥěʹ·sěḏ), n. a kind act; loyalty; faithfulness, goodness, graciousness; godly action.[4]

• Walk  with GOD.

To do humbly (tsaw-nahʹ), vb.to behave in a humble manner; to be cautious, careful, reasonable, attentive, deliberate.[5]

Something to take home:

Biblical scholar and author, David Prior writes,

“To be committed to and express both justice and kindness, goodness and mercy, it is necessary to walk humbly, not haughtily (2:3).  Both justice and kindness stem from humble people.  If we do not walk humbly in relation to God, it is unlikely—if not impossible—that we shall walk humbly with other people.  If we love kindness, mercy and compassion, we shall act justly.

“Micah’s response to God’s cry from the heart is, therefore, the perfect response to the people of God in his generation.  He may necessarily be silent about atonement:  but his words are of universal application, relevant to any city, in any nation, in any century.  Young people today, in their desire for the good life, stress in their own way the same priorities as Micah: justice, compassion and spirituality.  The good life is accessible to those who listen and respond to what God has shown to be good.”^[6]

The good we do should comes as a result of the are in Christ Jesus.  The good that GOD has plants within us through our faith in Jesus Christ is a result of walking humbly/carefully with GOD; not a god of our own making, but the GOD who made us and created us with a world of meaning and purpose.

[1] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, (Zondervan:  Grand Rapids, Michigan; 2002), 235.

[2] Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

^[6] Prior, David. 1988. The Message of Joel, Micah and Habakkuk: Listening to the Voice of God. Edited by J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.