Mercy, Justice, and Peace

Transcription

1 Contexts & Connections #1-10 Micah [1:3-5] 5:2-5a, 6:6-8 Mercy, Justice, and Peace God s Plan for Peace The Point God s promised shepherd will bring peace and teach us to lead lives of justice and mercy. Key Verse What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8 Summary Micah warns the people of Jerusalem that they need to repent of false worship that focuses only on ritual, and turn their attention to God s true passion for justice. The recent destruction of Samaria provides an example of what not to do and the consequences of thwarting God s wishes. Accompanying Text Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners. - Matthew 9:13 Contexts Linguistics Micah s name means Who is like Yahweh? 1 The closing verses of the book repeat the question and seem to answer that no one is. 2 The word heights in 1:3 is echoed in 1:5, both in the Hebrew and in the NRSV translation, connecting God s anger to the transgressions of Judah in Jerusalem. 3 By using the Hebrew word for ruler (môšēl) instead of king (melek), Micah may be reminding his audience that the true king of Israel is God, not a human. This is reinforced by verse 4 s in the strength of the Lord. 4 Justice (mišpāt) and kindness/mercy (ḥesed) are both words that appear throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. They underline both aspects of God, and the need for God s people to walk (hālak) with God in all of their lives, not just in religious ritual. 5 The common translation of walking humbly (ṣn ) may also be rendered as carefully, modestly, circumspectly, wisely, or prudently Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 1

2 Geography/Setting Micah 1:1 tells us that his ministry was during the reigns of Jothan ( BCE), Ahaz ( BCE), and Hezekiah ( BCE). 7 Bethlehem (5:2) is a rural town outside of Jerusalem, near Micah s hometown of Moresheth. 8 The savior that Micah looks for is from outside of the establishment and the power structures of Jerusalem. 9 Bethlehem is also the hometown of David. While this passage does not explicitly mention this connection, 10 it may be understood as an allusion to the Davidic Covenant made by God (2 Samuel 7:16). History During Micah s lifetime, the Assyrian Empire began to grow more powerful. In 722 BCE, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria, and its capital Samaria fell, bringing the Assyrian armies to within 10 miles of Jerusalem. 11 The southern kingdom of Judah was not overrun, but was made a vassal state, paying tributes and forced to bow to Assyrian religious and political authority. 12 In the years immediately following the fall of Samaria, the population of Jerusalem increased, possibly due to an influx of refugees from the north. This may have contributed to the economic difficulties and exploitation that Micah addresses. 13 Verses 1:3-5 draw a parallel between the cities of Samaria and Jerusalem. Jacob s transgression is, according to the prophet, the cause of the northern kingdom s demise, and the capital city of Samaria was the center of Israel s sin. Jerusalem is the seat of a similar transgression in the southern kingdom of Judah. 14 These verses are a warning for the southern kingdom, lest they suffer the same fate as Israel. 15 Culture/Religion Verses 6:6-8 assume an understanding of the cult of the temple, in which burnt offerings of animals were common. Here Micah contrasts the temple offerings with true fidelity to Yahweh, which is demonstrated by justice, kindness, and walking humbly with God. 16 Shepherds (5:4) were often associated with kingship, and David himself was a shepherd before being made king. 17 Literature/Genre Micah is roughly contemporary with other biblical prophets, especially Isaiah. 18 However, because Micah was from the small village of Moresheth, while Isaiah was from Jerusalem, he offers a different perspective. His focus is more on the common people 19 and less on the urban and urbane concerns of the temple. 20 Versification is different in some translations. For example, the Tanakh translation common in Jewish usage gives a different starting point for chapter 5. The NRSV s 5:2 is Tanakh s 5:1. 21 In chapter 4 and 5:1, Israel s present disgrace is contrasted with promises of future glory. 5:1 ends with an image of the king of Israel being struck on the cheek with a rod. 5:2-5a promises that God will turn this around, and Israel will be restored. 22 Micah is one of the prophetic books, part of the section of prophets commonly known as the Minor Prophets or The Twelve. Prophetic books usually claim to be associated with the ministry of a single historical figure, who spoke in the name of (and often the direct words of) the LORD. 23 Micah is no exception. Like all prophetic books, it includes material from other time periods added in by later editors. The text is set in a particular historical circumstance for a particular audience, but has implications for later readers. 24 Authorial Intention/Occasion Micah saw his purpose as to declare to Jacob his transgressions and to Israel his sin (3:8). 25 As a rural prophet, speaking to Jerusalemites who sit in the seat of power, his primary concern is for the moral corruption of the rich, and the violence they inflict upon the poor. 26 Micah is apparently driven by his love of his nation and its people, and delivers his dire warnings in hope of avoiding the punishment they deserve Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 2

3 Audience Micah as a whole is addressed largely to the people of Jerusalem, though Micah himself was from the countryside. 28 Chapter 5 is likely addressed to people in exile or on their way to exile. Some scholars see this section as having been edited into the original text during the time of the Babylonian exile (587 BCE). 29 Whether written during the Assyrian threat of Micah s time, or edited in later during the Babylonian exile, these verses are addressed to a people who are experiencing real pain. The promise is that their pain, like labor pains (4:9-10; 5:3), will be relieved by the arrival of joy when the kingship is renewed. 30 Common Misunderstandings The chapter 5 passage is often called a messianic text, even though the word messiah (māšîaḥ) does not appear in it. Christians tend to read Jesus back into this text, even seeing v. 2 s of old, from ancient days, as an allusion to the pre-existence of Christ before creation. 31 This interpretation ignores the immediate meaning of the passage for Micah and for those of the Jewish faith who still find meaning and guidance in the passage. Micah 6:6-8 is not a rejection of the temple, nor of the sacrifices offered there. Instead it is a condemnation of those who would place their importance before the moral lifestyle that God desires for God s people. 32 More Information More on Samaria can be found at A good explanation of hesed and its common English translation loving-kindness can be found at Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 3

4 Connections Narrative Lectionary Connections Last Week (2 Kings 5:1-15a) Naaman is a powerful man, a part of the Assyrian army that invaded the northern kingdom. His real problem is not his leprosy, but his sense of entitlement. This kind of entitlement is what Micah preaches against in his warnings to the southern kingdom. Next Week (Isaiah 36:1-3, 13-20; 37:1-7; 2:1-4) Next week, the invaders will be at the door of Jerusalem once again, and Jerusalem will again be spared. The Assyrians will point to the fall of Samaria in Micah s day as a reason to submit, but Isaiah will encourage the people to rely on God s faithfulness. Other Year 1 Connections Micah 5 is quoted in Matthew 2 (1/6/19); Micah s focus on justice and mercy are reiterated in Jesus ministry in Matthew 5 (1/27/19), 18 (3/6/19), and 25 (4/7/19). Other Bible Connections Micah 5:3 echoes familiar verses in Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6. 33 The offering of a firstborn (6:7) reminds us of the near-sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22. Thematic Connections Guided by God s Promises Micah reminds the people of Jerusalem to put their faith in God, not in the temple. Their reliance on the temple is actually a reliance on themselves and their ability to please God with sacrifices. God's faithfulness is based on God s promise to be faithful, not on human ability to earn it. God s Plan for Peace Ancient rabbis saw Micah 6:8 as a summary of the entire law. 34 God s laws are intended, not to be used to prove our worthiness to God, but to help us live according to God s values: mercy, justice, and peace. The law is one way that God is working through humanity to bring about peace for all of creation. Liturgical/Seasonal Connections Though we are not yet officially in Advent, this week starts a series of readings from the prophetic books of the Hebrew Scriptures, which leans into themes of Advent. The prophets are longing for and reiterating the promise of the renewed world and restored relationship with God that the Messiah will bring. Hymns/ Music We are Called and Just a Closer Walk with Thee both pick up on aspects of Micah 6:8 s admonition to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. O Little Town of Bethlehem will make the connection between the messianic promise of 5:2 and the coming Advent season of expectation. Media Connections In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo, the cruel Archdeacon Frollo performs all the proper rituals and displays all the proper piety, yet fails to show basic justice and kindness when given the chance Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 4

5 Contexts & Connections #1-10 Micah [1:3-5] 5:2-5a, 6:6-8 1 Daniel J. Simundson, The Book of Micah: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections, The New Interpreter s Bible, Volume VII, ed. Leander E. Keck et al., (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Walter Brueggemann, An Introduction to the Old Testament, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), Ehud Ben Zvi, The Twelve Minor Prophets: Introductions and Annotations in The Jewish Study Bible, ed. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), Simundson, Simundson, Ben Zvi, 1215; Simundson, Simundson, Brueggemann, Brueggemann, Brueggemann, Donald E. Gowan, Theology of the Prophetic Books: The Death & Resurrection of Israel, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), Simundson, Gowan, Simundson, Simundson, Brueggemann, Simundson, Brueggemann, Simundson, Brueggemann, Ben Zvi, Simundson, Ben Zvi, Ben Zvi, Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets, (New York: Harper Collins, 2001), Heschel 125, Brueggemann, Heschel Ben Zvi, Simundson, Simundson, Simundson, Ben Zvi, Simundson, Ben Zvi, Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 5