Messages from God to the Prophet Micah

Transcription

1 Messages from God to the Prophet Micah

2 Micah 1:1-2; The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, you peoples, all of you, listen, earth and all who live in it, that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

3 Principles for interpreting prophecy Who wrote the prophecy When was the prophecy given Why was the prophecy given To whom was the prophecy given

4 Principles for interpreting prophecy What can we learn from the writing style of the prophet What does the rest of the bible say about this prophecy What is the theological thrust of the prophecy

5 How would you know if a prophet was a real prophet? Did the prophecy come true? 150 years after his prophecy all of what Micah said came true The promises of the Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus

6 The two kingdoms at the time of writing

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8 Time line of the prophets

9 Who wrote this prophecy? Micah the prophet Meaning of Micah who is like Yahweh? He came from Moresheth, also called Moresheth-Gath, a small town in southwest Judah

10 Time of prophecy He was a contemporary of Isaiah, Amos and Hosea In the 8 th century before Christ He prophesied during the reign of three kings 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah

11 Literary form The prophet uses pictures to convey his message clearly Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope. All this is because of Jacob s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. Micah 1:3-5

12 Literary form The prophet uses pictures to convey his message clearly Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. For Samaria s plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself. Micah 1:8&9

13 The socio economic and political context with in which Micah prophesied Time of peace; there was no war although there was war in the nothern kingdom and around Time of extreme wealth The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer Dishonest business practices were the order of the day They had assimilated the idols of Canaan and their worship practices into their religious worship

14 The message of Micah He wrote both Israel as well as Judah Specifically to the cities Samaria and Jerusalem He promised the destruction of Jerusalem Samaria may have fallen already A series of 3 sermons or oracles

15 The message of Micah He spoke up against the wealthy who exploited the poor and for their dishonest practices Rebuked the spiritual leaders of the day He rebuked the political leaders of the day because of their corruption and dishonest gain After destruction God will restore and bring healing to the nation

16 Core verse that will help us to understand Micah He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

17 Outline of the prophecy Introduction 1:1-2 1 st Oracle 1:3-2:13 God s promise of Judgement and restoration

18 Outline of the prophecy 2 nd Oracle 3:1-5:15 God s issue with the political and religious leaders of the day The promise of the Messiah

19 Outline of the prophecy 3 rd Oracle (6:1-7:20) God s issue with his people and the pronouncement of judgement The prophet s laments the of lack of Godly fellowship

20 Application Our problem; Our ambivalence towards God especially when things are going well We are incredibly selfish We tend to embrace the things that have very little eternal value What would God take issue with you about?

21 Application On the one side; God is not a tame God. He is more concerned with who we are than what he is about our personal comfort On the other side; God s love is beyond our understanding What should our response be towards a holy God who loves us so dearly?

22 Application God promises restoration through the messiah. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16