Outline of Micah

We hope this outline of Micah will aid you in your investigation of God’s holy Word — His letter to you.

Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. He came from a town about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem, on the Philistine border. He prophesied against Israel and Judah, but focused mostly on Judah. We know very little about the man. He was instrumental in saving Jeremiah’s life once. In Jeremiah 26, the priest and prophets spoke to the princes and all the people saying that Jeremiah deserved to die. Certain of the elders quoted Micah to support Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:18-19). Micah was known to be a prophet, having lived some 150 years before Jeremiah.

The book contains three prophecies. The first was prior to 722 B.C., as it speaks of the existence of Samaria and its coming destruction. The second was during the time of King Hezekiah, as Jeremiah 26:18-19 tells us. The third apparently was also before 722 B.C., as it seems to contemplate the coming destruction of Israel, Omri and Ahab’s house.

There are 613 commandments in the Pentateuch, they were reduced to 11 in Psalm 15, reduced further to three here (Micah 6:8), then to one in Matthew 22:35-40. God wants our hearts; He desires relationship with us.

Date: 735-700 B.C. He prophesied in the days of Jotham (750-732), Ahaz (735-716) and Hezekiah (716-687). During the time of Jotham, Judah and
Israel were prosperous but in decline. During the reign of Ahaz, Israel was taken captive. During the reign of Hezekiah, Judah was saved from captivity.

Outline

I. God is Coming in Judgment 1-2

1. God’s Judgments — Chapter 1
   1. this verse (1:2) is like Isaiah 1:2 (similar introductions for contemporary prophets) 2
   2. The LORD is coming 3-4
   3. Because of sin 5
   4. To destroy Samaria (“a heap of ruins”) 6-7
   5. The lament of the prophet (the wound reaches to the gates of Jerusalem: in 701 Sennacherib destroyed 46 towns and surrounded Jerusalem [2 Kings 18-19]) 8-9
   6. Several word plays (Hebrew meanings in parentheses) 10-16
      1. “Tell it not in Gath” – words from David’s lament over Saul; Micah didn’t want the Philistines to gloat; 10
      2. Beth Aphrah (house of dust) was told to roll in dust 10
      3. Shaphir (beautiful) was to be stripped naked 11
      4. Zaanan (going out) would not go out; they’d be shut up in the city until it fell 11
      5. Beth Ezel (house of nearness) was no longer near 11
      6. Maroth (bitterness) received disaster and plenty of sorrow 12
      7. Lachish (to the horses) was told to prepare for swift flight but would give its goods to Moresheth Gath. Typically, they’d go to the horses to fight, not to the horses to flee. 13
      8. Achzib (deception) would be a deception for Israel’s kings 14
      9. Mareshah (inheritance) would receive an heir – possibly Assyria 15
      10. Adullam (refuge) shall once again house the glory of Israel as it was with David — see 1 Samuel 22:1 — 15
2. The People’s Sins 2:1-11
   1. Plan evil 1
   2. Practice evil 2
   3. Covet fields and take them 2
   4. Covet houses and seize them 2
   5. They oppress a man and his house 2
   6. They oppress a man and his inheritance 2
   7. This is an evil time. God will plan and practice disaster 3
   8. You tell the prophets not to prattle but they do it anyway 6
   9. “Do not My words do good to him who walks uprightly?” (if you’re righteous, my words will be pleasant to you) 7
   10. They take the robe and the garment from the poor 8
   11. They cast out the women from their houses 9
   12. They cast out the women from their children 9
   13. They have taken away God’s glory in so dealing 9
   14. They would listen to false prophets 11
3. A Promised Restoration 2:12-13

II. God is Coming in Peace Chapters 3-5

1. Extreme Wickedness Chp. 3
   1. Rulers don’t know justice 3:1
   2. They hate good and love evil 3:2
   3. They strip the skin from the people 3:2
   4. They destroy God’s people like they were animals – cooking them & eating them 3:2, 3
   5. They will cry but He will not hear – what you sow, you reap. 3:4
   6. The prophets make the people stray, chanting “peace” while they devour and prepare for war. Like Hitler. 3:5
   7. Night without vision, no answer from God 3:6
   8. If they do not want to listen, then God will not talk. If they want to listen, God has empowered Micah to declare their evil deeds. God does not give us what we want to hear, but what we need to hear. 3:7
   9. They abhor justice 3:9
   10. They pervert equity 3:9
   11. They build with bloodshed 3:10
   12. They judge for a bribe 3:11
   13. The priests teach for pay 3:11
   14. The prophets divine for money 3:11
   15. And they think that the LORD is among them 3:11
   16. God is against them – Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins 3:12
2. The Coming Age 4:1-7
   1. The LORD’s house will be on top of the mountains 1
   2. Many nations will come to it 1-2
   3. The law (word of the LORD) shall be given from Zion 2
   4. He shall judge between the peoples 3
   5. No more war 3
   6. No more fear 4
   7. Israel shall walk in the name of the LORD 5
   8. The weak will be strong 6-7
3. The Present Distress 4:9-5:1a
   1. The birth pangs (Isaiah 26:17-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:3). Judah would be delivered from her enemies in Babylon 9-10
   2. In a future time God will gather the nations to the threshing floor that they might be spoil for Judah 11-13
   3. However, at the present, the LORD has laid siege against Jerusalem 5:1
4. The Messianic Promises 5:1b-15
   1. They will strike the judge with a rod on the cheek (Matthew 27:30 tells us they struck Jesus with a rod on the head) 5:1b
   2. The Messiah would come out of Bethlehem (Matthew 2) 5:2
   3. The Messiah would be God (John 1:1) 5:2b
   4. Israel shall be given up for a season and then returned 5:3
   5. He shall shepherd His flock (John 10) 5:4
   6. He shall be great to the ends of the earth 5:4
   7. He shall be peace (Isaiah 9:6) 5:5a
   8. -Victory over enemies 5:5b-6
   9. Israel shall be blessed 5:7
   10. Israel shall be the strongest of the strong 5:8
   11. All enemies will be destroyed 5:9
   12. No more horses and chariots 5:10
   13. No more strongholds 5:11
   14. No more sorceries or soothsayers 5:12
   15. No more idols 5:13-14
   16. The nations that do not obey will be destroyed 5:15

III. God is Coming in Mercy 6-7

1. God Pleads with His People 6:1-8
   1. Has God wearied us? 3 (cross reference with Malachi 1:13)
   2. “Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 7
   3. “Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.” 8 (God wants our hearts as he wanted Israel’s heart)
2. God Cries Against Sin 6:9-16 (because of sin, God will frustrate all efforts)
3. The Prophet Laments 7:1-7
   1. “That they may successfully do evil with both hands” 3
   2. “The best is like a brier” 4
   3. “Guard the doors of your mouth” (don’t trust anyone) 5
   4. “My God will hear me” 7
4. The Prophet Hopes 7:8-13
   1. God will plead the cause of those who sin against Him when they humble themselves 8-9
   2. He will bring me out to the light 9
5. The Prophet Prays 7:14-17
   1. Shepherd Your people with Your staff. 14
   2. The nations will see and be afraid. 16-17
6. The Prophet Praises 7:18-20
   1. God is a pardoning God 18-19
   2. He delights in mercy 18
   3. He will cast all of our sins in the depths of the sea 19

Key Idea: God wishes to forgive sin

Key Passage: 6:8; but see also 5:2

Key Lesson: Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God.