For reading purposes Micah-07

Setting

Who:

• Author: Micah
• Audience: Israel (Judah and Samaria)
• Characters and People Groups:
  • Micah
  • Princes of Israel
  • Prophets (that divine for money)
  • Jacob
  • Israel
  • Daughter of Zion
  • Remnant of Israel
  • Nations (many nations)
  • Assyria
  • Egypt
  • Shepherd
  • Flock
  • Former dominion
  • Kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem
  • Babylon
  • Daughter of troops
  • Strongholds of the daughter of Zion
• Symbolic Roles:
  • Deceiver: the prophet that maketh the people to err (v. 5); the prophets that divine for money (v. 11)
  • Deceived: my people (v. 3); the inhabitant of the land (v. 10)
  • Savior: YHWH (v. 7); the Lord (v. 18)

What:

• Main Storyline: Micah laments the corruption and wickedness in the land, declares judgment on the people and their leaders, prophesies exile to Babylon, and ends with hope in YHWH’s compassion, forgiveness, and restoration of the remnant.

When:

• Date Authored:
• Date takes place:

Where:

• Samaria, Jerusalem, Judah, Assyria, Egypt, Babylon

Micah 7

← Micah 06 | _The Scrolls/2. Nevi'im (Prophets)/33 - Micah/Micah

• Misery is mine //Micah//
  • Indeed, I am like one who
    • gathers the summer fruits,
      • My soul desires to eat the early fig.^[1]
    • as gleanings of the vineyard:
      • There is no cluster of grapes to eat.
    • The godly man has perished
      • out of the earth,
      • and there is no one upright among men.
      • They all lie in wait for blood;
      • every man hunts his brother with a net^[2].
      • Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently.
      • The ruler and judge ask for a bribe;
      • and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul^[3].
      • Thus they conspire together^[4].
      • The best of them is like a brier^[5].
      • The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge.
      • The day of your watchmen,
        • even your visitation, //to judge/punish//
        • has come;
        • now is the time of their confusion^[6].

watchmen = m’tzappeyka (מְצַפֶּיךָ): Watchmen symbolize prophets or sentinels, as in Isaiah 52:8 ("Thy watchmen (צֹפַיִךְ, tzophayikh) shall lift up the voice")

confusion = m’vukhatam (מְבוּכָתָם): Confusion resulting in God's judgment: Rare, but related to distress under judgment, as in Isaiah 9:5 (Hebrew 9:4, "For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise (תְבוּסָה, t’vusah]").

• Don't trust
  • in a neighbor.
  • Don't put confidence in a friend.
  • With the woman lying in your embrace,
  • be careful of the words of your mouth!
• For
  • the son dishonors the father,
  • the daughter rises up against her mother,
  • the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
  • a man's enemies are the men of his own house. ^[7]
• But as for me //Micah speaking on behalf of Israel - not specifically as himself//,
  • I will look to Yahweh.
  • I will wait for the God of my salvation.
  • My God will hear me.
• Don't rejoice against me,
  • my enemy.
    • When I fall,
      • I will arise.
    • When I sit in darkness,
      • Yahweh will be a light to me.
  • I will bear the indignation of Yahweh,
    • because I have sinned against him,
    • until he pleads my case,
      • and executes judgment for me^[8].
    • He will bring me out to the light.
      • I will see his Righteousness.
  • Then my enemy will see it,
    • and shame will cover her who said to me,
      • where is Yahweh your God?
    • Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame^[9].
    • Now she will be trodden down
      • like the mire of the streets.
• A day to build your walls!
  • In that day,
    • he //YHWH//
      • will extend your //Israel// boundary.
    • In that day they will come to you
      • from Assyria
      • and the cities of Egypt,
      • and from Egypt even to the River,
      • and from sea to sea,
      • and mountain to mountain^[10].
    • Yet the land will be desolate^[11] Lev-26#v32
      • because of those who dwell therein, //House of Judah, House of Israel//
        • for the fruit of their doings.
  • Shepherd your //YHWH// people
    • with your staff,
    • the flock of your heritage,
      • who dwell by themselves
        • in a forest,
        • in the middle of fertile pasture land,
      • let them feed;
        • in Bashan
        • and Gilead,
        • as in the days of old.

Fulfillment: Day to rebuild the walls, Neh-02#v17, Ezr-01, Jer-29#v10

Fulfillment: Land desolate, 2 Kings-25#v21

• "As in the days of your //Israel// coming out
  • of the land of Egypt^[12],
  • I will show them //nations//
    • marvelous things." ^[13]
    • The nations will
      • see
      • and be ashamed^[14]
        • of all their might.
    • They will
      • lay their hand on their mouth^[15].
      • Their ears will be deaf.
      • They will lick the dust like a serpent^[16].
      • Like crawling things of the earth
        • they shall come trembling out of their dens.
      • They will come with fear to Yahweh
        • our God,
        • and will be afraid
          • because of you.
        • Who is a god like you,
          • who pardons iniquity,
          • and passes over^[17] the disobedience
            • of the remnant of his heritage?
          • He doesn't retain his anger forever,
            • because he delights in loving kindness.
        • He will again have compassion on us.
        • He will tread our iniquities under foot;
          • and you //YHWH// will cast all their sins
            • into the depths of the sea. ^[18]
          • You will give truth to Jacob, //Jacobiac//
          • and mercy to Abraham, //Abrahamic//
            • as you have sworn to our fathers
              • from the days of old.^[19]

Fulfillment: Mercy and Forgiveness, Ezr-09#v13, Zech-08#v7, Luke-01#v72

Micah 7:11-12 - Acts-15#v16
Micah 7:18-20 - Rom-11#v26, Isa-11#v11

← Micah 06 | _The Scrolls/2. Nevi'im (Prophets)/33 - Micah/Micah