LOOK! THE LORD IS COMING.

Passage: Micah 1:1-16

Key verse: 1:3

NIV

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(A) during the reigns of Jotham,(B) Ahaz(C) and Hezekiah,(D) kings of Judah(E)—the vision(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear,(G) you peoples, all of you,(H)
    listen, earth(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(J) against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.(K)

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

3 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
    he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
4 The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
    and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
    because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
    Is it not Samaria?(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
    a place for planting vineyards.(S)
I will pour her stones(T) into the valley
    and lay bare her foundations.(U)
7 All her idols(V) will be broken to pieces;(W)
    all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
    I will destroy all her images.(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(Y)
    as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

8 Because of this I will weep(Z) and wail;
    I will go about barefoot(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
    and moan like an owl.
9 For Samaria’s plague(AB) is incurable;(AC)
    it has spread to Judah.(AD)
It has reached the very gate(AE) of my people,
    even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[a];
    weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[b]
    roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(AF) and in shame,
    you who live in Shaphir.[c]
Those who live in Zaanan[d]
    will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
    it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[e] writhe in pain,
    waiting for relief,(AG)
because disaster(AH) has come from the Lord,
    even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(AI)
    harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(AJ) began,
    for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(AK)
    to Moresheth(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib[f](AM) will prove deceptive(AN)
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
    who live in Mareshah.[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
    will flee to Adullam.(AP)
16 Shave(AQ) your head in mourning
    for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
    for they will go from you into exile.(AR)

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Footnotes
  1. Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
  2. Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
  3. Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
  4. Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
  5. Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
  6. Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
  7. Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah (A)of Moresheth (B)in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw (C)concerning (D)Samaria and Jerusalem.

The Coming Destruction

2 (E)Hear, you peoples, all of you;[a]
    (F)pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it,
and (G)let the Lord God be a witness against you,
    (H)the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For behold, (I)the Lord is coming out of (J)his place,
    and will come down and (K)tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 And (L)the mountains will melt under him,
    and the valleys will split open,
like wax before the fire,
    like waters poured down a steep place.
5 All this is for (M)the transgression of Jacob
    and for the sins of the house of Israel.
(N)What is the transgression of Jacob?
    Is it not (O)Samaria?
And what is (P)the high place of Judah?
    Is it not Jerusalem?
6 Therefore I will make (Q)Samaria (R)a heap in the open country,
    a place for planting vineyards,
and I will pour down her stones (S)into the valley
    and (T)uncover her foundations.
7 All (U)her carved images shall be beaten to pieces,
    (V)all her wages shall be burned with fire,
    and all her idols I will lay waste,
for from (W)the fee of a prostitute she gathered them,
    and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.

8 (X)For this I will lament and wail;
    I will go (Y)stripped and naked;
I will make lamentation (Z)like the jackals,
    and mourning (AA)like the ostriches.
9 (AB)For her wound is incurable,
    and it has come to Judah;
it has reached to the gate of my people,
    to Jerusalem.

10 (AC)Tell it not in (AD)Gath;
    weep not at all;
in Beth-le-aphrah
    (AE)roll yourselves in the dust.
11 Pass on your way,
    inhabitants of Shaphir,
    (AF)in nakedness and shame;
the inhabitants of Zaanan
    do not come out;
the lamentation of Beth-ezel
    shall take away from you its standing place.
12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
    wait anxiously for good,
because disaster has come down (AG)from the Lord
    to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the steeds to the chariots,
    inhabitants of (AH)Lachish;
it was the beginning of sin
    to the daughter of Zion,
for in you were found
    (AI)the transgressions of Israel.
14 Therefore you shall give parting gifts[b]
    to (AJ)Moresheth-gath;
the houses of (AK)Achzib shall be a deceitful thing
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring (AL)a conqueror to you,
    inhabitants of (AM)Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
    shall come to (AN)Adullam.
16 (AO)Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair,
    for the children of your delight;
(AP)make yourselves as bald as the eagle,
    for they shall go from you into exile.

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Footnotes
  1. Micah 1:2 Hebrew all of them
  2. Micah 1:14 Or give dowry
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
Introduction to Micah Micah of Moresheth, a town in the fertile foothills 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem, ministered during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Hosea was ministering to Northern Israel and Isaiah in Jerusalem in that same time period, about 75 -7 B.C.. The nation of Assyria was growing in its rise as a world superpower, threatening the stability of the region, including Israel and Judah. Micah prophesied the destruction of Israel because of rampant idolatry and injustice as a warning to his people in Judah through a series of three messages of judgment and hope, starting with "hear" or "listen" (1:2; 3:1; 6:1). In chapter 4, echoing Isaiah 2, Micah gives God's vision for Jerusalem, but before that can happen Judah must be cleansed of idolatry (5:13). Chapters 4-5 are the message of hope for the remnant people through God's raising of a ruler from Bethlehem (5:2). The purpose of studying Micah is to find and do what the Lord requires as revealed in 6:8, "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." God's vision for Samaria and Jerusalem (1:1-2) 1) God's judgment on Israel and Judah (1:3-2:13) 2) Blessing will follow judgment (3:1-5:15) 3) Indictment of sin and promise of blessing (6-7) LOOK! THE LORD IS COMING. 1. I will make Samaria a heap of rubble (1-7). The Sovereign LORD in his temple is coming to bear witness against all people, and we are calling to hear his charges. His coming as Judge is dreadful. Jacob's transgression is manifest in Samaria, where their kings plotted and schemed, with no fear of God. While Judah worshiped God in Jerusalem, Israel served its idols. God was coming to destroy all her images through Assyria. 2. Samaria's plague spread to Judah (8-16). Seeing this impending disaster distressed Micah to the point of howling and moaning like an animal. The plague of Samaria had spread throughout Judah, and God's judgment would follow. Using wordplay on the names of his neighboring villages, Micah warns them of impending disaster: 'shave your head in mourning!' Their children will all be taken to exile to Assyria.

Prayer: Father, you are Sovereign God who judges heart idols: money, success, pleasure. Help me worship you alone, for only you are worthy of worship.

One Word: God judges idolatry