Near Future Judgments
We see condemnation and judgment coming and it begins with what appear to be land barons or people coveting land. Those who have succeed in the earthly realm with earthly things are about to forfeit their heavenly spare of things because of their iniquity and evil plots seizing lands and property that are not theirs and defrauding men of their homes and hard-earned inheritances. Sadly, we see the verse state that they will commit their deeds in “morning's light”. You get the sense that these thieves are brazen and shameless in what they are doing. Most thieves do their dirty work in the dark where they can stay hidden.
Therefore the time is coming for their judgment, a time of calamity. At the time of judgment men will ridicule and taunt them with mournful songs in retribution for their shameful deeds. These disasters and judgments will be a the hands of the Assyrians when they come. Without land, land barons have nothing. They will be destitute…they will be ruined. (v. 5) says: “Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord to divide the land by lot.” Because of the blatant disregard of covenantal obligations these people have removed themselves from any potential participation in the covenant community.
There are also mentions of false prophets. They are incensed by Micah’s prediction of judgment and disaster so they join together in requesting that he not even prophesy. I guess they were hoping if Micah stopped prophesying the judgment would not come. It was a case of “out of sight out of mind”. Of course Micah responds to this in the way you would expect from a prophet of God. He continues by describing the fallen backslidden condition of the nation at that time. He specifically says, “Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?” Translation: If you are not doing anything wrong then you have no worries. Conversely, those who worry are clearly in the wrong as is the case of the false prophets. We see here God basically stating that His assessments of humanity are never wrong. His people had risen up against Him like and enemy (v.8). False prophets were robbing people of their possessions as a soldier being stripped of the spoils of war. False prophets were dividing homes from God (v.9). Because of false prophets perverted twisted teachings Israel was being defiled so the people would have to be exiled. Micah’s statement ends in sarcasm. If a liar came and told them what they wanted to hear he would be the prophet for those people. This has sad and strange parallels to some of today’s teachers and leaders in the church and it is regrettable (Martin 1481).
The Distant Promises of God
Deliverance is promised through His prophet Micah. Like any faithful and true prophets of the Lord, they usually deliver a message of doom or punishment for sin to expose that sin. They also provide consolation and hope. In the case of Micah it is for those people that hear and accept Micah’s message to turn to or turn back to God. It is expected that those that do turn back to God have done so with a repentant heart. Hope without the belief behind it is like a fish out of water. There will be a remnant of Israel and the Lord will bring them back together like sheep in a pen or like a flock in a pasture
The Lord looks as if He is speaking to the whole nation of Israel here and His promises seem to reach ahead to the end times when Israel and Judah will be united under their Messiah King and He will reign over them. Micah describes a procession in the land with Christ as the head of it (v. 13), just as God had once lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt (Wiersbe 393).
Martin, John., John Walvoord. "Micah: Judgment Will Come" Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Bible Knowledge). Acambaro: Victor, 1985. 1480-81. Print.
Wiersbe, Warren. "Judgment is Coming" Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament: The Prophets (Bible Knowledge). Acambaro: Victor, 2003. 391-393. Print.
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