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BibleProject - Old Testament - Lesson 35

Micah - BibleProject

In this lesson, we will study the book of Micah, a prophetic book in the Old Testament. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and prophesied during the reigns of three kings of Judah. Micah's message is focused on judgment against Israel and Judah for their sins and the promise of restoration. In the first two chapters, Micah pronounces judgment against Israel and Judah and false prophets who misled them. In chapters 3-5, Micah addresses the leaders and rulers of Israel and promises the restoration of Israel. In the final two chapters, Micah presents God's case against Israel, Israel's confession and repentance, and the restoration of Israel.

Taught by a Team
Taught by a Team
BibleProject - Old Testament
Lesson 35
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Micah - BibleProject

I. Introduction to the Book of Micah

A. Historical Context

B. Literary Genre

C. Micah's Message and Themes

II. Micah 1-2

A. Judgment against Israel and Judah

B. Judgment against False Prophets

III. Micah 3-5

A. Judgment against Leaders and Rulers

B. The Promise of Restoration

IV. Micah 6-7

A. God's Case against Israel

B. Israel's Confession and Repentance

C. The Restoration of Israel


Lessons
Resources
Transcript
  • By watching this video, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Old Testament, including its literary design and flow of thought. You will learn about the different sections of the Old Testament, including the Pentateuch, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets. You will also gain insights into the stories, themes, and messages of each of these sections and how they contribute to the overall narrative of God's relationship with humanity.
  • By studying Genesis, you will gain a deeper understanding of the Old Testament and its key themes and characters, as well as the literary features of the book, such as its structure, style, and genre. The creation story is a key part of the book, as are the stories of Abraham and the patriarchs, the fall and sin, the flood and Noah, and God's covenant with Israel. Additionally, Genesis introduces readers to the Old Testament and sets the stage for the Pentateuch and Books of Moses, while also introducing many themes and motifs that continue throughout the Bible.
  • Discover the captivating stories of the patriarchs in Genesis Part 2, exploring themes of covenant, God's sovereignty, human responsibility, faith, and obedience.
  • Explore the Bible's book of Exodus to gain insight into God's rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, the significance of the covenant and law, and its connection to the New Testament.
  • Gain insight into the book of Exodus and its themes of salvation and redemption, revealing God's character through his interactions with Israel, with significant influence on Jewish and Christian traditions and connections to the New Testament through its foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.
  • By studying Leviticus with The Bible Project, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the historical and literary context, themes, and structure of this important book in the Old Testament. You will also learn about the significance of Leviticus for understanding the Torah and its relevance for Christians today.
  • By studying The Bible Project's lesson on Numbers, you'll comprehensively understand its structure, themes, and significance, gaining insight into the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness, God's guidance, rebellion, priesthood, and offerings, as well as its historical, theological, and contemporary relevance.
  • Explore Numbers' authorship, context, structure, and theology to gain a comprehensive understanding of its significance to the Pentateuch and the Old Testament, as well as its relevance to the Christian faith today.
  • You will gain knowledge and insight into the book of Joshua, including its historical context, literary genre, and summary. You will learn about the book's themes, such as God's faithfulness, obedience, and judgment, and its significance in foreshadowing Christ's work and providing historical and theological implications.
  • Explore the historical and cultural context, literary design, and theological significance of the book of Judges in the Old Testament, and learn how it fits into the broader biblical storyline, including its relevance for today.
  • Explore the Book of Ruth to understand its historical context, literary features, themes of loyalty and faithfulness, redemption, the kinsman-redeemer's role, and its Old Testament significance.
  • Studying the Book of Samuel provides insight into the rise of the Israelite monarchy, the lives of Saul and David, and the importance of obedience to God, covering themes of leadership and kingship with the presence of the Ark of the Covenant.
  • By exploring the story of Absalom in 2 Samuel and the broader context of the Old Testament Historical Books, you will gain insight into the themes and messages of these books, as well as their historical and modern-day significance.
  • Through the study of 1 Kings and 2 Kings, you will gain a deeper understanding of the history of Israel and Judah, as well as valuable spiritual lessons from these Old Testament books.
  • By studying this lesson, you understand the historical and literary aspects of 1 and 2 Chronicles, emphasizing God's sovereignty, covenant faithfulness, worship, and obedience.
  • Through this lesson, you grasp the historical context, key themes, and modern applications of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, enriching your understanding of faith, community, and commitment to God's Word.
  • You will gain an understanding of the book of Esther, a narrative in the Hebrew Bible that tells the story of a Jewish woman named Esther who becomes queen in the Persian court and, with the help of her cousin Mordecai, saves the Jews from genocide orchestrated by the villain Haman. The story highlights God's sovereignty and providential care, and the feast of Purim celebrates the Jews' victory.
  • By studying the Book of Job, you will explore the complexities of human suffering, the search for divine wisdom, and the tension between God's sovereignty and human limitations within a unique literary structure.
  • You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the book of Psalms, including its background, structure, authorship, and theology. You will also learn about the various themes and motifs present in the Psalms, which will help you better understand and appreciate this important book in the Old Testament.
  • By studying Proverbs, you will understand the definition and purpose of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, and the personification of wisdom in the book. You will also gain insights into the literary structure of Proverbs and the themes of the book, including the importance of listening to wisdom, the power of words, and the value of hard work.
  • In the Ecclesiastes lesson, you gain insights into the book's structure, themes, and significance, while exploring the search for meaning, vanity, and the importance of fearing God and enjoying life.
  • You will gain an understanding of the literary features, interpretation, theology, and application of the book Song of Songs, including its authorship, historical and cultural context, allegorical and literal interpretation, and its teachings on God and human love, sexuality, and relationships.
  • Through this lesson, you gain insight into Isaiah's historical context, literary features, major themes, and its significance in the Old Testament.
  • Discover how Isaiah's prophetic message of judgment and hope for Jerusalem evolves, as it predicts the fall of Israel's kingdom and envisions a new, purified Jerusalem where God's kingdom will be restored through a future messianic king, uniting all nations in peace.
  • Through this lesson, you will gain understanding of the book of Jeremiah, including its historical and cultural context, literary features, major themes and message, and significance in the Old Testament.
  • In this lesson, you learn about the Book of Lamentations, its structure, themes, and the role of God in the midst of suffering and divine judgment, while ultimately highlighting His faithfulness and mercy.
  • In the book of Ezekiel, you follow the story of a priest named Ezekiel who has a vision of God's glory riding on a royal throne chariot, and is commissioned by God to accuse Israel of rebellion and warn them of their impending destruction due to their covenant violations and rampant social injustice, while also providing a small glimmer of hope for the future.
  • By viewing this lesson on Daniel, you will gain understanding of its structure, themes, and significance in the Old Testament, gaining knowledge about living as faithful exiles in a hostile culture, God's sovereignty and faithfulness in times of trial, and remaining faithful to God even in difficult circumstances.
  • Through this lesson, you grasp the complexities of Hosea, discovering the book's themes, messages, and its role in the Old Testament, emphasizing the relationship between Israel's unfaithfulness and God's unwavering love.
  • By studying the book of Joel, you will gain insight into the historical and cultural context of Judah, the literary features of prophetic literature, and the themes of repentance, restoration, and the Day of the Lord. Joel's prophecy also has significance in the New Testament as it is quoted by Peter at Pentecost, emphasizing the fulfillment of Joel's vision through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
  • In the Amos lesson, you explore its historical context, literary features, and themes, enhancing your understanding of justice, the Day of the Lord, and God's sovereignty within the Old Testament.
  • By studying Obadiah, you will gain insight into the historical context and literary features of this prophetic oracle. You will learn about the pride of Edom, their judgment, and the hope for Israel. Through understanding the significance of Obadiah in the Old Testament, you will have a deeper appreciation for the themes and message of this book.
  • Through this lesson, you gain insight into Jonah's themes, including God's mercy, human rebellion, repentance, and the significance of mission, while also understanding its connections to other biblical narratives.
  • Studying the book of Micah will give you an understanding of its historical context, literary genre, prophetic message of judgment and restoration, and insights into God's character and how He interacts with His people.
  • In this lesson, you gain insight into the historical context, structure, and themes of the book of Nahum, learning about God's sovereignty, justice, and the relevance of these concepts in today's world.
  • Studying Habakkuk will deepen your understanding of how to wrestle with difficult questions about God's character and the problem of evil and respond with faith and trust in God's sovereignty.
  • In this lesson, you explore the book of Zephaniah, gaining insights into its background, context, literary features, themes, and significance in the Old Testament, including the central message of the Day of the Lord and the promise of future hope.
  • You will gain an in-depth understanding of the Book of Haggai, including its historical and cultural context, literary structure, purpose and themes, individual sections, and theological significance in relation to the Exile, Restoration, and Messiah.
  • In this lesson, you gain insights into Zechariah's historical context, structure, themes of restoration, the coming Messiah, God's sovereignty, and its significance in the Old Testament.
  • Discover the last book of the Old Testament and its themes, such as God's love for Israel, the importance of worship, and the coming of the messenger and the day of the Lord, as well as its connection to the New Testament, which prophesies the coming of John the Baptist and Jesus and calls for a return to God.

BP100-35 Micah

The book of the prophet Micah. Micah lived in a small town named Moresheth, in the southern kingdom of Judah, about the same time as Isaiah. And both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel had split long ago, and both had been violating their covenant with the God of Israel. So Micah warned that God would bring the big bad empire of Assyria to take out the northern kingdom and come ravage Jerusalem. And he also warned that after them, Babylon would bring an even greater destruction. Like all the prophets, Micah spoke on God's behalf to accuse Israel. Or as he puts it in Chapter 3, "I am filled with strength, with the Spirit of God, with justice and power, to declare how Israel has rebelled." And so most of this book explores Micah's accusations and his warnings of God's judgment on Israel. But Micah also had a message of hope, that countered these warnings. About the restoration God would bring on the other side of His judgment. And if you dive into the book with us, you'll see how this works. So the first two sections of the book develop Micah's accusations and warnings against Israel and its leaders. So part 1 opens with the poetic description of God appearing over Israel, just like He did at Mount Sinai. There's fire and smoke and earthquake. But He hasn't come to make a covenant this time. He's come to bring His judgment on Israel for over 500 years of rebellion. Micah goes on to name all of these towns and cities in Israel, that are the culprits of all of this rebellion. God's coming for them. But why exactly? So Micah picks a fight with Israel's leaders. He says that they've become wealthy through theft and greed. He alludes to the story of Ahab stealing a family vineyard from Naboth in 1 Kings 21. But also, it's because Israel's prophets are corrupt. They're quite happy to offer promises of God's protection to anyone who can afford to pay them. "No" Micah says "God has withdrawn His protection from Israel." In the second section of accusations, Micah describes even more how Israel's leaders and prophets have together committed grave injustice. They run the land through bribery. They've bent justice to favor the wealthy. And the poor are deprived of their land, their security, and their hope. And all of this is a violation of the laws of the Torah, which declare it illegal to sell land that belongs to families, even if they're poor. And so we find out, that God's judgment is going to take the form of an oppressive nation that comes to take out the northern kingdom and Jerusalem and its temple which will be reduced to ruins. Now these are very stiff warnings. And they're not the final word. Each of these warning sections is concluded with the striking promise of hope. So first, is a poem about how God is like a shepherd who's going to rescue and regather His flock, which is the remnant of His people. And He's going to bring them all back to good pasture and become their king once more. The second warning section is concluded by picking up this image of the ruined Jerusalem temple. And Micah says this won't be permanent. One day, God is going to exalt His temple. He's gonna fill it with His presence and fill the city with the remnant of His people. And so, God's purpose is to make Israel the meeting place of heaven and earth. So that all nations will stream to Jerusalem, where God becomes the King of all the nations, bringing peace to the earth. Now these two concluding poems of hope, they're very powerful. In the next section of the book actually develops them further into beautifully designed series of poems that are entirely about the future hope of Israel and the nations. So we learn that after the Assyrian attack, Israel will be conquered and exiled to Babylon. But from there God will restore His people and bring them back to their land. And then we learn that in the New Jerusalem, a new Messianic King from the line of David will come. He'll be born in Bethlehem and then rule in Jerusalem over the restored people of God. Finally, in this Messianic Kingdom of God, the faithful remnant of God's people will become that blessing among the nations. But at the same time God will bring His final justice and remove evil from His world. The final section of the book returns to this pattern of warning followed by hope, that we saw in the first parts of the book. So Micah exposes again the unjust economic practices of Israel's leaders and how it's destroying the land and its people. And here Micah offers his famous words that summarize what it means for Israel to follow their God: "He has told you, o human, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you:" "to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." This is exactly what Israel has not been doing. And so they will come to ruin. However, the book ends with another powerful note of hope. Israel is personified as an individual, who's sitting alone in shame and defeat. It's a clear image of Israel's destruction and exile. And this individual is watching for God's mercy and he begs God to listen and forgive. But why? Why should God listen to and forgive this faithless and rebellious people? Well the poet offers two reasons: first, he says because of God's character. "Who is a God like You, who forgives sin and pardons rebellion?" He knows that God's mercy is more powerful than His anger or His judgment. And the second reason is because of God's promises. He says "You will stay true to Jacob and show covenant love to Abraham, as You swore so long ago." Now these are the final words of the book. They're an allusion to God's covenant promises to Abraham and his family all the way back in the book of Genesis: That all nations would find God's blessings through Abraham's family. But to become a blessing to the nations, Israel must first be faithful to their God. And so this explains this back and forth between judgment and hope in the book of Micah. If God's going to bless the nations through Israel, then He must confront and judge the evil among His people. But His judgment is what leads to hope, because God's covenant love and promises are more powerful than human evil. And His ultimate purpose is not to destroy, it's to save and redeem. Or as the concluding lines of the book put it: "God delights in covenant love, so He will again show compassion." "He will trample our evil; He will toss our sins into the depths of the sea." And that's what the book of Micah is all about.